[Luna9]

When is the best age to introduce the bit? I have 2 yearlings one of which will be 2 in March and the other not till June.

[DirtyHorseRanch]

IMO, I don't intro a bit until I am finished with the ground work. Then I go over all the ground work again with a snaffle.

[spinandslide]

Now is about the time we start saddling and bridling our yearlings. they spend alot of time being desensitised to the tack and standing tied tacked up. I feel this helps make the transition to riding easier, as the tack is familar to the horse.

Some of the yearlings chomp and chew on the bit..others dont..we let them figure it out. we usually use a sweet iron o ring.

Sarah

[Horsegirl878]

This is a good thread, I need some advice on that too... Don't want to steal the thread, but it's basically the same question....

What kind of bit should you start a young horse with? I've heard different things... Rubber-coated is a common one I've heard/read... Jointed or straight?

Sorry Luna, don't mean to steal your thread. I just would love to know the answer as well.

[Lou3]

we dont introduce a bit until the horse is 2 and his mouth is more fully developed and I agree with the post that said do all your ground work from a halter or lunging cavasson first them re-do it all with the bit.
Our "teething bit" is a straight bar flexible rubber snaffle, its warmer than metal, doesnt pinch or grip and allows them to chew if necessary. After that we move on to a french link snaffle or simple happy mouth eggbutt snaffle with most horses.

[spinandslide]

Originally Posted by Horsegirl878

This is a good thread, I need some advice on that too... Don't want to steal the thread, but it's basically the same question....

What kind of bit should you start a young horse with? I've heard different things... Rubber-coated is a common one I've heard/read... Jointed or straight?

Sorry Luna, don't mean to steal your thread. I just would love to know the answer as well.

Like I said in my post, we start ours, as far as getting them used to a bit, using a sweet iron O ring.

The relevance in this is that when they start under saddle, we use a half breed sidepull..this combined the nose pressure(like they are used to in their halter, which is what their groundwork has been done in) with the bit pressure..it helps the horse understand what the bit pressure actually means..and because hes had numerous sessions of being able to "figure out" the bit by itself by simply standing tied with it on under his halter, he isnt fretting or chomping while getting started under saddle..its an old hat to him. once they seem to be going well in the half breed, we switch them over to the sweet iron oring, then the sweet iron/copper offset d, depending on the horse.

Make for easier breaking, happy horses and a happy husband(as he breaks all our horses.) and I guess happy me as well.

Sarah

[Luna9]

Originally Posted by Horsegirl878

This is a good thread, I need some advice on that too... Don't want to steal the thread, but it's basically the same question....

What kind of bit should you start a young horse with? I've heard different things... Rubber-coated is a common one I've heard/read... Jointed or straight?

Sorry Luna, don't mean to steal your thread. I just would love to know the answer as well.

Not a problem You actually asked more questions that I had too so thank you

Originally Posted by spinandslide

Like I said in my post, we start ours, as far as getting them used to a bit, using a sweet iron O ring.

The relevance in this is that when they start under saddle, we use a half breed sidepull..this combined the nose pressure(like they are used to in their halter, which is what their groundwork has been done in) with the bit pressure..it helps the horse understand what the bit pressure actually means..and because hes had numerous sessions of being able to "figure out" the bit by itself by simply standing tied with it on under his halter, he isnt fretting or chomping while getting started under saddle..its an old hat to him. once they seem to be going well in the half breed, we switch them over to the sweet iron oring, then the sweet iron/copper offset d, depending on the horse.

Make for easier breaking, happy horses and a happy husband(as he breaks all our horses.) and I guess happy me as well.

Sarah

This does make sense. It will hit them with one new thing at a time and let them adjust before adding something new, verse hitting them with all this new stuff in one shot. Thanks.

[AllInCommand]

Subscribing. I have a yearling too and Im curious.

[meljean]

Had a snaffle bit, just egg butt, that had snaps attached so could be put on halter, or would use old snaffle headstall off of a full bridle, and just let wear in stall, and mouth away. Would sometimes put molasses on it, just a little to sweeten things up.

Did that as two year old, then to lounging, then to double lining and on.