Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

sarah
Lv 6
sarah asked in PetsHorses · 1 decade ago

What bit to use a WP horse for penning?

I recently purchased an appendix mare who is very well trained in WP. I purchased her to retrain her to retrain her to event, but also to introduce myself to a more all-around type horse. To lighten the training, I take my horses cattle sorting on occasion. My concern is that my knowledge of WP is minimal to say the least, and I've always used snaffles to train and sort in. dg

I'm struggling right now to find her a bit we can agree on - the french link I usually use is not the winner, but considering we'll be spending the rest of the winter just playing around, I'm not really concerned about that yet. What I'd like to do is put her in something that I can sort in, but may be more "westerny" than the snaffle I usually use... I rode her in something with a shank when I bought her, and I'm thinking for this, I'd like to put her back in one. Any ideas on something that she might be accustomed to that would be acceptable to sort in?

3 Answers

Relevance
  • gallop
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    If she was ridden in a ported curb for WP, just a nice little bit like this one might suit her for sorting.

    http://partrade.net/Metalab-Black-Satin-Big-Diamon...

    It has a very nice wide low port to allow for lots of tongue room, and the grazing shanks soften the leverage. it is also a sweet iron mouth, which horses typically love and it helps to promote salivation.

    Source(s): 57 years with horses and lifetime study of bits and leverage
  • 1 decade ago

    If you are just going to be playing around, why don't you dispense with the bit entirely, and go with a bitless bridle or a hack? I use a "beetle" hackamore with my WP horse when we go trail riding, and I think a "Little S" is a good hack also. I want him to relax completely, so I go all the way...no bit.

  • 1 decade ago

    A junior cowhorse bit would be a great bit to start transitioning down to a snaffle.

    http://www.smithbrothers.com/reinsman-junior-cowho...

    You can find them cheaper thus was just the easiest to navigate on my phone.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.