When a young horse is so soft in his mouth that it’s hard to get a nice contact between hand and bit, I always try to find a solution.
I look for a bit which lies steady in the mouth and encourage the horse to take the contact. Often a D-ring snaffle is perfect for me, but 4yo Pontos WS (Justice HL x Animo) wasn’t happy with it. I decided to try my very old leather bit (I cut of the straps a long time ago). After a few rounds I already had more weight in my hands and the mouth was much more quiet.
I love a leather bit when horses are:
- unstable in their contact
- going behind or over the bit all the time
- restless in their mouth
Once the contact has been established I will change this bit into a soft and flexible Nathe bit for example.
NOTE: This leather bit is not allowed during KNHS dressage competitions in the Netherlands.
