Bits, bits, bits

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Bits, bits, bits

Above are a few pictures of me riding Alleyway from a few weeks ago! No using my pictures for anything without my permission, thank you.

Which bit should I try first?

I have Alley in a Little S hackamore. She does good in it, but I'm not getting the exact results that I want/looking for. I'm thinking I'll use the Little S for the house while exercising her and something else for barrel work. I need something with a little more lift and a tad more whoa than the Little S.

These are the bits that I have:

Martha Josey Start to Finish, with chain mouth piece, it has a rope nose. (looks very similar to a Hodges Futurity bit)

Jr. Cow Horse, smooth snaffle mouth piece

Jr. Cow Horse, twisted wire with dog bone mouth piece.

Sweet Six rope nose combo with twisted wire and dog bone mouth piece.

Sherry Cervi Short Shank Diamond Lifter with twisted wire and dog bone mouth piece

Martha Josey Million Dollar bit (short shank rope nose combo with twisted wire and dog bone mouth piece)

O-ring, smooth snaffle mouth piece

D-ring, smooth snaffle mouth piece

Full Check snaffle - smooth snaffle mouth piece

Short Shank Lifter with twisted wire mouth piece

I have a draw bit too, off hand I can't remember if its a smooth snaffle mouth piece or twisted wire.

Short shank and long shank Mechinal hackamore. Have rope noses.

Long Shank rope nose combo with twisted wire and dog bone mouth piece.

Lynn McKenzie rawhide rope nose combo with twisted wire mouth piece, I think its long shank.

Fast Stop

"Breaking" hackamore

Side pull, can't remember if its with a smooth snaffle bit or if its without a bit or if I have both, lol.

and finally:

O-ring rope nose combo with twisted wire and dog bone mouth piece.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm stuck on the dog bone mouth pieces ROFL. Hannah knows!

I've also thought about a Hodges Futurity bit ( can't decide on either chain mouth piece, twisted wire, or twisted wire and dog bone mouth piece) and a Tender Touch with lifesaver mouth piece and a Touch Plus (not sure what mouth piece) I don't have either one of these bits, but they will be my next bits to buy, lol.

Anyway, of course that opens a whole new can of worms. Alley is retarded! Grrr. She thinks her tongue is supposed to go OVER the bit instead of under. I've tried just turning her out in roundpen with a o-ring and had it tight to where there were lots of wrinkles in her lip thinking that the higher it was in her mouth she wouldn't be able to get her tongue over it and would do that for a while until she got used to carrying the bit right then loosen it where it should go and start back to riding her. That didn't work, she still got tongue over bit. She seriously thinks her tongue is supposed to go over the bit. When you put a bit in her mouth she even picks her tongue up so that the bit will go under it. Thats one of the reasons I use a Little S on her, nothing to go in the mouth. I guess I'll put a o-ring on her and then tie it up to where the bit is up against the roof of her mouth with hay string and let her pack it like that and see if she will get used to it, I saw it in a training book once. Obviously you don't ride them while the bit is tied up in the mouth like that. Any other ideas?

And I can't ride again anyways until my back is healed up.