Using A Bit For Your Mule

Steve Edwards: We must have a bitt in order to communicate. I use a double twisted wire snaffle bit simply because I capture the tongue on both sides of the tongue, rather than a single snaffle which captures the tongue in one place. Put your fingers out here. Now, this is the tongue of the mouth. When this is inside of the mule’s mouth, it looks like this. It’s just laying here. When I want to say, “Whoa,” I pick up on both sides of the ring. You can see then the snaffle goes on both sides of the tongue, and then they put the pressure. You can feel the pressure. Then of course, the animal says, “Well, what can I do to be comfortable?” As soon as he stops, I let go and the bitt comes back into place.

Unlike a snaffle bit which is just one single, when it’s a pressure, you feel the difference in the pressure? That’s a lot more pressure there with just one single than it is with a double that goes on both sides. A whole lot more comfortable, even though the bitt looks a lot nastier. It looks a lot more uncomfortable. It’s phenomenally comfortable which you just saw. Now, put your fingers out here, the two fingers. Now, let’s just say I want to go off to the right. This is going to be like the violin bow on the violin. When I want to go to the right, the mule or a horse feels, just keep your tongue in one place, feels that. You feel that?

Man: Okay.

Steve Edwards: It feels and it says, “What can I do to be comfortable?” As soon as his head goes, my hands get quiet. Get the idea? “What can I do to get comfortable?” As soon as his head goes, my hands get quiet. Feel the difference? I want to go a direction. I’m uncomfortable. As soon as you go that direction, my hands get quiet. Feel the difference? It’s very, very important we understand that we must have the proper bitt to do the proper job.