BEHIND THE BARRELS Selecting the right bit is paramount to good horsemanship. Article by BitsOF Molly Powell Photos by John Brasseaux COMMUNICATION odeo has afforded me the luxury of traveling all over the United States and Canada. I love to travel and see different scenery, meet different people, and, most importantly, learn different types of horsemanship. Horsemanship has been at the center of my life since early Rchildhood. Now, taking the time to analyze it, I would define horsemanship as the language we use to communicate with our horses. This language is colored by our own unique “accents.” By accent, I mean the distinctive style in which each of us trains and handles a horse. According to professional barrel racer Molly Powell, “the most direct and tangible path of communication [with a horse] is through proper bitting.” | 74 Barrel Horse News June 2009 HHorsemanshipBits.inddorsemanshipBits.indd 7744 55/12/09/12/09 110:03:100:03:10 AAMM Our horsemanship accents can be influ- floating spade roping bit with about 6-inch to their aggression. As I mentioned, I am a enced by our heritage and by the people and shanks. The control and lift that this bit gave naturally cautious person. If the horse seems horses we have associated with or learned Slider and me was a major difference from the aggressive, I tend to choose a bit that makes from, both in the past and present. For example, lack of control I’d felt using the O-ring snaffle. me feel like I am in control. This helps me to my accent was influenced by my grandpa and He went so well in this bit that I practiced him be more confident when I ride. Notice bit A, his lifetime of experiences riding on his ranch in it only once, and then ran him in it for the The Solid Run. It has a longer shank, so I could in the mountains of southern Alberta. My style rest of the rodeo. stop my horse easily when I pull back on both and technique have also been affected by my We finished out the NFR to the tune of shanks. They will engage the curb chain. mom’s race, jumping and barrel horse training, $100,000 in earnings and first place in the aver- Leverage is going to be your friend if you my dad’s ranch riding and my own experiences age. The solid-shanked roping bit was the key have a stronger horse. The shorter the shanks, riding with the likes of Wanda Bush, Turtle (my to our success. The control the roping bit pro- generally, the less power or leverage you will husband and NFR Team Roper), Mike Beers, vided also helped give me the confidence to ride have to stop your horse. Meade Miller, Jerry Diaz and all the other rid- Slider in a high-pressure situation and win. 1.a. If a horse’s personality is more lazy ers that I have had the pleasure of riding with, or shy, I am more apt to ride him in a lighter learning from and teaching. Practical Application bit, or a shorter shank, like bit B, The Rookie. Although we communicate our horseman- I have noticed through my travels, that Remember, when you use a lighter bit, you ship accents to our horses in several ways, such there are a wide variety of bits being used invite your horse to be more aggressive. This as through our body language and routines, in throughout the United States and Canada. aggression comes from the “freedom” he feels my opinion, the most direct and tangible path I have seen everything from snaffle bits to from you having less control over him. The of communication is through proper bitting. ported roping bits, to sliding gag bits and com- opposite is true when you use a more severe I have studied riders at my clinics and bination bits—and virtually every type of bit in bit; your horse will tend to be less aggressive learned that the bit that I personally would between—used successfully on barrel horses. because he isn’t so “free.” use on a particular horse, may not work for So where do I start when choosing a bit for I tend to ride more confidently when I another rider. I have also leased horses that my horses? know that I can easily stop my horse, should ran in a particular bit, but it took something Here are the steps I follow to match the I need or want to. If I feel like I may not be completely different for me to get the horse right bit with the right horse: able to stop him, it just seems like I ride a lot around the pattern. 1. I know my own accent, or style of com- more defensively, worrying, “How will I stop When considering this point, I always think municating and handling a horse. I watch all this train?!” back to 2004 when I borrowed SX Docslider my horses very carefully and pay attention 2. I analyze whether or not my horse is (“Slider”) from Shali Lord to compete at the National Finals Rodeo. At that time, Shali had just purchased Slider, and we all were on a sort of “try it and see” basis with him. My horse, Shadow, was injured right before the NFR, so I was only able to try Slider a couple of days prior to Las Vegas, at Dunn’s Arena near Phoenix, Ariz. Slider was used to running in an O-ring snaffle bit, so that’s what I tried him in. He was like riding a rollercoaster! He won a jackpot by a half a second, but we rimmed and rattled each barrel. Because of my conservative, cau- tious style of riding, Slider felt completely out of control to me. To tell the truth, riding him was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. After arriving in Vegas, I had the good fortune to have Sparky Impession (“Sparky”), owned by June Holeman, and Slider as a team. I rode Sparky for a few rounds, and he worked great. We placed in one round, and he was run- ning very consistently. Meanwhile, I just couldn’t make myself get on Slider because he felt so unpredictable. I would get a rumble in my stom- ach and start sweating when I thought about it. Then one day, I happened to see one of Turtle’s roping bits in the trailer, so I put it on Slider to exercise him. The bit was a small A: The Solid Run | Barrel Horse News June 2009 75 HHorsemanshipBits.inddorsemanshipBits.indd 7755 55/13/09/13/09 33:48:37:48:37 PPMM BEHIND THE BARRELS B: The Rookie C: The Quick Turn D: The Smooth Run E: The Rate N Turn bendy or straighter in his turns and decide from too bendy to quick and efficient with the piece bits on some hard-to-please horses. what I would like to achieve with my bit. Do change of a gag to a solid-shanked bit. I usually do not use solid ported bits, but I want to communicate to him that we need 3. Usually, I will choose a mouthpiece that when a port is with a chain, it can work really more bend in a turn? If so, I will use a gag bit. pleases my horse. Most of my horses work well nice on a stronger-mouthed horse. When the shanks slide on the mouthpiece, it in twisted wire or smooth snaffles. I prefer 4. If I ever have a horse that is shoulder- can invite a horse to bend. the curved type of mouthpiece of bit D, The ing into the turns, I will make sure to use a Different mouthpieces, such as snaffles and Smooth Run. It doesn’t fork into the roof of “locked” shank or a solid shank bit, like bit E, chains, can also create a suppler feel. my horse’s mouth. The Rate N Turn. This bit has a solid shank, but 2.a. If I need to bring my horse through a For a higher-headed horse, I like to try a mouthpiece that allows for some bend. turn sharper, or straighten his body, allowing the large chain mouthpieces. The chain will When you think lift, think leverage. As I for a quicker turn, I will use bit C, The Quick not fork into the roof of their mouth either. mentioned earlier, leverage will be your friend Turn. A solid shank, not a gag, will draw the The chain also seems to keep a horse’s mouth on a strong horse because of the curb action. outside of a horse’s body through a turn. “fresh,” where he doesn’t seem to dull to Leverage comes from the length of shank I have quickly changed a horse’s style requests. I will also use dog-bone or three- (portion of the cheek of a bit that is below the | 76 Barrel Horse News June 2009 HHorsemanshipBits.inddorsemanshipBits.indd 7766 55/12/09/12/09 110:04:030:04:03 AAMM BEHIND THE BARRELS mouthpiece. The purchase would be the por- create a fulcrum effect, when the curb chain When I want instant response, I want a solid tion of the cheek above the mouthpiece). engages and gives you leverage. shank to engage the curb chain immediately Ideally, there should be a difference in the The curb affect is what gives you lift when and prevent my horse from “pushing into the ratio of the length of the purchase to the length you pick up on one shank.