Because I ride so much in a hackamore, or I talk to people about the way they are controlling the horse with
reins with a bit in it's mouth, they think I am against bits. And it is not true. What I am against is the way bits
are used; used to control horses instead of communicate with them. A horse deserves the time to learn what
is expected of him first out of the bit, to gain his mind and not just his body. After all, look at what we are
asking these animals to do. I have never had a horse object to doing anything I wanted so long as I gave him
the time to work and learn through it, but I have seen many object to being controlled by a bit. And what I find
most objectionable is putting children on a horse that is controlled physically by reins and a bit; that is a
wreck waiting to happen. I have read from one well known predominant natural horseman that some bits are
torture devices and some are communication devices. I disagree with this. Bits to me are like guns. They
have no moral value. It is the human that uses the bit that matters. In the right hands any bit can be good. In
the wrong hands the same bits are bad. I will agree that some bits are developed on purpose to be used, I
think, wrongly, but it is still the human that is in control.
“They have never learned that the bit is for communication, NOT CONTROL! When we try to rely on the bit
for control instead of communication, our approach to training and problem solving becomes a matter of
trying to contain a wreck.”-- Steve Jonkheere
“Steve’s Intelligent Horsemanship Principles”
“Do tough horses really need tougher bits? Big bits are used when the common belief is that to get control of
a horse, you have to over-power him. Having to use a bigger bit’s a sure sign you have little or no
communication with your horse’s mind.”
-- Pat Parelli
A question I get asked a lot is when is it time to go to a bit? The answer is simple. When you don't have to
use the reins with a bit to make the horse do something. It should just enhance communication with the
horses. If you still have to do that you should stay in the hackamore until you get to that point. I feel the same
way about spurs. If you have to use spurs to get a horse to do something you are not ready for them, they
too should be to just enhance communication. I have listened to people talk about going to a bigger bit
because they are having a hard time controlling them. This is to me is a complete backward way of thinking. If
you are having a hard time controlling him, go to a lesser bit or out of a bit completing and teach him instead
of controlling him.
There are many different types of bits. I only have use for a few. One, I never use a bit that is broken in the
mouthpiece at all with levers or cheek pieces. Why use it? The only reason for this bit, is better control, not
communication. I would never use a correction bit. All correction to me should be done out of a bit, with just
taking more time, and patients. And that is the reason for these types of bits, lack of patients.
The bits I do use. I will use a snaffle before going to a
double rein sometimes if I think the horse can gain
from it or if I am doing a restart on a horse, before moving him
into the hakcamore. I have no problem with the Texan curb type
or grazing bits as long as they have a roller or cricket
for the horse to have something to play with. But, these
bits work more off leverage from a curb strap (neck reining),
so I don't use them myself. Their are trainers who get a very light
leverage type neck reined horse, but they will never be as light
as the straight up in the bridle Vaquero signal bit type horse.
Mostly I only use western style signal bits, with loose jaw cheek
pieces. There are many different mouth pieces you can use.
I usually use a lower style Mona Lisa or Salinas when double
reining before I would go to a spade. But I want the port to
go all the way to the hanger holes of the bit or I don't get the
feel back to my hands the way I should and it becomes more of
a leverage bit. And the reason for the loose jaw is the horse
should get were he is actually just moving off the lightest
movement of the reins and the vibration of the cheek pieces
moving.
I see a lot of bits for sale on ebay advertised as
a spade bit, that are actually a Mona Lisa, Salinas,
half breed or frog. A spade bit is a bit that has a
spoon on top of the port, it has braces along the
mouth piece that curve up to the spoon. If it doesn't
have a spoon or the braces it is not a true Spade.
The reason people see spades or bits with rollers as too
severe for the horse is because they are still in the mind
set of controlling the horse with the bit. The horse only
goes to these bits when he no longer has to be controlled
with a bit. Usually that could be a couple of years in a
hackamore and double rein system. Even when I have a horse
that is straight up in the bridle I have a bosallito with a get
down rope, so if he does get to emotionally out of control I
can use the get down and laterally bend him back down and
get his emotions under control without getting into his mouth.
Because the mouth is to important in one of these developed
horses. As a matter of fact that is the purpose of the get down,
so when you get off your horse you have something to lead him
with, tie, ground tie or what ever, rather then using a rein attached to his mouth.
Here is the problem I have telling people about these bits. I have showing people these kinds of bits in the
past. And, because they have ridden most of their life and have been involved with horses much of their life.
They think they can just go and buy one and start using it. The problem is they are use to using leverage bits
and end up using it as a leverage bit instead of as it was intended. That's when it can become to severe for a
horse. A person needs to work with someone to show them how to ride with feel with these bits rather then
leverage and the horse has to be ready for it. Which can take some time. So don't just go out and buy one of
these bits and start trying to use it without the right training for both of you.
These bits should never be one reined, ever. If you have to take your non-riding hand up and grab your bit
rein (even in the double rein) for any reason your horse isn't ready for it, especially a spade.
Spade bits have kind of become a mystery. Their are actually probably very few true spade bit horse in this
country but a lot of people trying to use a spade bit on their horses. The spade was developed by the
Vaqueros so that the spoon of the bit would rest on the horses pallet and give them that natural collection.
The rein chains and the knots on the romals added weight to keep the spoon in this position.
Back to home page
reins with a bit in it's mouth, they think I am against bits. And it is not true. What I am against is the way bits
are used; used to control horses instead of communicate with them. A horse deserves the time to learn what
is expected of him first out of the bit, to gain his mind and not just his body. After all, look at what we are
asking these animals to do. I have never had a horse object to doing anything I wanted so long as I gave him
the time to work and learn through it, but I have seen many object to being controlled by a bit. And what I find
most objectionable is putting children on a horse that is controlled physically by reins and a bit; that is a
wreck waiting to happen. I have read from one well known predominant natural horseman that some bits are
torture devices and some are communication devices. I disagree with this. Bits to me are like guns. They
have no moral value. It is the human that uses the bit that matters. In the right hands any bit can be good. In
the wrong hands the same bits are bad. I will agree that some bits are developed on purpose to be used, I
think, wrongly, but it is still the human that is in control.
“They have never learned that the bit is for communication, NOT CONTROL! When we try to rely on the bit
for control instead of communication, our approach to training and problem solving becomes a matter of
trying to contain a wreck.”-- Steve Jonkheere
“Steve’s Intelligent Horsemanship Principles”
“Do tough horses really need tougher bits? Big bits are used when the common belief is that to get control of
a horse, you have to over-power him. Having to use a bigger bit’s a sure sign you have little or no
communication with your horse’s mind.”
-- Pat Parelli
A question I get asked a lot is when is it time to go to a bit? The answer is simple. When you don't have to
use the reins with a bit to make the horse do something. It should just enhance communication with the
horses. If you still have to do that you should stay in the hackamore until you get to that point. I feel the same
way about spurs. If you have to use spurs to get a horse to do something you are not ready for them, they
too should be to just enhance communication. I have listened to people talk about going to a bigger bit
because they are having a hard time controlling them. This is to me is a complete backward way of thinking. If
you are having a hard time controlling him, go to a lesser bit or out of a bit completing and teach him instead
of controlling him.
There are many different types of bits. I only have use for a few. One, I never use a bit that is broken in the
mouthpiece at all with levers or cheek pieces. Why use it? The only reason for this bit, is better control, not
communication. I would never use a correction bit. All correction to me should be done out of a bit, with just
taking more time, and patients. And that is the reason for these types of bits, lack of patients.
The bits I do use. I will use a snaffle before going to a
double rein sometimes if I think the horse can gain
from it or if I am doing a restart on a horse, before moving him
into the hakcamore. I have no problem with the Texan curb type
or grazing bits as long as they have a roller or cricket
for the horse to have something to play with. But, these
bits work more off leverage from a curb strap (neck reining),
so I don't use them myself. Their are trainers who get a very light
leverage type neck reined horse, but they will never be as light
as the straight up in the bridle Vaquero signal bit type horse.
Mostly I only use western style signal bits, with loose jaw cheek
pieces. There are many different mouth pieces you can use.
I usually use a lower style Mona Lisa or Salinas when double
reining before I would go to a spade. But I want the port to
go all the way to the hanger holes of the bit or I don't get the
feel back to my hands the way I should and it becomes more of
a leverage bit. And the reason for the loose jaw is the horse
should get were he is actually just moving off the lightest
movement of the reins and the vibration of the cheek pieces
moving.
I see a lot of bits for sale on ebay advertised as
a spade bit, that are actually a Mona Lisa, Salinas,
half breed or frog. A spade bit is a bit that has a
spoon on top of the port, it has braces along the
mouth piece that curve up to the spoon. If it doesn't
have a spoon or the braces it is not a true Spade.
The reason people see spades or bits with rollers as too
severe for the horse is because they are still in the mind
set of controlling the horse with the bit. The horse only
goes to these bits when he no longer has to be controlled
with a bit. Usually that could be a couple of years in a
hackamore and double rein system. Even when I have a horse
that is straight up in the bridle I have a bosallito with a get
down rope, so if he does get to emotionally out of control I
can use the get down and laterally bend him back down and
get his emotions under control without getting into his mouth.
Because the mouth is to important in one of these developed
horses. As a matter of fact that is the purpose of the get down,
so when you get off your horse you have something to lead him
with, tie, ground tie or what ever, rather then using a rein attached to his mouth.
Here is the problem I have telling people about these bits. I have showing people these kinds of bits in the
past. And, because they have ridden most of their life and have been involved with horses much of their life.
They think they can just go and buy one and start using it. The problem is they are use to using leverage bits
and end up using it as a leverage bit instead of as it was intended. That's when it can become to severe for a
horse. A person needs to work with someone to show them how to ride with feel with these bits rather then
leverage and the horse has to be ready for it. Which can take some time. So don't just go out and buy one of
these bits and start trying to use it without the right training for both of you.
These bits should never be one reined, ever. If you have to take your non-riding hand up and grab your bit
rein (even in the double rein) for any reason your horse isn't ready for it, especially a spade.
Spade bits have kind of become a mystery. Their are actually probably very few true spade bit horse in this
country but a lot of people trying to use a spade bit on their horses. The spade was developed by the
Vaqueros so that the spoon of the bit would rest on the horses pallet and give them that natural collection.
The rein chains and the knots on the romals added weight to keep the spoon in this position.
Back to home page
Both of these bits have a Salinas style mouth
piece. The one on the left is a loose jawed and
has no hood on the port. You can see the port
goes up all the way to the headstall hanger
holes. The one on the right is not a loose jaw.
The mouth piece swivels back and forth. That's
more for helping the horse learn. But I found I
didn't like it. I found I really couldn't get any feel
of the horse. But, you can see the Salinas port is
hooded. Under it is a roller, too that is actually
called a cricket. It is called that because when
the horse rolls it with his tongue it rolls against
the hood and makes a clicking noise for him.
Note the curb bar that holds the cheek pieces
together and the rein chains.
piece. The one on the left is a loose jawed and
has no hood on the port. You can see the port
goes up all the way to the headstall hanger
holes. The one on the right is not a loose jaw.
The mouth piece swivels back and forth. That's
more for helping the horse learn. But I found I
didn't like it. I found I really couldn't get any feel
of the horse. But, you can see the Salinas port is
hooded. Under it is a roller, too that is actually
called a cricket. It is called that because when
the horse rolls it with his tongue it rolls against
the hood and makes a clicking noise for him.
Note the curb bar that holds the cheek pieces
together and the rein chains.