Kai still has his wolf teeth so I am not even thinking about riding with a bit yet, however I have some doubts and mixed feeling about bits. I have not ridden with a bit for many months and I enjoy knowing that I am not messing with his mouth.
When I was at a different barn I was regularly exposed to bits and was used to seeing them. I was even riding my lease horse (Bailey) with a curb! It was somehow that I became insensitive to the fact that all the horses there had metal in their mouths. Thinking about it makes me feel slightly uneasy. Have we all became too used to bits in general? People just slip a hard, metal object into their horses’ mouths, intending to then put some amount of pressure on it without much thought. Is it right? Is it kind? Is it in the horse's best interest?
An what about riding? Is that kind and in the horse's best interest? Alexander Nevzorov claims that riding and especially bits are extremely cruel.
It is very interesting and eye opening to read and watch his work, however I do feel he is a bit extreme and dramatic. I do still feel that listening to him will make one think hard about one’s principles which is always a good thing. I believe that everyone should always question everything they do when training horses especially when correcting and using more ''harsh" methods.
I think that horses (every horse, not just warm bloods) should be almost 4 or even 5 before starting to ride more intensively to let their bones mature. I think that everyone should be extremely careful about how their saddle fits and how balanced they are as a rider. I think that if one is mindful, one can ride a horse without harming them. One can enjoy a wonderful partnership together that way.
Okay, back to thinking about bits!
I have found that there are two main opinions about bits. One is that all bits are cruel and painful devices and should never be used, and the other is that any bit is fine if one has soft hands and that "it is not the tool it is how you use it." These are the two opposite ends of the spectrum, with most people falling somewhere in between.
I have looked into it and found that bits do somewhat interfere with the horses’ breathing and swallowing. Bits break the seal of the horses’ lips and makes them salivate and try to swallow. It definitely doesn't sound that kind when I think about it.
So why do we need bits anymore if we know how to teach a horse to respond and be ridden without them? Bits were once used to control a horse through pain and fear, that is why ancient paintings and even carousels today have horses with gaping mouths and fear in their eyes, not to mention their hollow backs and tense bodies. With all the training methods out there, with the knowledge that we now have, why do we still use bits? One might say because we want to teach a horse self carriage and collection and bits can teach a horse to give at the poll instead of curl their neck. But self carriage can be taught bitless! Karen Rohlf rides with and without bits and her horses can be equally collected bitless as with bits. She even trained some horses entirely without bits and introduced it a lot later, when the horse was mentally ready.
I also heard people say they use bits to "connect better'' or for "refinement." We should be seeking and training to connect and communicate with our horses through our seat, and bits or cavassons are used to gently position the horse's head, not to steer or have leverage or force. This is what the classical dressage masters teach us.
After thinking about it for a long time, I have came to my own conclusion that a bit is not bad but we should be way, way, WAY more mindful using them than we are. I am glad that Kai is five years old and has not been ridden with a bit yet. He needed the time to grow mentally and physically to be ready for me to slowly introduce the bit to him. It is literally in my hands to kindly and mindfully teach Kai about bits and how to respond to them.
When I was at a different barn I was regularly exposed to bits and was used to seeing them. I was even riding my lease horse (Bailey) with a curb! It was somehow that I became insensitive to the fact that all the horses there had metal in their mouths. Thinking about it makes me feel slightly uneasy. Have we all became too used to bits in general? People just slip a hard, metal object into their horses’ mouths, intending to then put some amount of pressure on it without much thought. Is it right? Is it kind? Is it in the horse's best interest?
An what about riding? Is that kind and in the horse's best interest? Alexander Nevzorov claims that riding and especially bits are extremely cruel.
It is very interesting and eye opening to read and watch his work, however I do feel he is a bit extreme and dramatic. I do still feel that listening to him will make one think hard about one’s principles which is always a good thing. I believe that everyone should always question everything they do when training horses especially when correcting and using more ''harsh" methods.
I think that horses (every horse, not just warm bloods) should be almost 4 or even 5 before starting to ride more intensively to let their bones mature. I think that everyone should be extremely careful about how their saddle fits and how balanced they are as a rider. I think that if one is mindful, one can ride a horse without harming them. One can enjoy a wonderful partnership together that way.
Okay, back to thinking about bits!
I have found that there are two main opinions about bits. One is that all bits are cruel and painful devices and should never be used, and the other is that any bit is fine if one has soft hands and that "it is not the tool it is how you use it." These are the two opposite ends of the spectrum, with most people falling somewhere in between.
I have looked into it and found that bits do somewhat interfere with the horses’ breathing and swallowing. Bits break the seal of the horses’ lips and makes them salivate and try to swallow. It definitely doesn't sound that kind when I think about it.
So why do we need bits anymore if we know how to teach a horse to respond and be ridden without them? Bits were once used to control a horse through pain and fear, that is why ancient paintings and even carousels today have horses with gaping mouths and fear in their eyes, not to mention their hollow backs and tense bodies. With all the training methods out there, with the knowledge that we now have, why do we still use bits? One might say because we want to teach a horse self carriage and collection and bits can teach a horse to give at the poll instead of curl their neck. But self carriage can be taught bitless! Karen Rohlf rides with and without bits and her horses can be equally collected bitless as with bits. She even trained some horses entirely without bits and introduced it a lot later, when the horse was mentally ready.
I also heard people say they use bits to "connect better'' or for "refinement." We should be seeking and training to connect and communicate with our horses through our seat, and bits or cavassons are used to gently position the horse's head, not to steer or have leverage or force. This is what the classical dressage masters teach us.
After thinking about it for a long time, I have came to my own conclusion that a bit is not bad but we should be way, way, WAY more mindful using them than we are. I am glad that Kai is five years old and has not been ridden with a bit yet. He needed the time to grow mentally and physically to be ready for me to slowly introduce the bit to him. It is literally in my hands to kindly and mindfully teach Kai about bits and how to respond to them.
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