We’ve been training several young horses this summer. It is always interesting to watch them progress. Every horse has its own personality and character. Django, the horse we bought from Shad Mayfield unties himself unless you tie his lead rope in several knots. He’s gotten loose at rodeos and went around and untied other horses, it’s like he wanted to have a jailbreak with all of his buddies.
Our stud horse has a lazy disposition, he’s content to do everything at a walk. He pins his ears when you ask him to lope or try to get him to side pass or backup in a circle. The Pitzer filly is the opposite of JJ. She has a lot of “go.” She’s easy to kick into a lope and she likes to side pass or back in a circle.
The new calf roping horse we call Stingray has a lot of energy. He kind of reminds me of one of those really hyper dogs that wants to fetch a ball or stick, bouncing up and down until you throw it for them. Stingray wants to go fast all the time. We spend a good deal of time making him go slow, and he hates it.
I usually move a young horse from a snaffle bit to a low ported solid mouthpiece bit when they are about three or four years old. I use a snaffle until we start chasing calves around the arena. At this point I want a little more bit in their mouth to stop them with.
However- this year I’ve learned a new trick when it comes to training young horses. Don Smith pointed out there are several types of bits with a chain mouthpiece. Dog bones, sliding gags, wonder bits, mule bits and hackamores. I learned this summer to try several different bits on young horses, small variations can make huge differences in how each horse works. Even removing the curb strap on some of the gag bits makes a big difference. Sometimes, less is more.
Over the last few weeks we’ve went from a spoonbill type bit to a hackamore on Stingray. Normally, I’d never thought to put less bit on a horse that wants to run. Somehow though, Don knew what would work. Stingray has went from a decent practice horse to the main rodeo horse in two weeks, all because of changing his bridle and tie down. Now I know, sometimes less is more when it comes to bridles and tie downs. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.
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