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Bits of Advice with Bobby Avila, Jr.

Posted on September 8, 2023September 8, 2023 by Stevie White

Ever wonder which bits NRHA Professionals prefer? We do! That’s why we caught up with Bobby Avila, of Rogersville, Missouri, and posed the question, “If you could only keep two bits in your tack room, which ones would they be?”

For Avila, the decision was simple. He chose a snaffle and a short shank with a medium port. “I like the snaffle bit to teach them to be soft. When I start young horses, I ride them for most of their two-year-old years in the snaffle. It teaches them to handle well and is a mild bit that a horse can easily learn in,” he explained.

His second choice, a short shank with a medium port, can be tweaked depending on the horse. “This bit has a loose purchase and a short shank, which gives a horse a lot of signal before you pull. I think you can ride almost any horse in it,” he shared. “It provides some nice tongue release, and this one has kind of fat bars. You can change the curb depending on the horse’s needs.”

Avila added that the low port he used in the photo isn’t in production anymore, but he has plans to get more.

“Jason Vanlandingham had about 150 made, and he won the NRHA Futurity on Not Ruf At All in one. I bought a few from Jason – they’re just a cheap little bit – and Justin Mathison is going to make me one that is good quality,” Avila said.

Avila has been training reining horses for more than 20 years and currently operates out of Zimmerman Performance Horses. He has more than $300,000 in lifetime earnings, and is focused on helping his youth and non pro competitors reach their goals. He has coached several to championships in both NRHA and AQHA events. Because of this, Avila was named the 2020 NRHA Professional Youth Coach of the Year.

For information about training or lessons, call Bobby at 417-844-5240, or visit www.AvilaPerformanceHorses.net.

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