Another bit question, on the finished western pleasure horse

[meaty_ogre]

For a horse who has a lot of show ring miles (western pleasure, horsemanship, trail), do you always stick with a curb type bit, or do you sometimes go back to a snaffle?

I don’t have much western riding experience, but with my english horses, the ones who went in pelhams, elevators or other shanked type bits at shows/events still schooled mostly in a snaffle at home. And, I had a trainer who liked to mix things up (french link, single link, mullen, copper, sweet, iron, rollers, etc) as far as the mouthpieces. Her theory, and it sounded like a good one to me, was not to “deaden” any one area of the mouth to pressure, and to give certain areas (tongue, bar, etc.) a “rest” from time to time.

Also, with horse trials, I had different bits for the different phases. Do those of you who show have a different bit for pleasure vs. trail? Or do you keep it all the same?

[Showbizz]

I used to, but started working with a BNT who had me school in the “bridle” all the time. Her theory is that snaffles and curbs have such different mechanisms, it doesn’t make sense to train in one type and expect to show successfully in another. That said, I do most of my off season riding and trail riding in a snaffle.

As far as different phases and different bits, it depends on the horse. The horse I’m showing now goes in the same bit regardless of the division. But she’s fairly finished. I wouldn’t hesitate to go down a notch or two in bits for patterns on a less experienced horse, although I can’t think that I ever have.

For years I switched bits on my current mare at home, mostly trying to find exactly the right one. This spring I finally hit the jackpot and I have one bit that I use for schooling. I put the show bridle on her a few times throughout the season to check and make sure we’re where I want to be. Usually two weeks heading to an important show I’ll do more schooling in the show bridle.

Hope this helps!

[meaty_ogre]

It does make sense, and that is pretty much the consensus I’m getting from the others I know who show western. i was worried he may get “dull.” Coming from an english background it seems like an awful lot of hardware in his mouth, but then again I hardly ever touch his mouth, so it probably works out to be milder than even the mildest snaffle with constant light contact.

He works so well off the seat and leg I’m sure I could just ride him in his halter!

I do think that I may go to a snaffle for trail work or work outside the ring. The bits do work very differently, but I can’t imagine it would bother or “mess up” a horse this finished. Thanks for your insights.

[Beverley]

I have actually only owned one horse who ‘required’ a bit change every 6-8 weeks. And whether it was a stronger or less strong bit was irrelevant, just ‘change.’ When I showed western in my youth, we pretty much just rode daily in the same bit. For decades now mine have gone English and western, for hacking English I’ll typically use a snaffle, but most required a little more, usually a pelham, for hunting (or cross country in eventing, for example). The most recent horse I showed ‘both ways,’ mid 90s to early 2000s, just knew by the tack what we were up to, pelham and English saddle = hunters or pleasure classes, western low port curb and western saddle meant pleasure or trail.

But in general, in my experience, except for the one horse mentioned above, they won’t get ‘dull’ from use of the same bit. They get ‘dull’ in any bit from uneducated hands.

My current two have maybe benefited from my laziness, they each have their own snaffles for western or English, and bosals, but I have not gotten around to finishing either one in a curb bit. One of these days…though it isn’t all that pressing if they’ll do everything including hunting in a snaffle.

[Tee]

I go back to a snaffle now and again when I ride western, but I also ride English in a snaffle and it doesn’t seem to mess my guy up. Usually for a snaffle (western), I am trying to correct an issue that’s more easily understood in a snaffle.

I also have three different curbs I alternate between. I have a Myler, a correction (two - round and square port) and the California pleasure that we show in. I find that changing them up from time to time keeps Remy more responsive and keeps him from getting dull.

[Showbizz]

OP, it is a lot of hardware in their mouth. It’s for that reason a horse needs a lot of time in it to be comfortable… A horse will only get “dull” if you allow it to

[MyssMyst]

My western horse schools in a smooth snaffle. We bring out the show bit once every couple weeks, but she knows and understands that bit, so I’m not worried about it as much as I would if she were new to a curb. I do a lot of dressage basics in my warmups, and simply find it easier in a snaffle. Granted, my mare is an Arab, and I have no idea how on earth to produce the topline that you see in the quarter horse and paint ring, so I’m guessing what you school in would depend on your training goals as well.