swish'n'neigh

Do they bother your horse? I've never had problems before, but my current horse was trained on a hackamore (which I thought was pretty odd) and he won't tolerate a bit very well, even just a snaffle seems to bother him.

purplefdu

I've never ridden a horse that would only take a hackamore, as training a horse to bit isn't terribly hard if done right. If you aren't used to using a bit with your horse he/she could be picking up on your nerves instead of being sensitive themself. Try putting molasses or honey on the bit (or buying the ones with flavored plastic if your budget allows it) to help make it more pleasant. A plain eggbutt or D-ring snaffle is very mild and doesn't pinch or hurt if used properly (no hauling on the reins).