Check your Bits for wear and damage

I almost always wear gloves when handling horses. Mainly because my hands have been chewed up over the years, splitting from dryness, being cut, etc., and I always check out my bridles before I put one on a horse, making sure it is still in good working condition. Part of that is running my hand over the bit mouthpiece and swivels. A couple days ago, I happen to grab a bridle with a snaffle bit, to put on my horse Hays, with a bare hand and I felt burrs on the snaffle mouthpiece. This was a snaffle with a solid copper mouthpiece. Copper is a bit softer than steel or sweet iron and I reckon after years of riding in it, it just got a chewed up some. So I changed out the bridle for an almost brand new snaffle bit to ensure my horse's comfort.

When I was running annual arena challenges, I would often get donations from horse tack distributors and every once in awhile, not often, but it happened where I would receive bits that were pretty cheap. Like the snaffles bit that are offered for $20 or $30.  I keep these lower quality items off the prize table and would just donate these bits to a horse rescue with the caveat that these bits were low quality and be careful using them. <br><br>

While some may balk at $120 snaffle bits, it does pay to buy quality gear. This may be more apparent when buying braided rawhide hackamores. Beveled strands of rawhide and tight braids on a quality hackamore (bosal) from well known braiders, and taking care of those works of art, will pay off. You don't want to buy a cheap $60 rawhide bosal with rough parts that would sore up a horse's nose. I realize the many people can't afford really nice gear - I've been there and it's taken me a long time to accumulate really good equipment - but quality tack with usually last a lifetime.

I think my horse Hays was supervising the bridle/bit choice when I discovered the burrs on my decades old snaffle with solid copper mouthpiece.