A Bit Crazy, Part 3
It's been a looooong time coming. Last time we checked in with our hero Spicy, we found a super non-legal bit that he actually tolerated (Part 1, Part 2). While this was working for us I wasn't eager to keep using it. I didn't like riding with a lot of contact, plus I still felt kinda gimmicky about it. The impostor syndrome is real. So many people tout Neue Schule as the final word in bitting, good for reluctant, sensitive or otherwise difficult to fit horses. Spicy is a pretty special flower so I figured it was more than worth a shot.
I picked up a heavily discounted Tranz-Angle Baucher. I selected the baucher because the cheek was quite similar to how the cheek of the Myler combination sits, and also would encourage him to not put his ears up my nose. In the beginning he did not seem to hate it, but over time it made less and less of an impact until he got upset and unsettled in his mouth again.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of the NS bits. While I think science should absolutely be involved in figuring out how to make bits more comfortable for horses, I think they're a ripoff. And NS really wants you to know that they have plenty of science.
The price really rubs me the wrong way. I spend a lot of money on my horse, but $200+ on a bit is just ludicrous to me. The social media influence on them is real as well. Most people I see on Instagram et. all. who have an NS bit and love it so much and it made a huge difference and it was totally worth the price got them for free. I think I know one person that actually bought their NS bit and she got a discount for hosting a bit clinic at her farm.
I was disappointed the NS bit was not the answer I was looking for. I rode him in a halter for awhile, and then gave up and put my $20, unengineered as heck french link D ring back in his mouth and started over.
We went all the way back to just teaching him that pressure on the bit meant stop. I'd walk him around in hand and practice stopping until he'd skid to a halt when he felt the lightest whisper on the reins. I taught him to put his head down when he felt pressure on the bit. I spent a month just doing that. All my riding was done in a halter. When I finally got back in the saddle with the bit, I nailed myself for my hands. I had trained this beautiful soft mouth on the ground, and I wasn't going to ruin it now. I worked on my hands to the exclusion of anything else we were doing.
It was a long summer of going so slow and careful I felt like I was going crosseyed. All that work was worth it though, because the bit wasn't Spicy's problem at all. It was me. A $300 bit isn't going to fix my horse's lack of understanding, or my shitty hands. I wish I could end this post with some magic sauce for your bit problems, "oh, if you just buy this bit your horse will come beautifully on the frame and all your troubles will be over!" But I can't. Besides, I think hard work is better. It's cheaper, at the very least!
I picked up a heavily discounted Tranz-Angle Baucher. I selected the baucher because the cheek was quite similar to how the cheek of the Myler combination sits, and also would encourage him to not put his ears up my nose. In the beginning he did not seem to hate it, but over time it made less and less of an impact until he got upset and unsettled in his mouth again.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of the NS bits. While I think science should absolutely be involved in figuring out how to make bits more comfortable for horses, I think they're a ripoff. And NS really wants you to know that they have plenty of science.
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| Such science |
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| Much wow |
The price really rubs me the wrong way. I spend a lot of money on my horse, but $200+ on a bit is just ludicrous to me. The social media influence on them is real as well. Most people I see on Instagram et. all. who have an NS bit and love it so much and it made a huge difference and it was totally worth the price got them for free. I think I know one person that actually bought their NS bit and she got a discount for hosting a bit clinic at her farm.
I was disappointed the NS bit was not the answer I was looking for. I rode him in a halter for awhile, and then gave up and put my $20, unengineered as heck french link D ring back in his mouth and started over.
We went all the way back to just teaching him that pressure on the bit meant stop. I'd walk him around in hand and practice stopping until he'd skid to a halt when he felt the lightest whisper on the reins. I taught him to put his head down when he felt pressure on the bit. I spent a month just doing that. All my riding was done in a halter. When I finally got back in the saddle with the bit, I nailed myself for my hands. I had trained this beautiful soft mouth on the ground, and I wasn't going to ruin it now. I worked on my hands to the exclusion of anything else we were doing.
It was a long summer of going so slow and careful I felt like I was going crosseyed. All that work was worth it though, because the bit wasn't Spicy's problem at all. It was me. A $300 bit isn't going to fix my horse's lack of understanding, or my shitty hands. I wish I could end this post with some magic sauce for your bit problems, "oh, if you just buy this bit your horse will come beautifully on the frame and all your troubles will be over!" But I can't. Besides, I think hard work is better. It's cheaper, at the very least!
I ride Ruby pretty frequently in a NS Verbindend (that full disclosure, I paid full price for from SmartPak 🤣). It's not a magic cure all or fix it, but she goes pretty well in it and seems comfortable. However whenever anyone asks me about it I direct them to an eBay knockoff at 1/4 the price -- I think the shape it what she likes, so the name brand is irrelevant to me. One of my other mares went better in a $20 korsteel french link than she did in the identical shaped bit from Herm Sprenger 🤷♀️ gotta find what makes our fussy horses happy, whether it's $20 or $200! And I think you're right, it's frequently our hands that are the root of "bitting" issues. I know I got nailed for that pretty hard by a clinician around the time I switched to the Verbindend 🙈
ReplyDeletehands are so hard to fix I wish the bit could do it for me :'(
Delete"A $300 bit isn't going to fix my horse's lack of understanding, or my shitty hands". THIS. Everyone should read this. We all say it but with the smug idea that we don't mean our hands. I love what you did. It was brave and egoless and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteyou are so sweet <333 It was hard to get called out on it because you never WANT to be the rider with crap hands but unfortunately the first step to fixing the problem is admitting you have one.
DeleteThat NS is fantastic for my horse, but definitely every horse is different. I think with the expensive brands (of which there are many now) it's a good idea to do the rental programs first and consult with one of their reps. I would not have picked the bit I did if not for the rep's guidance, and... she was right on target. It didn't fix training problems or my riding, but it did make my horse more relaxed and comfortable. Totally agree that a bit definitely isn't the magic bullet some people want it to be, although I do think having the right bit can certainly help - whether the "right bit" is a $250 Neue Schule or a $20 Korsteel.
ReplyDeleteYes and sometimes getting the horse to be a bit more relaxed CAN help you fix the problems on your end. But so many people treat it, as you said, like a magic bullet. When probably the rep should be like "take $200 worth of lessons to fix your hands, then find the bit"
DeleteI'm really with you on the pricing of those bits. And also on the part about the bit not being the problem... I kept trying new bits with Eros, but turns out most of the issue was too much hand not nearly enough leg. Evidently, most problems are fixed with better riding. Kind of annoying isn't it?
ReplyDeleteannoying but as I said... cheaper?? maybe instead of spending money on bits we should be buying spurs lololol
DeleteSuch science, much wow. Snort lol....
ReplyDeletefwiw I don’t think I’ve bought a single bit new that I’ve felt was worth the price. HOWEVER, somehow I’ve ended up buying a ton of “high quality” and “engineered” bits used on eBay, that generally sell for whatever I paid for them (assuming I did my research while buying) if they don’t work out. Still tho. I keep going back to my KKs....
those freakin' KKs.... you can always count on them!!
Deletethe graph of forces on the bit made me lol. like, who is going to look at that and go ah yes the vector of NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS.
I almost tried an NS but same feeling- I have to fix my own hands because a more expensive bit won't do that for me. While horses def have their preferences, at the end of the day, the rider makes or breaks the horse's acceptance. Congrats on going back to the beginning and fixing shit. Spicy is lucky to have you!
ReplyDeleteHey and if you fix your hands and your horse is still a boppy little shit then by all means, lets spend $200 on the bit. but maybe fix myself first :P
Deletehe is as lucky to have me as I am to have him to teach me so much...
The NS bit was not the answer for my horse either and the price tag was hard to stomach (I borrowed a friends used one that she was selling because it was also just not the answer for her horse - so happy I could just ship it back to her and wipe my hands of it). Sometimes just working on things that seem so basic is the answer even if it is boring as all get out.
ReplyDeleteugh you hit the nail on the head - it's really super boring. and not sexy. and takes forever.
DeleteAhhh, I appreciate you calling out all this expensive bullshittery and much wowy science. If we can't fix ourselves, no amount of money spent on gadgetry or science will help our horses! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I can see how once one has addressed themselves and tried All the Things, spending the money might end up finding a horse something they really like. It's like my feet and hiking boots. I spent years trying a suite of moderately priced (and on sale) brands and even trying to fix my gait to help with my forever-and-always blister issue. Then I tried Danners. And uh, yeah. No more blisters. My feet have expensive tastes. Damnit.