Brazile: How and Why Gag Bits Can Help Your Head Horse

Gag bits are probably Trevor Brazile’s last choice, but he’s had success with them when a chain or a port failed him in the box. 

“There are a lot of different types of gags out there, but the main thing about a gag bit and the success you can have in the box is that there’s no curb pressure,” Brazile explained. “A lot of horses will relax in the box or not react to the gates as much if they have confidence leaning into a gag.”

When you’ve got your horse comfortable in a gag, Brazile suggests you add a leather curb to it, hitting the horse a little higher on his lower jaw. They might react differently to a curb with a different placement than in their prior experiences, taking away some of the stress from the curb. 

MORE RELENTLESS INSIGHTS:

• Trevor Brazile’s Bit Theory
• How Your Cinch Should Fit with Trevor Brazile
• Controlling Controllables with Trevor Brazile and Miles Baker

History of Relentless Insights

When Trevor Brazile retired in 2018, The Team Roping Journal asked him to join our team, creating videos covering the finer points of his horsemanship and horse training program for our audience. Relentless Insights was born, and since the spring of 2019, Brazile and TRJ have put together hundreds of videos documenting his program—the true archive of The King of the Cowboys. Our cameras have captured the training of some of the sport’s best head and heel horses, including ARHFA World Champ WND Affair and Tuckin Away Buckles, one of roping’s all-time leading earners.