Cavalli Connections » The lifelong pursuit of classical riding.

Biggest Pet Peeve: Harsh Bits

I mentioned this briefly in my What It Means To Me post, but I’m telling you now – my biggest equestrian pet peeve is harsh bits. There is absolutely no reason in the world to use one, although I’ve heard probably every excuse in the book, including:

“But I can’t stop him…it’s a safety thing…”

“I need my child/spouse to be safe.”

“But she puts her head down with this bit…”

“My horse listens to this bit!!”

You see? For the first two, don’t ride that horse. For the second two, because it hurts!! Riding and training are all about establishing a partnership with your horse and in a partnership you work together. My Mom likes to use this analogy that she heard from her trainer: “Your horse is your dance partner. If they take a wrong step, do you whisper in their ear or smack them upside the head?” If you want a future dance partner, the latter isn’t an option.

As the human in the partnership, your first responsibility is to protect your horse’s well being. That’s a wonderful sounding ideal, but the fact is that it can cause you to have to make some very tough decisions. For example, if you find yourself in unsafe situations frequently because the horse is taking off, instead of swapping your bit, maybe get some help or swap yourself out for a better rider. If you’ve just spent a fortune on a horse (or currently spend one every month), that can be a very hard thing to do. But it isn’t about you. Would you duct tape a toddler’s mouth shut to avoid a screaming tantrum? No, you would work through the child’s issues and help them modify their behavior with age-appropriate methods.

A harsh bit is not an equine-appropriate solution to any problem. Ever.

Horses are incredibly strong. If they want to do something, no bit is going to stop them. That’s why correct, classical training is safe training as it is not based on a horse’s submission to pain and pressure, but rather the progression of learning and muscle development that is appropriate and in turn fosters willing cooperation. A piece of equipment that fixes something quickly is the exact opposite of “training”. It’s the most wonderful thing when a horse is given the chance to learn painlessly and in his own time. Working with you becomes something he looks forward to rather than fears.

Personally, I think I would be very afraid to ride such a powerful animal if I truly believed that a piece of metal was my method of control. That’s just insane!

If you need a quick fix, if you need perfection from your horse, if you want a certain “look” no matter how it is obtained..you are most certainly in the wrong sport. A book I recently read noted that the late Reiner Klimke was very happy receiving a 6 or a 7 for a movement if that was good for that particular horse…while others pushed their horses too much in pursuit of a perfect 10. It’s not about the score; it’s about the horse.