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The bit, bridle and reins function together to give control of the horse's head to the rider. The bit applies pressure to the horse's mouth, and reinforces the other control signals from the rider's legs and weight distribution. A well schooled horse needs little pressure on the bit from a skilled rider.
When riding and driving, the horse is required to wear a bit in its mouth, connected to reins.The bit is often invasive for the animal. [6] The setup of the bit and the forces exerted by the reins play a crucial role in the oral health and comfort of ridden or harnessed horses. [7]
A Liverpool bit Liverpool bit with reins attached in the middle slot. A Liverpool bit is a type of bit mainly used on driving horses. The Liverpool is characterized by its circular ring and the straight side piece with three slots, offering several positions for attaching reins. Different positions change the severity of the bit through its ...
Horses naturally open their mouths to relieve the pain when a bit – a metal bar placed over the tongue – causes too much pressure, experts say. But dressage competitors lose points if their ...
A curb bit works on several parts of a horse's head and mouth. The bit mouthpiece acts on the bars, tongue and roof of the mouth. The shanks add leverage and place pressure on the poll via the crownpiece of the bridle, to the chin groove via the curb chain, and, especially with a "loose jaw" shank, may act on the sides of the mouth and jaw.
This latter method is only possible because bit keepers ensure the bit stays in a fixed position in the horse's mouth, and thus bits that do not use bit keepers (e.g., a D-ring or eggbutt) do not have this milder option. This bit can put pressure on the tongue, although it also adds pressure to the bars and lips of the mouth.
A snaffle bit is the most common type of bit used while riding horses. It consists of a mouthpiece and two rings. The mouthpieces may be jointed. A snaffle gives direct pressure on the horse's mouth and has no leveraging shank. A bridle utilizing only a snaffle bit is often called a "snaffle bridle", particularly in English riding.
A spade bit A poster illustrating the process of training a spade bit horse. The spade bit is a historic vaquero design for a type of curb bit with straight, highly decorated shanks and a mouthpiece that includes a straight bar, a narrow port with a cricket, and a "spoon," a flat, partly rounded plate affixed above the port, supported by braces on either side.