What bit for an ex-roping horse turned trail horse?

[BlueDrifter]

I’ve had my new horse for 6 months. I have him in a double-jointed O-ring snaffle. I have never ridden in anything else in arena or trail with prior horses. I don’t wear spurs. I worry that neither my hands nor legs are good enough for anything severe. However, talking to folks at my new barn about a girl who recently got dumped on trail, I was advised that I should be riding him in a shanked bit, especially on trail. The trainer said, “As a rope horse, he is used to it, and a snaffle will have zero stopping power should he spook.”

I never really thought about it that way – my prior horses never had a prior western career, always family horse or dressage – but maybe she has a point.

Thoughts?

[ladyj79]

You’ve been riding the horse in a snaffle without issue for six months.

I see no reason to change that.

Your trainer’s logic seems faulty.

Some other idiot falling off has nothing to do with you.

A horse who has gone perfectly fine in a snaffle for six months doesn’t suddenly lose it in a bit that has been working just fine; if a horse is going to really lose it out of the blue, the bit matters little.

[saddleup]

I come from an English background and always rode my horses in a snaffle, too. I quickly discovered when I transitioned out to the trail that brakes are essential, even life-saving, and I switched to a curb bit with a chin strap and split reins. 99% of the time my horses are on completely loose reins, but having that immediate response has been needed on a few occasions…like coming face to face with an angry moose, hearing motorcycles on approach and needing to stop and reverse NOW, etc.

I ride in a Myler bit with a small port and swivel shanks.

I also wear spurs, for pretty much the same scenarios but opposite reason. I’ve only used them a couple of times, but needed an immediate GO NOW.

Safety first, and to me both a curb bit and spurs are for safety.

However, your trails might not have the kinds of hazards I have. I ride in the mountains, often on the edge of a narrow trail, and worst case scenarios here have scary consequences.

[Bluey]

Hmmm, spurs are not to make a horse go in a pinch, but to fine tune your leg requirements, where a very light touch indicates to the nicely trained horse to move over?

How to use whatever bit on whatever horse is about the skill of the rider, not the bit.

If race horses can be rated with snaffles, I would think any horse can, if the rider knows how to use that bit and the horse how to respond to it.

Seems that the OP has the skills necessary to control her horse and six months to prove it.

Curious why the trainer wanted her to start using a curb, if maybe there was a problem and that was the trainer’s solution to that, in that situation, for that horse and rider?

[imaginique]

I rode my Arab gelding, and currently have two QHs that go just fine in a snaffle on the trail. It’s the training–not the bit. My mare has spooked and bolted a couple of times and I’ve caught her quickly and easily with only a snaffle and a one-rein stop.

[Palm_Beach]

@BlueDrifter

However, talking to folks at my new barn about a girl who recently got dumped on trail, I was advised that I should be riding him in a shanked bit, especially on trail. The trainer said, “As a rope horse, he is used to it, and a snaffle will have zero stopping power should he spook.”

I never really thought about it that way – my prior horses never had a prior western career, always family horse or dressage – but maybe she has a point.

Thoughts?

If you focus on getting rid of the spook, then you don’t need to worry about how to stop a bolting horse. Horses are so quick, and your ex-roper is probably very athletic, and you may be on the ground before you even realize he is spooking from something. A bit or spurs won’t keep you in the saddle if he ducks out from underneath you.

Desensitizing and introducing your horse to scary spooky things like plastic bags, tarps, pool noodles, a vine obstacle, etc will go a long way to getting rid of any overreaction should something catch his eye on the trail.

Everyone who trail rides should be emphasizing this - it’s way more critical for trail riders than for those who mostly ride in an arena. How is an ambulance going to get to you if your horse spooks and dumps you and you get too injured to remount or walk?

[BlueDrifter]

Thanks for the feedback! I should add that although I have had him for 6 months in a snaffle, I have only been at a new barn with trail access for a month – and with the rain, I have only been out on trail a whopping 3x. These trails have a LOT of mountain bikers, hikers with loose dogs (illegal, but…), and apparently equestrians with not so solid mounts. No motorized, thank goodness. I have been careful to make those 3 times good rides and haven’t passed a peloton of downhill mountain bikers yet to know what he’d do (my biggest unknown at the moment!).

I normally ride trail in an english saddle, but I bought a western one, and I notice he seems to like it better – like he is familiar with that tack. That is what made me think maybe he would like a western/shanked bit better, too.

The trainer that advised me is not my trainer, but rather a barrel trainer who stopped by when we were talking about the other gal being dumped (4 broken ribs, ankle, and punctured lung). I don’t know if her profession would make her lean toward shank bits in general? I don’t have a western trainer though I am interested in learning and finding one, but it would be for western dressage, or trail, or ranch type exercises – not reining cutting, penning, roping, etc.

Thanks again!

[Foxglove]

I bought a cutting horse a year ago to be my new fox hunter --I immediately switched him to a snaffle. But like you I was concerned with the “stop and spin” that was possible with this very, very agile and athletic horse. What I did was add a “one rein stop” —be sure you have good instruction on how to train this --some think one just reaches down and yanks the head to the rider’s knee and the horse stops whatever he’s doing --no and if you do that, you might knock him off balance and both of you fall. Instead, starting at a walk, bring the head to you knee by reaching half way down the rein and pulling to your hip. When the feet stop moving (they will) and the horse relaxes the taught rein by “giving his head” immediately release the rein (and I mean IMMEDIATELY). If the horse starts moving off, do it again. After 100 times spread over 5 days (doing i both ways, each hand) at a walk, the horse learns when you slide your hand down the rein, he needs to stop because his head is going to be going to your foot. And he stops when he feels that forward slide down the rein. Then you do it at the trot --but that’s really easy because horse knows the drill. Ultimately, you practice (on good footing) cantering a few strides, then shutting horse down with a one-rein stop. Canter a few strides, one rein stop. After you have done that a month or so --you will do it instinctively. Any time you feel uncomfortable in the saddle, slide hand, wait for feet to stop moving. Release.

Does it work --YES --two weeks ago I was hunting my horse with a big group. As we came out of the woods, the horse ahead of us BUCKED TO THE MOON. My boy started to speed up (bolt) --I said out ;loud, “One rein stop,” and I did it and HE STOPPED RIGHT THERE. I was standing still while the field was flying away --and my horse never moved. He’d learned to respond to a one rein stop!!

I follow a set of DVDs that show a Western Rider teaching his horse “the basics” on the ground and mounted. For me, with no access to a trainer, it’s a lot of fun and my horse and I do about 30 min of DVD stuff every day. We have both improved --I understand him better (I’m an English rider) and he understands me better. I couldn’t understand the repeated emphasis on the one-rein top --until I needed it. Now I “get it.” If you want to know the DVD series I follow, PM me. Any time someone names a specific trainer on COTH --there’s a fire storm of “He’s Terrible” --so PM me --but honestly, all the DVD trainers, Western anyway, seem about the same. I just like how “mine” is set up.

[beau159]

Well, is he responsive to the snaffle and listens to you, I see no reason to put him in s shanked bit.

Bits are about TRAINING. If you have trained your horse to be responsive in the snaffle bit, then that’s all you need on the trail.

I dont know that I would be taking advice from a trainer that doesn’t actually seem to know you well or know your horse well. Sure, a curb will give you a bigger “bite” on the horse’s mouth if you need it but I ask the question : do you really need that?

a curb won’t prevent a horse from spooking. So long as he does well in a snaffle, it will stop him after the spook just as well as a curb.

And if your horse isnt so good in the snaffle, well that’s something to work on if that is the bit you’d like him to be in.

[Palm_Beach]

@Foxglove

Does it work --YES --two weeks ago I was hunting my horse with a big group. As we came out of the woods, the horse ahead of us BUCKED TO THE MOON. My boy started to speed up (bolt) --I said out ;loud, “One rein stop,” and I did it and HE STOPPED RIGHT THERE. I was standing still while the field was flying away --and my horse never moved. He’d learned to respond to a one rein stop!!

:yes: ^^This! And all that practicing also helped Foxglove execute the maneuver immediately - it’s probably an automatic response by now. You can use it to interrupt a buck before the buck gets going. That’s important when you are not a bronc rider.

[Foxglove]

Palm Beach --you are so right! And because we’ve practiced it so much, when I slide my hand down the rein, Will slows anticipating a stop. The other unexpected consequence, is my own confidence --I CAN stop a buck, a bolt, or any unwanted behavior. It’s empowering! But that comes after probably a month maybe two of 5 day a week practice (training) —trot/stop canter/stop walk/stop both ways over and over again. Boring as hell, but the pay off . . .

[ChestnutArabianMare]

I love the one rein stop too! My mare just got back from a couple of months of training where we both learned how to execute it properly. So reassuring to have that in my back pocket for trail rides, especially in areas where you don’t necessarily have room to circle.

[cutter99]

I am a trail rider, who for the last 15 years has ridden in nothing but an offset snaffle or a loping hackamore with no bit at all. What others have mentioned above is correct, it is all about training. I have yet to be run off with, and I have encountered the peloton of mountain bikers, complete with them flying through the air over jumps.

I would question any trainer who makes blanket statements like this one did. Get to know your horse by spending lots of time doing transitions in a ring, practicing a one rein stop, and asking for a complete halt from any gait.

[TMares]

Always question the value of blanket statements made by passersby. This trainer isn’t your trainer, and her own student is the one in pieces on the ground.

I ride a pretty high powered former show horse in a little S hackamore. He is happy in it and we’re happy together. If the horse is happy and you’re happy, there you go.

[volvo_240]

Give me a break with all if the lecturing on the horrors of artificial aids and training tips.

If this is all trail horse she intends to putz along with and relax, what the heck is wrong with installing a larger break pedal? She probably rarely has to touch the reins anyway.

It is typically easier to stop a bolting horse with a leverage bit. If you are concerned about brakes and just want to relax, loop the reins and enjoy your horse do it.

Less cruel to have an emergency brake than to hang in his mouth with a snaffle like most of us amatures do despite our best efforts.

[cutter99]

@volvo_240

Give me a break with all if the lecturing on the horrors of artificial aids and training tips.

If this is all trail horse she intends to putz along with and relax, what the heck is wrong with installing a larger break pedal? She probably rarely has to touch the reins anyway.

It is typically easier to stop a bolting horse with a leverage bit. If you are concerned about brakes and just want to relax, loop the reins and enjoy your horse do it.

Less cruel to have an emergency brake than to hang in his mouth with a snaffle like most of us amatures do despite our best efforts.

If you are hanging on your horse’s mouth that much, maybe you need the advice and training tips.

Doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or not. I’m an amateur who happens to pride myself in good horsemanship, which does not involve hammering on my horse’s face.

[ladyj79]

@volvo_240

Give me a break with all if the lecturing on the horrors of artificial aids and training tips.

If this is all trail horse she intends to putz along with and relax, what the heck is wrong with installing a larger break pedal? She probably rarely has to touch the reins anyway.

It is typically easier to stop a bolting horse with a leverage bit. If you are concerned about brakes and just want to relax, loop the reins and enjoy your horse do it.

Less cruel to have an emergency brake than to hang in his mouth with a snaffle like most of us amatures do despite our best efforts.

Not at all an overreaction…:lol::lol::lol:

[Palm_Beach]

@volvo_240

Give me a break with all if the lecturing on the horrors of artificial aids and training tips.

If this is all trail horse she intends to putz along with and relax, what the heck is wrong with installing a larger break pedal? She probably rarely has to touch the reins anyway.

It is typically easier to stop a bolting horse with a leverage bit. If you are concerned about brakes and just want to relax, loop the reins and enjoy your horse do it.

Less cruel to have an emergency brake than to hang in his mouth with a snaffle like most of us amatures do despite our best efforts.

That’s assuming you are still on board after the horse ducks and spins away from whatever spooks him. And a relaxed horse does not bolt, an anxious horse bolts. Understanding that your horse’s anxiety level can elevate incrementally until the horse had a big reaction, and using tools to decrease that anxiety so the horse does not have a big reaction is much more humane and safe than using a leverage bit to try to stop a horse that is out of control.

[findeight]

Well…free advice offered by random strangers without being asked is worth what you pay for it.

Its OPs horse, she knows it and herself so best for her not to be unduly influenced by random strangers. Even on here. See no objection to putting a mild, shorter shanked curb on him if she feels more comfortable. Horse is trained to it, he’s well broke, no need for any yanking. Couple of laps of the arena before starting any ride regardless of bit choice should tell any owner what kind of horse they have that day. If he’s starting fresh, anxious or spooky, no bit will solve that. Likewise having ignorant bikers running up his rump or coming head on around a corner looking back at a companion isn’t going to be helped by a bit.

Some prefer curbs on the trail on horses trained in it, myself included, because they allow full control one handed and the long split reins can come in handy. Nothing wrong there. But it might benefit OP to be familiar with the busiest times for bikes on the trails, after school and weekends for example, rallies or other group events ( check fb) and ride another time.

[Dani]

By the logic that trainer has, my ex-barrel mare shouldn’t know how to stop and should only be ridden in leverage bits from now on…

My mare goes in a snaffle in the arena and I can take her out on trails with spooky things in just a rope halter, not a hack, a halter. She will one rein stop in a halter at any speed. No bit needed.She rides beautifully in a curb bit, we even show in a curb, but we school in a snaffle and go out on trail bitless. It’s all in the training, not in the equipment.