>>> If your plan for your horse is never to do any kind of riding where a >>> bit is required, then it's a personal choice.... I sort of think we owe >>> it to our horses to give them a good basic education so that if, God >>> forbid, circumstances change and a horse we expected to keep for her >>> entire life suddenly finds herself with a new owner, she has received >>> the fundamentals of training that most buyers would expect.
That's so true. If I knew without doubt which of these young horses we'll forever, assuming our health continues and we can keep many for their entire lives, I would be in no rush to use a bit with any of them. But, knowing how standard bit use is, and knowing I'll eventually have to sell a few of them, I feel obligated to start them in bits fairly soon in their training, so I know that they will be introduced kindly. I try to ride the horses alternating with and without bits as their training progresses, but I was also happy to hear that Anna hopes to ride Falki in a sidepull, at least eventually. He's a good boy though, and with an easy-going, gently-started, sensible horse, I don't really think it matters a lot if the horse is ridden in a mild bit or without one, assuming no health reasons to avoid a bit. It's the soft hands, the trust and the relationship that are important, more than any particular tools. Karen Thomas, NC
