anyone know much about bitting youngsters and whats the best age to start?

mine is 3 and ive had him bitted 4 weeks ago.

ive been breaking in a youngster for over 8 weeks now and she is three but rather big. but dont normally start untill they are 4, wont start riding her untill next year but i started lunging her in just a head coller for a least 4 weeks then i added the bit. But i always use the same bit with youngsters because i found it is a rather good one to help with the stearing. I use full cheeck mouthing bit with players when i first start them off. Just a couple of weeks ago i introduced a saddle aswell, but in the stable first, then lunged her in it. Hope this is some help.

Abbie

we bitted frankie at about 18mth but was only because to take him out we had go on a road were no one seems to stick to the speed limit... was a safer option as Lea had more control. was a little rubber bit

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We started both ours at 3 in happy mouth bits. Seven year old still goes in his - a jointed eggbut snaffle. Five year old chewed hers up and is now in a sweet iron bradoon snaffle. Did lots of work, including the start of long reining and double lungeing, in their head collars first. Moved them on to the bits as we progressed through their training. First of all we put bits in but continued to work off the head collar till they were used to the bits. We backed both in their 3rd summer but turned them away in the autumn. The 7 year old got nasty manners(bored) so I ended up double lungeing him all his 3- 4 winter and when we rebacked him in the spring you could virtually hear the brain cogs rotating as the penny dropped! Big believer in ground work, consequently! Re; age of backing if you have any doubt about the strength through the back leave it longer, but do start the ground work if you want to. Get to know your youngster first and their maturity level, like children they are all different and are ready to learn at different times - oh and have fun!.