Figuring out the right bit for your horse can be challenging whether you are a Dressage, Hunter/Jumper, Eventer, or a pleasure rider. This article will help you with where to start by discussing the two main categories of bits. This is an appetizer of sorts, not a full “course” on everything, but a way to get started in how to think about bits from the horse’s perspective.
When you want to improve your riding, you go to a trainer. When your horse is lame, you call the vet. If your horse's back is sore, you call the saddle fitter to check if your saddle fits properly. But what do you do when you are having bitting issues?
When I first started riding and well into my career as a trainer, information and recommendations came from my trainer or best friend. It was not science or research based; it was just someone’s “opinion” that was then interpreted as fact. I think it was like that for most of us. Fortunately, in today’s world we have many more resources. Companies like Neue Schule USA, with its commitment to education, offers courses in bits and bit fitting, as well as certifications to become a bit fitter. The number of resources including articles, podcasts and blogs is overwhelming, leading to more certified bit and bridle fitters in the equine industry offering clinics and individual fittings.
Having personally fit bits to an endless number of horses in different disciplines, I know how overwhelming it can seem. Regardless of your discipline, I find it helps to simplify bits into categories.
A STARTING POINT
There are a few questions to consider when you start to look at which bits you want to try on your horse. What's your discipline and what do you need the bit to do for you? What's your horse's level of training? What's your level of training? What is the intended outcome you are looking for? Are you looking for more comfort or a refinement of communication with your horse? Have you tried bits that either worked well or were absolutely inappropriate? Asking questions is a direct line to “data” or information. Information is golden.
Now, let’s look at the components or anatomy of the bit to understand its different parts.
When you look at a bit, the top two considerations to factor into your “bit decision” are (1) the mouthpiece and (2) the action it creates. Along with the general shape of the mouthpieces, they can come in many different variations and different materials from plastics to steel.
There are four basic mouthpiece options:
- Straight bar, which acts mainly on the tongue.
- Single joint, which acts on the tongue and bars. (It can nutcracker into the palate.)
- Double jointed, which gives a more even distribution of pressure across the tongue and bars and does not nutcracker.
- And Multi jointed, which molds to the shape of the mouth, acting on the tongue, bars and lips.
The two main categories of bits based on their action are snaffle and leverage bits. The first category is the snaffle, or any bit with the reins attached directly to the mouthpiece. The pressure applied to the bit is directly the amount of pressure applied to the reins. This results in the action of the bit being mainly on the horse’s tongue and bars. Snaffles are further broken down into Loose Ring or Fixed Cheek snaffles.
Loose ring snaffles: a bit is considered a loose ring snaffle when the cheek of the bit moves freely through the Cannon of the bit. =This design allows for more direct and dynamic communication between the horse and rider. The horse feels the action of the reins lending to increase responsiveness of the horse. Loose ring snaffles have always been very popular with dressage riders, and we are seeing many more riders from other disciplines utilizing loose ring snaffles to add more refinement to their performance.
Fixed cheek snaffles: a bit is considered a fixed cheek snaffle when the cheek attaches directly to the cannons of the bit, thus creating a quieter feel in the horse's mouth. Fixed cheek bits can aid in lateral stability, turning, and straightness. This is very popular across all disciplines, but particularly when training young horses or in disciplines like jumping that require sharper turns. Examples of fixed cheek snaffles would include the D ring, full cheek, baucher, an eggbutt snaffles.
The second category is Leverage Bits. A leverage bit is one where the rein attaches below the level of the cannons. These bits act on the horse’s poll, chin groove if they have a curb chain, lower jaw with leather curb strap, and possibly the tongue, lips, and bars of the horse’s mouth. This all depends on the number of reins used and if a curb chain or strap is used. Riders often seek out a leverage bit when working at faster speeds or looking for a quicker response. These bits should be used by skilled riders and on more educated horses. It is important to understand how they work as some of these bits can be quite strong.
Below are examples of these leverage bits, including the Weymouth curb bits, pelhams, two and three ring gags, elevator bits, running gags, western curbs (which we won’t address in this article), and a multitude of other combination bits.
The Weymouth curb has a straight bar mouthpiece and utilizes a curb chain. With the main action on the poll, chin groove, and potentially the tongue it is often utilized in dressage as part of the double bridle. There are many mouthpiece options to choose from, but if it is your horse’s first Weymouth, then start with something very mild with a little tongue relief, like the Starter (left) or Slimma (right) bits (pictured below).
Two and three ring gag bits are quite common in the jumpers and in eventing, and can be used with one rein or two reins and with or without a curb strap. Unlike the curb chain used in the Weymouth curb, the curb strap is up under the jawbone and generally made of leather. The action of this bit is on the poll, lips, tongue, and jaw depending on rein placement and the curb strap.
Demi Anky Universal
Pelhams are a combination of a snaffle and curb. They have less lever action and generally less poll pressure than a gag bit due to the curb chain. It can be used with two reins or a rein converter and a curb chain.
Tranz Angled Lozenge Pelham
Elevator bits-are a combination of the baucher and curb bit. They generally use one or two reins and apply most of their pressure on the poll and lips.
Tranz Angled Lozenge Elevator
Running gags-use a rope or leather cheekpiece that goes through the cheeks of the bit. The mouthpiece can be single, double, or multi jointed, and the cheeks can be loose ring or fixed cheeks. The main action of this bit is on the poll and lips.
Transz Angled Lozenge Balding
Besides the bits outlined here, there are many other leverage bits that are combinations of different cheeks, with different mouthpieces, with additional attachments that apply pressure to the horse’s nose or poll, or all areas on the horse’s face. Always be sure to understand how the bit works before you put it on.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Ideally, it would be simple, but we haven’t even discussed your horse, their personality, strengths, or weakness, skills, etc. Again, the more questions you can ask and even answer, the better fit you can create for you and your horse. To help, I have listed a few example cases below. See if you can find something that feels similar to your situation. While bits and bitting is a huge topic with multiple facets and ever evolving science, start simple. In the horse world, it is hard to embrace the “less is more” ideology, but many times, it is true. From there, continue to build your own knowledge base and education by reading and learning, and if possible, utilize your experts. Bit and bridle fitters are growing fields and if you need help, they can be a great resource.
Case number 1:
My horse is a 4-year-old, 16.2 hands Dutch Warmblood gelding that I'm training in dressage. He walks, trots, and canters, but hasn’t done much else. He is currently in a double-jointed loose ring snaffle and I'm finding it very hard to keep him balanced, especially when I'm turning. He can also get a bit nervous in his upward transitions and sometimes tosses his head. What do you recommend?
This is a very common example of a call I'll get. Here are the common things that stand out in this case:
- This is a young horse
- Green in his training
- Unbalanced
- Could use a little assistance in turning
- Might benefit from something he can lean on just a little, or that sits very quiet in his mouth
For this horse I would try a fixed cheek snaffle, probably an eggbutt, or if I felt like he needed more lateral turning support, a D-ring or full cheek. This horse needs something “quiet” in his mouth to help him in this learning phase, especially until he gets a little more balanced and more confident.
Case number 2:
I have a 9-year-old warmblood mare that was bred to jump. She is a super jumper that can jump the moon but grabs the bit sometimes and then all bets are off. We could have the fastest time, but when I can’t control her at the base of the jump, she often takes the rails down. If I could just find something that she wouldn’t grab, it would be really helpful.
This is also a very common scenario with jumpers and eventers. The things that stand out here are the following:
- More educated than the last horse.
- Grabs the bit.
- Gets too strong and can’t listen to their rider’s communications.
In this case, I would start by trying a Waterford with a lip shelf, preventing the mare from being able to grab the bit. If it is a sensitive horse, then a Waterford snaffle may be enough. If she still gets a bit strong, then a Waterford universal or even a Waterford pelham may work better, but that would be a great place to start.
Case number 3:
I have a 10-year-old hunter and he is really sensitive so I ride him in a really thick rubber pelham, but he opens his mouth which hurts us in the ring.
The things that stand out here are the following:
- Hunter
- Sensitive
- Pelham
- Open mouth
Again, a common complaint. The first thing I would try is a thinner mouth piece. I find that the rubber pelhams are often so thick that the finer headed horses cannot fully close their mouth and just by giving them a thinner mouthpiece, many of their issues resolve. I would also make sure that the rider is using a curb chain cover to lessen the harsh feel a curb chain can produce.
Case number 4:
I bought an upper-level dressage horses and I have been riding in the bits he came with, but he can get unsteady in the hand at times, especially in lateral work. The bits seem really heavy, and the curb sticks out about a ¼ inch on either side of the mouth. The snaffle seems to fit ok.
The things that stand out here are the following:
- Upper level- so trained
- Dressage in a double
- Heavy
- Curb is big
- Unsteady in lateral work.
Although there are a few variations, this is another common complaint. The first thing that stands out is it sounds as though the curb bit is too big. Because the curb bit is designed to sit on the lower jaw, if it is too big, it wobbles on the lower jaw and can be distracting at best and painful at worst. Second, she complained about the weight of the bits. Some of the German silver or steel bits can be quite heavy so I would change the curb to something a little lighter and a half inch smaller. The curb should sit flush against the lips and have enough weight for the horse to know it is there, but not so heavy that it distracts the horse. Once I have found the right curb, then I can decide if this horse needs a different snaffle.
Case number 5:
I purchased a wonderful 16 hand Thoroughbred gelding about a year ago. When I tried him, he was perfect. About two months after buying him, he started putting his head up and avoiding the bridle, and becomes fussy when I pick up contact, often throwing his head around making him unsteady in the contact. I have tried every sort of bit out there from snaffles to pelhams, I’ve even tried rubber and several different metal bits but it does not seem to matter. I had the dentist check his mouth and it is fine. What do I do?
In this case, it is likely this horse’s reaction has nothing to do with the bits. It turns out that she wanted to buy him a fancy bridle because she loved him so much. Unfortunately, the browband was too small and so the crown piece was being pulled up against his ears and he hated it. Once we changed his bridle, he went back to being the perfect horse she had purchased.
SPOILER ALERT
It is not always a bitting issue! Looking for other signs of discomfort is an obvious piece of advice that we can overlook in our desire to help our horses. Sometimes the head tossing, grinding, or grabbing the bit is the horse trying to communicate discomfort somewhere else in the body. The reason I became involved in bits, bit technology, and specifically Neue Schule as a bit company was because of how significantly bit fit impacts a horse and performance. Everything we do with and to our horses has impact, with much of remaining a mystery to us non-equines. There are many elements to consider when evaluating health or performance of any horse and rider combination and I know bits are just one part. In my experience, if you can get even one part better, it tends to help the other parts.
For more help and information contact: [email protected] or go to www.NSBitsUSA.com.
All photos are courtesy of Neue Schule USA
About the author:
Mette Larsen is a lifelong equestrian from Denmark who grew up in the U.S. She has dedicated her life to the world of horses, and has extensive experience in the Pony Club, eventing, hunter/jumper and dressage. Professionally, Mette is a board-certified physician specializing in family practice and geriatrics. Her compassion for human health extends to her equestrian endeavors at Metlar Dressage in Ocala, Fla., where she fosters a holistic approach to horse training and sales that focuses on the well-being of both horse and rider. Mette discovered Neue Schule bits while on a trip to Germany, where she was impressed by the science and empathy behind their design. She is now the US distributor, having recognized their potential to enhance equestrian performance while prioritizing animal welfare. Neue Schule is the Official Bit of the United States Equestrian Federation.