Snaffles - Not just a starting point

First off, I spent several years chasing bits, trying to find the right bit that would bring about the change I was looking for in my horses. Until I was humbled enough to realize that the change had to come from me and not a piece of metal. I have apologized to my horses for my past approaches, much like I apologized to my daughter for taking her into town for one of those nasty McDonalds Happy Meal once a week when she was growing up. It's amazing that as we get older some things get clearer. It's just too bad that some people, and I'm in that group, won't live long enough and learn enough to make right decisions the first time, but sometimes, maybe everytime, on how learning takes place.

When riding a living, breathing animal four to six times our size and who can instantly move too quickly for us, or dump us on the ground, it is human nature to try and gain control and that most often leads us to more and more severe bits and headgear. But, it really is logical that in our and the horses development in the progression of training you would think we should tend to get softer, not only in our approach and how we use our hands (and legs) but in the bits/head gear we make our horses wear. Put in another way, as we and our horses get better we should be able to get by with less effort and harshness.

In the clinics I see all sorts of bits and headgear. Gag bits, mechanical hackamores, shanked bits connected to nose bands and tie downs. I've seen mechanical hackamores with really soft nose bands but with curb chains are pretty tight before the shanks are activated. And in the annual Arena Challenges I run, such as in this year's event, out of 27 competitors and horses, there were only two ridden in bosals and only two ridden in snaffles. To be sure, some competitors rode really soft in other bits, one rider in particular with a spade bit and several in leverage bits (having shanks). I was pleased to see more riders this year riding in a soft manner, with quiet hands and good communication with thier respective horses, however I had hoped to see less of the contraptions that try to control a horse through pain and not signal.

Over the years I am now in a place where I haven't used anything other than snaffle bits or bosals on my horses. On all my snaffle bit bridles I use slobber straps and have graviated to the longer slobber straps as I think they give a clearer pre-signal and quicker release. The two snaffles I use the most are the ones shown in the photo above. One regular snaffle with copper bars that really get the horse salivating and the other with a copper roller in the center.

The past week I had a gent come over wanting to see how I suggest he progress with a two year old colt he was going to pick up soon. The colt should have a dozen rides on him before this guy brings him home. This gent is no novice but it had been a long time since he has ridden green broke horses. I pulled one of my horses and rode him a snaffle showing him what things I would work on. Towards the end of the demo he asked at what point would I go to a shanked bit. He just thought that going to a leverage bit is the natural progression. While many of the best horseman (and women) in the country progress from a snaffle, to a hackamore (bosal) then to the two rein - riding with a bosal and a spade bit each with it's own reins, then eventually just in the spade bit, but there are many of us as well who can't get along well enough with our horses riding in a snaffle and being able to ride one handed, neck reining, controlling the front and back ends independantly from each other and getting horizontal and vertical softness....hence the draw of a leverage bit.

With the bosals and snaffle bit bridles, I can't remember using anything other than mecates as reins in the past 10-12 years. I think if more riders would give a snaffle bit a chance, riding several times a week on a particular horse, they'll come to find that they can not only get on just fine on a snaffle but actually see a better response in their horse. And the mecate reins, while seemingly may be complicated at first, is really a great tool. The photo above shows the snaffle bits with slobber straps and mecate reins. Maybe this will spark alitle interest in the snaffle bit as opposed to leverage bits. Safe riding everyone an Happy Thanksgiving.

How do I choose the right bit for my Horse?

Jessica wrote to say "I have a new horse and she is four years old. I have been riding her in a halter but I need to put a bit in her mouth. What should I be looking for when I try out different bits, so do you think there is a particular type of bit that I should be using on her? I want to start right and go slow so I don't have any problems down the road with her. Thanks, Jessica."

Generally horses are started, which means their training begun, with a snaffle bit. Training really begins much earlier upon the first time the horse is handled, and continues into ground work and all the things you do to prepare a horse to accept a saddle and rider. Since you can ride your mare in a halter then you are doing something right, and your plan to go slow and do it right is certainly the right approach - good for you.   

The snaffle bit is a non-leverage bit that it broken (or what you may think of as hinged) in the center of the mouthpiece. The snaffle bit works by providing a signal on the horse's tongue, bars of the mouth (space between front teeth and molars), and/or the corners of the mouth depending the mouthpiece of the bit, how it is seated or fitted to the horse, and of course how the rider handles the reins. Pressure applied by tension on one rein also has a pulling effect on the other side of the mouth through the snaffle bit.

 

While a rider can certainly begin a horse to neck rein on a snaffle bit, the snaffle bit is generally used through a direct rein. The picture above left is a typical snaffle bit.

The snaffle bit, not having a lot of leverage like a shanked bit, can be more forgiving to a horse's mouth on a horse, who for the first time, has to carry it and to the rider who may have quicker of harsher hands than is necessary.

 

Two things about the snaffle bit that riders sometimes do not understand are that the broken mouthpiece of snaffle bit can pinch the horse's tongue - even cutting it, and that the broken mouth piece can "tent" - making a peak and poke the roof of the horse's mouth causing a lot of pain.

 

 Sometimes a horse will accept or be more comfortable with a snaffle bit that is connected in the middle with a short piece which can be a roller or dog bone shaped, hence the name "dog bone snaffle".  See the picture above right. I like the copper roller for one of my mouthy horses - it also keeps his mouth moist.    

Snaffle bits, being non-leverage bits, do not provide much control on a run away horse or a horses in speed events like barrel racing.

 

Leverage bits have a shank that the reins connect to providing more leverage for the rider on the horse's mouth and also by activating or tightening the curb strap or chain under the horse's jaw.  Could have a nut cracker effect if the curb chain is too tight when the reins are loose and the rider pulls harshly.   

 

The picture above left is a broken bit with shanks, or you can think of it as a leverage bit with a snaffle mouth piece. In fact some people call this an Argentinian Snaffle.

 

Pretty much all the bits I have bridled up right now are snaffles and the lone leverage bit with the broken mouth piece.  I have several medium port solid bits but haven't used them recently. 

 

 

I guess what I am trying to write is that all bits can cause pain if used incorrectly.  I winch when I am at an event and I overhear someone saying "Did you see the way that horse stopped?  I've got to find out what type of bit he is using."  What I saw was the horse's head flying up trying to escape the pain of the bit pulled quickly and harshly in his mouth.

 

The idea is to use bits in such a manner as to signal the horse before that pain is applied. It's not the bit that creates the pain, it is the rider's hands. I hear too many comments from rider's that suggests a false understanding that when your horse is not performing right then you need a more severe bit. What is usually needed is a different approach. So I really can't suggest a bit for you and your horse other than a snaffle is a good place to start, but don't fall into the trap of continuously going to a different bit hoping to solve your training or performance problems.  I've been there and I would like to forget I was that guy.    

 

Another place to start would be if you buy a horse then find out what bit he has been used with and maybe start from there, but again, it's going to be the rider's application of the bit and the relationship he/she establishes with the horse that is going to make the difference.

I would highly suggest attending all the clinics you can, even just auditing the clinics. Horse's aren't born knowing how to understand what a human handler wants, nor are humans born capable of understanding and communicating with prey animals. So it is the human who must adjust and help the horse.  One of the coolest things is to see a horse try with the slightest pressure then see that horse demonstrate he accepts and understands what you are asking by giving more and doing it quicker.  I wish my wife would appreciate the subtlety of my efforts as I try to do with a horse.....week by week I am getting closer to getting honey-dos done.                     

Perceptions of the Hackamore

Over the past couple of months I have had several conversations centering around why I ride in a Hackamore and why don't I use a bit. Everything from people thinking I am against bits, to asking if my horse is broke to be ridden in a bit, to people saying your horse works pretty good for a Hackamore. So I wanted to take the opportunity to say a few things about Hackamores (and bits for that matter), but remembering that my opinion is just that - an opinion and likely not worth a great deal when compared to the opinions of thousands or tens of thousands of more accomplished horsemen.

And before I go much futher, when I say snaffle bit, I mean a true snaffle bit, not a broken bit with shanks. I am still suprised when people who appear to be experienced riders think they are riding in snaffle just because the mouthiece is broken. Anytime you add shanks, you add leverage. The bad thing of course, is that shanks make heavy hands worse.

I use leather slobber straps to attached my reins to the snaffle bit.  You can see in the photo at right how the weight of the leather slobber strap makes it hang downwards from the snaffle ring.  As I pick up on the rein there is a delay as I take the slack and the horse can feel this and prepare.  The weight of the leather slobber straps also allow the release to be felt sooner by the horse.    

When I say Hackamore, I'm talking about a bosal, attached to a headstall and a fiador. While tradionalists generally use a bosal attached to a hanger, without a fiador, I am more comfortable using a headstall and fiador. Even then, I have had a horse shuck off a hackamore when the fiador knot was tied way too loose.

I came to the opinion that when first working with a mature horse, it is usually best to start over. I don't have a set in concrete process where I start in a snaffle bit and go to a Hackamore, or vice versa. I use what I think the horse is going to accept better in the beginning, but I am more inclined to use the hackamore first as the signals are much alike the rope halter.  And with the rope halter you can get your horse used to being soft and giving to pressure so when you go to the hackamore things tend to go more smoothly. 

Starting over, for me anyway, lets me cover any gaps in the horse's understanding and keeps me from assuming that since the horse was broke to ride, he knows what he should know.

As far as whether it's more proper or advantageous to start a horse in a snaffle or a Hackamore, there is an good article, written by Tom Moates, in a recent edition of Eclectic Horseman magazine that provides insights from Buck Brannaman, Bryan Neubert and Martin Black on the question of starting colts with a snaffle bit versus a Hackamore, or vice versa. Anytime any of these top hands' say anything, its prudent to listen. And if you don't get the Eclectic Horseman magazine, I would recommend that you do.

Addressing if I'm against bits - no, I am not at all against bits,...maybe just how some people use them. I have a horse, Junior, that I ride in exclusively in a Hackamore. I used to ride him in a short shanked broken bit, but no more. Years ago I let someone else ride him in that bit and to make a long story short, we left our horses ground tied and a group of Mule deer spooked them. When we caught the horses about 20 minutes later, Junior's reins had came un- tied and he stepped on the reins pulling the bit and cutting his toungue. He is fine now but I have used a Hackamore on him ever since and always will.

I just don't have much to say to people who comment that they are surprised that a horse can work well, or as well, in a Hackamore as opposed to a bit. There are many things we (Junior and I) don't do very well at all, but I don't think a bit is going to change that.

Regarding graduating from a Hackamore to a bit. I'd like to have a horse that is comfortable, untroubled in both a Hackamore and a snaffle bit. I think it makes a better horse and you can change up what you ride in him from time to time to give him a break. While I have retained a couple shanked bits with broken mouth pieces, I don't have much use for anything but Hackamores and snaffles at this point.

While there are many exceptional horsemen who follow the Californio style of starting horses in snaffle, then to a Hackamore, then go to the two rein, and finally to a spade bit, I just never see myself getting to that to the level, and I'm okay with that.

Mecate with a Snaffle Bit

Denise asked I'm interested in riding with a mecate reins on a snaffle and am unsure how to do so. I like the idea of having a integral lead rope.”

Denise, thanks for your question. I’ll answer it mostly with pictures and a short video. This question has cropped up several times in the past few weeks. I attribute it to more people interested in trail riding and the popularity of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). The Mecate, also called McCarthy reins due to the Anglo pronunciation of the Spanish word, is one continuous rein, usually 20-24 feet long, made from either yacht line (braided rope) or a horse hair rope. When used with a Bosal, the Mecate reins are connected to the Bosal just above the Heel knot. Sometimes a Bosal and Mecate will be one piece where the Mecate is braided into the Bosal.

When a Mecate is used with a snaffle bit, it is common to use slobber straps to connect the reins to the ring of the snaffle. The slobber straps are pieces of leather that connect the reins to the bit. Like the picture to the left showing the off side slobber strap and how I secured the end of the Mecate to it. If you tie your Mecate to the slobber straps in this manner make sure you leave enough tail of the rope and point it downward.

A friend of ours, Arden, was looking for a Mecate so I took a 21 foot length of half inch braided rope, braided a leather popper in one end and wrapped some waxed flat thread around the rope where the center of the reins would be for a eight foot continuous rein.

The running end of the Mecate is looped through the near side slobber strap then you half hitch the Mecate so that the remaining length, in this case about 11 feet, runs downward. The near side is where you would adjust the length of the reins to suit yourself. The remaining 11 feet is now a get down rope. To keep it out of the way until you need it, you can clove hitch it to the horn, which is not my preferred way,....you can coil it and tie it to the near side saddle strings. Or, a traditional method it to get a bit near the end of the rope and tuck it under your belt. That is the bit of the remaining Mecate is pushed underneath your belt from bottom to top. If you came off your horse (it happens) you would have a rope to keep your horse from running away. If the horse ran away before you could get ahold of the rope, it would feed out from under your belt keeping you from being drug.

Anyway, Denise, I hope this video and post helps you rig and be safe with your Mecate.

Horse Who Bolts

Tim wrote me about a bolting Mustang he has,……I am having a problem with my horse getting spooked and running with out being able to stop him. He is 8 yr old mustang and had not been ridden in several years when I got him. The lady was intimidated by him and had him because of how beautiful he is. I sent him to the trainers and he did good. I still have him in a snaffle but want to know if I should graduate him to a bosal or some thing else to keep him from bolting. I did not break this horse myself because I was told that domestic horses were different to train then mustangs.

Thanks Tim for your question. I don’t think going from a snaffle to a Hackamore (Bosal and Headstall) is going to give you more control. Probably less control. Since you are only going to pull on his nose - pressure from the Bosal is delivered to the nose via the nose band). The level of discomfort (pressure) the horse feels from the hackamore will have a lot of do with diameter and material of the bosal. A horse not ridden for several years is probably not a safe horse to ride until you have basically re-started him. Since you sent him to a trainer, you should probably see what they have to say about him,...if they encountered the same bolting problem and what bit they rode him in.

Imagine having a bit in your mouth with some rider pulling on it,....you get spooked, then run off, this may cause the rider to pull even harder to either hold on or to try and get you to stop. So be careful about thinking the control is in the bit. The real control is in the mind of the horse, the relationship you build with him and his resulting behavior built from that trust.

Watch him when you fit the bit to see if his demeanor changes or it appears it may be seated too deep, or too loose for that matter. I like the bars of the bit to be touching the corners of the mouth not necessarily creating a wrinkle. Check to see if your horse still has his wolf teeth in, or worst yet, non-erupted or broken wolf teeth (just below or at the gum line) that the bars of the snaffle bit may be hitting and causing discomfort.

Eight years old is still a young horse if he hasn't had a lot of rides. I would do some ground work on him and ride in a round pen. Work on lateral flexion of his head and disengaging his hind end. If he bolts in the round pen, ride it out. He may have to bolt once or twice to figure out he doesn’t have to. Brush up on your one rein stops in case he bolts when you ride him out.

Good luck to you, let me know how the your Mustang is working out for you. Safe Journey.

Reader with Horse and Snaffle Bit Problems

D.K. wrote me and said that she bought a horse who she had seen being ridden in a snaffle bit, but when she rides him he fights the bit, tosses his head and keeps opening (gapping) his mouth.

D.K. no offense but are you sure the bit you are using and the snaffle bit the horse was previously ridden in are the same? Even if they are both snaffle bits, there can be quite a bit (no pun intended) of difference based on the ring (fixed or hinged); diameter and shape of the bar; type and tightness of the curb strap; and, type of the headstall (one ear or a regular browband type headstall).

And then last, but not the least of it, is how you ride and manage the reins. Are you heavy handed? Is your timing on the release efficient enough for the horse to recognize the release with the pressure?

The true snaffle bit is a broken bit without any leverage, just rings either O or D shaped to attach the reins to. There is no leverage in a snaffle bit. One pound of pull on the reins provides one pound of pressure in the horse's mouth. And there are four places in the horse's mouth where pressure can be applied by a bit. 1 - the corners of the mouth; 2 - the bars or the space (gum covered jawbone) between the front teeth and the molars; 3 - the tongue; and, 4 - the roof of the mouth. A snaffle bit can apply pressure on the first three spots.

Snaffle's probably ought to be ridden in a regular browband headstall and not in a one ear headstall. A curb strap and not a curb chain is used, and really only used to keep the bit in place or keep the rider from pull it through or out of the horse's mouth.

Some people wrongly call all broken bits "snaffles". A broken bit with shanks extending from it is a leverage bit, not a snaffle. The one in the picture is sometimes called an "Argentinian Snaffle", but again not a snaffle at all, but just a leveraged broken bit. I have seen these used and have used them myself with curb chains. The chain has to be adjusted to apply pressure on the bottom outside of the jaw at the appropriate spot in the manipulation of the bit's shanks. But this article is not about this bit and frankly, I'll probably never use one again.


Be sure to check your horse for dental problems, like Wolf teeth still in place, in case this is affecting his acceptance of the snaffle. Make sure there are no sharp burrs on your snaffle and I think a sweet metal or copper inlay on the bars of the snaffle work best as the cause the horse to salivate therefore lubricating the bit.

Not last, really first, is checking how you are riding this horse in the snaffle. Horse's will gape their mouths when people (riders) are in that horse's mouth too much. Same with head tossing,..if there is no release from your hands through the reins to the horse's mouth, the horse will get frustrated because he can't figure out what you want, and he will try about anything to escape the pressure. And remember the reins are a small part of controlling your horse. Usually under forward movement, just to get the horse's head tipped in the direction you want to go. Try to ask as lightly as possible. I believe it is possible to lighten a horse over time even if that horses has been ridden under a heavy hand. I think you're just teaching it to expect something better.