Is it possible that a horse can know what he's doing from the bit he has? Like, let's just say if he's in a egg-butt without rollers he knows he's jumping that day, if he rides in a d-ring with rollers he knows he's working on collection, and in he rides in a loose-ring he knows he's running barrels.
Just kind of curious. If it's possible, maybe one day Tango can have a different bit for all the little things we do so he knows what he's supposed to be doing.
I think horses are smart enough to pick up differences visually; -)
So even though all the bits might essentially do the same job, they all look different. I also think they sit slightly differently in the mouth and even have a different feel or weight to them. Especially if they are different brands.
I have heaps of different snaffles, thick ones, thin ones, hollow ones, loose ring for dressage for better movement and feel, egg but ... on and on and on I can go. But the reason I have all these different bits is because they do actually serve a different purpose in my mind.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Personally I actually don't like loose rings because I have had them pinch certain horses, yet I have had a couple that will only work well in one.
So you have that aspect, but I think a lot of it is visual as well. I know with my old mare that if I pulled out her polocrosse bridle she knew the days business. If I pulled out her AUSTRALIAN tom thumb snaffle (NOT the American one! Just for people who don't know there is a different one LOL) stock bridle then she knew we were going chasing cows. If I pulled out her plain old eggbut snaffle bridle she knew there just had to be some jumping in there somewhere and would be on the toe before I even got on her .. ;-)
Was it the different bridle or was it the bit? I don't know. But she also knew the different saddles as well. As a matter of interest about 5 years before she died we actually did test this theory over a few weeks. I swapped between bringing out saddles first, then another time brought out saddle pads first and another time bridles first.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Not as much reaction to the saddle pads, but a definite reaction to the bridles and saddles. She was peppy le pew at the sight of a jumping saddle.
My girls ponies all know their headstalls. The look of delight when you walk out and don't have theirs in your hand (LOL) and the way they will take heaps of extra mouth fulls of grass, trying to stuff more in when they see you coming with theirs.
I had a horse a while ago who would always run when he saw his lead (they all had the same headstalls - no kids wanting pink and purple then LOL) and when I did not have his lead with me he happily stood at the gate and received a scratch. It mucked him up when I started tying it around my waist and he could not see anything in my hands.
However I would not say that he needs different bits to know what your doing. As demonstrated by my mare she knew also by the saddle. Jumping opposed to barrel racing would be a different saddle.
You would also like him to work on collection in any bit or bridle he might be working in, along with responsiveness etc.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Ahh thanks for bringing up some nice memories of my girl. She had heaps of character ;-)
My mare knows what the different bits mean. Her bitless is for trails, her french link is for dressage and jumping (arena work) and her rope hackamore is for horsemanship. She goes automatically to the right part of the ranch when I put the different bridles on and get on.
However, don't change bits to give your horse a cue, use bits that are good for what you are doing. I use the bitless for gentle control and so she can eat on the trails, I use the bit for a bit more connection and subtlety, and I use the rope hackamore to give her ultimate freedom when doing horsemanship. It is just coincidence that they correspond to different areas of the ranch, and that she learned the differences.
Yeah I think he would figure it. Probably not figure out that when ride in a d-ring with rollers that you would be working solely on collection, but that you would be doing flat work with him on the bit and all rounded. A lot of stallions figure out that when you put one halter on he's just being led somewhere, when you put another on they are being teasing, and another they are breeding. So im sure Tango would eventually figure it out. Not a bad idea actually.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
EDIT-Just thought I would add that all three of my horses know which halter is theirs. They all have different colored ones (hot pink, turquoise, hunter green) and they know whos is whos. Its cute.:) My Thoroughbred also knows if shes going to be ridden or not because if I cross tie her she is. If shes not cross tied i cant tighten her girth without getting my face bit off:)
Very possible! My showjumper goes nuts when you put an american gag on him - he knows he's going hunter trialing or hunting and he starts gettin all excited.
