Which one do I use!!?

Hey Baylen, neither of the bits are necessary and I think its a pretty harsh call from her to say she wont train you unless you get the bit she wants... As far as bits, this can be a very subjective thing. The main factor is where your horse is at in his training and what he works with best. I recommend using a copper-mouthed bit. The copper in the mouthpiece helps keep your horse’s mouth moist and is extremely helpful when you’re performing at an event like barrel racing. I'll list some common types of bits and you can decide, its best of course to try different bits with your horse, which are best for him and you but money can kinda get in the way ;) Snaffle bits are what are commonly used in barrel racing. Snaffle means that the mouthpiece on the bit has a break in it, a section (or more than one) where there are two or more pieces of the metal hooked together so that the bit is in two or more pieces instead of just one long metal mouthpiece. There are snaffle bits that have shanks and some that don’t. Which type of snaffle you use is dependent on where your horse is in his training. With a ring snaffle (the type with no shank), you get more direct contact with your horse; these are generally better for green broke horses. Your best off not using one with more than one break in the mouthpiece. If you get more breaks in the mouthpiece, or if you use a bit that is not a snaffle, you get more bite on the horse’s tongue and the bars of his mouth and it really not neccessary. If your horse is having a hard time listening to one bit, try one with a shank or without it and if he’s still having problems listening to your hands, he needs more conditioning and work before continuing. You shouldn’t need a fierce, painful bit in order for your horse to listen to your hands... and tiedowns... I myself dont use them and they are not needed if the horse is trained correctly but there are many oppinions. When working with your horse, always keep your hands low and stay calm, and most horses will respond accordingly by usually being calm and keeping his head at a normal level. If you have a green horse that you’re trying to teach to tuck his nose in, for instance for backing up or spinning, maybe use a good martingale for that. But once he gets it, move on and remove the martingale. Tie downs restrict a horse’s natural movement. When a horse digs his feet into the dirt and really hauls himself around a barrel the way he’s supposed to, and when he opens up and runs full-speed, he needs to be able to lift his head a little bit. They take away their natural leverage.