Designed by champion futurity trainer Chris Martin to help a horse stand up and travel balanced on its own without lifting from the rider, the CM 44 bit is trainer Molly Otto’s go-to for daily riding and tuning.
Using the Bit
“I have run a few horses in it, but I mostly just ride around in it. I’ll work them on the barrels and do fast work, but I mostly do slow work with it. It’s not very much bit at all—horses can kind of run off with you a little if you’re going fast. It’s crazy the feel it has and how they soften up and give quickly. Especially if I have one that’s heavy and you put them in this, once they feel the release they give so much nicer.”
Mouthpiece: Two-Piece Twisted
“I actually have three of them—the twisted, the smooth and a three-piece twisted with a dog bone. A lot of times I’ll ride my younger horses in the three-piece when I’m just starting, because it lays in their mouth a little nicer. On my finished horses I’ll put the twisted or the smooth two-piece.”
Shank: Medium Shank and Short Purchase, Some Gag
“It’s designed to give an instant release of pressure, and I really like tuning and riding my horses in this daily. It keeps them super soft; it has a real good feel.”
Curb: Loose Chain
“On this bit, [the curb] is designed to hang really loose. I never adjust it, and I leave this bit a little looser in their mouth. I don’t have two wrinkles—it just sits there, with maybe one wrinkle.”
This article was originally published in the July 2019 issue of Barrel Horse News.
would like to know where I could buy a Molly Otto bit ? Having know luck finding a site