All ABOUT BITS
There is no great science to bitting your horse, despite what you are led to believe. If you look at a bit, imagine how it would feel for the horse. Look at its action and imitate it on yourself, so you have a good idea what is happening.
A bit is only as strong as the hands that control it. You can have a mild snaffle that causes huge pain and mass bruising if used by the wrong person, or a piece of wire that does not hurt in any way if the rider is the correct one.
So whatever bit you choose, you must aim to have as little contact with it as possible.
Please watch the videos for an easy way to see what a bit will do. In the future, if you see a bit for the first time, you will be able to tell what it does, even if you do not know its name. You can then make an intelligent decision for your horse, and not have to listen to the yard “know it alls”, or spend your money unnecessarily.
Basic points
Bits put pressure on the horses:
The thicker the bit, the more the pressure is spread, so the thinner the bit, the more severe the pressure. Some horses have small mouths and would feel uncomfortable in a really thick bit.
THE BIT ACTION
The single jointed snaffle acts like a nutcracker by squashing in on the lips, corners of the mouth, bars, tongue and roof of the mouth.
The action can be quite severe.
On steering, if one rein is pulled, it does not have an effect on the other side of the mouth, so is very clear.
The double jointed snaffle This again acts on the same parts of the mouth as the single joint, but is much milder when the reins are pulled. It is still very clear when steering, but the joint section can be pulled onto the bars of the mouth and be very painful for the horse. Because of this it is not a good idea to have a complete beginner, or a young horse with unlevel head carriage, in one.
It is good to get the smoothest joint you can.
With this joint pictured on the right, you can imagine how painful it must be if it gets pulled onto the bars.
The straight bar is a very mild bit that, when the reins are pulled, it just goes straight back in the mouth, putting pressure on the tongue, lips, corners of the mouth and bars. This can encourage a horse just to pull down on it.
When steering, if you pull one rein it affects the other side as well, so is not as clear as the other bits.
BIT RINGS
Loose ring bits hold still in the horse’s mouth, so are less influenced by a novice rider with hands that move or a horse that moves its head a lot, i.e. head shaking or a youngster. As a result, this can wear causing pinching at the point of movement, usually at the corner of the mouth.
Eggbutt bits are fixed so the rider’s hand and horse’s head movements can be felt more if they move up and down. You must check for wear at the jointed piece.
The D-ring acts like the eggbutt, but puts pressure on the sides of the mouth to aid steering.
The fulmer bit, or bit with cheek pieces,
can have an eggbutt action, as with the
picture with the double joint, or a loose ring action as with the single joint. It has the cheek pieces that aid steering by putting pressure on the sides of the face. If using this bit, never tie them up with it on, or let them sniff other horses as the cheeks can easily get caught. You can get keepers that attach the top cheek to the cheek pieces of the bridle, but this holds the bit in a fixed position. This means that when the reins are pulled, the bit can be more severe, causing pressure on the tongue and roof of the mouth.
The Gag Action
I use the Dutch gag (sometimes called continental gag) in my video, but it is the same action for any gag with varying degrees of severity.
Any bit where the reins are attached lower than where the bit sits in the horse’s mouth, has a leverage action which will cause pressure on the poll, tongue, corners of the mouth and bars. The longer the distance from the mouth to the rein attachment, the more severe the action. These bits are said to have a “gag” action.
These are some examples of gag action bits.
The Dutch Gag
Universal Cheek
The Cheltenham Gag
The Pelham Gag
With the Dutch gag, as with all gags, when pressure is applied with the reins, the bit acts as a lever causing the bit to raise in the horse’s mouth, putting extreme pressure on the lips, corners of the mouth, tongue, bars, and the poll- effectively squashing the gap between the poll and reins. Added to the various types of bit (single jointed, double jointed, chain etc) this is a very severe bit and should only be used by the most experienced of riders. I am a strong believer in more schooling rather than more bit.
THE DROP CHEEK
I have given this bit its own category as it is not a true gag but has a different action from most other bits. Because the sides of the bit are attached to the cheek pieces, the bit cannot move around in the horse’s mouth. As a result, when the reins are pulled, the center of the bit digs into the roof of the mouth, crushes the tongue and applies more pressure on the bars than if the bit could move freely.
I had a lady that worked for me that swore blind these were fantastic bits and convinced a few liveries to try (most of the horses were used in the school where beginners often rode them). I showed the action to the liveries and, luckily, most changed them. They say ignorance is bliss, but when an amazing animal suffers as a result, I do not think ignorance is any excuse.
BITS WITH CHAINS UNDER THE CHIN
A bit that has a chain that goes under the chin that is linked to a leverage action is very severe. This is because it is made to not only put pressure on the poll, squeeze the corners of the mouth and push into the tongue and bars, but also crush the lower jaw bone.
I see so many children’s ponies in the Kimberwick or Pelham with the lower rein pulled so the bit is at a 45 degree angle and can imagine the pain that pony must be in.
BIT MATERIALS
This is another subject where you will get so much advice, a lot of which will be from people who mean well but have very little true knowledge.
You must look at the facts and make your own choices for your horse.
A stainless steel bit is probably the most common bit. It is very strong but can be cold and hard in a horse’s mouth. As with all bits, you must check for wear at all joints.
Vulcanite is a hard material that is warmer in the horse’s mouth. It is softer than stainless steel so you must check for wear.
A Happy mouth bit can come in various flavours and is supposed to encourage the horse to take the bit. Again it is warmer than steel but can get worn quickly.
A rubber bit is very soft and warm for the horse but can be very drying, so make sure you keep an eye out for any chaffing or sores on the corners of the horse’s mouth.
Copper rollers, sweet iron, multi coloured
bits are popular at the moment as it is
believed the horse will mouth the bit which will encourage saliva production. A wet mouth is good, as the bit can move more freely which can prevent sores. These metals can be soft, so it is very important you check for wear and pinching. It is also very important that you clean these bits well, as bacteria can be stored and multiply in the gaps.
Final Thoughts
It is very important that you choose your horse’s bit carefully. Try to imagine the action and how it will affect your horse. Make sure you clean your bit and check for wear everytime it is used.
After saying all this, a bit is only as strong as the hands that control it. As I have already said, you can have a mild snaffle that causes huge pain, or a piece of wire that does not hurt in any way if the rider is the correct one.
Have a look at these bits and see if you can see the effect they would have on the horse. It is so much more important that you know this than the correct name.
It always really humbles me that these amazing animals put up with so much from us. I can imagine the pain they must be in, but they still happily allow us to put these instruments of torture in their mouth.