Between a horse’s 10th and 14th ride, Clinton switches him over from a hackamore to a bridle with a snaffle bit. “When you decide to switch your horse from a hackamore over to the bridle really comes down to the individual. If your colt is doing well in the hackamore, it doesn’t hurt to leave him in it for a full two weeks. On the other hand, if you don’t feel like the hackamore is being effective, you may need to switch the colt over earlier,” Clinton explains.
In the training guide, “Introducing the Snaffle Bit,” the horse trainer explains his process for teaching a horse to accept the bit, from teaching a cue to open the mouth to letting the horse get comfortable wearing it.
Read the in-depth article on the Downunder Horsemanship website.