A rather  common query that comes up in the horse circles and even outside is what is the big difference between English and Western styles of horse riding.  As is often the case with horse styles and equipment, the answers lies as a mix of historical past, function and tradition.  A significant number of the [Continue]

An often quoted saying is, “The Bit is the Key to the Horse”. Whom exactly Dr Bristol is or was is a little bit of a mystery however the statement is exactly right. In a slightly less succinct way one should look at horse bits as the “signal switching station” of the horse What I [Continue]

Most horse bits follow the principle of either direct pressure or leverage pressure.  The Pelham bit somewhat like the Swiss Army Knife tries to put these features into one .  However using a Pelham is not a panacea , and like all horse bit choices it requires some careful evaluation of what the problem actually [Continue]

The different types of horse bits available can be somewhat overwhelming.  To the casual observer why the huge variety?   This variety has arisen over time in response to the needs of different riders and their specific activity.  Also what might be surprising to the non horse person is the great variety of different horse [Continue]

Horse bits are an important ingredient in effective horse riding.  There are many dozens if not hundreds of different types of horse bit available in the market place with each one providing a different set of features which induce a particular effect on the horse’s behaviour. The basic categories of horse bit are typically defined [Continue]

Horse bits are a very important ingredient in the success of the horse and rider’s relationship .  There are countles types of horse bit availableso needless to say it can be confusing identifying what you actually need for your horse . The various horse bit types are broken down into different categories based on the [Continue]

Addressing a problem often requires some sort of 2 way communication between the parties. Speak the wrong language and problem resolution will be difficult or even impossible.  However when it comes to addressing problems between man and beast just ask any Veternarian, communication takes on a different challenge. Horses have been ridden for [Continue]

Learning to ride horses correctly and effectively is arguably more difficult than learning to drive a car. Driving a car is predominantly about following rules, and once you can drive one car you can pretty much expect to drive any car with a short period of re-adjustment. Horses have some rules but you have the [Continue]

The bit truly is the key to the horse. A good functional relationship between the rider and the horse requires careful analysis of any problems without a knee jerk reaction to trying to fix them. Horses are personalities in their own right and how you successfully control them, whether in horse racing, show jumping or [Continue]

Generally types of horse bits are divided into either Snaffles and Curb bits.  A somewhat simplistic division but in this article we will be looking in more detail at the different types of Snaffle and some of the more exotic features one can find on this seemingly humble bit.  Snaffles themselves cover quite a broad [Continue]