most western riders are using the full cheek snaffle, like the one Lyons has
encouraged more use of.
Not much shank, leverage bits being used in western riding. Only a few
people I know use them, and for only specific purposes, and a few still use
the wire hackamore for speed events when they can't get the horses head
down. It is very fine wire and feels painful, but they only do it for there
short event, seconds in time and take it off for other times when they use
there horse. You will see more of the specialty bits in cutting and reining
horses. Again, only in the use of special training and with experienced and
knowledgeable people, I just put a curb bit into my Iclelandics mouth once
and road him around my farm and he hated it and kept lifting his head very
high anytime I turned him or pulled back on the reins, didn't use it
again.Jeannette
