When do you introduce a bit to your youngsters?

[JJS]

Over the last couple of days, I've started taking Flower for in-hand walks so that she gets to experience a bit more of the world (I know a few HHOers follow us on Instagram, so you might have seen the videos). We livery on a huge working farm, so she's getting to see all sorts, from tractors to barking dogs, fluttering plastic, sheep being herded into pens, other horses galloping round... You name it, she's encountering it.

Today, we had our first experience with a car that wasn't parked. Walking down to the lower yard, a delivery truck came bouncing along the track behind us, making one hell of a racket. She didn't bat an eyelid, but it did make me think about something: when do other people bit their young horses?

We have hundreds of acres of gated farmland to explore for the foreseeable, and I have no intention of taking her out on the roads yet, but when I do, I think it's a good idea to have her bitted to ensure optimal control. Although she's typically very mannerly to lead, I still wouldn't want to take any chances with her pulling free when there were cars and other road users around.

I had in my mind two as an age I'd feel comfortable with, but I'm curious to know when other people do it, and what bits they use to begin with?

Gratuitous picture included just to show how grown-up she's looking!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

The boys are bitted as yearlings for shows as they must be bitted from 2yo plus regardless. I rarely show them as yearlings but they get introduced to a bit. The girls only get bitted if I ever decide to break them to ride! So usually 5yo+. Everyone and every horse is different. I haven't had one yet reject the bit at whatever age. I usually still lead from the noseband the first few times they have a bit in and gradually transfer the control from one to the other so it's not so much of a shock for them.

But then I have shetlands and anything they can put in their mouth and think is food is fine by them!

 

[JJS]

Thanks, EKW! Always great to hear other people's experiences

But then I have shetlands and anything they can put in their mouth and think is food is fine by them!

I have to say, I don't think we'll have issues in that respect She definitely shares their attitude that anything she can put in her mouth is worth investigating!

 

[AGray825]

Mine was bitted as a yearling, not that long after I got him (I purchased him as at 15months)
We initially tried the rubber 'apple flavoured' bits and he took the bit (after some trials and tribulations) and I let him play with it in his mouth in the stable on his own (under supervision obviously) for a few minutes. He wasn't especially fond of the apple rubber bit though and after trying various 'baby bits', I gave up and bought a normal loose ring lozenge snaffle and he took that first time, that was the bit that we (as EKW said) gradually transferred control with from halter to bit.

He happily showed in that as a 2yo and I've now switched him to an NS tranz angled lozenge full cheek in order to back him as I like the full-cheeks for a number of reasons on youngsters. So far (he's been backed for a couple months now) everything is happy and we've had no mouth issues!

 

[ihatework]

When they get broken in, unless they need to wear one for showing (which I avoid like the plague).
But then I don’t go for the whole leading them down the road to see life approach.

 

[Polos Mum]

I had my 18 month old checked by the dentist and he noted small wolf teeth - the dentist thought they might come out when he changes his teeth at 2.5 y/o. So rather than put him through extraction that might be unnecessary I am avoiding a bit until later than I'd like.

I am planning to long rein from his headcollar - which might be an interesting experiment!!

 

[Asha]

I started to put an inhand bridle on Frank about 6 weeks ago ( hes a yearling) just so he was ready for an outing to the futurity . I used a plain rubber straight bar. I added a bit of 'tasty bit' for the first few times and he accepted it no problem. I just left it on him in the stable for a few minutes ( supervised ), and started practising our trot ups in it after a couple of weeks . We started with it attached to noseband, and moved onto the bit. Ive done the same with all my youngsters and never had any issues.

hes turned away now, ive no interest in taking him for walks until hes a fair bit older ( as in backed )

 

[DabDab]

At 2-3 years generally. Initially I'll just put one on with a headpiece in the stable and then give them a little bucket feed so they get used to having it in their mouth with something no pressure to do without standing with it in playing with it and finding they can flick their tongue over it (it's not something that occurs to most of them, but the odd one will merrily swill it round their mouth and then promptly learn that putting their tongue on top is a thing).

But it depends what you're trying to teach them with it really. Personally I prefer to not use a bit for control before I've backed them, so I stick to pressure halter for any potential thuggish situations up until that point.

 

[ThatHorseGuy]

I did my lass as a two year old. I didn’t really have reason to before then. I did plan to do a couple in hand outings as a 2/3 year old but never got around to it. She did first have a bit at 2 and once she was acquainted with it, I stopped annoying her with it until I started groundwork later on.

 

[BBP]

Personally I don’t like the idea of bitting a youngster to control yobbish or loutish behaviour, you run the risk of hauling on their mouth long before they are backed and learning what a bit is really for, which is communication, not to be a blunt instrument. At the point of backing I would like them to get the idea of left right stop go without a bit too, and then only add the bit to refine the aids a bit later on. But that’s my non professional hippy view! I backed BBP bitless, then rode with a bit for a few years and then wondered why on Earth I bothered and switched back to bitless. I don’t compete a dressage as the rules won’t let me (although train as if that’s a goal) so it’s easy for me to say.

(I have no issue with them learning to wear a bit earlier, but wouldnt use it to pull on them, id have it under a halter that I could use for any behaviour discussions. And im no pro, I’ve only backed one horse, so this is just an opinion!)

 

[Dave's Mam]

I put a bit in Dave's mouth at 4. He accepted it & has been fine. Probably thought it was food, but has never objected since.

 

[JJS]

Personally I don’t like the idea of bitting a youngster to control yobbish or loutish behaviour, you run the risk of hauling on their mouth long before they are backed and learning what a bit is really for, which is communication, not to be a blunt instrument. At the point of backing I would like them to get the idea of left right stop go without a bit too, and then only add the bit to refine the aids a bit later on. But that’s my non professional hippy view! I backed BBP bitless, then rode with a bit for a few years and then wondered why on Earth I bothered and switched back to bitless. I don’t compete a dressage as the rules won’t let me (although train as if that’s a goal) so it’s easy for me to say.

(I have no issue with them learning to wear a bit earlier, but wouldnt use it to pull on them, id have it under a halter that I could use for any behaviour discussions. And im no pro, I’ve only backed one horse, so this is just an opinion!)

Oh, I entirely agree with you that it's not the right tool for yobbish or loutish behaviour in babies (May is very mannerly on the whole)! I'm purely talking about having it there in case of emergencies. I also rode bitless for a long time, and have always had the intention of trying Mary without at some point, and eventually Flower too. It's not even set in stone that I will bit her for road work, as she's been fantastic with traffic up to now, and she has at least another year of farm walks before she ventures further. I just wonder whether it's the right thing to do for her safety and the safety of other road users when we eventually progress to that part of her education.

Thanks all for your input. It's always interesting and educational to hear other people's opinions and experiences when you're trying to work out what will work best for you and your own horse

 

[Cortez]

I'm really curious at some of the terms people are using here; I wonder could someone explain for me? What is meant by "accepting" or "rejecting" the bit in the context of an unbroken horse?

I put a bridle on when we start breaking horses at three, never before that, and absolutely never for "control" on a horse which has never been ridden. I wouldn't start hauling or pulling on an uneducated mouth (or any mouth, for that matter). If a horse was likely to be thuggish I'd put a chain over his nose.

 

[Leo Walker]

I had my 18 month old checked by the dentist and he noted small wolf teeth - the dentist thought they might come out when he changes his teeth at 2.5 y/o. So rather than put him through extraction that might be unnecessary I am avoiding a bit until later than I'd like.

I am planning to long rein from his headcollar - which might be an interesting experiment!!

Use a lunge cavesson. I've got a lovely soft leather one which you can fit so it doesnt slip. It gives you rings either side as well. Headcollars tend to slide about too much.

 

[Leo Walker]

absolutely never for "control" on a horse which has never been ridden. I wouldn't start hauling or pulling on an uneducated mouth (or any mouth, for that matter). If a horse was likely to be thuggish I'd put a chain over his nose.

This. Mine is a very green rising 5yr old. Shes destined to be a driving pony so shes been walking out in traffic with her blinkers on, with the lead rope attached to the noseband. If something does go wrong the last thing you want to do is haul on their mouth, thats more like to make the situation worse than help you keep control.

 

[pennyturner]

I have bitted and walked out in long reins from about 2yo. That way they have a 'mouth' long before we back them, as well as voice commands, all in the context of going out and having a look at the world. Bit = nice hack out. They generally look forward to it pretty quickly.

 

[Asha]

I'm really curious at some of the terms people are using here; I wonder could someone explain for me? What is meant by "accepting" or "rejecting" the bit in the context of an unbroken horse?

I put a bridle on when we start breaking horses at three, never before that, and absolutely never for "control" on a horse which has never been ridden. I wouldn't start hauling or pulling on an uneducated mouth (or any mouth, for that matter). If a horse was likely to be thuggish I'd put a chain over his nose.

I don't think anyone on here is suggesting the use of bitting to 'haul' or 'pull' on a youngster. As for accepting it, I can assure you Frank had no issues with it at all. His bridle was put on as part of his routine , come in, eat his tea, have a nap, wake up. Bridle on, wait for a few mins, then take it off, then turned out. I did this a few times a week, for about 6 weeks. First time, started with no more than 30 seconds. Put it on again, and he happily opened his mouth. At no point over the 6 weeks, did he turn away when he saw the bridle, he simply had it on and chewed it for a bit. The day of the futurity, he must have had it on for no longer than 1hour. I really cant see the issue with that. My others have been the same, and none have them have had issues when bitted as a backed horse.