British Showjumping Banned Bits – What Does This Mean For Horse Sport
British show jumping has banned some bits from immediate affect, and updated their rules this week and it got me thinking. Amendments can be found here: https://www.britishshowjumping.co.uk/membership/Member-Handbooks-And-Rule-Amendments
The new tack rule amendments dropped a few days ago and the forums have been buzzing ever since. Some bits are banned with immediate effect, others from the 1st of April with significant changes around combination bits, adjustable mechanisms and nosebands too.
But I do not really want to talk about the rules I want to talk about what sits underneath them, what it means for all horse sport. Because I think this is a bigger moment than just a list of permitted and non-permitted equipment.
Horse sport is starting to change. It has to. Quickly.
Changes in Horse Sport
The world is watching us in a way it never has before and the questions being asked from outside our community are not unreasonable ones. Are our horses comfortable? Are we listening to them? Are we using equipment to communicate or to override?
This is not an attack on anyone. I have been in this world for 35 years and I know the vast majority of riders love their horses deeply in a doing their absolute best. But I also know, from thousands of consultations across every level and discipline, that we do not always recognise discomfort when we see it. Not because we do not care, but because we have sometimes been taught to ride through things to manage behaviours and to find equipment solutions when a horse becomes difficult.
And bits are often in the middle of that conversation.
A horse that is strong, chompy resistant, sharp or difficult to ride is actually telling us something. That is not attitude, that is communication. The question is whether we are genuinely listening or whether we are looking for something that makes the message easier to manage.
Every Rider is Learning
I will be honest, I scroll through TikTok sometimes and see horses clearly in discomfort. Tension in the jaw, hollows through the back, a mouth working against the bit. And the comments are full of people saying how amazing it looks. I have typed responses and deleted them more times than I can count because some well-meaning comments do not change minds. But it does make me sad. Because most of those riders genuinely do not know. That is a knowledge gap, not a cruelty gap, and a knowledge gap can be filled
We all learn as we go. I’m still learning after 35 years of working with horses. The difference is that we have to be willing to look, to question what we have been taught, and to let our horses tell us whether we have got it right.
Look for the Signs
I’m not here to tell anyone to throw away their tack and ride a head collar, this is not about soft versus strong, it’s about honest assessment. Really looking at your horse and asking what you see in their expression, their mouth, their way of going is comfort or something else.
Because when we get that right everything else tends to follow. The tension reduces, the horse that felt like that hard work starts to feel like partnership again. That is what good bitting is about. Not control, but connection and understanding each other.
Horse sport has an extraordinary future if we face this moment with openness rather than defensiveness. The riders who thrive will be the ones who chose to listen to their horses first.
I think that is worth talking about.
How do you feel about the direction horse sport is heading on welfare? And do you think we are getting better at listening to our horses?
If this is made you think about your own horse, and you think you may be dealing with bitting issues, please get in touch HERE. If you are struggling with bit evasions download our Common Bit Evasions guide, it is full of useful advice, guidance and bit recommendations.
