Das Leverage Bit
"You can keep a western horse in a snaffle forever, if you don't expect that horse to excel or you don't want to compete in shows," says California reinsman Benny Guitron.
This article originally appeared in Western Horseman magazine - by Benny Guitron
Using the renowned horseman's terminology that a bridle is "...a bit with cheeks, a mouthpiece, and a curb strap or chain..." the World Champion trainer feels that training horses from snaffle to hackamore to bridle- as discussed in this series- should be the goal of every serious western horseman. "Sure, you can let your horse cruise around in a snaffle 'til he's too arthritic to lope, but creating solid bridle horses is our heritage: you earn a Master's degree when you get one in the bridle, and a Ph.D. when you make a spade bit horse," claims the master horseman.
In explaining his belief that horses should end up 'in the bridle,' Guitron says "A snaffle is a training bit, and a hackamore is a temporary aid. After we teach a colt to guide with a snaffle, we put them in the hackamore to teach them to get more flexible at their poll and keep up their training as they are shedding teeth. Then, they graduate to the bridle. To get the high performance response a show horse must have, and a good ranch horse should have, you need the sophistication of a leverage bit to continue that horse's education. By the time a horse is five years old, he's usually ready for a bridle," in Guitron's experience.
When it comes to choosing bridles, the bit collector has definite opinions about the makers, materials, and accessories that create superior tools, and justifies his collection of vintage bits by reflecting on differences between antique and modern equipment. "There are some great bit craftsmen out there today, but a lot of them are not riders; they haven't had the experience of feeling the balance it takes to make a bridle really work like so many of the old bit makers. They're craftsmen more than horsemen sometimes, which makes for more science and less art. The pride and quality is there, for sure, but maybe we lose something," he says.
The trainer continues "For example, we don't have access to good old sweet steel, heated on a coal forge, like we used to. With modern machinery, we have consistency but maybe miss some of the intangible qualities, what almost seems like magic or memory, that old bits have." Guitron's own choice in metals? "I like sweet iron best, but I have had horses that ride good in aluminum mouthpieces. Yeah, aluminum does dry a horse's mouth, and copper does kind of keep a horse's mouth moist, and so does zinc. A horse that has a moist mouth usually has a lighter mouth. Lots of beautifully engraved silver on the cheeks doesn't make a bit work better, but I sure like it!" he adds with a chuckle.
A sometimes perplexing issue to novice riders is the intended effect of loose versus stiff, or fixed, cheek bits. In Guitron's opinion, "...I think it's easier to bridle a horse with a stiff jaw bridle, because the rein cue and signal are consistent every time. A loose jaw is kind of a short cut, 'cause your hand signals can go to one side of the bit or the other, you can guide them a little more, cheat a little. Old-timers would call a loose jaw a mule bit. because they had some flexibility there and they could cheat the mules a little bit. Most of the old bits were stiff jaws, but a lot of them would loosen up with age and acquire a little give."The respected horseman takes the time to adjust every bridle for every horse, every time he rides. "You've got to make sure the bridle is comfortable, no matter what style it is. My rule of thumb? I like to see just a little wrinkle on the corner of the horse's mouth, then I'll move that bit up and down until I find the comfortable place for that horse. If you have a doubt, ask a professional for help." Guitron also reminds riders to check their horse's teeth: "In a snaffle or a bridle, it's critically important to check their teeth often and make sure there are no jagged edges or shedding teeth when you are trying to bridle one."
What bridle to choose? Benny has his favorites, and talks about their relative merits below. Ever the practical horseman, though, he discounts some of the new-math voodoo (see last page) being used to sell bits these days. "You can talk theory, you can talk leverage, you can talk ounces... you can talk all that stuff with bits, but why make it so complicated? If the desire is there to learn how things work, you'll figure it out. If you're not sure, go ask a pro for help- when in doubt, go ask. No bridle is a cure-all. This is all just trial and error for every horse and every pair of hands on the reins."
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