A locked O-ring with a medium twist allows EquiStat $4 million rider Troy Crumrine to let a light horse work during a run. On 2020 futurity colt Blazin Boss, Crumrine used a wire tie-down to add some control without over-bitting the stallion.

About the Bit and Wire Tie-Down

“[Blazin Boss] doesn’t really hit the wire tie-down, but it just keeps his attention. Once he hits it one time he knows it’s there, and he won’t jack with it anymore. I think it’s more of a stallion thing—if they know they can get strong with you, they’ll test you. He’s super light and doesn’t take much bit. If you put a shank on him, it makes him more mad than anything. He’s better off if you let him do his own thing. He likes running in that setup so you don’t have to handle him as much.”

Cheekpiece: Locked O-Ring Snaffle

“I think an O-ring lets them be a little freer. The only thing bad about O-rings sometimes with horses is they can get to gapping their mouths, so when they start doing that you’ve got to find something else.”

Mouthpiece: Two-Piece Medium Twisted Wire

“This is a medium twisted wire. For my hands, you can bend one a little easier in an O-ring than you can a shank, but if you spend enough time in a shank and do your homework, I don’t know that there’s a whole lot of difference. It’s really up to the horse and what they like.

Curb: Strap or String as Hobble

Author

Blanche Schaefer is an avid barrel racer and managing editor of Barrel Horse News. Email comments or questions to [email protected]

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