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Is This a good bit2007-11-24 21:18:16

Is this a good bit?

http://www.smithbrothers.com/combo-short...

I pleasure ride & sometimes barrel race. My horse's mouth is inbetween soft & hard. I don't want anything to hard but I do want something to where I have control.

Answers:

99% of a bit's action is what is at the other end of the reins. Some barrel racers are fans of "gadget" bits, and there are all sorts of combo bits like this whose bark is worse than the bite. It is easy to tune up small problems on a speed horse with these types of bits, but they are intended as a training tool, not a replacement for training. Meaning, you use them for subtle adjustments, not putting brakes on a runaway. I know from your previous posts, that is not your situation, but I mention it for others that will be reading your question.

With this bit, the rope nose is going to put the brakes on the severity of the mouthpiece. On the other hand, it looks pretty stiff and probably has a bit of a bite on its own. You could wrap the nose in vetwrap and probably have a pretty mild deal going, assuming you aren't too heavy handed.

What happened to the snaffles you were debating over? Not enough control? If that is the case, more training, not more bit, is what you really want to consider. The bit you linked is more for a highly trained horse that needs a bit of tuneup, not a horse that needs to gain more control overall. Again, if you can borrow one before you buy, you will see if it will do what you expect. Sometimes the magic bit makes all the difference, but it usually takes some training, too.

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