How do you choose what bit and bridle is best for you and your horse?
“What a suitable bit does is make it possible for the rider’s aids to be communicated clearly to the horse, with the least possible stress on the horse.“ – Katie Cook
For me, I think I know enough not to many any crazy mistakes when choosing and fitting a bit or bridle, but I definitely don’t consider myself an expert.
I’m a member of several horsie groups on social media and I can’t count how many posts I have seen with people asking for suggestions on the right bit for their horse, usually because they are having a major issue. I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t trust random internet people to help me outfit my horse.
If you go to a tack website like SmartPak and search “bridle”, you will currently get 144 results. If you search “bit”, you will get 182 results. And these results are not including the various sizes of bits and bridles either. Do I need a drop noseband? A flash? A single ear headstall? Should I go bitless? What about hackamores? Check out the search results from Google below! It’s enough to either make your head explode or pursue an advanced degree depending on your mindset.
A lot of people rely on their trainers to recommend a bit and / or bridle, which is great. I personally ride with some wonderful trainers, but unless it’s obviously causing an issue, we don’t really discuss my horse’s tack. I also do not have a tack room full of bits and bridles to try on my horse to see what he likes best.
Recently, I heard about Katie from Synchrony Bit and Bridle, who is a professional bit and bridle fitter (among other things!). Per her website:
Synchrony Bit and Bridle provides quality in-person and virtual services to riders of all skill levels. With Synchrony Bit and Bridle, you can get advice on bit selection and professional bridle fitting, ensuring that both you and your equine friend are comfortable and performing optimally.
The way I see it, as an adult amateur with a full time job and plenty of other time commitments, I can’t be an expert in every facet of horse life. A quick list of the people that I consult or hire to help my horses and me includes my vet, farrier, body worker, saddle fitter, and, as I board my horses, the owner of the barn where I board (who is great at helping with things like nutrition, blanketing, first aid, and letting me know if there are issues and deciding when to call the emergency vet). So, to me it made sense to have someone who has spent a lot of time and energy working to understand the pros and cons of different bits and bridles as well as the anatomy of the horse’s head and mouth come take a look at my horses and see if there were things that I should change to make sure they were as comfortable as possible.
Both sessions began very similarly. I tacked up my horses in their normal gear and Katie took a look in their mouths. We tried several bits, first looking at how they fit on the ground and then riding in them.
For Waldo, my 16 year old Oldenburg, she showed me how my bit was sitting a little too low in his mouth and was actually making contact with his canines at some times. He is such a good boy that he never fussed about it, but I know I wouldn’t want metal hitting my teeth! We tried several bit options and in the end, Katie suggested putting another hole in my bridle to bring the bit up half a hole. That solved the problem and now he feels even better in the bridle and I feel a lot better knowing I’m not hitting his teeth by accident.
For Star, my 5 year old Percheron X Friesian, I told Katie that he felt like he was a little too busy in the bridle. He is very soft in his mouth and so I had him in a very soft (and very common) bit. However, after trying a variety of bits with Katie, I realized he was actually a lot steadier and felt less fussy in a more solid mouthpiece. I’m currently borrowing a bit from Katie until Star’s new bit arrives. He feels much less busy in his mouth now and seems happier, which makes me happier!
I asked Katie a few questions about bit and bridle fitting to see what she had to say.
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What got you into doing bit and bridle fittings?
I had been teaching and training for almost twenty years, and accumulated thousands of dollars worth of bits, but could not really understand why some of them were more or less useful. I wanted to save other horse people from having a collection of bits that didn’t really work, so I decided it was time to take a bit and bridle fitting course.
Who do you think would benefit from a fitting?
Horses that are struggling in some area of their ridden work are often the ones that benefit the most. A few recent examples are a horse that was sticking its tongue out, and one that was getting sores on its lips. These horses make big changes once they are comfortable, and if we try four or five options and nothing seems to help, it’s often time for the horse to be evaluated by a vet to make sure the horse doesn’t have significant pain.
Is there any pressure to buy a new bit or bridle when doing a fitting?
There’s no pressure to buy anything. I am happy to look through bits people already own to pick what’s most suitable, as well as trying what I bring to fittings.
How often do you suggest doing a fitting?
I would say a fitting is helpful before starting a young horse, and then possibly every few years after that. If a horse is happy in their bit, there’s really no need to change it very frequently. Probably once a horse is really going under saddle (walk / trot / canter, or a few months) it makes sense to do a quick check up on how the horse is liking its bit.
Is there anything you think people should know before doing a fitting?
People should know that the biggest misconception is that a bit will be able to “give better brakes” or “make the horse rounder”. What a suitable bit does is make it possible for the rider’s aids to be communicated clearly to the horse, with the least possible stress on the horse. So the aim is to find something that suits the horse’s mouth conformation and preference, so that riding is pleasant for horse and human.
How did you learn about fitting?
I started my LANTRA certification in 2021, and finished it last year! I did it through a UK based company, Horse Bit Fit, because most of the other ways to do a certification are offered by bit manufacturers and it’s my preference to be independent.
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I had a positive experience with the bit and bridle fitting and now I feel confident that I’m using correctly fitting tack that my horses are happy with. I was thinking how unhappy I would be if I were wearing an uncomfortable helmet or boots for a 4 hour trail ride and I bet my horse feels the same way about his tack. I would definitely suggest doing a fitting with an independent fitter if you’re at all in doubt about the set up for your horse.
Happy Trails!
Kerrie
