Bits and Bitting

Design, Function and Style

 General Terminology
¾ Mouthpiece=the portion of the bit that rests in
the horse’s mouth.
¾ Cheek=the sides of the bit (for a snaffle) that you
can see outside of the horse’s mouth.
¾ Shank=the long piece connected to the
mouthpiece (for a curb or leverage bit)
¾ Purchase=the length of metal between where
the mouthpiece connects to the shank and
where the bridle is attached
¾ Diameter=the width of the mouthpiece.
 Classifications of Bits
¾ Bits are classified by the mechanics of “way they
work” along with the bridle they are attached to.
 Snaffle Bit
¾ A snaffle bit works directly on the corners of the
horses mouth and the reins are in DIRECT
contact with the mouth piece of the bit
 Curb Bit
¾ A CURB works through the application of LEVERAGE.
¾ The reins are attached to a shank which, when pulled,
puts pressure on
z A curb chain or strap
z The poll of the horse
 OFFSET O-RING
CURB OR SNAFFLE?
MEDIUM PORT GRAZER
SNAFFLE OR CURB?
D-RING CORRECTION
SNAFFLE OR CURB?
RUBBER MOUTH PELHAM
SNAFFLE OR CURB?
Lip Chain or Lip Strap
ARGENTINE SNAFFLE
SNAFFLE OR CURB?
 Pressure Points
¾ Bits and their bridles work on the horse
by applying pressure to seven points of
a horse’s head:
z Corners of lips
z Bars
z Tongue
z Curb Groove
z Poll
z Roof of mouth
z Nose
Anatomy of the Horse’s Mouth
¾ Every horse’s mouth has
the same components,
however each horse’s
level of sensitivity and
function determines
which bit it wears best.
The rules of the
association with which
you are competing in will
dictate what bit you use.
Anatomy of the Horse’s Mouth
¾ Snaffle in horses mouth
 Moment of ZEN
How Severe is This Bit?
¾ A bit is as severe as the hands holding the
reins. A finely tuned dressage horse,
saddle horse, hunter or western horse
may wear a “big” bit because he is so
highly trained. If a horse is only able to
ride in a snaffle or hackamore it doesn’t
necessarily mean they are more
responsive than a horse wearing a
“bigger” bit.
 Bitting Problems
¾ loss of feed from mouth while eating
¾ difficulty chewing or excess salivation
¾ loss of body condition
¾ large, undigested food particles in
manure
¾ head tilting or tossing, bit chewing,
tongue lolling, fighting the bit or
resisting the bridle
¾ bucking or failing to stop or turn
¾ foul odor from mouth or nostrils
¾ traces of blood in mouth
¾ nasal discharge or swelling of the
face
Other Types of Bridles
Other Types of Bridles
 Mouthpiece Materials

¾ Stainless Steel:
doesn’t flake off,
very strong, stays
clean looking
Mouthpiece Materials

¾ Copper: promotes
salivation, is softer
than stainless steel
 Mouthpiece Materials
¾ Sweet Iron: will rust
naturally and promote
salivation
 Mouthpiece Materials
¾ Chrome: looks shiny,
flakes and chips
regularly leaving sharp
edges

¾ Aluminum: very light

but has the tendency
to dry out a horse’s
mouth
 More Mouthpiece Materials
¾ Rubber: black rubber is soft on the corners
and bars, but can be chewed
¾ Flavored polymers: encourages salivation
and chewing
¾ Latex wrapped: cushions mouth
structures, can be destroyed in the mouth
¾ Flavored Coatings: BBQ sauce,
peppermint etc.—encourages salivation
and acceptance of bit/bridle
 Texture and Diameter of
Mouthpiece

¾ Smooth mouthpieces of any material slide easily in the

horse’s mouth
¾ Twists, wraps, edges provide some “bite” to a traditional
mouthpiece
¾ Ports allow for tongue relief, but extreme height will affect
the roof of the mouth
¾ Thicker mouthpieces have more contact area and are
“softer” than a thinner mouthpiece
 Mouthpiece Styles
¾Slow Twist

¾Twisted
 Mouthpiece Styles
¾Twisted Wire
 Mouthpiece Styles
¾French Link
Mouthpiece Styles

¾Dr. Bristol
Mullen Mouth
Other types of Bit Accessories
 Curb Shanks—artistry and
mechanics
¾ The length of the shank determines the
amount of leverage—longer shanks mean
increased leverage.
¾ The straighter the shank the quicker the
horse will feel the curb strap when the
reins are pulled.
¾ Shanks are designed to provide many
subtle bit cues for the horse
Shank Styles
Tom Thumb “Snaffle”
 Suitability of Horse to Bit
¾ Considerations in bitting
z Nervous
z Stubborn/tough/strong willed
z Protective of mouth
z Size and Shape of Mouth and Tongue
z Supplemental devices to be used
HACKAMORE/GAG COMBO
SNAFFLE OR CURB?