What bit for my horse?!
Spending my first professional years colt starting and re-training problematic horses, I had a pretty simple approach to bits. Put them in a snaffle, and change the type of snaffle depending on the horses’ needs. For colts, it was a snaffle or nothing. For the horses who were in training because they had a specific problem that deemed them unsafe, or more simply because they had a poor foundation of training, I always put them in a snaffle initially. More often than not, these horses were usually ridden in shanks or pelhams, depending on the discipline it was used for. However, my job was to go back and fill the holes in their training, essentially re-program how they went about their jobs. A snaffle bit helped establish the lateral suppleness most of these horses lacked throughout their body. It served as their kindergarten training before we moved back up to grade 1, grade 2, and so on.
Cobra, my 3yo stud colt, in a smooth snaffle
The path to finding a bit for Parlay, however, has not been so simple. Far from it actually. To put things into perspective, it took us 6 weeks to get him going in something I felt he accepted well. Those first 6 weeks of owning him was a repeating series of trial and error. Parlay is strong, and if he’s not in a bit that he likes, he runs right through your hands. I will never forget when we tried jumping him in a Single-Jointed Pelham, and after the jump he folded and ran. This happened on multiple occasions, but this particular day Cris yelled “any day you can stop him now!”. I belted back “I’m trying!” as I’m attempting to muster up the strength to stop a horse whose withers stand bigger than my head.
Let me state what should be the obvious, I made sure his mouth was checked and he was up to date on his dental. I even went so far as to have another dentist look in his mouth a few weeks into owning him. So anything medical was ruled out, which brings us back to our bit search.
In Europe, he went in a Pelham and a Twisted Loose Ring Snaffle, from what I could see in the videos. So naturally, these were the first things I tried, none of which I was convinced by. Parlay has a very soft mouth, but is a very forward and strong horse. I didn’t need something with leverage, but I had to have something strong enough to make him respect my aids.
For a while, many of my rides included me getting off and putting another bit on my bridle. To make it even more amusing, his head is so big that 95% of the headstalls wouldn't fit him. So instead of just swapping bridles, I’d have to dismantle mine, then whoever else’s bit I was trying, then put mine back together with the new bit, then put everything back together once I was finished. So if you’re struggling with finding the perfect bit (if that even exists?), I feel your pain.
Cris approached me one day with a photo of what he believed we needed, a Hackabit. Something only legal for jumpers; I’d never used one myself but knew how they worked. It essentially controls the entire face of the horse, paired with a bit for more control. I ordered one with a Happy Mouth Bit, desperately hoping for success. At this point, I couldn’t accomplish much during our rides. And while I didn’t want to push him upon arrival, ensuring he had plenty of time to get acclimated, it had gotten to the point where he was more than ready to get back into a program.
Our first ride felt like an entirely different horse. He finally backed off my hands when I asked him to wait before the jump, and afterward he wouldn't get strong. Let me specify though, he wouldn’t get strong so long as I rode him well. This is the kind of horse that will always require a very assertive rider, with soft hands and occasional firm aids when needed. Without the reminder, he’ll quickly remind me that he is stronger, and he will use that against me if I don’t lead him well.
This was a great alternative for jumping, but I didn’t want to use it for flat rides. However, any flat that involved gymnastic training, he’d ride as if we were jumping. So the Hackabit was used for both, and on easier rides I could get by with a Kimberwhicke.
Parlay in a hackabit, a combination of a hackamore and bit.
After two and a half months of training, I took him to our first show in Wellington. I felt him very heavy on the forehand during our courses. Instead of keeping his head up and sitting back on his hindquarters, he was down and pulling the ground towards him with the front end. The exact opposite of what we need in order to have a balanced canter and clear round. The Hackabit served us well for a relatively short time, but now it was time for something new.
I then put him in a Gag, and I couldn’t have imagined a better outcome. The gag’s are designed for horses with sensitive mouths that tend to become strong. It also encourages the head to lift up, and while it isn’t a cure for how a horse naturally decides to carry himself, it will discourage heaviness on the forehand.
The switch from Hackabit to Gag happened in early November, and he’s been going well up until the last few weeks. While there wasn’t a drastic sign like the pulling with the previous bit, I felt subtle changes that made me begin to question if I needed to step away from the Gag for some time. Since moving to New Jersey on February 10th, I’ve had extremely successful and unsuccessful rides in a Hackamore, a bitless version of the Hackabit. It’s a bit eluding, one day he goes beautifully, the next day he tosses his head when I apply subtle pressure. But when jumping, he rates back and turns on a dime. There’s a few more adjustments I can make on this style of bridle, so I’ve not counted it out yet.
Just recently I tried a Full-Cheek Waterford for our flat lesson that involved gymnastics. To my relief, another great success! While I want to celebrate and believe I’ve found “the one”, for all I know tomorrow he could change his mind and decide he hates it. But for now, there’s some options on the table. No clear answer, but I’m learning that doesn’t exist for my horse. And I’m completely okay with that.
At the end of the day, it’s not about my feelings. It’s about setting our horses up for success, in every aspect of their lives. From how they perform to how they recover and live the remainder of their lives outside the arena. I don’t care if I have to rotate bits for the rest of Parlay’s career. If he’s the kind of horse that gets tired of the same thing, than so be it.
This entire ordeal has taught me so much about the horses’ mouth, the vast array of bits out there, and ultimately made me a better listener to what he’s trying to tell me. As disheartening as it was at times, I wouldn't go back and change a thing!