HORSIN' AROUND WITH VAN HARGIS
"Equipping Your Horse - Bits"

Once you've purchased a horse, the next thing you'll need to do is put together the equipment to put on the horse. Today, we're going to talk about bits. At our seminars, we often see people with a trailer full of bits. In my opinion, there are three basic kinds of bits you need.

Most horses have been started with a snaffle bit. This is usually the first type of bit I put in a horse's mouth when I'm training them. Every horse should be used to this type of bit. This is not a bit I recommend for performance riding. It is best for younger horses, and horses going back to the training pen. The snaffle is a good, mild bit that I recommend be included in every tack room.

The next bit I recommend is similar to the snaffle bit. It has the same broken mouth piece, but it also has a short shank. This shouldn't be confused with what is commonly known as a "Tom Thumb" bit. Personally, I do not advocate the Tom Thumb bit because it doesn't provide much relief around the shank. This bit allows you to ride with two hands; each side works independently. This is a good bit for making the transition from a ring snaffle to a training snaffle bit.

The last bit -- and of course, there are thousands of variations of this type of bit -- is a regular curb bit. It has a solid mouthpiece, meaning there is no flexion. If I move one shank, the other moves with it simultaneously. Since this bit is solid, it can be a little more severe. A solid copper mouth piece with a nice tongue relief and a medium port is a good bit to go to after the other bits mentioned above.

After you purchase a horse, it's a good idea to talk to the person who previously owned the horse to find out what kinds of bit they used on the horse. All of us, however, need to have variations of these three types of bits in our tack rooms. You'll work best with what works best for your horse.