Tack Ranch Equestrian Sales Western and English Horseback Riding

There are many different types of bits available, but they can be categorized into five main groups: the snaffle, pelham, curb, gag, and bitless.

Bits work by applying pressure to different areas of the mouth and head of the horse such as the tongue, bars of the mouth, lips and corners of the mouth, chin groove, nose, poll, and the roof of the mouth (which is not an area that modern bits concentrate on).

The Snaffle Bit~

This bit works in three different areas, the lips, the tongue and the bars of the mouth and can have a slight head- raising action. There are numerous different types of snaffle, which produce different effects, some being more severe than others.

The Pelham~

The Pelham exerts pressure on the bars, the tongue, the lips and the poll. Pelhams are used with a curb chain and lip straps, and should sit lower than a snaffle in the mouth but higher than a curb.

This bit effectively tries to produce in one bit the same results as the combination of the double bridle's bridoon and curb.

The Curb bit~

Exerts pressure on the tongue and bars of the mouth and also on the poll.

This is one of the bits used in the double bridle; the other is the bridoon, which is a type of snaffle. Many designs of the curb chain, but the most popular is the Weymouth.

The Gag~
to raise the horse's head by use of the roof and upper bars. Should be used on two reins, so that the snaffle action can be used for the general riding and only when necessary the correctional gag rein can raise the horse's head.

Bitless Bridle/ Hackamore~
as there is no mouthpiece, this form of bridle only uses the points of control outside of the horse's mouth, particularly the nose.

Choosing the correct size of bit is essential if it is to work properly. This sounds obvious, but is often neglected as bits get changed from one horse to another.

Using a bit that you already have, pull the bit through the horse's mouth, so that the cheek on one side lies flush against the horse's face. You should then be able to fit one to two fingers in between the cheek of the bit and the horse's lips on the opposite side.

Alter the cheek pieces until the bit lies in the correct position in the horse's mouth, which usually means a small wrinkle at each corner. A common mistake is fitting the bit to high, so that the horse has a huge grin. It should not be too low either, otherwise the bit can bang on the horse's teeth.

If the horse has a large fleshy tongue or shallow pallet, the available space in the mouth won't accommodate a thicker mouthpiece and will result in a squashing feeling if you chose to use one. Therefore, when faced with a large, fleshy tongue or a shallow pallet, a slimmer mouthpiece is the only option.