LARRY BAILEY HORSE WORLD

Thoughts for the Day

There has been a lot of debate on the topic of "bitless" versus "bit". Since this can be a lengthy discussion I will pose a brief thought.

In order for a horse to swallow, the horse must be able to move and retract his tongue. Researchers have questioned whether the presence of a bit interferes with tongue movements and prevents swallowing.  In the McPhail study done at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, an endoscope was used to record the movements of the larynx as the horses cantered on a treadmill while flexed at the poll (Note, that at Michigan State College of Veterinary Medicine, they are equipped with a radiographic suite which enables them to use a technique called fluoroscopy, which allows xrays to be recorded on videotape.This is an excellent tool for observing what happens inside the horse's mouth, where movements of the bit and tongue are usually invisible.)

Analysis of the videotapes showed that there was a lot of variation among the twelve horses studied in terms of how frequently they swallowed. The frequency of swallowing by each individual horse however, was the same while wearing a bit (jointed or Myler snaffle) , as while wearing just a halter or a bitless bridle. Therefore, they concluded that the presence of a bit does not interfere with a horse's ability to swallow.

With that said let me give you some thoughts to think about. In the US and around the world there are millions of athletes who are required to wear a mouthguard while playing a sport. Here in the US many childrens',  high school and college athletes are required to wear them by law. There are three basic types of mouthguards, the stock type , which can be purchased at local stores or pharmacies, the boil type which you warm up then put in your mouth and because it softens when warm it will conform more closely with the shape of the athletes mouth and therefore be a better and more comfortable fit than the stock type. Then the third type is a custom made mouthguard that is made by a dentist for a custom fit of the individual's mouth. This type is considered the most comfortable type.  Many studies have been done on the effect of these guards on the athletes performance based on ventilation and exchange of air and respiration while wearing a mouthguard. The conclusion of most studies is that a mouthguard that is well fit does not effect the performance of the athlete and in some cases improves it because of the psychological aspects of knowing their mouth is protected so they do not fear an impact etc.

And that brings me back to the horse..... Many bitless bridle proponents say that by using a bitless bridle you can solve many behavioral problems that are linked to the bit, sometimes they say even a 100 or more problems , from physical to psychological. That may be true, in fact I can see how there could be many problems that could develope with a poor fitting bit and a rider with uneducated hands. Lets just take a moment and consider this scenario..... Little Billy decides he wants to play Pee Wee soccer, his mother is all excited and goes to the coach and asks what she will need to buy him for equipment. The coach mentions the usual things, sneakers, uniform etc and a mouthguard (since the highest number of  mouth injuries in US athletics occur in soccer). She asks the cost and where she can purchase one as well as what kinds are available. He explains the 3 types to her and she is off to buy the equipment for her son Billy. She goes to the drugstore and buys a stock type mouthguard figuring that Billy is just starting out and she didn't want to spend a lot of money on a mouthguard in case he didn't like soccer. Billy was so excited to go to practice that first week , he was happy ,full of energy and it was all he talked about. But suddenly the following week he seemed to have lost his enthusiasm, and by the end of the week complained to his mother he didn't want to go. His mother couldn't figure out what had caused this big change in his attitude, his want to play soccer and his happy face he had when he first started.  When she asked him what was wrong he said he just didn't like it anymore. But whenever his friends came by with their soccer ball he was ready and happy to go. Finally she sat Billly down and asked him a number of questions about his practices with the Pee Wee soccer team. After asking many questions she finally got to the core of Billy's problem...you guess it, ..it was the mouthguard,. He told her that it didn't feel right in his mouth and he felt like he couldn't talk very well with it or breath either. It also was rubbing on the inside of his cheek, and when she looked he had alittle sore there. Luckily for Billy he was able to communicate to his mother what was bothering him, not only that it was the mouthguard but also how it didn't fit him properly and how that made him feel. (psychologically) Well naturally Billy's mom took him to the dentist where he fit him for a custom mouthguard. Two weeks later Billy was back on the field with his PeeWee soccer team with his custom mouthguard and all the enthusiasm to play that he originally started with.

So , yes I can see how behavioral, psychological and physical problems can occur when a bit doesn't fit right or isn't used properly . Unfortunately for the horse, he can't tell his owner ,  like Billy told his mom exactly what was wrong. So instead of the problem being cleared up in a short time as it was for Billy , the horse may have a long road of problems before someone realizes what the problem is... the bit. For anyone who has had braces ( I did 36yrs ago. for 3 yrs) , they know that at first they feel very funny , awkward and down right uncomfortable but within a very short time you get so use to them you don't even know they're there. And on top of that many kids have to wear a nightguard with them or retainer etc. But if they fit right you don't even notice them. This should be how a bit should be. A well fitted bit for a horse should leave the horse relaxed and comfortable to do their work. Couple with that a rider who takes the responsibility to educate their feel for the use of reins and bit and you have a content horse and rider. Taking the bit away may help the situation ( remember Billy was happy to play soccer with his friends without the mouthguard) but it doesn't solve the problem, because the truth of the matter is that most horses will be required to wear a bit their whole life. Why not spend time and energy into getting expertise, and taking the time to find the right fitting bit  and educating yourself in the use of it .  In all reality lets not kid ourselves into thinking that a bitless bridle does not use some discomfort to entice, persuade, conjole, suggest to the horse which way to turn or stop. Its simply a matter of using different words than, pressure, pain, uncomfortable etc. If we could ask the horse like Billy's mom asked him ... wouldn't it be interesting to hear their answer!

One final note... I recently had the opportunity to ride an elephant at a small circus . I actually rode her twice, once indoors and the other outside. The second ride outside in the field , I rode "Lisa" (that was her name) with my friend Anna and a little boy of about the age of 4yrs. The three of us were the first in line to ride Lisa outside. We climbed on this enormous creature , with her gentle aura and rolling stride in the middle of a field with no fences, no harness, no bit , no leadrope, nothing except the man on the ground beside us using only his finger and his voice to direct Lisa which way he wanted her to go. That is the only time I have seen an animal encouraged to go in a direction with absolutely no device to "persuade" her except her training, temperment and spirit.!

LISA!!!