In 2005 GumBits was developed. Fuqua’s personal dressage horses love to chew the chewy sugar. Just like people, the jaw softens and horse’s relax in our sport for training dressage competition. As title sponsor of Collecting Gaits Farm USEF National Dressage Championships (for nearly ten years), Fuqua knew the best in class, USA Olympians whom she met wanted GumBits, like Steffen Peters.
For horses that held in their jaw and could hear the grinding on their teeth, many Dressage Olympians started giving the treats to relax their horse’s jaw for them to chew the bit easier from saliva creation.
As Dressage Olympians training the high performance Three Day Eventing Champions, got the word out and spread that GumBits helps horses relax. It really helps the speed trained horses who to slow down in the dressage portion of the eventing competition.
In 2014 Matt Brown, who wanted to confirm its ingredients FEI safe for Three Day Eventing, called. He went on to go to the Olympics (Reserve) and so did Lauren (then) Kieffer, Lauren Billys that season who became big fans.
Young daughter Kat Fuqua started her passion for the ponies. As the Fuquas started competing in the Hunter and Pony Hunter sport, the GumBits became known as well in that discipline.
Today, the GumBits are used by all horsemen for young horses learning to accept the bit, to vaulting horses to relax over the back, and even to barrel racers who love the treat too!
In Europe, it spread and many unnamed Olympians used back then, and many new Olympians today. The tension in high competition horses chew and then relax. It’s simple relaxation with the beeswax/sugar that stays in the mouth longer than plain sugar cubes. It gives them something to think about as they chew and salivate, making the connection from the rider’s hand to the horse’s mouth through the bit, soft with a soft hand. People call days before flying to compete in Europe anxious to get some GumBits. Shereen Fuqua loves the ability to spread and share such an easy simple way to relax the horses.