what age would you start to bit a horse?

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swintondesire

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I was thinking of bitting my yearling when he turns 2 next year, as he has become abit of a hand full when leading out. He is great around the yard and when out showing its only when im leading him out on the road. he likes to hold his leadrope in his mouth and this keeps him quite happy when out so was thinking about just using a small straight bar rubber snaffle. just something to give me a little bit extra hold to him as he can tank around when he feels like it and gets fairly head strong.
 
swintondesire said:
I was thinking of bitting my yearling when he turns 2 next year, as he has become abit of a hand full when leading out. He is great around the yard and when out showing its only when im leading him out on the road. he likes to hold his leadrope in his mouth and this keeps him quite happy when out so was thinking about just using a small straight bar rubber snaffle. just something to give me a little bit extra hold to him as he can tank around when he feels like it and gets fairly head strong.
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My yearling is exactly the same - fine in most situations but gets very excitable when lead out onto the road which can be quite dangerous :/ I'm thinking of introducing a very soft rubber straight bar for that tiny but if extra control and of course to get him ready for his first inhand shows next year. Don't want to over phase I'm so will gradually introduce it in the stable for a first few sessions before trying to lead out in it.
 
No. I never use a bit for control of a youngster, I think it ruins their mouths for the future personally. They have a bit in when I want to start mouthing them up and long reining, not for extra control in-hand. When the bit is in, it's work time....not control time. You start using it for control too young, I find their mouths horrible come riding time as a 3/4 year old.

Work on softening work inhand and get him yielding. You don't need a bit for a youngster just for manners on the ground. Get a pressure headcollar if you must for an upgrade.

But again. That's just me and my two cents :)
 
I'd leave it till 3 really. Nothing wrong with them having one in to get the feel of it before then though. But, I'd never use one for in hand control with a youngster. Try a rope halter & lots of practice.
 
3, ready for long reining. 4 if I'm not backing till then due to being very slow at maturing.

Wouldn't bit for control. Mainly for the reasons ChristmasSparkles stated.
 
Hes in a rope halter. lol its his only problem at the moment. He is great on the ground its only when he is walked out that this happens and there is traffic around. he is not botherd by traffic at all but i can see in his face when he is going to play up... its like he has a twinkle in his eye lol!
 
Keep on working on his manners being walked out then, that still classes as his groundwork so if he's not good at walking out, then he's still got ground work to do. Bitting still won't resolve it long term. He needs to learn to soften to the halter and yield...if you keep upping the control, he'll keep upping the strength to ignore the softening part. Which when at 4 you want a nice green untouched mouth to start riding with, you won't have one.
 
true. i think if i get him out more to work on it i wont need to rush the bitting thing. i didnt really want to bit him till around 3ish anyway as he isnt in need of a bridle showing as i can use the rope halter. also he is still growing and going through childish tantrums lol :D
 
Don't be fooled into thinking because he's young, he can have tantrums.
All our colts, after say a week of being halter broke, rarely have 'tantrums'...or if they do, they're not acceptable and short lived.

Lots and lots of pressure work inhand. Best things I ever did with my lad was all this work with him at the start - made teaching him everything else so much more easier and hasn't argued over one thing. Get him soft in his head - you want to be able to move him back and forwards easily, eventually just at the slightest tips of your fingers, for him to move away laterally from you when asked, aware of your space and figuring out where to keep himself. And to stay on the same spot, loose and be able to go all over and around him, and keep putting him back in the same spot till he figures out to stay stood there whilst the ropes on the ground and not move until asked to. Just anything to get him soft and thinking about what you're going to ask him to do, rather than thinking of you as a 'hindrance' between him and where he thinks he wants to go ;)
 
So what about showing my boy who will be two next year, I thought the norm was an inhand bridle with either a rubber small ring straight bar or a stallion bit? Bearing in mind he's not gelded and I thought most show rules were to have stallions bitted after 2 years old?

Of course I understand about not using the bit for extra control in day to day work as this could be seen as damaging, but how do I get my baby ready for the bit as I don want him to freak next year at shows if he's got to wear one? Surely introducing it in day to day work would help him feel more comfortable with it?
 
There's a difference between getting him used to just being comfy wearing it and showing him a few times as a two year old, than there is using it for everyday control. That's why I cannot stand to see youngsters doing so much inhand showing, as when it comes to ridden work, their mouths are horrible in comparison as they've been jabbed too much [albeit by accident or whatever] and not used as you would a bit when riding. I find the hunters are worst...ones we've had in which have shown since babies regularly, have been the worst ones regarding breaking, as the untouched mouth has gone. At 17hh+...give me a clueless mouth to a slightly more deadened mouth.

I personally, dislike showing babies inhand, and haven't done with my lad yet, for that very reason [who is also entire]. I may show him next year as a 3 year old lightly [2-4 times max as I personally think a baby should inhand, especially no more if younger than this], he is bitted up and happy with a bit in as he's done a spot of long reining and will be lightly ridden come next summer anyway. He has whole life ahead of him and to me, I'm in no rush for inhand showing. It bores me anyway with all that walking and jogging...I'd much rather go out in the 4 y/o ridden classes :p
 
I started getting my youngster used to the bit at 2 but would never use it for more control would be likely to use halter and make him back up when he was being strong
 
I mouth them on a vulcanite straighbar from one onwards BUT I never use it for control. As others have said pressue halter (glad to hear you are using one already) and a schooling stick to keep him out of your space when he's being bouncy. The more you do with him the less exciting it'll be and the better he'll behave ;0)
 
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