The Snaffle Bit
- January 29, 2025
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- Anna Foulger
Posted in: Featured, Horse Care, Horse Supplies, Horse Training

Riding young horses can be really challenging sometimes, but thankfully there are some great tools you can use to help. My personal favorite tool when starting and riding young horses is the snaffle bit. When used correctly, a snaffle bit is a great aid for horses as it uses direct pressure to guide your horse and prepare them for a hackamore class, shanked bit or a spade bit. I have found that it is an important step in the line up of bits. Though they can be very useful, they can be equally damaging when used improperly or ill-fitting. Here are some tips to get the most use out of the snaffle bit.
First of all, fit is very important. A snaffle bit has little to no leverage, you have to create the leverage with pressure and your feet. With a bit that has no leverage, it’s better for that snaffle bit (at least in western disciplines) to be a looser fit. For example, you want the bit to sit in their mouth without pulling (no wrinkles) when you pull the bit down, but you don’t want it hanging in their mouths and swinging around. If the bit is too tight your horse will learn to lean on it, because there will be no release. The bit can create little cuts in the corners of their mouths if it gets too tight as well, which is never ideal. Even with a snaffle that is twisted or square and considered a more “severe” tool, you want it to fit the same and not bother the corners of their mouths.
There are different types of snaffle bits as well. A classic bit is the smooth snaffle, this will be your least aggressive snaffle bit, though when used correctly no snaffle bit is too aggressive. The smooth bit is great for starting colts in and working on really getting your horse to use his body correctly without causing any damage to the inside of the mouth. There are different thickness of smooth snaffles as well. Some are more narrow and will have a little more “bite” to them and a fatter one is going to have more surface area and be a softer feel in a horse’s mouth. There are many different versions of square, twisted and chain snaffles as well. These bits are great training tools for horses that are stiffer or really wanting to push on the bit. As long as you have good hands, you will not hurt the soft tissue inside a horse’s mouth. All the different types of snaffles are tools that will help you accomplish another step in your training.
Another great aspect of snaffles is the training tools you can use with a snaffle. Since it is such a gentle bit, you can add tools like the German martingales, draw reins and more! Most of these styles of tools are used to help with the headset of horses for showing. A German martingale is going to help draw that horse’s head lower if he were to pull upwards; this is a great addition to the mildness of a snaffle bit. Gentle correction back into a good position. The martingale can also help when working on lead departure especially with a horse that really wants to get high in the front end. Draw reins have a similar effect as well. Snaffle bits are the bit of choice for these type of tools. All in all, bits of every kind are tools that help accomplish different aspects of training and a snaffle bit is a great place to start.

Posted in: Featured, Horse Care, Horse Supplies, Horse Training
About Anna Foulger
Hey there! My name is Anna Foulger, I am a young mom of soon to be two; a toddler daughter and little boy on the way! Me and my husband ranch in Eastern Montana with his family and we love every minute! My background is in...