Josh Murphy has steadily built an impressive business as a reining trainer, starting colts, showing horses, and coaching Non Pros. Murphy, who operates his JM Reining Horses business out of Williams Ranch in Aubrey, Texas, admitted it was tough to narrow down his favorite bridles, but there are two he will never be found without.
“I would probably do my half-and-half twisted snaffle and my Jim Edwards correction,” he decided.
According to Murphy, the half-and-half twisted snaffle is a great tool to have because of its versatility. “It’s a bit that is really good for the young horses because it’s a snaffle. Because of the twist it has, it’s also a good bit to go back to on my older horses from time to time,” he explained. “It has enough to it to get the respect of an older horse that you need to go back and work on things, but it’s also good for two-year-olds that are just learning. It gives you a good amount of control while still giving you everything you want in a snaffle.”
The snaffle is smooth on the edges by the rings and then has a twist in the middle, alleviating the chance of a horse getting sore during use. “A lot of twisted snaffles can cause trouble because a horse might get sore on the sides of the mouth, but with this being smooth on the outside you don’t have that problem,” Murphy said.
He added that sometimes the older horses can benefit from going back to a snaffle, and while the reasons are numerous, much of the time it is to help the horses gain confidence or to soften a naturally stiff and straight horse up. “You can’t do a lot better than a snaffle for that kind of stuff,” he said.
Murphy’s Jim Edwards correction has a calvary shank, and he says it’s a pretty standard type of correction bit that will be found in most barns. “This one is good quality. I think the proportions of the port and the width of the bars are really good, and it’s just a bridle that you can put on pretty much darn near every horse and have a good ride,” he said. “This correction is a great all-around bit that you can do everything in.”
He went on to explain that the Jim Edwards, like the half-and-half snaffle, is also very versatile. “There is a tool for every job, but you can do just about any job in that bit. You have the side-to-side action, but it also works really well teaching them to steer and go straight, too,” he said.
For more information about Murphy and his training program, visit JMReiningHorses.com, or find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/JMReiningHorses