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I believed, like many, that they were gentle in the mouth because of the jointed mouthpiece, but discovered that a single jointed mouthpiece actually pinches together and drives up into the roof of the mouth when the shanks are engaged.
You often see rollers in the mouthpiece of bits. Their job is to provide entertainment or activity to occupy or calm the horse, and to encourage salivation. While often considered a gentle bit due to its single-jointed mouthpiece often associated with the mild snaffle bit , the Tom Thumb bit is actually quite harsh due to its very straight shanks and the nutcracker effect of the mouthpiece.
They are not intended to increase or decrease the severity of the bit. If I happen to have one I will use it, but see no real advantage, and at times a horse who constantly fusses with one may be a bit of a nuisance. Bits and bridles are systems and systems are not perfect in all circumstances. Trail riders are not perfect either and conditions on the trail can be far from perfect.
Even though you are not supposed to plow rein or apply direct pressure on a curb bit there are times in the life of a trail rider when you will. Maybe the horse bolts and turning it is critical to preventing a runaway, maybe the trail is eroded and drops off, or maybe the trail suddenly becomes dangerous and you have to halt even when others do not, and so you end up reefing on your bit as a matter of survival.
Suddenly the calmness, disposition, and training of your trusty trail companion shines through, or perhaps it lets you down harshly. At unexpected times I have ridden many miles with nothing but a string for reins and a rope halter for a headstall, and with no difficulty, but I shudder in my gum boots at the thought of doing so with a high strung horse. Walk a mile in my stinky old gum boots and you will understand. Main article photo: Robin Duncan Photography - With the huge number of bits available, it can be daunting to go to the tack store and choose one for your horse.
With a little knowledge, however, choosing the right bit can be much easier. Horse Riding to be Dropped from Modern Pentathlon. The Power of Play with Our Horses. Royal Agricultural Winter Fair to Return in John Prescott - Rhodococcus Equine Bacteria. I deworm my horse….. Skip to main content. Login My account. Understanding Bits. Trail , English , Western. By Stan Walchuk, Jr. A standard thickness for the mouthpiece is three-eights of an inch. Related Articles Dress to Ride this Winter.
When Horses Behave Badly. The Horse Habit. Thoracic Asymmetries and the Relationship with Saddle Fit. Search form Search this site. Featured Article. Featured Blog. There are some combination bits such as the Pelham, a Kimberwick, or an Elevator bit.
These offer the qualities of a snaffle AND a curb. With a Pelham bit and an Elevator bit, you typically use two reins. One rein on the snaffle ring, and the second rein on the curb ring. You can use your snaffle rein as your main rein to apply direct pressure to the mouth, and you would use your curb rein as needed, to add pressure to the chin and poll and create leverage. A Kimberwick can be setup as a snaffle OR a curb, but is typically not used with two reins.
One last curve ball. In dressage you actually use two separate bits at the same time only in the upper levels of FEI dressage.
You use what is called a double bridle and it uses a bradoon bit snaffle bit with smaller rings for space constraints and a curb bit on the same bridle. The snaffle bit is the main bit used and is used for elevating and bending the horse, the curb bit is to aid in getting extra collection for some of the harder movements and keeping the horse on the vertical. For today, that is all we will cover, feel free to ask questions in the comments below.
And be on the lookout for our next article on bits, where we will dive more into what the mouthpieces are used for. You must be logged in to post a comment.
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