08/02/2022
"If you need to go to a harsher bit, you don't need a new bit, you need more training"
"A bit is only as harsh as the hands that hold it"
I've heard both of these things said hundreds of times in my riding career. And I think both can be true. But neither is 100% true.
As with everything in horses, I think there's a shift in perspective that needs to happen before we get to a better answer.
Whether we're talking about bits, or spurs, or different nosebands or leverage devices, there are "gentler" and "harsher" versions.
But what if we look at it differently?
A "gentle" bit can still be used too harshly. What makes it gentler is that the human has to work harder to be able to use it in a rough way. Similarly, you could theoretically apply enough pressure with just your heel to bruise your horse's ribs. A spur concentrates that forcer over a smaller area. But does that make it harsher? Only if you use the same amount of force.
When we give kindergarteners a huge piece of sidewalk chalk, or a big chunky crayon, it's not because a fountain pen is harsh. It's because they need to develop the gross motor skills, as well as the concepts, before they advance. There's a level of subtlety and finesse achieved by a masterful calligrapher that just doesn't exist right from the start.
What if we start looking at our artificial aids as tools to advance our subtlety?
On a leverage bit, every inch of shank between where the cheekpiece attaches and where the rein is fixed compounds the force. A snaffle is a tool with a 1:1 ratio. If I pull my reins with 1 lb. of pressure, my horse feels 1 lb. of pressure. A bit with a 3 inch shank means that if I apply 1 lb. of pressure, my horse feels 3.
But what if I choose that bit, not intending to compound my 1 lb. of force, but so that I can use 1/3 lb. of pressure to get the same message across? Am I still being harsh?
When I apply my calf to the side of my horse, they feel that pressure over 3 or 4 ribs at a time. I can teach them a lot of things, but if the size of the control panel is fixed, and I want space for more buttons, I need to make the buttons smaller. If I add a spur, I have the ability to communicate with one rib at a time. That gives me the ability to add a lot more nuance to each command.
Now, that ability to add clarity also gives me the ability to be much harsher. Like I said, a 3 inch shank on a bit gives me the option to triple the amount of force I'm able to apply, which is why it's so important to highlight both of the concepts that I started with. It's imperative to understand the potential harm, so that you can choose not to use that tool in that way. It's also important to recognize that if you're constantly in a battle with your horse, that giving yourself a mechanical advantage is a tool to get through to them long enough to solve the underlying training issue. It's not a replacement for training, or a quick fix.
When I was first learning to ride, I remember being told that you haven't earned the right to wear spurs until you're 110% sure you won't use them accidentally, and that's still how I approach that today. If you are accidentally gripping with your heels, you don't have the stability to wear a spur. If your hands still bounce when you post, you haven't earned a stronger bit.
When we use these tools unintentionally, we desensitize our horses to them. Then, when our horses revert to old habits, we have to keep going bigger, until some day we run out of options.
*There are also situations that legitimately call for "higher control" tools, but I think that deserves a part 2.
If we think critically about how our tools work, we have a better chance of making good decisions about when and why to use them.
