Do you use a different bit when trail riding?

[Ridinwyoming]

This is more of a training question but I’m curious when switching from riding in the arena to out on trail do you switch to a different bit?

I used to trail ride 100% of the time years ago and the horse I had at that time was an experienced trail horse.

My current horse is new to trail riding, in fact we have only rode around on the stable property and haven’t actually gone “down the road” yet. He is well trained in dressage/jumping but has very little experience riding outside the arena. I ride him in a snaffle.

He loves going out and seeing new sights but can get a little spooky at times. He will grab the bit and stiffens his neck so I have trouble getting him turned or stopped. I realize more training is in order before we venture off the property but because of these spooking episodes I feel I don’t have enough control of him to take it further. Suggestions?

[rmh_rider]

Sometimes I use a different bit. Usually use a very very mild port bit. It totally depends on my kind of ride, and where I ride. For really technical I use a bit. For group rides, I ride gaited now, I use a bit. For the less technical, swap to an S hack. Same principle as the bit I have now, but you can definitely isolate the shoulder like a snaffle with the S hack, but the whoa is much less decreased. Either of these bits, I can use in an arena doing dressage or out on the trail. If your horse is not used to a new bit and you go out on trail with it, you may have a big issue.

My mare is very well trained to trail. So she can use either bit and do very well. For a lesser trained trail horse I would use the same bit (as in the arena) until the horse is 110% proven and dependable with it. With the S hack I can move her anywhere on the trail, and go over any terrain, or trail obstacle totally safely. It just won’t have a huge whoa power if I need it. But still it is a really good bit. I would not however, go to a snaffle and go on the trail. Nope. Totally different principle from what my mare has been trained.

Sometimes on the trail I will clip the other bit on the saddle. That way I can change it if I want to, or change back, easy.

I would never just go in a halter and lead rope. You just never know. My mare is very forward, and bold. The harder the trail is technically the better she is. She doesn’t have a spook, but horses can be horses. You could ride part of the trail with one bit then swap, and then swap back if you do not like how your horse is going along.

I want my horse totally solid in a bit for the trail, then the horse has to prove to me that she can go to a lesser different bit on the trail. I will ride the horse on a known trail with the new bit, and see how it goes first before just heading out with the new bit. If the fruit bat comes out, then nope, your horse isn’t ready for a different bit on the trails.

[Simbalism]

With a previous horse, I always used a different bit for trail riding. In the ring he went in a full cheek snaffle. When out trail riding he often decided he didn’t want to stop if you cantered. So I rode him in a slow twist full cheek. Just a little added omph for stopping. My current horse goes in an english hackamore whether in the ring or trail riding. The only time she uses a bit is if we show dressage, then she goes in a Happy Mouth mullen mouth.

[tabula_rashah]

Yes. My one mare goes in a Myler Combo out on the trail and a loose ring french link in the ring. My other mare goes in a little S hackamore on the trail and a loose ring french link in the ring. Third mare goes in the loose ring for both.

[rugbygirl]

Yup, I use a full cheek on the trail and a loose ring in the arena (Jumping.)

I also often use a running on the trail, mainly to prevent my reins from going over my horse’s head…not adjusted very tightly.

No particular reason, just seems to be the bitting that works.

[Nezzy]

no i use the Myler Comfort snaffle all the time.

[quietann]

Mine goes in her KK snaffle for everything. But she has a soft mouth and is pretty well voice-trained to “whoa.”

[reubenT]

it’s all in what they are trained to respond to. Where the ride goes, round a ring or down the trail, is irrelevant. we use a bit as a tool of communication, with appropriate training the communication can be transitioned to any method or device. My trail horse is trained to respond easy to light pressure with any headgear, and to neck reign, consequently I can use a web halter and one lead. And that lead can be on either side, direct one way, neck reign the other.
But now you can also train a horse to act different with different bits. So if that’s been done perhaps using a different bit for different activities would be in order. At one time I was thinking that the ideal goal is to train a horse so the bit and bridle can be eliminated and get all the same control and communication without it. But I’ve decided that is not necessarily so, the more advanced the training gets the more detailed and intricate the communication gets, with bit and other aids.

[Villager]

Yes

My mare really enjoys a hackamore on the trails.
She has always had a sensitive mouth and in H/J we use a French Link.
I think its a nice change for her to hack and trail ride just with a hackamore.
I even change to an All purpose Wintec saddle for the trails which wears better in the rain and bush.
For me, Trails are for Casual Wear ,& lessons and Show Ring is Business Attire.

[Shermy]

I am a creature of habit, can use the same headstalls w/either of my horses. Been riding in a snaffle for quite awhile, but both guys have lots of miles on them, they are trail ridden a LOT, so would be ok in a variety of bits.

I would practice bending her, softening up her neck while in the arena or trail, keep working at getting that brace out of her

Good luck!

[Bogie]

Sure – I have several bits for my horse.

I foxhunt using a Kimberwicke, I trail ride with a Mickmar circle shank (because he likes the mouthpiece) and if I’m schooling in the ring or taking a slow hack, I use a loose ring snaffle.

[PletchersMom]

Absolutely a different bit for trails, incase I need that extra stopping power in situations

[cnvh]

Hauling out to a trail alone or with a buddy, where we don’t expect to encounter any really crazy stuff: bitless bridle. (Mine is the Freedom bridle from Moss Rock Endurance; I just ride in the sidepull configuration. Glorified halter, basically.)

Schooling dressage or O/F at home, or out at a schooling show: regular bridle w/ eggbutt French link.

Hunter pace, or situation where we know we’ll be encountering weird stuff like stampeding herds of cattle: regular bridle, eggbutt French link, but with a running martingale attachment on the breastplate.

I find that my horse tends to evade the bit by throwing his head up in the air when he’s having a “moment”-- it’s less about the hardware in his mouth, and more about the head-throwing. Hence, I don’t up my bit, but I do add the martingale.

[kittykeno]

No, I have one dressage saddle, one snaffle bridle and one french link bit. My horses are started out on trail at hand walk. They do the same loop until they are confident. Then I get on and do the same loop under saddle at the walk until they are confident. Trotting comes next. I spend as much time training to trail ride as I do dressage training. I freely admit to choosing horses that have good temperaments that lend themselves to being trailered all over for trail riding.

[Foxtrot_s]

I use a Nathe, but if she has not been out in a while or if she is likely to act up for whatever reason ( crowd of strange horses, say) I add a standing or a Market Harborough. Mostly nothing, sometimes to my regret.

[candysgirl]

My Arab wears the JP Korsteel oval mouth eggbutt for arena work and foxhunting. He can go bitless foxhunting, but I like the traditional look of my flat hunt bridle and the rolled leather sidepull noseband isn’t the right ‘look’. Honestly no one in my hunt would probably care, but the non traditional-ness of it bugs me so he wears the snaffle for most days. We generally do cubbing season bitless and then switch to the traditional hunt bridle for formal season. The extra formal days (like the Blessing of the Hounds and such) he wears the Pelham.

General trail rides or endurance rides though? He goes in a biothane sidepull with a padded noseband. It has ZERO ‘stopping power’ to it, but that’s really never been an issue with him. I broke him out in a flat halter with reins clipped to it so he learned from day one to stop no matter what’s on his face.

So I do use something different for trail riding. Communication just isn’t refined enough for me in the sidepulls to use one for nitpicky arena work.

Same horse also goes western in a spade bit and LOVES it - that’s actually probably his favorite bit of them all.