Bit for a Paso that likes to go.....

[My Pasos]

I am looking to figure out what kind of bit to get for the gelding I am getting.

I would like to go to a bit other than Paso bits. Money is short and I can't afford them.

any suggestions??????? This bit will be used only until I get used to him then he goes bitless.

[Terry Wallace]

A Kimberwicke bit works well.

[My Pasos]

I have seen several on ebay at prices I can afford. Any special type?

[CarolU]

I am wondering what you mean by "likes to go"???

You know, a stronger bit is not necessarily the answer for an impulsive horse. Why not retrain him with a relax cue, to do a flat walk, to corto on a loose rein, so he behaves with a jaquima? All it takes is time, patience, and consistency.

I would not go 'cheap' on tack. Good, safe, correct tack is an investment in you/your horse.

I would not recommend any bit I wouldn't use on my own horse. I like Mylers, but they aren't cheap either. Good quality, sweet iron bits are worth the cost.

[Edurne]

My horse Primero "loves to go" - but I don't use a bit anymore. The jacquima works well. I do have to spend time with him if he has been off for even only a couple of weeks, with just walking and transitions from corto to walk. He has varying moves to demonstrate his excitement and willingness to "go" or as the jockeys at the farm say "Primero is certainly full of himself". I doubt that even a bit would hold him, other than his willingness to comply, when we get behind the thoroughbreds while they are galloping around in training for flatraces. I also wonder if the bit (especially the Colombian bits which I own) are really the signal one uses for woah or comeback. Seems to me that in those situations I have used the jacquima more than the bit. The bit seems to be for subtle communication - at least with Primero, who will shake his head in disgust if it used with anything other than "little" finger pressure.

[motorgypsy]

We do like a solid ported mouthpiece Kimberwick as a transition bit from bosal to bit because it has some shank length and has great directional cuing, but our really excitable mare with no whoa needed a shank that is comfortable so we went to mylers with a wide port and a short shank. The type that does NOT collapse in on the mouth. We also have one with a slightly larger port and one with the comfort snaffle mouthpiece (this is a shank/curb bit, not a true snaffle) and all our guys like all three. For some reason they don't like the Pelham version though. We use essentially no contact with these bits unless we're asking for a change and they respond very well to them. Our Mylers ran around $65 but I bet you can find one cheaper. We use a 5 inch with bit guards because most of our guys use a 4 7/8 or a 4 3/4 and I haven't been able to find the Mylers in those sizes. They may have them now though.

Of course they should stop willingly when you ask but it's nice to know you can let them know you're up there if you need to. And yes nose pressure can be just as effective as a bit. A friend has a hackamore that can break the horse's nose. A hackamore is not less severe than a bit. Just different.

Our tough minded old mare who had two speeds, gallop and stop, required a very different bit - a Rutledge roper bit. It doesn't use the mouthpiece for stopping but the chin chain and poll pressure. She loves it. It looks terrible but it's the only bit she likes. I tried it on one other paso fino and she hated it though so I'd borrow one before I'd ever buy one and only a really hard headed stubborn horse that needs to know you are up there initially. Funny thing though - we don't use the reins or the bit on her at all. She just has to know it's there. She was imported by the way and trained out of the country also. I totally love her but she was returned to her seller twice before we got her because they couldn't handle her.

So anyway the short shank comfortable mouthpiece Myler bits do a really good job for us.

[My Pasos]

Okay, How about this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=014&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=330063528492&rd=1&rd=1

I have used a bit like this before and my Paso mare liked it real well, much better than a spoon bit.

This gelding likes to move. That is no problem with me since I will be his rider. Maybe some day I will take him to a show, but now too tight. I just want to enjoy riding. He is the *next step*, my other two are way to laid back for me. He really will teach me. I am SOOOOO excited, I can hardly wait!!!

[motorgypsy]

What bit was he trained with?? One most similar to it will probably be your best bet. We've used Kimberwicks on all our guys and like them but have since switched to the shorter shank Mylers. Most paso finos are trained with shank bits. He may be fine with the Kimberwick and he may not. It's when they get really excited that they can just grab the Kimberwick and totally ignore you. I used one on Chinook for a couple of years but when we started to do endurance and horses would pass us on the trails I had to use far more force on it than I either want to or can use for any length of time to get her to slow down and not try to keep up with them. And this horse has the best whoa you can ever ask for. Normally she'll stop on a seat cue. But it's a cheap bit and most of them like it so you can certainly try it. It's fabulous for things like barrel racing or poles because they understand perfectly what you want from them.

http://i3.ebayimg.com/05/i/07/5e/59/0d_1_b.JPG

http://cgi.ebay.com/Myler-Bit-Comfort-Snaffle-Ported-Barrel-Flat-Shank-5_W0QQitemZ7247097626QQihZ015Q QcategoryZ47303QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewIt em

This URL is so long I put a space in the middle of it so it didn't warp the board. If you copy and paste it and take out the space it will take you to the site.

This is one similar to one of our Mylers but you can get it locally for less money. We avoid the really high ports, extra long shanks and mouthpieces that bend too far inward. They like all the rest of them. We have four or five different ones and none of the horses complain about any of them - and our guys will refuse a bit they don't like or make a major fuss about it.

[ErinC]

someone bought that Bit Terry and it looks like a paso person :shock:

so ,,,My Pasos did you buy it?

[motorgypsy]

I need to put my kimberwicks on ebay! I have several I don't use anymore. They are great bits though.

[CarolU]

I have two I should sell. I don't use them either.

Kimberwicks are nice bits for trail riding. Perhaps Cindy or Patti (hint hint) could come on and post the mechanics of the Colombian spade and why it does what it does. The difference between chin, poll, and pallet or bar pressure, why you want one over the other at different times, and how you hold apply pressure with your reins to achieve each.

Good bitting really is a science.

Bits are not really for stopping...in fact the horse should stop without the bit, or with a quick check and release. Bits are for refinement. They are for collection and rounding, which you don't really need for trail riding, but are critical to Paso Fino training.

It would be nice to see a really good article in PFHW (HINT HINT) on this subject.

[motorgypsy]

Quick pull and release - that's all we ever have had to do with a Myler to get any response including a stop. But as I mentioned - during an endurance ride when the horse is so excited the quick pull and release on the Kimberwick was not effective in reminding the horse that we're up there when they're so focused on the ride and other galloping horses. So for our guys - three of them actually out of the 13, the bit made a huge difference in the whoa. It probably shouldn't have but it did.

[hast]

I usually ride Michico in a Myler Kimberwick medium port. I changed into that bit from a paso shanked bit when I started jumping him. He jumps like a deer :roll: so it's too easy to be left behind and I didn't want to catch him in the mouth. He still jumps like a deer :lol: so we don't jump much, but the kimberwick stayed for everyday riding.
He is what Stella calls "class A brio" and wants to be FIRST, he will listen -if not always patiently- and even if stopping or go behind can be difficult sometimes I certainly dont' want a harder bit... I do need some re-training again though. ;-)

[motorgypsy]

We use really light touch on the reins and I have arthritis in my fingers so I hold the reins so lightly they would slip out of my fingers if the horse jumped - which is OK. I have a second set on the rope halter for emergencies. So I do much prefer a curb bit and oddly enough our horses seem to prefer them. They liked the Kimberwick but it wasn't good when they were excited and they seem to like the Myler shank bits even better than the Kimberwick. We tried so many bits it's pitiful but finally found some they like. Thank goodness because we do have a "princess and the pea". :roll: :roll: :roll:

[My Pasos]

Kyle, I have problems holding reins myself. Arther & Carpo, I do real well if the reins are thicker than normal.

Well, I can try the bit on him and see how it works. He may like it, or he may not. I have 1 myler, I think I got it from Poni. I can try that bit as well on him.

Although, once I get a feel for him, I will go bitless, he is used to that to.

[motorgypsy]

I can always use another Myler if it's the shanked and ported type. Perhaps we can swap plus I would pay you a difference since the Mylers are more expensive. I'll PM you. I have three "kids" that haven't been bitted yet so I know I'll need a couple of more bits.

Oh - forgot to mention - Kyle loves the really thick reins and Casa Dosa has some great ones. What we do is get the ones with the leather and buckle ends that look really nice for show and put some scissor clips on them for regular use. That way you don't need a separate set of show reins cause they do hold up really well and the black and brown don't show the dirt either.

[motorgypsy]

Again a reminder - a bit is not more severe than a bosal - just different. A lot of horses prefer the bits because they have the sweet iron mouth pieces they chew on and play with.

[Carol D.]

Perhaps Cindy or Patti (hint hint) could come on and post the mechanics of the Colombian spade and why it does what it does. The difference between chin, poll, and pallet or bar pressure, why you want one over the other at different times, and how you hold apply pressure with your reins to achieve each.
<snip>
It would be nice to see a really good article in PFHW (HINT HINT) on this subject.

As a newbie to the PF world, I would sure appreciate this! :D

[Mellifluous]

I like my Myler comfort snaffle.

Western style D ring

Not that Phoebe is a "likes to go" horse. It is an "atypical" bit for a paso but works really well for my purposes.