It's spring. And time for people to think about spending more time outside with their horses. Many horses will be shedding their winter coats and will appreciate a lot of grooming this time of year.

This is also think it time of year to have the veterinarian check out your horse and update any inoculations that your horse may need. Having an annual checkup can catch a lot of little problems while they are still minor before they become large issues with your horse.

Also, check your horse's feet. Talk to your farrier and make the decision to shoe your horse or not. Horses that do not experience a lot of riding, generally can do "au natural" without complications. However if the hooves are worn or split, shoeing your horse is the right thing to do. If your horse spends the majority of his time on soft ground he will need to be shoed. You can further avoid problems by having your horse on a regular schedule of having his hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks.

If you haven't been riding your horse in the winter, he will need to be conditioned to get back in the mode of regular riding. Start off slow and easy, mainly walking and gradually work up to a full schedule of riding. Your horse may need to become re-accustomed to the saddle and bit once more. Watch for signs of chaffing.

Spring also heralds in the beginning of the time to really watch out for laminitis (also known as Founder). During the time your horse is switching to rich, pasture grass - continue feeding him hay and keep the amount of grazing your horse does to a limited amount.

Horse bits come in a huge variety of styles and each offers a different type of control. It is usually best to start out with a light bit and then see how well your horse responds. If your horse can follow your cues with a light bit, then that bit is strong enough for now. If your horse doesn't respond or notice the bit, then you need a little stronger bit. One of the lightest bits are called Snaffle Bits and they are used by horse trainers who use the technique of controlling a horse through kindness and the least amount of pressure, rather than using a heavy bit that may hurt the horse.

Snaffle Bits have three common types:
D-ring bits are very light and are the best to start training your horse with as they have rings that are placed farthest away from the horse's mouth.
The eggbutt snaffle bit has rings that are affixed in one place and they do not move. These keep the rings from rubbing and cutting into the horse's mouth.
The loose-ring snaffle bit has rings that are free moving and sliding which keep the horse from grabbing the bit, as many spirited horses will try to do. When the horse attempts to grab this type of snaffle bit- it simply rotates away.

If you have a horse who has a tendency to munch on his bit, resign yourself to the fact all you can do is reposition the bit time and time again until you get to the root of what is causing the bit munching. In many cases the horse was trained early on using a bit that was too heavy and the horse is anticipating being hurt by the bit. Horses are highly intelligent and once something goes awry in training, they tend to remember negative experiences with training objects as well as positive ones. Continue gentle training and if your horse continues this behavior, also have his teeth checked.

If you can rule out the horse's teeth bothering him, start using a light bit every time with your horse and continue gentle training techniques and he will understand the bit will not hurt him and it will cut down and eventually end the bit munching.