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Great info & very true but I have to mention - I've been taking lessons for 1-1/2 yrs with an instructor that teaches us it's our SEAT that stops the horse - the bit & our hands are secondary. It really is true...
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Here is my thought about bits in general ... regardless of what you use,
it's not the BIT that stops the horse, it's the hands. If a given bit
loses its effectiveness, then the rider needs to use it differently. A
horse becomes numb to the AIDS, not the bit. A horse becomes heavy on
the bit because of heavy hands, and light on the bit because of light
hands.
Even so, every once in a while it happens that the rider needs to change
bits for retraining purposes. Even sensitive hands sometimes need a
little different type of tool to do the job. In that case, it's my
opinion that the horse is best served by changing the pressure points,
not increasing the pressure at the same points. IOW, change from a
french link to a mullen (or vice versa) - a single jointed full cheek to
a kimberwicke - a copper dee ring to a baucher - a bit to an S hack -
the idea is that there are about a bazillion mild bits to choose from
without having to resort to a slow twist (pain) or a double wire (also
pain). If you don't TRAIN the horse to respond, then it's only a matter
of time before he begins to run through the pain of the harsher bit. Of
course, I'm a minimalist, but in the end it's like spanking a toddler:
after a while it doesn't work any more, and you have to up the ante.
Good luck on the great bit hunt ... every horse has a favorite.
-Abby B
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