Teaching the naturally gaited horse to relax the mouth, lower jaw, and poll can relax the body to perform smooth gaits. Learn the benefits of using a snaffle bit and how to begin.

Introducing a Gaited Horse to a Snaffle Bit

By Jennifer Klitzke

Depending upon which training method you choose with your gaited horse will determine how you communicate with your horse, which tools are used, how the tools are used, and why.

Dressage is my method of choice in training my gaited horses―specifically classical French dressage. In dressage, the rider communicates with the horse through the hand, leg, seat, and weight aids. The rider’s fingers gently communicate with the horse’s mouth in a meaningful way through the reins attached to a gentle snaffle bit. The horse learns to seek and follow a light contact with the bit, and the rider gains awareness to gently follow the horse’s natural head and neck motion with relaxed shoulders, arms, and fingers. This light contact between the rider’s fingers and the horse’s mouth is important for communication.

Introducing a gaited horse to a snaffle bit helps the horse learn to seek and accept a light contact leading to smooth gait. When bits are misused, horse learn to resist contact out of fear, pain, or tension. This leads to pace, step pace, hard trot, and even running off.

In this post, we will explore:

• Selecting a snaffle bit for the gaited horse
• Introducing the bit and working in hand
• Benefits of teaching a gaited horse to accept and follow a snaffle bit contact
• Demonstration videos

Selecting a snaffle bit for the gaited horse

Snaffle bits and curb bits (or shank bits) have different actions on the horse. Snaffle bits do not have curb levers creating poll pressure. In dressage, snaffles are designed for the rider to communicate with the horse through a light contact leading to bit acceptance.

Over the years, I have collected many snaffle bits. Snaffles are made of rubber, plastic, and a variety of different tasting metals. There are one-piece (Mullen) bits, single-joint and double-joint snaffles. Some double-joint snaffles have a lozenge, a link, or roller. (Use caution when selecting links and rollers as some can pinch the horse’s tongue and cause pain.)

Below are snaffle bits I have used to train my naturally smooth gaited horses.

Full Cheek Mullen Snaffle Bit

A full-cheek snaffle bit is a great choice for young, green horses who are wiggly as they learn, like my three-year-old naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Marvel. This will be our go-to bit for his first year of training.

The full-cheek pieces offer stability to keep the bit from sliding through the horse’s mouth while they learn how to accept and follow contact. A plastic Mullen snaffle bit is great for horses with a sensitive mouth and horses who dislike the taste of metal.

Fulmer Snaffle Bit

The Fulmer snaffle is one of my favorites for training gaited horses using dressage. The rings are independent from the full cheek pieces and allow greater communication with the horse and rider through the various lateral dressage exercises. The Fulmer snaffle is also available with a double joint.

Loose Ring Snaffle Bit

After the horse is established in following contact, many dressage riders change to a loose ring snaffle. There are other ring styles as well, such as the D-ring and egg-butt snaffle bits. Many riders start out with a D-ring or an egg-butt. However, the full-cheek and Fulmer snaffles offer the best protection from the bit sliding through the horse’s mouth.

In all cases with snaffle bits, the reins are attached to the rings.

Baucher Snaffle Bit

The Baucher snaffle bit is available in a variety of mouth pieces: Mullen, single-joint, French link, with a lozenge, and of various metals or plastic. Many people believe that this bit offers poll pressure. However, according to bit expert, Charmae Bell of BitBank Australia, Baucher snaffle bits actually relieve poll pressure. Her BitBank Australia YouTube channel is a terrific resource to learn about bits and bit action.

Snaffle Bit Size

Five-inch snaffle bits are a common width. I have many five-inch snaffle bits, a few five-and-a-half inch snaffles I used with my late 16-2 H Trakehner/Thoroughbred and four-and-a-half-inch snaffles I used with my late 14-1 H Arabian. Select a size large enough not to pinch the corners of the horse’s mouth.

Is a Single-Joint Snaffle Bit Abusive?

Some people believe all single-joint snaffles are abusive, because they have been told single-joint snaffles have a nutcracker effect in the horse’s mouth. I have ridden with a variety of FEI dressage legal snaffle bits since 1988 including single-joint snaffles. In my opinion, any bit can be abusive to the horse when used incorrectly, when not properly fitted, or when the wrong snaffle is selected for the horse’s training.

A single-joint snaffle isn’t for every horse. Horses have preferences and differing mouth conformations and sensitivities where a double joint or Mullen may be more suitable or comfortable. As horses progress in their training, bits are often changed. Some horses have been mishandled and have become defensive. These horses will need a gentle snaffle bit along with an empathetic handler who has patience and educated hands to overcome bit avoidance.

Any bit can be harsh to the horse when used incorrectly or when not properly fitted.

It is important to point out HOW a rider uses a bit, whether single joint, double joint, Mullen, or curb (shank). Many gaited horse riders are taught to hold their hands out to each side in a low, fixed position with contact. Some riders pull back on the reins with both hands. These actions put pressure on the horse’s tongue and cause pain. Pain leads to bit avoidance. Bit avoidance leads to anxiety, tension, pacing, running away, head tossing, getting behind the bit, putting the tongue over the bit, gapping the mouth, and more. This is the opposite of relaxation.

A better way to ride with a snaffle bit is with a light following contact, the elbows at the rider’s sides and the arms bending at the elbows, signaling with the rider’s palms facing up and an upward action. Cueing with an upward action communicates with the corners of the horse’s lips which is a softer and gentler way to communicate. Pulling back on the reins with low hands presses the bit into the tongue which causes discomfort. Bit acceptance occurs when a horse develops a positive and comfortable experience with the bit. Developing bit acceptance takes time, consistent training, awareness of the horse’s body language and our application of our rein aids. Bit acceptance takes patience, especially with a horse that has learned to be defensive. Bit acceptance leads to mental and physical relaxation. That’s what we want in dressage, and that’s what we need for smooth gaits.

Which Snaffle Bit Do You Pick and Why?

Select a comfortable bit that encourages acceptance and relaxation versus pain, anxiety and tension which lead to bit avoidance.

I am blessed to have another opportunity to start a young, gaited horse, thanks to my friend Mary. Marvel is an unstarted, three-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse / Spotted Saddle Horse. He is a clean slate, so starting him with a comfortable bit and teaching him bit acceptance will go a long way.

I have also restarted many horses who have had a negative experience with the bit. It takes time to develop trust with a horse, even more time with a bit resistant horse.

Maybe you can relate:

Have you ever ridden a tense, anxious, and stiff gaited horse who runs off the minute you take up contact with the reins or curls their nose behind the vertical to avoid contact? Can you recall whether the gaits were smooth or rough? Did you experience pace, step pace, a lateral canter or hard trot?

For me, I notice whenever a gaited horse is tense, anxious, and stiff undesirable rough and jarring gaits soon follow. On the flip side, relaxation produces the quality smooth gaits I desire, and that’s what dressage for the gaited horse is all about.

After having a vet inspect the teeth for a float, the next step begins by selecting a well-fitting and gentle snaffle bit.

For Marvel, I am using a plastic Mullen full-cheek snaffle bit. The full-cheek pieces keep the bit from sliding through his mouth while he learns. The plastic Mullen bit is gentle for his sensitive mouth as he learns how to accept and follow contact through stretching exercises. Young horses are wiggly as they learn, and this bit offers stability as I gently guide him through our first year of training until we are well started under saddle.

How to Introduce a Gaited Horse to a Snaffle Bit

Teaching the gaited horse to relax the mouth, lower jaw, and poll can relax the body to perform smooth gaits.

The best way to introduce the gaited horse to the snaffle bit is from the ground by working in hand. This strips away the complexities of the rider’s leg, weight and seat aids so the gaited horse learns how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact.

After the horse learns how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact with work in hand from the ground then the same exercises can be taught from saddle at a halt. Then the horse is moved into a slow walk and a slow gait over time. Each progression of tempo adds more complexity. This is why beginning with work in hand from the ground is the simplest way to start teaching the horse how to accept and follow a snaffle bit contact. Any time the horse gets tense, the rider backs down to a halt to re-establish relaxation and begin again. As the horse and riding advance in training, relaxation can be applied in motion.

Benefits of Introducing a Snaffle Bit to the Horse from the Ground with Work in Hand

• Educates the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth:
  • Educates the rider to teach the gaited horse how to seek and follow a light, steady, even contact with the snaffle bit
  • Teaches the horse to taste the snaffle bit and swallow which aids in relaxation of the mouth, lower jaw, and poll
  • Brings awareness to the rider about the importance of helping the horse relax the mouth, lower jaw, and poll
• Teaches the rider how to help the horse find balance and not lean on the rider’s hands to develop lightness to the hand:
  • A light contact is the goal; The rider doesn’t pull on the bit and the horse doesn’t lean on the bit
  • Any time the horse leans on the bit, the rider immediately applies a demi arret (quick motions upward of the bit towards the ears of the horse and releases); Upward motion to apply contact to the corners of the mouth; When the horse stops leaning and carries its own head and neck, the rider stops the demi arret
  • When the horse learns to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the rider’s hands, the horse learns to shift its balance from the forehand towards the hindquarters and raise its whither by engaging the chest and shoulder muscles

• Stretching exercises teach the horse how to follow the snaffle:
  • The rider learns to hold a light and even contact with both reins and teaches the horse to follow an even, steady contact
  • The rider guides the horse in stretching exercises upward, outwards and to each side at a 45- to 90-degree. This allows the horse to stretch the outside neck muscles while remaining balanced; and teaching the horse to follow the contact to extend its head and neck down and out to stretch the top line muscles and spine. (Ideally the poll (space between he horse’s ears) should be no lower than the height of the whither, so the horse remains in balance)

When the gaited horse understands how to follow contact, the rider can direct the horse into relaxation of the mouth, jaw, and poll. This relaxation is essential in dressage to direct the gaited horse into positions of stretching, flexing the neck and poll, and rebalancing.

After the horse learns these exercises in hand at a halt, the rider can begin to direct the horse in hand at a slow walk. When flexing the head and neck at a 45 to 90-degree angle, the horse’s body remains straight. This exercise is called flechi droit. It teaches the horse lightness, balance, and straightness in the shoulders and prepares the horse for a balanced small circle. This also stretches the outside neck muscles. During these exercises, it is important to slow down and allow the horse to take smaller relaxed steps.

After the horse walks straight while bending in the neck, then directed the horse into a neck extension on a small 8-10 meter circle (volte). This in hand exercise helps the horse learn balance, lightness, and straightness as it follows an even, light, steady snaffle bit contact.

Work-in-hand is teaching me how to direct my gaited horse to find balance and accept a light, bit contact. This groundwork will make it easier to train my gaited horse from the saddle. 

Marvel loves his Mullen snaffle bit. Maintaining this enthusiasm will be important going forward until the day we begin saddle training.

Demonstration Videos

Introducing a Gaited Horse to the Bit, Part 1

Introducing a Gaited Horse to the Bit, Part 2

Benefits of Teaching a Gaited Horse to Follow a Snaffle Bit

I learned these Educating the Mouth exercises in 2014 and began applying them with my gaited horses Makana and Lady, and now Marvel.

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