How to Make Horse Bits & Cowboy Spurs
Bits and spurs are tools used by riders to control and guide their horses. Both can range from being very simple to having extremely complicated designs and purposes. The hundreds of variations of bits and spurs all are specifically created to help riders accomplish certain tasks.
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Things You'll Need
- Pattern
- Metal or Synthetic Material
- Saw
- Dremel Tool for smoothing rough edges
- Welder or Soldering Iron
- Engraving tool for details (optional)
Instructions
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Bits
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1
Determine the specific type of bit to make. Each bit serves a unique purpose and there is no real standard for horse bits; for example, English and Western bits are often very different from one another.
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2
Select and build the correct cheek pieces for the type of bit you are making. Take into consideration the size of the cheek piece and the material you plan to use in addition to the shape. These choices will depend on your personal preference and any specific needs particular to your horse.
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3
Decide the kind of mouthpiece your bit will have. Take into consideration what size the mouthpiece needs to be in order to fit your horse. A 5-inch bit is standard, but will be too big for a pony and too small for a draft horse. Try a variety of bits to determine what size bit your horse needs by what seems to fit best. The bit should not slide in the horse's mouth or pinch the sides of it.
Choose the material for the mouth piece carefully, as some horses will react negatively to the taste of certain metals or synthetics. Also, you don't want your bit to rust.
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4
Connect cheek pieces to mouthpiece. Use a soldering iron to weld the proper joints and bonds between the pieces of your bit. The way your specific bit will attach to its cheek pieces depends on the type of bit you are making. Some bits will need to have the mouthpiece directly welded onto the cheek pieces, others will need to fit on a loose ring and slide.
Use a dremel tool to smooth any rough edges on your metal after you have connected all the pieces of your bit.
Spurs
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5
Determine the precise spur needed. Like horse bits, spurs come in a wide variety of styles with each style serving a specific purpose. The type of spur needed will depend entirely on what your needs are and what your horse's needs are.
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6
Select the metal needed for spurs; they can be made from a variety of different metals.
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7
Use a flexible measuring tape to measure the size of your heel and how long and wide spur will need to be to fit properly. Form a piece of metal into a shape to fit your heel by heating and bending it.
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8
Form your shank, which is the long piece coming off the back of the spur, and select the type of rowel, the actual 'spurring' part of the spur, to attach to it. The type of shank, rowel combination you need will depend on the length of your leg and the depth of your horse's barrel. The shank should be long enough to allow you to touch the horse with the rowel without having to significantly change the position of your leg while riding.
The type of rowel you select depends on the needs of your horse. Some rowels are blunt and some are intentionally sharp, such as the ones used to spur bucking horses during rodeo competitions.
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9
Use dremel tool to smooth any rough edges. Add a strap to hold the spur onto your heel. Finish the spur off with any extra design or detail you choose.
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Tips & Warnings
Tools should only be used by experienced persons. Improper use of tools can lead to injury or death.
References
- Photo Credit bit image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
