Bit Pressure in Young HorsesBy Kentucky Equine Research Staff · January 18, 2011
Putting a bit in a young horse's mouth is just a routine part of training, and after mouthing the metal for a while, most horses accept the bit and move on. Further training in many disciplines involves establishing contact with the horse's mouth, and some disciplines require strong pressure on the reins and bit.
A study led by a Danish scientist showed that horses may resent and try to avoid bit pressure rather than simply getting used to the pressure and learning to tolerate it. Fifteen 2-year-old horses that had never been exposed to bits were fitted with a bit and side reins, and then were offered hand-held buckets of oats and molasses to see how far they would extend their necks for the feed, voluntarily increasing bit pressure. The horses accepted an average of 10 Newtons of pressure the first day, but only up to 6 Newtons on subsequent days. The horses showed mouth gaping, backing away, and lifting and tilting of the head as responses to strong pressure. The study concluded that horses find strong rein tension unpleasant.
Other studied have indicated that older, more experienced horses can tolerate much more rein pressure—up to 40 Newtons—without showing resistant behavior. It was suggested that these horses may have become less sensitive to pressure or have been punished for resisting pressure. The conclusion was that trainers should be willing to adjust their training techniques if horses become resistant and stressed, and more highly trained horses should require less, not more, bit pressure to perform well.
