Three-time world champion tie-down roper Caleb Smidt has an enviable collection of bits, each with its own story and purpose. Here he shares a few of his favorite bits and bit makers.
John Israel bit
This bit is probably the coolest I have. He says he was 92 when he made it. I use that on Pockets about 90 percent of the time—a fat bit with a little hump in it.
Ron Tollison bits
I ride with a lot of correction-type bits on Pockets. I like the Ron Tollison bits; they’re copies of Klapper bits. I have a Ron Tollison correction bit with the rings, a little dogbone one, a whole collection.
Tommy Blessing bits
I like Blessing’s chain ports. There’s a long shank one for the yellow horse I was riding and the one I use on Pockets has just a little port.
For riding colts
I have a bunch of bits for riding colts and working cows. Gag bits. Snaffle bits. I like riding a lot of them with leather curb chains. Whatever keeps them soft.
For green horses
On a green horse, I ride with a snaffle bit. When I switch them over from a snaffle bit to a real bit, I might ride them with a little Dutton or a gag dogbone. They’re just real soft and I’ll usually put a leather curb chain on because they aren’t used to a real curb chain yet.
For a finished horse
I really like my Kerry Kelly bit. I ride it on my bay mare a lot. When we go to ranch rodeos, this is my favorite bit. It’s short-shanked because we get to chasing a lot of wild, fast stuff and I don’t want to be too heavy-handed.
When you need something a little ranker
This one bit I have, you gotta be really mad at a horse to ride in it. I don’t even know who made it, but it’s got a girl’s leg on it, so that’s pretty cool.
More calf roping gear videos on Roping.com:
- Essential Tie-Down Roping Gear
- Bits and Tie-Downs for All Stages of Training
- Understanding Calf Ropes and Strings
Whether you’re a novice looking to establish a solid foundation or an experienced roper aiming to refine your technique, Roping.com has you covered with its extensive collection of instructional videos, each focusing on different aspects of calf roping. Visit the video library here.
