Barrel racing legend and soon-to-be ProRodeo Hall of Famer Martha Josey posted a video to her Facebook Page where she talks about her favorite barrel racing bits and how to use them.
1. The Josey-Mitchell Short Shank Copper Dog
“If your horse is stiff, this bit will limber him up. Always remember - if you want something to bend, use something that’s got a broken middle,” Josey said.
2. The Josey-Mitchell Short Shank Three-Piece Gag
“Another great bit for bending. You can run in this bit, but you also can compete in this bit. You’ll see a lot of the horses at the NFR that are so well balanced and so well pattered that this little light bit will work on them.”
3. Long Shank
Martha talks about horses that won’t set enough. The one’s that won’t rate, and won’t slow down enough at the barrel.
“Always remember”, Josey said, “the longer the shank, the more ‘woah’ you have. This bit has a longer shank and is broken in the middle, but it’s got some ‘woah’ on it. Especially if you tighten up the curb chain on it.”
Here is an bit similar to what Josey has in the video.
4. The Josey Lifter
“If you’ve really got a horse that’s really kind of running off at the first barrel - this bit works,” Josey said. “If you’ve got a horse that shoulders into the barrel - you can really lift with this bit.”
5. The Josey Go-Around Bit
This is one of Josey’s favorite bits.
“If you need a little more ‘woah’ - anything with a straight mouth piece or a solid mouth piece is always a little more woah.”
6. Reverse Gag
“It works on a lot of different horses. Great for competition and great for training,” Josey said.
7. The Million Dollar Bit
“Anytime that you buy this bit, the first thing I would I do is make it Limber on the nose,” she said. “We love this bit because it works on the nose, on the chin, on the corners of their mouth. This bit has worked for so many different barrel racers. It’s called the Million Dollar bit because it’s won over $1,000,00.”
Martha is being interviewed by Janie Johnson, daughter of Clint Johnson, who she competed in the olympics with.
