Horse Problem - Bit Problem -  Having trouble controlling horse, what bit to use?

The only bit I personally recommend using is a snaffle, either:

Full cheek snaffle (1st choice):

Or D-ring snaffle (2nd choice):

And John Lyons sells full cheek snaffles here: CLICK HERE

If you would like to buy a complete headstall/bridle set, including the bit I prefer, etc., I recommend:

 

John Lyons Headstall: CLICK HERE

 

See...if the horse isn't responding to a bit, that just means there are holes in the basic foundation that you need to back up and fix on the ground, FIRST with a natural horsemanship halter/12' lead rope tied on (best communication tool there is for schooling in my opinion). I would do a great deal of ground work with that halter/lead before moving on to then teaching (again, on the ground) with the bridle/snaffle bit. I would teach how to yield the head on the ground, and move on to teaching the one-rein stop on the ground.

After that ground work is accomplished and the horse yields softly, instantly with the bridle/snaffle, then once in saddle, just at a standstill, we're going to reinforce the head yielding, both sides. If needed, I will use a two-people approach there. Starting Green Horse In Saddle - What's the best way to start riding green horse?

Then at a walk -- lots of one-rein stops/head yielding repetitions. Many, many times. We don't work on that at the higher gaits until he can well perform the head yield/one-rein stop/hind quarter disengagement at the walk consistently hundreds of times. After that, we move up one gait, practice that hundreds of time. And so forth. I don't teach the 2 rein "whoa" until we've well accomplished the above. By then, it's no big deal and the horse complies easily, understandably.

All of the above (and much, much more) is taught in my Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set. Usually it helps to see this natural horsemanship art taught visually, to really understand how it is all done. You can get that DVD set here: CLICK HERE

And incidentally...my Whispering Way Complete Training Package contains all my videos and training tools that you need to train or retrain your horse yourself the natural horsemanship Whispering Way. You can check out/order the Whispering Way Complete Training Package on my web site here: CLICK HERE

People make the mistake of moving to harsher and harsher bits for uncontrollable horses when the truth is, the horse is just displaying big holes in the basic foundation and you need to back up and return to the ground work that teaches them what they need to understand there in the first place. People are sometimes surprised at the end of some of my riding clinics, when I have them riding formerly perceived unmanageable horses, with just a piece of twine, and the horse complies. But that is because the horse now knows how to yield softly and compliantly, when asked to, at all times -- we taught all that on the ground first!

So...bits don't control horses, nor should they be perceived in that way at all; good foundational NH training controls the horse.

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