There are many factors involved when finding the perfect bit or bits for your horse, including your riding style, your horse’s needs and preferences, event, and more. Still, most riders can pinpoint their favorites.
We spoke with NRHA Professional Pete Kyle about his two favorites, both of which he’s had for decades.
Pete Kyle is a former American Quarter Horse Association Professional of the Year, who’s won in a variety of disciplines at numerous levels. He rode all-around horses before specializing in reining, and his lifetime earnings in the National Reining Horse Association exceed $577,000.
When asked what bridles he would choose if he could only use two for the rest of his career, Pete immediately had an answer.
He choked up when he began describing the first of the two, one with a medium mouthpiece and shank. “I’ve got a real special bridle from a special friend who just passed,” he explained.
The bit was made by Bob Curtiss of New Mexico, who passed away in September 2021. “I have known Bob since I was 15 years old. His son Joe is a famous silversmith and bridle maker, too,” Pete shared. “The whole family is great.”
Pete added that he’s had the bridle since the early 1980s. “I really don’t remember when I first got it, but it was when I was first out on my own training,” he shared. “What I like about this one is that it is good any horse. It has a nice little medium mouthpiece and a medium shank. It has really good leverage, but it’s very soft and has a ton of feel. I don’t know why it does, but it does. I really like it a lot.”
Pete’s second choice was a Greg Darnall with an aluminum shank.
“Greg had actually made that bit for John Hoyt, and then John gave it to me,” Pete recalled. “I had a horse, Peppy Sol Anson, and John told me, ‘Try this bridle on that horse. I think he’ll like it.’”
John was correct, and Pete’s wife, Tamra, piloted Peppy Sol Anson to an NRHA World Championship that year in that very bridle. “John said, just keep it. It’s yours. It’s an aluminum shank with a medium port, and it has a looser shank. The mouth piece tips back a little bit, so when you draw it, it comes up nice and slow,” Pete explained.
Like the Curtiss, the Darnall has proven to be a versatile bridle. “It really fits a lot of horses really well, and is really nice,” Pete said. He added that the quality of bits is evidenced by their age. “They’re really well-made bridles. I have had the Darnall since the early 1990s, and then Bob’s bridle I would have gotten in the 80s,” Pete said. “In addition to being great bits, they’re both very special.”