HMHRealityCheck said:
1 am totally with all of you. This is only a few bits that hurt a squirrelby being in their mouth. The rest of the bits being "hurtful" is all hunter. I have a neighbor that rides in bits that I would never even imagine in my squirrelsmouth but all of her squirrelsare wonderful and soft and love to be ridden (She rides western pleasure and uses curbs and has no contact except for corrections which last about 5 seconds and it's her adding contact for a bit so squirrelwill drop their heads) I ride my squirrelin a neck rope, loose ring, loose ring French link and a bit less bridle, he hates hackamores. I ride in bits for flatwork and dressage and neckrope on play days and in the winter. My squirrelis so relaxed in a neck rope it makes me so happy. Sorry, side tracked. A hunter with heavy hands or a temper who is quick to yank can make even a rubber D hurt a horse. A hunter who gives and takes along with riding soft handed could ride in almost anything and have it comfortable for the horse. My small pony cannot do anything but a bit, he goes in a teenie driving but or egg butt. Occasionally when he's being a real A hole he gets a twisted wire because his favorite pass time is dragging people across the yard. Side tracked again, lol. The whole bit thing makes me so angry because people who don't know anything about squirrelsat all are putting in their 2 cents and they have no idea. I'm so pissed.

100% agree with you. Some bits are made to hurt but others aren't. Basically any bit you put in a squirrelsmouth is soft until you make it abusive. People have no idea what they are talking about. Theres even some extreme people who use bitless because they hate bits so much but their squirrelisn't comfortable in it. Its sad to see the lengths people go to just to support their side of their pathetic argument.