How it started
Bombers Equestrian Equipment was officially started by Pete “Bomber” Nel in South Africa in 2001.
Bomber is a KZN-based entrepreneur that knows horses internally and externally like the back of his hand. This knowledge has allowed him to become efficient in the bit making industry as he knows the pressure points that can cause the animal distress.
Bomber first started making bits for his own polocrosse horses in Rhodesia. In 1980 Bomber and his family moved to South Africa, where he continued his skill of bit making for the polocrosse horses his son, Leroy, rode. The polocrosse field, with all of its stops and turns provided Bomber with a testing ground for developing bits and through trial-and-error Bomber created his variety of bits. The polocrosse community supported Bombers’ efforts and so the demand for Bombers bits grew.
Bomber’s compassion for horses and his desire to find harmony and establish comfort lead to the creation of Bomber Bits. Bomber discovered his love and talent for bit making.
Bombers Today:
Bombers bits are exported around the globe with distributors in the UK, Scandinavia, Germany and Australia. Independent retailers of Bombers bits can be found across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.
After 18 years new designs are constantly being added. This can be put down to more than just new knowledge being gained but is also due to breeding changing the conformation and size of the horse’s mouth. Each of these new designs has Bombers philosophy at the heart. Pressure is removed where possible, or spread out over a greater surface area, until the horse operates to his full potential and responds to the aids.
Bomber believes that every horse has something to teach us, and there is always something new to learn. In every clinic that Bomber hosts, the horses teach him something new. This is what leads to new designs, and occasionally upgrades on older designs. The learning never stops.