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Hi lovely,

I thought writing this week’s email was going to be easy when Kelly said… 

“I already know what you should write about.”

Perfect! I won’t need to make my brain work this week.

But then she said: “Bitting”

Ah, I thought, easy enough. I’m a vet physio. I’ve done various CPD events. I know a little about bitting. 

Oh… how wrong I was. What a complex topic!

The reason Kelly wanted me to dive into bitting, of course, is because we’ve got Dr James Cooling back with another one of his mind-blowing webinars.

And actually… this one is very much up my street:

“Getting to know your horse’s head — how anatomy shapes movement and behaviour.”

For those of you who haven’t come across James before: 

James is an IH Trainer, bit and bridle fitting specialist, and co-founder of the Association of Professional Bit & Bridle Fitters (APBBF) and GP.

What I really like about his approach is that it’s not about selling a particular bit or setup It’s about understanding the individual horse in front of you.

Because once you start looking at the anatomy of the horse’s head, you quickly realise there is no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to bit and bridle fitting. 

I feel I may have slightly failed my brief here… because I’m still no bitting expert myself (and I think James and the team over at APBBF would agree this is very much a lifetime study).

But I did at least have the pleasure of rewatching James’ webinar on bit fitting as part of this process…

And I thought well, I might as well share a few highlights, as always, so we can all be a little bit more knowledgeable about bitting.

A few things that really made me stop and think:

  1. “There’s no such thing as a kind bit… only a bit that suits that horse.” Because it’s very easy to label bits as “good” or “bad”… when actually, it’s about fit, anatomy, and how it’s being used.
  2. The “two wrinkle rule”… isn’t really about comfort. It actually comes from military days, more about keeping the bridle on than ensuring the horse is comfortable. Which means for some horses, depending on their mouth shape and tooth position, the bit could end up sitting too high… or even on the teeth! 
  3. The tongue is doing far more than we think… Through the hyoid apparatus, the tongue connects into structures that influence the whole body. So pressure in the mouth doesn’t just stay in the mouth… It can affect movement, balance, and how the horse uses itself. 

And this is really the thread running through all of it…

It brings us straight back to something we talk about a lot at IH: Behaviour is communication.

If something doesn’t feel quite right, it’s worth asking why… before assuming the horse is being difficult.

So what will this next webinar give you?

This one moves beyond just bitting, and looks at the whole picture:

  • How the anatomy of the horse’s head affects movement and behaviour
  • How bridles, nosebands and pressure points come into play
  • What to look for in your own horse
  • And where small changes can make a meaningful difference

Not a Member, book your place here.

(Free for IH Members, as always)

And before I go… Member Prize Updates…

A quick congratulations to our April MeadowMania prize winner 🎉

£100 e-voucher goes to: Sally Hancock

And for May…

🎁 Win a Saddle Care Essentials Package from SMART Saddles!

Don’t forget to sign up here…

Good luck!

All the best,

Abi Pass MSc Vet Phys & The Intelligent Horsemanship Team

PS. if you have a friend who might find these emails interesting, do pass this on or get them to subscribe at www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk and get the free groundwork exercises!

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Lethornes RG17 8QP Lambourn GB