Bit chompers..was RE: Re:CONTROL AND COURTESY

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>We often bought young horses a bit with keys or "danglies" to play with, or
>a <low> port with a <small> cricket (roller).  It gives them something to
>fool with without moving the bit out of position.  Ultimately, the finished
>horse should be calm and accept the bit without playing with it.  In
>reality, I've seen horses who worked well in a well-fitted bit that played
>with it because they had busy little pea brains.  (And Truman - they do too
>have a brain as big as a pea - where else would that saying have come from!)
>
>I've stood lined up for final judging in many an Arabian Western Class and
>heard all the crickets being worked!
>
Yup...put a bit with a roller in my son's 4H horse many years ago.  Someone
told me that that's what you were supposed to do with those "bit
chompers"...give them something to play with.  My son nearly killed me cuz
the horse could be heard all over this humungous arena!  

Nowadays, if the horse is a chomper and a fiddler, I do my level best to
rid them of that form entertainment before it becomes a hard-to-eradicate
bad habit...(obnoxious game show buzzer noise works great!)  I also have
two fairly green horses here that I've put in Baucher French links which
are a bit more stable in their mouth and they can't flip them around with
their tongue, suck on them, and pull them back into their back teeth
(followed by a loud chomp) -- which seemed to be their game of choice!  

I've had 4 chompers and fiddlers...3 now have very nice, quiet
mouths...(even when standing still and totally bored)...the other is on to
a new owner so I don't know what she's doing now.

Sue

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.


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