Some have a very small interdental space leaving almost no room for a bit, and some have their first cheek teeth ahead of their lip corners. I generally tell clients that they can choose the cheek pieces but the horse gets to choose the mouthpiece of their bit.
But that choice goes deeper than their individual anatomy. Horses are living, breathing, feeling animals that have preferences. Some horses prefer tongue pressure, a lot of horses hate palate pressure and open their mouths to escape it, some will put their tongue over the bit if there is any tongue pressure, where others will throw their head if the bars are pressured.
The horse gets to have an opinion on where their bit acts too. A happy horse will be an easy horse. Anyone can make these assessments. If in doubt, ask your EDT, vet or a bit specialist. A little about the bit mouthpieces, there are 4 main types, straight bars, single jointed, double jointed and multi jointed.
Straight bars - a mullen mouth will act mostly on the tongue with a little lip corner pressure. Often straight bars will have a port for tongue relief. The bigger the port, the more tongue relief so the more pressure is placed on the bars and lip corners whilst less is applied on the tongue.
Straight bars do not have palate pressure when fitted correctly but if the port is too large, it will hit the palate. Straight bars are very still by their nature. They are good for horses that mess with the bit a lot, crunch the bit, put their tongue over with an appropriate port for tongue relief , or sit behind the bit, over bent. They are not good for horses that are strong or lean. Single jointed - these act mostly on the bars and corners of the mouth and less so on the tongue surface.
But they squeeze the tongue from the sides in a nutcracker action, and the joint can hit the horses palate. This will cause the horse to open its mouth to escape that palate pressure. There are some anatomical single jointed bits which curve with the horses mouth and reduce these side effects.
Being more mobile than a straight bar, the horse is less likely to lean. Better suited for those that dislike tongue pressure but are too strong for a straight bar. Double jointed - there are 4 types, peanut, french link, Dr Bristol and barrel.
All double jointed bits share pressure equally across the tongue, bars and lip corners. Trail Training. Horse Care.
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They are commonly seen with gaited horses because the extra leverage helps to keep the head up, allowing the shoulder to move freely.
Want to see a super cross-over bit that works for English and Western? In English disciplines, you use the reins with both hands to cue your horse. In Western riding, you typically use one hand to communicate with your horse. Therefore, most western bits are curb bits with leverage action and are typically not jointed. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. A common misconception about snaffle bits is that they are only seen in English disciplines.
Because they are incredibly versatile, snaffle bits are seen virtually anywhere horses are ridden. These have single round usually cheekpieces that the reins attach to, but the bridle attaches to a piece about half an inch higher than the circle, giving the bit a very mild amount of leverage. Tom Thumbs look simple but have a lot of power. They have a single joint in the middle, and it might be easy to confuse them with the much milder jointed snaffle mouthpiece.
This bit only in the hands of someone who has soft hands, because improper use can lead to an unhappy horse. The raised area commonly seen in many western mouthpieces is called a port. The angled shanks mean that the horse can become more sensitive to rein aids, because the horse can feel the tension gradually increase in the reins until pressure is felt in the bit and bridle. Straight shanks do not provide this built-in warning system, and thus make it more difficult to create a horse who is light on the aids.
Jointed shanks also allow for some lateral play, which is useful in sports like reining and barrel racing. Chain bits have a mouthpiece made of chain, which allows the mouthpiece to be very flexible and to exert less pressure on the lower jaw than bits with single joints.
Some chain bits consist of a couple links of chain on either side of a port, which can be low or tall. Trainers often use chain bits to encourage lateral flexion.
The cavalry shanks are also called S-shanks due to their shape and, like angled shanks, allow for more refinement of the rein aids. A gag bit , also known as an elevator bit, is like a combination of a curb bit and a snaffle bit. It typically has a jointed mouthpiece and multiple rings down the shank to allow you to determine how much leverage action you want. It can also be used purely as a snaffle if you only attach reins to the ring directly across from the mouthpiece.
Or, you can use it like a Tom Thumb and only attach reins to the lower rings for leverage. Finally, it can be used like a Pelham by attaching two sets of reins: one to the snaffle rings and one to the curb rings.
This is definitely a powerful bit, and is primarily used when a horse gets too heavy on the forehand or leans on the bit, especially when ignoring stop cues.
Contrary to what you may be thinking, correction bits are actually meant for horses that need very little disciplinary correction. This bit is reserved for horses who are already well-trained and ready to respond to the subtle cues that a correction bit can transmit.
Correction bits are leverage bits with ports that have a joint on either side. The shanks are also jointed and are s-shaped. A Mullen mouth curb bit has a straight mouthpiece with no port.
Some horses may benefit from a low port in order to have more room for their tongue. Shanks that are angled back are sometimes called grazing shanks, because one of the original uses was to prevent horses from chewing on the shanks when grazing. Cathedral bits have a tall, narrow port with a flat addition to the top. A spoon bit is a slightly less extreme-looking version of a cathedral bit.
They sometimes have rollers below the port. These bits are intended to help a horse stay soft at the poll and are meant for horses and riders with advanced training. Like copper, sweet iron helps horses salivate and stay soft in their jaws. Sweet iron does rust easily, but this rust is usually not a problem because horses still love the taste.
See it on Amazon. For example, we cannot compare all the different types of curb bits to all the different types of snaffle bits. Due to the incredible variability, we also have to look at each characteristic of the bit as well. Bits with ports can be evaluated based on the size of the port.
Shallow ports are milder than tall, narrow ports because they act on the tongue rather than the bars of the mouth. The severity of curb bits can be judged on the length of the shank. Shorter shanks are milder than longer shanks because they offer less leverage. Horses have teeth in the very front of their mouths and in long rows alongside their cheekbones, but naturally have no teeth at the corners of their mouth. This is where the bit rests, on top of the tongue.
Depending on the style of bit, the horse feels pressure on their lower jaw, tongue, and roof of their mouth, chin or poll when the rider uses the reins.
The goal of any bit is to communicate through it in a light and easy way. This is also the goal of any riding — to make it look effortless to work with a horse! Therefore, bits themselves are not cruel when used by experienced and compassionate trainers and riders.
Even the gentlest bits can cause pain and discomfort when the person on the other end of the reins is using them unpleasantly. Although this pressure is meant to be uncomfortable enough to elicit a response, the right training approach will never cause the horse to be in pain.
For example, when the horse responds correctly, the pressure should be released by the trainer as a reward. Good trainers know to apply only the lightest pressure needed to get a response and to release the pressure in a timely manner.
Lay the bit flat on a table with the cheekpieces out to the side if the cheekpieces are mobile. Using a ruler, measure the space between the cheek pieces. In fact, horses who busily chew on their bits might be less obvious about it with a roller to play with instead.
Check out the best bits for Quarter Horses , which features a severity chart of common snaffle bits. On the other hand, if you can barely tug the cheekpiece away, the bit is sitting too high.
It totally depends on your Tennessee Walking Horse and on your own hands. Gaited horses are typically shown in double bridles or in curb bits. You can use snaffle bits in virtually all horse competitions. They are the most universally accepted bits and many horses like them.
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