Snaffles
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In order to have a really good result Bitting a variety of Horses you have to have a good range of Snaffles and Dressage legal Snaffles to choose from
To fit horses of different ages
sensitivities
conformation
levels of training
and then to consider the riders
hands on the end of the reins
abilities
fitness and training
With the right bit it is possible to encourage the horse to go to the correct place in the bridle by creating comfort, release and reward, making it quite clear where the most comfortable place in the bridle is.
A well-made well-balanced bit should aid the horse and rider, not hinder and make the Horse uncomfortable and less responsive
A well-made and designed bit should be engineered to have release and reward built into the design so the riders hand can maintain a light rein contact and not have to constantly give away too much contact to compensate for the bit
To fit horses of different ages
sensitivities
conformation
levels of training
and then to consider the riders
hands on the end of the reins
abilities
fitness and training
With the right bit it is possible to encourage the horse to go to the correct place in the bridle by creating comfort, release and reward, making it quite clear where the most comfortable place in the bridle is.
A well-made well-balanced bit should aid the horse and rider, not hinder and make the Horse uncomfortable and less responsive
A well-made and designed bit should be engineered to have release and reward built into the design so the riders hand can maintain a light rein contact and not have to constantly give away too much contact to compensate for the bit
The Hand Test to see how much close the action of the bit has
When you are assessing the comfort of the bit your horse is wearing despite the advertising and the claims that some companies make just try this simple test
Face a friend and hold your hand up knuckles facing them Get them to place your horses bit around your hand and get them to pull the bit closed
Your hand represents your Horses lower jaw and your friends hands represent your hands on the end of the reins
If the bit you are using on your horse pinches your hand with finger pressure imagine how it feels to your horse when you are applying more pressure with upper body weight applied to your signal
Now decide whether the bit you have on your Horse is fair, comfortable and gives him or her the right signals and reward or whether it is restrictive and pinches.
Also look at your bit critically is it symmetrical and even all through the mouthpiece a Horse will not go evenly forward into your hands if the mouthpiece of its bit is uneven and asymmetrical.
Face a friend and hold your hand up knuckles facing them Get them to place your horses bit around your hand and get them to pull the bit closed
Your hand represents your Horses lower jaw and your friends hands represent your hands on the end of the reins
If the bit you are using on your horse pinches your hand with finger pressure imagine how it feels to your horse when you are applying more pressure with upper body weight applied to your signal
Now decide whether the bit you have on your Horse is fair, comfortable and gives him or her the right signals and reward or whether it is restrictive and pinches.
Also look at your bit critically is it symmetrical and even all through the mouthpiece a Horse will not go evenly forward into your hands if the mouthpiece of its bit is uneven and asymmetrical.
Think Mouthpiece first and then what sort of cheek to gain maximum support
When you are considering re Bitting your Horse all elements of the bit are important firstly the mouthpiece because that is inside the Horses mouth either sitting comfortably allowing the Horse to close its mouth properly and swallow freely and giving understandable signals that the Horse can readily respond to and very importantly feel a reward from when the frame or the tempo is achieved
Or not sitting well and not following the conformation of the inside of the mouth and making the Horse unable to settle and be comfortable with the bit
And then the next consideration is the cheek which cheek do you choose to complement the mouthpiece to give you the right signals and the best control
Not all the mouthpieces come on all cheeks sometimes because its hard to have every combination and sometimes on purpose as some mouthpieces simply do not work with some cheek pieces
Or not sitting well and not following the conformation of the inside of the mouth and making the Horse unable to settle and be comfortable with the bit
And then the next consideration is the cheek which cheek do you choose to complement the mouthpiece to give you the right signals and the best control
Not all the mouthpieces come on all cheeks sometimes because its hard to have every combination and sometimes on purpose as some mouthpieces simply do not work with some cheek pieces
Cheekpieces
Loose Ring Cheek
means that the mouthpiece has a delayed action before it is activated. The rider picks up the rein pressure the rein rolls on the ring a little then the ring rolls on the mouthpiece a little and then the signal gets to the Horse some Horses and or riders hands will respond well to this. The plus points for the Horse are if a particular Horse is a little tentative about applied rein pressure or it’s a Horse that does not like its tongue to feel trapped behind the mouthpiece then the delayed action of the loose ring is a benefit.
The Eggbutt cheek
means that the mouthpiece is solidly attached to the cheek piece which has the advantage of firstly making sure that the corners of the lips of the Horse are always comfortable as there is no gap between the cheek and the mouthpiece. Also because of this solid fixing the action is well defined as you apply rein pressure the signal to the Horse is quicker and therefore very clear. You gain stability and a certain amount of directional support. As your Horse progresses through its training perhaps having quicker slicker signals is an advantage to the work you are doing.
Hanging Cheek
Hanging cheeks take a little more explanation as so often people get this wron
You fasten the cheek of your Bridle into the top staple of the cheek, meaning some of the weight of the bit is taken from the inside of the Horses mouth and onto the headpiece of the Bridle
The cheek of the bit is stabilised against the Horses face, and the mouthpiece stays central across the Horses tongue [its easier for a Horse to roll the mouthpiece up and down in especially a Loose Ring Cheek]
So when rein pressure is applied and then released the bit returns to the same place in the Horses mouth because of the cheek attachment.
The rein attaches to the larger ring and as the riders hands sit above the Horses mouth the rein rides in the top quadrant of the rein ring with the rein riding here there is no poll action, to create poll pressure you would have to anchor the rein down at the bottom of the rein Ring so that the cheek of the bit turns and that would create poll pressure .
An excellent cheek if you have a multi tasking Horse doing everything in one snaffle as it has a very supportive "stemmy" cheek against the Face that holds the mouthpiece neatly and centrally inside the mouth
The only time this would work against this theory if you have chosen a mouthpiece that your Horse does not like as there is less escape from the pressure with a Hanging Cheek than an Eggbutt or a Loose Ring cheek would afford
Having two sizes of Hanging Cheekpieces in your range is a bonus for fitting Small faces at one end of the scale and large faces at the other
The D Cheek
is a really supportive cheek it has a flat feel against the horses face very useful in the training of young Horses as you are teaching them the basics of steering it allows the riders rein signal the be backed up with some additional but comfortable face pressure. Also very useful if your horse does several different disciplines such as Dressage and Jumping in the same snaffle bit it is a supportive cheek for balance and jumping turns and gives you a much more versatile range of signals for a combination of jobs.
means that the mouthpiece has a delayed action before it is activated. The rider picks up the rein pressure the rein rolls on the ring a little then the ring rolls on the mouthpiece a little and then the signal gets to the Horse some Horses and or riders hands will respond well to this. The plus points for the Horse are if a particular Horse is a little tentative about applied rein pressure or it’s a Horse that does not like its tongue to feel trapped behind the mouthpiece then the delayed action of the loose ring is a benefit.
The Eggbutt cheek
means that the mouthpiece is solidly attached to the cheek piece which has the advantage of firstly making sure that the corners of the lips of the Horse are always comfortable as there is no gap between the cheek and the mouthpiece. Also because of this solid fixing the action is well defined as you apply rein pressure the signal to the Horse is quicker and therefore very clear. You gain stability and a certain amount of directional support. As your Horse progresses through its training perhaps having quicker slicker signals is an advantage to the work you are doing.
Hanging Cheek
Hanging cheeks take a little more explanation as so often people get this wron
You fasten the cheek of your Bridle into the top staple of the cheek, meaning some of the weight of the bit is taken from the inside of the Horses mouth and onto the headpiece of the Bridle
The cheek of the bit is stabilised against the Horses face, and the mouthpiece stays central across the Horses tongue [its easier for a Horse to roll the mouthpiece up and down in especially a Loose Ring Cheek]
So when rein pressure is applied and then released the bit returns to the same place in the Horses mouth because of the cheek attachment.
The rein attaches to the larger ring and as the riders hands sit above the Horses mouth the rein rides in the top quadrant of the rein ring with the rein riding here there is no poll action, to create poll pressure you would have to anchor the rein down at the bottom of the rein Ring so that the cheek of the bit turns and that would create poll pressure .
An excellent cheek if you have a multi tasking Horse doing everything in one snaffle as it has a very supportive "stemmy" cheek against the Face that holds the mouthpiece neatly and centrally inside the mouth
The only time this would work against this theory if you have chosen a mouthpiece that your Horse does not like as there is less escape from the pressure with a Hanging Cheek than an Eggbutt or a Loose Ring cheek would afford
Having two sizes of Hanging Cheekpieces in your range is a bonus for fitting Small faces at one end of the scale and large faces at the other
The D Cheek
is a really supportive cheek it has a flat feel against the horses face very useful in the training of young Horses as you are teaching them the basics of steering it allows the riders rein signal the be backed up with some additional but comfortable face pressure. Also very useful if your horse does several different disciplines such as Dressage and Jumping in the same snaffle bit it is a supportive cheek for balance and jumping turns and gives you a much more versatile range of signals for a combination of jobs.
Snaffles
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Harmony Eggbutt
The Harmony mouthpiece actively encourages a horse to move towards and push his tongue forward to the contact .As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece wraps around the tongue and lower jaw, taking in the whole of the tongue the sides of the lips and the sides of the bars and the sides of the lips in a perfect hoop. As the Round Lozenge is the correct length and the joints are neat and non invasive the Horse should move forward into the contact. Both branches of the bit are curved forward to go with the shape of the Horses tongue and roof of the mouth a. Good young Horse starter Bit. Very useful for Horses or Ponies that are uncomfortable with · A large joint or joints · Large long plates or lozenges · That block on one side as you flex or turn
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Harmony D Cheek
Very useful for Horses that are doing lots of jobs and need a comfortable forward encouraging mouthpiece with a supportive cheek Horses that are young and need an all round training bit to start in and then to carry on with work Horses that are being trained from the floor and need a simple comfortable bit with support and release and reward |
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Harmony Loose Ring
The Harmony mouthpiece actively encourages a horse to move towards and push his tongue forward to the contact .As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece wraps around the tongue and lower jaw, taking in the whole of the tongue the sides of the lips and the sides of the bars and the sides of the lips in a perfect hoop. As the Round Lozenge is the correct length and the joints are neat and non invasive the Horse should move forward into the contact. Both branches of the bit are curved forward to go with the shape of the Horses tongue and roof of the mouth a. Good young Horse starter Bit. Very useful for Horses or Ponies that are uncomfortable with · A large joint or joints · Large long plates or lozenges · That block on one side as you flex or turn |
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Harmony Hanging Cheek The Harmony mouthpiece actively encourages a horse to move towards and push his tongue forward to the contact .As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece wraps around the tongue and lower jaw, taking in the whole of the tongue the sides of the lips and the sides of the bars and the sides of the lips in a perfect hoop. As the Round Lozenge is the correct length and the joints are neat and non invasive the Horse should move forward into the contact. Both branches of the bit are curved forward to go with the shape of the Horses tongue and roof of the mouth unlike some Lozenge Snaffles that really pinch the Horses lower jaw . Good young Horse starter Bit.
Very useful for Horses or Ponies that are uncomfortable with · A large joint or joints · Large long plates or lozenges · That block on one side as you flex or turn · or are very busy in the mouth |
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Liberty Eggbutt
The Liberty has the most generous forward curve of all my Eggbutt snaffles and is new to the range for 2019 I have researched how much or how little curve you need to help different Horses to be able to respond well and after prototyping this bit it has come into stock and I am so pleased with the results It has really soft curve forward and feels very even into the riders hands Very useful for Horses that have been
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Precision Eggbutt
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Precision D Cheek
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Precision Loose Ring
The Precision mouthpiece is a combination of a generous round curve to the branches of the mouthpiece small non invasive joints and an Oval Lozenge that is rounded on the roof of the mouth and Oval on the tongue side The feel for the Horse and into the Riders hand is one of encouraging the Horse forward into the bit but when it gets there they should lighten up and flex to the Riders signals Very useful for Horses that need The confidence to go forward into the action of the Bit Can be a bit inflexible when they reach the end of the Rein Need clear signals from the Bradoon with out any restriction or Pinch |
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Response Loose Ring
The Response mouthpiece encourages a horse to move towards the bit but because of the structure of the Oblong lozenge and the positioning of the joints it discourages the Horse from getting too strong or set on the mouthpiece. As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece is pulled around the tongue and lower jaw with a really comfortable no pinch wrap effect , the mouthpiece has a structured feel in the centre of the tongue to dissuade the horse from leaning on the bit. The Lozenge is small neat and stays in the centre of the tongue and does not interfere with the edge of the tongue or the bars of the mouth This is a Oblong lozenge and not a plate a plate would have to be flat on both sides Very useful for Horses or Ponies that need to · Pay more heed to the mouthpiece · Are a little strong and too forward into the bit · That block on one side as you flex or turn · That are a little heavy in the hands |
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Doubler Eggbutt
The Doubler mouthpiece instead of having large wide joints that do not fit well between the top of the Horses tongue and the roof of the mouth this bit has small ball bearings and a very small barrel. As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece is pulled around the tongue and lower jaw, the mouthpiece has a structured feel in the centre of the tongue to dissuade leaning on the bit. Very useful for Horse or Ponies that need to · Pay more heed to the mouthpiece · Are a little strong and too forward into the bit · That block on one side as you flex or turn · That are a little heavy in the hands |
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Doubler Loose Ring
The Doubler mouthpiece instead of having large wide joints that do not fit well between the top of the Horses tongue and the roof of the mouth this bit has small ball bearings and a very small barrel. As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece is pulled around the tongue and lower jaw, the mouthpiece has a structured feel in the centre of the tongue to dissuade leaning on the bit. Very useful for Horse or Ponies that need to · Pay more heed to the mouthpiece · Are a little strong and too forward into the bit · That block on one side as you flex or turn · That are a little heavy in the hands |
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Doubler Hanging Cheek
The Doubler mouthpiece instead of having large wide joints that do not fit well between the top of the Horses tongue and the roof of the mouth this bit has small ball bearings and a very small barrel. As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece is pulled around the tongue and lower jaw, the mouthpiece has a structured feel in the centre of the tongue to dissuade leaning on the bit. Very useful for Horse or Ponies that need to · Pay more heed to the mouthpiece · Are a little strong and too forward into the bit · That block on one side as you flex or turn · That are a little heavy in the hands |
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Contour Loose Ring Snaffle
The Contour mouthpiece is a 14mm generously curved loose ring Snaffle designed to encourage the Horse forward into the contact Very useful for Horses and Ponies That like the slightly thicker mouthpieces That are reluctant to take the contact forward but like a feel from the hand Horses that have been in restrictive mouthpieces and have tongue issues |
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Attention Eggbutt
The Attention mouthpiece Is a curved mouthpiece with a Flat link in the middle so often French Link Style plates can be so long that the joints and even the plate interfere with the edge of the Horses tongue and the bars of the mouth and the really long ones can even end up with the joints in the corner of the lips A Horse is never going to respond well to a joint scraping into an area the hurts The Attention has a purposely small plate to keep the signals in the centre of the tongue where they are of the most use Very useful of Horses and Ponies that need to Be a little higher in the frame Be lighter in the Hand Be more respectful of the action of the bit |
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Bomber 30 Barrel Loose Ring
The Bomber 30 barrel mouthpiece is a really useful Bradoon to have in your arsenal if you have a yard full of Dressage Horses It has a generous forward curve to the mouthpiece The barrel in the centre contrary to popular belief does not roll on the Horses tongue It prevents the mouthpiece from closing to a pinching action as you hold the bit in your hands and bend the branches inwards the mouthpiece stops in a Mullen shape Very useful for a Horse that is
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