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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 707
 
Location: The stix of Utah | First off - disclaimer** I feel like I am pretty dumb when it comes to the mechanics of bits.
I got my 4 year old colt back from the trainer in September, he had 8 months put on him and is doing really well. I usually ride my colts in a snaffle for quite a while, however the trainer he was with was using a small ported bit on him towards the end of his stay. I don't own any ported bits so I put him in a 3 piece Jr. Cow-horse when he got home. He does NOT like this bit at all! He starts throwing his head whenever you make contact with his mouth, like it is hurting him. I have had his teeth done/checked, etc. He will lope a nice slow circle in the Jr. cow horse but as soon as you ask him for anything he feels lost. It's like his shoulder falls apart and like he has no sense of balance. What do you knowledgeable ladies recommend that I try with him? If you could explain why, that would help me learn as well. Thanks!!
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| I don't mean to sound snarky, but...why don't you ask the trainer who just rode him for 8 months his opinion? |
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| RedHead84 - 2017-12-01 9:03 AM
I don't mean to sound snarky, but...why don't you ask the trainer who just rode him for 8 months his opinion?
I agree with this post. I would ask your trainer his reasons for using a ported bit. He may have tried numerous bits, and that's the one your colt was most agreeable to. Some horses are more comfortable with certain bits, so your trainer will probably have a good reason for choosing the one they did. You may need to invest in a new bit. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 707
Location: The stix of Utah | RedHead84 - 2017-12-01 10:03 AM
I don't mean to sound snarky, but...why don't you ask the trainer who just rode him for 8 months his opinion?
No worries, I understand what you are saying. I did talk to him, and he has told me to buy the ported bit that he was using. I'm not opposed to doing that but going back to the *being a bit dummy* I've always been leary of using ported bits. Also, the trainer that had him the last half of the training time is a team roper and was hauling him around to get him acclimated to new things and places more that doing basic training on him. The bit he was using seemed a bit harsh in my mind for my colt and I really want to soften him up. Does any of this make sense??? |
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 The One
Posts: 7998
 
Location: South Georgia | A bit is what the rider makes it. I see more people use a snaffle incorrectly/too harshly than a ported bit. I ride in a ported Myler. I hardly have to bend my finger on the rein to get movement in my horse. She's soft as silk. Just different strokes for different folks (and horses). I wouldn't rule out a ported shanked bit if that what your horse works well in. Half the horses I see with O-rings and snaffles are being jerked on and the riders are hanging in their mouths, just to have the ability to say "he runs in a snaffle." JMO |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | Your horse probably doesn't like his tongue being smashed. Maybe try a Rosie gag. You don't have to get a brand name. I haven't had many horses that liked ported bits but my guess is, it gives your horse tongue relief. |
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | Same here- my 4 yr old responds quick to his 3 pc ported bit (tongue relief), but is slow as mud in a ring snaffle. I think a colt will be lighter in the mouth with more bit (at least one that he doesn't push into or lean on all the time), than if you use a "light bit", but are constantly pulling against him.
BTW- A mouthpiece that lays straight across the tongue (jr. cowhorse with a 2 pc mouth for example) has too much tongue pressure if you use both reins at the same time, & horses will fight it. Its better to only use one rein at a time with those mouth peices (IMHO) |
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| I've found that with a ported bit, less is more. You don't have to do as much for the horse to respond, plus like others said it offers relief for some tongue pressure. |
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