Im getting a horse very soon so what bit should i use?

Question

im getting a 28 month old quater horse. i have no idea what bit i should use on him. he will not be used in anything special but ridding and being a friend. what bits are good for training? any ideas?

~Amanda~

Answer 1

first don't even try to ride him a two 1/2 their knee caps aren't filled all the way and if you don't you could permanently lame him for life. back to bits it all depends on the horse and what your comfortable with.

Answer 2

There is nothing wrong with riding a horse at two! Just thing that out in the wild horses have to run since they are born. But I do agree a 2.5yr old should be ridden LIGHTLY with lots of ground work and a high protein diet.

For bits definatly go with a Smooth D-Ring snaffle, it is very mild and is great for teaching flexion and suppleness. Email me at [e-mail] for anything. Hope this helops!

Answer 3

You can never go wrong with a snaffle.

Answer 4

d-ring snaffle or full cheak.

Answer 5

I'm assuming that your horse hasn't been started. If that's the case, you could use any bit you choose. Most people like to start their horses with snaffle bits. Will you be riding english or western? An O-ring snaffle would probably be your best choice either way.

http://www.rods.com/p/3078,228_Darnall-D...

Answer 6

Snaffle Bit Definetly

Answer 7

Always start with a snaffle, you want to keep his soft mouth.  I'd get a full cheek or something, that will help you turn and control him.

Answer 8

O-ring snaffle.

Answer 9

I have no clue what a bit is but take the best care of it you can and give it a new and great name

Answer 10

That horse is way to young to ride.  He has about another year of growing to do before you need to even think about a bit.  You could  get him a halter and teach him things that they do in halter class.  .You can teach him ground manners and you can treat him to trust you, Then in another year you can have him broke and start riding him then decide what type of bit he needs

Answer 11

please dont ride him till he is at least three and use snaffle, i used a different bit on a draft and he bucked me off, and snaffle is more confortable and you want your horse to be happy, healthy , and confortable, keep his mouth soft and sensitive so you dont have to pull on his mouth hard,hope this helps you!!!

Answer 12

Hello,

My input:

I would ask the trainer what they are using.  With the horse that young I would think it should be still using a snaffle bit.  It should be a REALLY green broke horse at 26 months old, if it is even broke at all.

Have you ever broken a horse before?  You may want to send it out to get a start on it for you.  There is a bit more to it than choosing the right bit.

Answer 13

He is not ready to start yet but when you do these are the bits I would look into:

Full cheek snaffel:

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp...

Loose ring snaffel:

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp...

D-ring Snaffel:

http://www.horseoncourse.com/images/JD%2...

These come in varying levels of thickness and are 'kinder' bits. I would get a trainer to train your horse or help you train him though. They will be able to help you better than anyone on here can.

EDIT: Some people like to start in rubber bits but I know two horses inparticular that HATE rubber bits. One is mine and the other is a friends. Both ride fine in full cheeks and other milder snaffels but flip out if you put rubber in their mouth.

Answer 14

A snaffel is always a good bet to start in and than work your way up from there according to how you horse responds to the bit. Another good but is a french link. Most horses respond better in this bit than the snaffel and might help with brakes. Also if you look online under training bits you might find a bit that will suite you and your horse. Hope this help and congrats on your new horse!!!

Answer 15

u should start with a snaffle but i own 3 horses and have 10 bites, u just sometimes have to see witch one works on ur horse

Answer 16

I agree he shouldn't do work at all before he is 3.

But as far as bits go, rubber bits are lovely and soft, followed by half moon bits then snaffle bits. So snaffles can be quite harsh. Preferably I'd start in a half moon.

Answer 17

i would start with a snaffle bit.. if you are worried about control and want to use something heavier, don't... it won't make much of a difference because babies don't realize that a heavier bit means more control anyways. just use a light plain snaffle because it will teach your horse to be gentle. it won't hurt his mouth so he won't be as defensive.

Answer 18

what ever bit your horse trainer tells you to use.

Answer 19

You can choose between a snaffle or a bosal. I usually start with a rubber mouth snaffle. If you have a problem with the bit pulling through the mouth, you can either use bit guards or switch to a half breed (it is a snaffle with a rope noseband attached to it). If I have a really soft horse, I will just use a bosal.

Answer 20

2 and a half is really too young to do much, other than teaching the basics.  (stop, go, turn) at the walk.  It would be better to turn him out and let him grow up for another 6 months.  It sounds like you're a bit inexperienced, so it would be wise for you to ask for help from someone who has worked with green horses, to get him started.

At any rate, you are best off starting with a rope halter, considering your inexperience.  When you're ready to move on to a headstall and bit, use a full cheek snaffle.

Answer 21

start with a snaffle, preferably a rubber one. If you train him well then he will be able to keep that bit all his life unless he prefers a different one. good luck

Answer 22

I would use a double jointed snaffle like a french snaffle with side rubber guards to stop the rings from pinching his mouth. These are the gentlest bit I have been able to find. Because of the double joint, it doesn't have the scissor action when you pull back on the reins therefore the bit is not being shoved into the roof of the horses mouth but still remains flat on the tongue.But first i would find out what the present owner is using if he is being ridden already, you might be better off sticking to what the horse is use to.