Ally, I prefer them to bits any day. But if the horse can't be handled without a bit then use a bit. But use it correctly....if you can't use anything or keep control of your horse without being abusive then dont ride period
he is actually the best stud I've ever been around he can be rode in a snaffle and my 5 year old niece rode him (with me leading him but points still there) he just gets a bit strong when he's at shows
At the end of the day, you should always be using equipment that is the most suitable for the horse in front of you, and not the horse you imagine finished or what the current craze is
I wont use them on my personal horses because their all soft but Brett's horses (mostly the stud) are soft but their really strong and need a bigger bit
Oh I had a big horse I broke out like that. 3 YO TB and already 17.2, but liked to chew on leadropes like a pacifier. He eventually went in a key bit. Some look weird but he adored it.
Honestly, anything and everything can be used as a weapon or become a bad thing if it's used incorrectly. Like I said before, I prefer bitless but I'm not sitting there having to yank on the horse either. Just like anything else you have to know how to use said tools you have and know when too much is too much and crossing lines. If you can't handle your horse then you shouldn't be riding.
Sage laughed and leaned his head back to try and see where the girls had gone. "They're pretty quiet in there now." He grinned. "We may be in trouble, man," he joked, knowing they would never actually hurt them.
Sage chuckled and gave Jacob an amused look. "We're just the pawns, man," he joked. "They just need us to make little girls so they can take over the world," he chuckled. He was being sarcastic, although they were more likely to be successful at world domination than him or Jacob ever could be.