Bit Choices

So one important factor in transforming Gigi has been changing her bit. Finding the right bit for a horse can be extremely tricky, especially a sensitive horse like my mare! There are so many choices of mouthpiece, cheek piece, curb, curb chain, conventional, unconventional... it's a lot to take in. And each one does something slightly different, and trying to figure out what that something is has been a nightmare. I have looked at books on bits, I have read everything I can find on the internet, and I have even consulted a trainer. The majority of what I have read seems to indicate the simpler the bit the better. However, these people have not ridden my mare!

Loose Ring Snaffle

When I rode Gigi for the first time out in Cherry Valley her old owners had me ride in a loose ring smooth snaffle. This is a very mild bit. The mouth piece is smooth and jointed. The loose ring cheek pieces allow for a lot of movement of the reins, allowing for a soft contact. Mare was running away with me with her head in the air. She would brace against the bit, chomp, and canter around with her mouth open while I tugged on the reins.

French Link Eggbutt Snaffle

After riding in this bit for a long time and seeing that it was not working, we changed to the eggbutt French link. I got this bit after reading about how some horses find the single jointed bits uncomfortable. The joint causes a "nutcracker" effect which slams into their palate, causing pain. I had a feeling this may be happening to her. So we switched to the French link. She seemed to be more comfortable for a while, but we were riding in an extremely small arena at the time, so she couldn't really run away either.




Once we moved to our current show barn, I had the help of a trainer. She suggested I try riding in a bit with leverage. Leverage bits not only exert pressure on the bars and tongue of the horse, the also distribute pressure to the horse's pole. Since Gigi was running around with her head in the air, pole pressure was much needed. After speaking with my trainer, we decided to try a jointed kimberwick. Not only would it apply leverage, this bit also has a curb chain. So on top of the extra force from leverage, the curb action of this bit makes every 1 lbs of pressure on the reins feel like 10 lbs of pressure in the horses mouth. And the outcome of using a kimberwick on Gigi? Mare with breaks! The first day we put it on she slide stopped dead between two fences. After riding her in the kimberwick for about 6 months though she really started figuring things out. The kimberwick did wonders. I felt like I had control over my horse. However, over time Gigi has learned how to avoid the curb action by sucking back and over bridling. So it is once again time to change bits.

Jointed Kimberwick

Also, a kimberwick is not a long term solution to the problem. Kimberwicks are considered "unconventional" according to USEF/USHJA rules. For show hunters the bits allowed are snaffles and pelhams. That's it! Some websites I looked at said that it is possible for a judge to mark you down for using a kimberwick, others said its not an issue. I think it probably depends on what level you are competing at. At my teenie tiny local shows I go to, in the 2ft. green rider division, the judge probably doesn't care that much. But I don't want to risk this being a factor long term. Plus I don't like the way the kimberwicke looks on Gigi. The curb chain is ugly.

Enter the full cheek slow twist. I have ridden many horses in a slow twist. It is by no means a strong bit, but the twist makes it a little more powerful than say the loose ring smooth snaffle. I really like the look of the full cheek. Depending on who you talk to and what website you look at, the full cheek feature doesn't "do" anything very different from any other snaffle cheek piece. The main function of the full cheek is so that the bit cannot be pulled through the horses mouth. Some people believe that the smaller full cheek rings allow for a small amount of leverage you wouldn't get from any other snaffle cheek piece. I am not really concerned with leverage anymore since Gigi has learned to keep her head down, and I would really like to move back to "conventional" hunter bits. So I go with the full cheek slow twist.

Full Cheek Slow Twist

At first, Gigi responds really well to the slow twist. She seems just as manageable in it as the kimberwick which makes me really happy. After about a week of riding in the slow twist, she becomes sensitive in the mouth and jiggy (at the walk). I don't know if it is the harshness of the twisted mouth piece or just bad riding on my part but I decide to take the safe route and graduate her back down to the French link. So for now we are riding in the French link, but I think I may be switching back to the slow twist for shows. I am hoping to avoid using the kimberwick for now!