Tools of the trade
A client of mine was over the other day perusing through my tack room, taking a look at all the bits, spurs, and contraptions. Asking about makers and shanks, mouthpieces and curbs, and what some of my favorite tools were. To their surprise, many of my go-to bits had been picked up at random without a fancy price tag or name to go behind it. They asked about the “feel”, how could a cheap bit have any? How could you achieve the same level of broke-ness from a $50 bit as that of a $200 one? Simple, if the rider has feel they will get a horse broke regardless of what is in their mouth. Funnily enough, most trainers or experienced horsemen that I know tend to have the same kind of tack room. While they love those high-dollar bits and may have quite a few in the barn, there is usually at least one no-name found at a garage sale rig that sees slobber more than the rest. Now I’m not saying the cheap Chinese made, mass-manufactured are the way to go; the quality of material and craftsmanship is not going to last and may cause pain to the horse when they begin to wear out but you can have success and get the job done without spending a fortune on a bit.
Another point worth mentioning is that colts like to destroy things. Chew through reins, rub on fences; and watching them destroy your $200 Kerry Kelley snaffle is not any fun, leave that for the $50 unmarked garage sale one. They are babies, they will destroy your equipment, it will need to be replaced- let them earn the right to carry those high-dollar bits.
When it’s all said and done, I’ve watched horses at the NCHA futurity walk to the finals in a $50 bit from Teskeys, barrel horses run at the NFR in mass-produced bits found at the local feed store. In the big scheme of things, it doesn’t matter how much you spend, your equipment alone will not get you into the winner’s circle. If your horse is not broke and you do not have any feel it won’t matter what is in that horse’s mouth or on their head, plain and simple. So be smart, be practical. Pay for quality when you can, don’t sacrifice safety to save a few dollars, and remember you don’t need designer shanks to be a winner.
