Where to start when you’re bitting a new horse

If you’ve been through the exciting process of buying a new horse, then you’ll no doubt be very excited for the big day when they finally arrive at your yard. For some people, they might have visited several times to try the horse or even had them on a loan with a view to buy arrangement and be very familiar with the tack and bits they are used to. However, for some buyers, they have sourced their horse from a stud or dealer - which could be here in the UK, in mainland Europe or even further afield! That means they have a more limited understanding of what the horse is used to being ridden in, perhaps zooming in on videos to see what bit is being used. The same could be true if you purchase a horse that’s been turned away for some time and either the owner has sold on their tack, or they need restarting from scratch to see what they remember. Starting with a relatively blank slate might including guessing which bit to use, so here’s our handy guide to help you work out what they go best in.

Gather all the information you can

A great starting point is to ask the dealer what they’ve been working the horse in and if that’s the same tack setup as the horse came with. If there’s been a change in bitting, ask them why they started to use a new bit. The same is true for a breeder if you’re buying from a stud, producer or an owner - any information you can glean is going to help you going forward. However, it’s worth saying that we still advise you to follow the rest of our steps as there’s no guarantee the horse was 100% happy or comfortable in their previous bit, if you manage to find out what that was.

Evaluate their mouth

We’ve previously shared our top tips for assessing mouth conformation, and that’s an important step if you’re starting bitting from scratch. You can read those tips here, and we also recommend getting a dentist out to assess a new horse as soon as you’re able to. That way you know there’s no lurking wolf teeth or exposed pulp that can cause issues even if you have found the perfect bit in every other way. Then, you can measure their mouth to find the size of bit they will take. Again, we have a helpful article here that you can use to guide you.

Start simple

Now you have an idea of the horse’s mouth confirmation and health and the size of bit you need; you can start trying out different options. Ideally start out with the most basic and straightforward styles first, such as lozenge link snaffles with room for the tongue.

Our 30-day trial is a great way to see what mouthpiece and cheek piece style they go best in. If you’re starting your journey together with long reining, lunging and short hacks, you’ll soon get a feel for whether they are sensitive to contact, tend to lean on the hand or rush through. If they’ve arrived very fit and competition ready, you could find you need precision steering, elevation and some brakes from the word go.

Listen to the horse

With so much being ‘new’ to the horse - their surroundings, the people looking after them and their tack setup - make sure you take it slowly. It could be that you find the perfect bit first time and never look back, or you might need to try a few options before you figure out what works. Our founder Jodie offers free bitting advice and really is a treasure trove of knowledge about the different bits and brands out there and how they differ. If you are struggling with a new horse, why not drop her a line and see how she can help?