![]() ![]() Horses can become spooked, irrational, and defiant, and a curb bit simply offers more control and safety in these difficult moments.Ībsolutely not. On the trail, situations can develop that require control in difficult and heated circumstances. Shown is a copper loose ring snaffle bit with a double-jointed ball mouthpiece.ĭoes this mean that you should use a longer shank and a mouthpiece with a high port, like a spade bit for example, to increase control on a difficult horse?The reason that many trail riders and trail riding operations use a curb bit is primarily for control and safety. Trail riders often ask, “Why can’t I just use a snaffle on my horse all of the time?”Īll you should really need to direct your horse is a piece of string for reins, as well as body and leg pressure.Ĭopper, iron, or “sweet iron” mouthpieces taste better to a horse than stainless steel and will last much longer than aluminum or plated bits. It is extremely important that the horse’s frame of mind is soft and accepting before using any bit, meaning you need to have achieved join up, respect, and soft responses when applying pressures on the ground with a halter first. Using a curb bit will not help train a green horse for the above requests proper training will. This means that the horse is calm and responds softly to cued stops, lateral flexion, riding straight between the reins, and backing up.When choosing a bit for early training, you need to use a snaffle bit as you are applying direct pressure.ĭirect pressure applied on a curb bit will twist the bit in the horse’s mouth and compound confusion and pain. Trail riders may choose to spend their entire careers using a snaffle bit, but many prefer a medium shanked, medium port curb bit like this one simply because it offers extra control and safety under difficult circumstances.ĭo not progress to a curb bit until the horse is responding to indirect pressure (neck reining) and body cues. The first time our horses are bitted we often use a thicker bit, sometimes a rubber bit, until they are comfortable with the feel. We have some training bits that are thicker than three-eights of an inch, but I feel that on a trained horse more thickness in not necessary and takes up more room in the horse’s mouth, reducing comfort. Thinner mouthpieces, for example a one-quarter inch twisted wire bit, are simply too harsh and can damage the horse’s mouth. The purpose of having the port drive up and touch the roof of the mouth is to cue the trained horse for the desired response.Ī standard thickness for the mouthpiece is three-eights of an inch. If there is a raised “port” in the mouthpiece, it will give some tongue relief and apply pressure to the roof of the mouth if it is high enough.The amount of curve in the shanks also plays a role: the straighter the shanks, the more pressure is applied. Shown is a full cheek snaffle bit with a French link or “dog bone” mouthpiece. With shanks of moderate length, when five pounds of pressure is applied to the reins, about fifteen pounds of pressure is applied to the mouth.ĭouble jointed mouthpieces are generally gentler than a single-jointed mouthpiece as, when both sides of the bit are pulled, a single-jointed mouthpiece will “nutcracker,” pinching the mouth and driving up into the palate. The longer the shanks the more pressure is applied. The reins are attached to the ends of the levers and when pulled the levers swing back and pressure is applied to the tongue and bars of the mouth, while a chin strap or chain applies pressure underneath the jaw. Snaffle bits often have a jointed mouthpiece. Snaffles work on direct pressure to the sides of the mouth (directly pulling the head around). A shanked bit is considered a curb bit regardless of whether it has a solid or jointed mouthpiece.The reins are attached to the rings. ![]() Shown is an eggbutt single-jointed snaffle.Ī curb bit has a shank or lever on each side. Snaffle bits have a single ring on each side, which applies direct pressure to the sides of the mouth. Rather, it has round rings, “D” shaped rings, or some other simple rings. The snaffle bit has no shanks or levers on the sides of the mouthpiece. We can simplify types of bits by putting them into two categories: snaffle bits and curb bits. Take another look and you’ll see it’s not so bad. It is embarrassing to tell the sales person, who often looks as if he just won the national reining finals, that all you know about bits is that they are supposed to turn the horse left and right, and make him whoa. Walking into a tack shop and looking at a wall covered with bits can send a neophyte bit buyer into a cold sweat. ![]()
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