How to Use Snaffle Bits
Snaffle bits are exceptional training tools that teach young horses to respond to pressure on either side of their mouths. Learning to use snaffle bits will maximize your mounts' responsiveness. Think of properly using snaffle bits as your way of giving a horse an "educated" palate.
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Instructions
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Choose your bit. Because horses enjoy the taste of rust, a sweet-iron loose ring, egg butt, or D-ring snaffle is ideal for an inexperienced animal. The loose ring will keep the horse from grabbing the bit, and the others are designed to prevent the bit from pinching.
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Adjust the bridle headstall so that the bit fits comfortably in the horse's mouth. Avoid having it either so loose that it rubs against the back or the teeth or so tight that it puts pressure on the corners of the mouth.
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Remember that a snaffle bit is designed to communicate with the horse, using the minimum amount of pressure. Find a level of pressure that allows you to feel the horse swallowing, and maintain it by moving your hands in time with the horse's head. In her article "Ready to Work," Western Horseman editor Jennifer Dennison details a similar approach used to break horses at the Jones Horse Training Facility in Old Glory, Texas.
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Hold a rein in either hand,. Lightly take up the slack in the "active" rein on the side toward which you want the horse to turn. Add slack to the passive rein.
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Reverse the process to turn in the other direction. The degree to which the horse turns it neck will be directly proportional to the amount of slack in your passive rein. The more slack you allow, the more sharply its neck will bend.
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Stop your horse by pulling back on only one rein. If you use both, the bit will lock against the animal's back teeth, forming a gag and encouraging the horse to lean into the bit and move more quickly. The best way to teach your horse to stop is simply to relax while pulling back on one rein and keeping the other one still.
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Tips & Warnings
While a sweet-iron snaffle will taste good to your horse, finding one that also has copper inlays will stimulate the animal's saliva production for a more comfortable feel.
Although they are technically snaffles and meant to be used as training devices, twisted-wire snaffle bits can be very uncomfortable for young horses.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SnaffleDiagram.png
