Selecting The Right Bit For You And Your Horse

When walking into a tack store or opening up a catalog an overwelming feeling can take over when trying to select the correct bit for your horse. There are so many to choose from, and how do you know if they work? The wall in our office at the barn is covered with bits that we have bought that did not work.

After many years and bits later we found a custom bit maker out of New Mexico named Greg Dutton. Every bit is hand made out of sweet iron. He only has a handful of very qualified bit makers on his staff, and we have received nothing but quality and success with all of the bits that we have purchased from him.

Below are a few bits that we use every day her at the farm. We have many other Dutton bits that we use, but these bits are the most frequently used. They are very comfortable and mild bits that work best for most horses and riders. All of these bits have broken mouth pieces so they can be used two handed or one handed while riding. These bits all have similarties to them, so it makes it very easy to transition a horse from a snaffle bit to a more mature bit.

This first bit is very common and more than likely everyone has one. This is a snaffle bit and the beginning of most horses training. When purchasing a broken mouth bit like this one fold it in half and make sure that each side is the same length. Many bits sold today are made in China or Mexico and are not good quality, and do not fit a horse properly. If the mouth piece pinches or is uneven it can cause bad behavior problems with your horse. Your horse might only be acting up because he is in pain. Most bad habits start off with the first few rides, so that is why we choose this sweet iron snaffle bit with copper inlay for the first rides on an unbroke horse.

This bit would be the next transition up from the snaffle. It is the same mouth piece, but the tear drop shanks give a little more leverage.

This is the same variation to the previous bits, but with a different shank. This bit is not to be confused with a Tom Thumb bit. The mouth piece of a Tom Thumb bit breaks completly different from this bit. A Tom Thumb bit causes a horse to bob his head and sometimes rare. You will not see a Tom Thumb bit ever being used in our barn. This bit breaks properly and sits in a horses mouth very comfortably.

The following three bits are used in the same transitions as the last three, but these bits are three piece broken bits. We call them dog bone bits at our barn. The three piece bits are used more often the the traditional broken mouth pieces at the barn, more horses seem to like the feel of these bits in there mouth.

This is the next transition up. We call this the dog bone tear drop. It is the most popular used bit on our farm. We have four bridles with this bit. It works well for young horses as well as mature horses.

This three piece ported bit with the copper rings is for a mature horse that might need a little more leverage. It is still a mild bit that the horses pack well in their mouth. This bit will aid with the stops more than the dog bone with no port will. Some horses can stay in the dog bone tear drop, but some horses just respond better with the small port of this bit. This bit also has the straight shanks, but is available with the tear drop shanks.

We have been using and selling Dutton bits for several years now. We have not found anything that we like better. These bits that are shown here are bits that we like to keep in stock to sell customers. They usually sell very fast when we get a shipment in. So, if you are interested in purchasing one of these bits please let us know. Email us jshaffertd@yahoo.com Or give us a call. We will answer any questions that you have about these bits and others that we have. The prices for these bits run in the $50 to $70 range.