Basic Bits
Bitting Families:
All bits can be categorised into main families.
Bits are made with a huge variety of mouthpieces and cheek pieces, finding the right combination for yourself and your horse will help you to get the best results.
Unjointed, single jointed, Double jointed, multi jointed, roller and myler mouthpieces.
Snaffles The simplest and kindest form of bit.
A simple snaffle is the best kind of bit for a novice rider and a young horse. This type of bit may be suitable for the horses whole career in some cases.
The Double Bridle comprises of two bits, a bridoon and a weymouth (sometimes called a curb) Allows a very subtle communication and is only suitable for experiences, competent riders.
Pelhams originally designed to try and combine the actions of the double bridle into a single mouth piece. However it can't do this, it is used with either two reins or a Pelham rounding for a single rein which join the top and bottom rings.
Kimblewick belongs to the Pelham family, named after the village in which the designer lived.
Gag Snaffle designed to give control over strong horses in exciting situations, ideally used with two pairs of reins
Lever Snaffle Long cheeks, usually with slots or rings at different heights to take the reins.
Combination bits have built in nosebands and designed to work on the nose as well as the mouth. Usually used to give greater control.
Basic Bits, Actions and their Uses:
Eggbutt Snaffle
Used for horses that like a more stable contact, everything remains more still in the mouth. particularly helps a horse lacking in confidence stretch into the contact.
Loose Ring Snaffle
Used to for horses that like a more variable contact, they have much more movement and play that a fixed cheek.
Discourages the horse from fixing, blocking and leaning, encourages mouthing.
Allows the mouthpiece more movement enabling the angle of the tongue to be followed as the angle of the poll and neck changes during work.
Straight Bar Snaffle
A mild, unvarying mouthpiece, the pressure doesn't vary much.
Main pressure points include tongue, lips (corners of mouth), some horses depending upon size of tongue may also find some pressure exerted onto the bars.
Vert useful for horses that like a soft contact, soft mouth and confidence in a non complicated mouthpiece.
Not suitable for horses that like to 'take s hold' or those with large tongues.
Hanging Cheek Snaffle
Sometimes called the Baucher.
When a contact is taken the upper arm is angled forwards, causing the mouthpiece to lift, creating suspension in the mouth and reducing the pressure across the bars and the tongue, often beneficial for particularly sensitive horses.
If a horse is going forwards to a contact and active, the pressure created above the mouthpiece causes a small amount of poll pressure, encouraging a rounding action and help with an outline.
Well suited for sensitive horses.
Full Cheek Snaffle
Reinforces the turning aids, if the upper cheek piece is fixed to the bridle cheekpiece with fuller keepers will fixed the mouthpiece in the mouth and also give some poll pressure.
Very useful in starting babies off.
The bit cannot be pulled through the mouth.
D RIng Snaffle
Falls under the fixed cheek category. D rings prevent the bit from being pulled through the horses mouth.
Helps aid turning.
Ideal for children or novice riders who are not always aware of the potential hazards a full cheek could possess. (E.g. full cheeks catching whilst a horse rubs)
Gentle pressure is pivoted directly onto the tongue.
Dr Bristol
Has 2 joints, distributing pressure across the tongue and the bars.
The flat centre piece is set at an angle, causing a sharper and more prominent pressure to the tongue.
Will not produce a true contact, but may useful if you need help to slow down.
French Link
The French link has 2 joints, which means pressure is distributed over both the tongue and the bars.
Uses tongue pressure, to encourage the horse to seek the bit. doesn't have the squeezing pressure of a single jointed bit on the tongue.
An alternative to a French link more commonly used today is a lozenge centre.
Weymouth & Bridoon
Weymouth can have sliding or fixed cheeks.
Bridoon can have a loosening or eggburt ring. They both come with a huge variety of mouthpiece options.
Traditionally a loose ring briton accompanies a sliding Weymouth. An eggburt Bridoon traditionally accompanies a fixed weymouth.
Not all horse's mouth conformation can accommodate a double bridle.
Pelham
The Pelham work on leverage, enabling the rider to have mechanical advantage. their rein ids can be up to 2-3 times stronger, than what is felt via the riders hands (should only be used by the with soft hands)
Idea behind them to have a light contact, give clear sands and then to RELEASE.
An attempt to provide the functionality of the double bridle without needing 2 bits.
Can come in a variety of mouthpieces.
Can be used with a variety of rein options the most common 2 being:
1) the use of 2 reins, a curb rein and a snaffle rein
2) with rounding, enabling the rider to only have one rein in their hand to hold.
Kimblewick
Similar to a Pelham in that it ties to combine both the curb bit and a snaffle via one rein. Typically ported and with D ring cheek.
This combination of the ported mouth piece and slight leverage from the D ring + there curb chain therefore creates a mild curb bit.
Dutch Gag
other commonly known names referring to this bit: 3 ring gag, bubble bit.
Comprise of a larger ring attached to the mouth piece ( like a snaffle, creating almost same effect as a hanging cheek snaffle but applying slightly extra poll pressure) a smaller ring above to attach the cheek piece to. Smaller rings below.
Depending on which lower ring the rein is attached to, depends on the amount of poll pressure applied, which will Also create additional leverage on the mouth the lower the ring used.
Can also be used with multiple reins or roundings.
The main purpose of this bit is to lower the horses head via poll pressure, providing stronger control than a single ring snaffle.
Cheltenham Gag
Looks like an eggburt snaffle, with holes in the top and the bottom of the rings, in which the cheek piece and rein attach and run freely through.
Combines increased lateral control from the eggburt with the strong squeezing action from the over cheek rein.
Can have a very strong action, the eggburt design helps pr4event the bit from being pulled through the mouth, whilst also spreading and transferring some of the pressure to the opposite side of the mouth.