Bits and Behaviour

29/10/2026

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The Bit-Fitter Who Doesn't Like Bits
Are you concerned about bits, or wish to use them better?

A new podcast dropped yesterday where I interview Laura McKinlay, a professional bit fitter whom has a background in Veterinary Medicine Studies, Dressage, Eventing and Showjumping.

I met Laura at the UK Clinic I delivered this summer (pictured). During the Q&A she spoke up and asked me a series of very deliberate questions about bits.

I work primarily bitless. I work so often bitless that I just call it "Riding". Bitless, for me, is normal and the base line for all training. If I use a bit I call it Bitted riding.

I do not feel the need to describe the absence of a bit in my work as unusual, abnormal or exceptional.

My background, involved studies at an academy in Poland that was bitless. We had a fleet of school horses that worked with beginners bitless. Even bridleless. I studied bridleless riding and helped rehab multiple ex-show horses from heavy work on bits to working with only a neck rope.

So, why do I still use bits?

Well, in this podcast I describe why. And describe how my use of bits has changed now.

I have a complex relationship to a compliment but the nicest compliment I have gotten all year is when Laura mentioned on the podcast that she has never seen bits used in a manner where the horse wasn't uncomfortable at some level... except for my clinic. Meaning, she was looking carefully, and not once saw a horse uncomfortable or in pain with the way we used the bit at the clinic. Even if she noticed the bit wasn't fitting properly, we used it in a way that the horse wasn't made uncomfortable with it or in pain by it.

I think that is a low bar, but I am glad, in Laura's eye, that I cleared that standard.

Laura is someone who is deeply critical of bits, even anti-bit. And so, chose to work professionally with bits.

How do you know you're qualified to fit a bit? When you do not like their mainstream use and application.

I wish more people that were critics of something, chose to engage with and teach something, within reason. Draw your line in the sand, but then consider facing the problem head on.

Thank you Laura!

27/10/2026

I'm very excited to announce my guest appearance on Emotional Horsemanship by Lockie Phillips podcast Horse, First!

I've been following Lockie for a few years now, ever since he appeared on the Warwick Schiller podcast, and earlier this year I attended his first UK clinic. I knew then that I'd found my tribe.

During the clinic we talked about bits, the fact that I'm a bit fitter, and that I choose to ride my own horse bitless. This was apparently intriguing enough that at the end of the clinic he invited me to talk in his podcast.

If you're interested in what I do, why, and how, then this is for you.

It was incredible to talk with Lockie on the topic of bits, bitless, and ways in which the horse world needs to change the way it thinks about these subjects.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making it 😊

HORSE, FIRST - with Lockie Phillips · Episode

06/10/2026

Before I became a bit fitter I had worked with horses for over 20 years, in various disciplines from dressage and eventing to polo and racing. I had also read a lot of books and articles about bits, how to fit them and the theory behind how they worked. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the subject! But I learned more about bits in the first year of doing this as a job than I had in the previous 20.

I learned because I listened to what the horses were telling me. And they told me a different story to what had been written in the books I'd read. Horses can't talk but they do tell us how they feel in numerous subtle ways.

So if what I do doesn't agree with what you've read then it's because the horses told me the books were wrong, and I chose to listen to them instead.

09/09/2026

If kind handling made dangerous horses then I'd be continuously getting injured, surely? Instead I find horses offer kindness in return.

"Violence breeds violence".

09/09/2026

A reminder that the first part of my two part article "Listening to the Nervous System" is in this months issue of Happy Trackin' Magazine!

06/09/2026

Tension in the tongue or jaw can be caused by an unsuitable bit, which in turn creates a chain of tension throughout the body, particularly in the neck and shoulders, mediated via the fascia.

This can lead to compensatory movement patterns putting stress on muscles and ligaments in ways that can lead to serious disfunction over the long term.

The importance of a comfortable bit goes far beyond the mouth.

Did you know.....The Tongue 👅 is the most sensitive part of your horse's mouth and the most prone to injury.

This very large muscle extends from its tip, which you can see, to the hyoid apparatus and its attachment to the ramus of the mandible at the back.

The tongue is vital for swallowing and influencing the hyoid apparatus

Like any other muscle, restriction or tension within it can induce a muscular chain reaction.

The sensitivity of the tongue is a crucial consideration when fitting a bit. An ill-fitting or harsh bit or excessive pressure on the bit from your hands can cause pain and discomfort. In some cases it can result in tension throughout the body and poor performance.

Like and follow our page for lots more tips, exercises and advice on equine anatomy and biomechanics.

01/09/2026

As someone who has fitted bits professionally for around 7 years now, but has also chosen to ride my own horse bitless for the past 6 years, this is a subject that has more nuance than most people realise.

It's more than just "the hands at the end of the reins are more important than the bit", but the brain that is attached to those hands, and how it thinks about whatever tool they choose to use, has a huge influence on the horse's experience of that tool.

Talking to Lockie at his clinic earlier in the summer changed the way I think about riding, whether in a bit or bitless.

20/08/2026

19/08/2026

The first of my two part article, Listening to the Nervous System, will be published in September's issue of Happy Trackin' Magazine! Available now for pre-order 😊

What happens when we stop looking at a horse's behaviour as something we need to fix, and instead start asking what the horse is actually experiencing?

In Part 1, I talk about how understanding the nervous system can change the way we interpret our horses' behaviour; from seemingly simple moments of uncertainty, to the way stress can build through trigger stacking and eventually push a horse over threshold.

Most importantly, we look at why sometimes the most helpful thing we can do isn't to ask the horse to try harder or move on, but simply to wait and give their nervous system time to process what they're experiencing.

This is something that fundamentally changed the way I work with horses, and I hope it gives you a different perspective on some of the behaviours you see in your own horse.

Issue 11 is available for pre-order!

If you have subscribed for prints, you do not need to pre-order ☺️

www.happytrackinmagazine.com

05/08/2026

💥I'm coming to the PE11 area on the 14th of August, if you're looking for a bit fitting or behavioural consultation please do get in touch and get 50% off travel fees! 💥