This is a little off topic for ponies...but I figured this was a varied enough group that perhaps I could get a fairly broad spectrum of opinions on this. Anyway, my question. Im not going to say who the horse was, the discipline involved, or the person competing, but Ive got a question for the group... Okay, there was a competitor who was recently required to retire from an international competition because her bit broke in the middle of part of the competition. She was using a soft rubber mullen mouth bit (NO METAL CORE TO THE BIT) on a horse who was going through what amounts to a long format Event (the regular 3 phases PLUS a roads and tracks section of a few miles at a given speed). This is some SERIOUS competition with lots of miles, turns, movements, and requirements, also almost all of it takes place outside of an arena going through fields, water, up and down hills, etc. This person is now warning people away from purchasing the bit at the supplier/manufacturer because the bit broke. My question, was this bit ever intended for such hefty use? I was always taught that SOFT RUBBER BITS with NO METAL CORE were for *training ONLY*, and had no place in the mouth of a performance horse. This is NOT a rubber covered bit with a metal core, nor is this a hard rubber vulcanite bit...its soft rubber, easily chewed through, rubber ONLY through the mouthpeice. Ive used them on babies when theyre first being bitted because theyre softer, less cold, and the wide surface area is great for pressure distribution...but never on a horse who was being ridden, and particularly never on a horse going outside of an arena where they are contained just in case something goes wrong. (I did have a mare for several years who went in a loose-ring-rubber-COVERED-snaffle, and it was great, but there was a steel core to the bit, it would NOT break.) Is this common? To be using the soft bits in place of a regular bit? What is the purpose? Are we not concerned about safety in terms of bits breaking? NOT trying to cause an uproar, and if anyone else knows of who Im talking about, PLEASE dont list the specifics, Im not trying to slander anyone. I am just curious as to a wider audiences opinion on these bits in general and their uses in terms of competition and working horses.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 02:39:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015