Bits, Bits and more Bits! (Western Snaffle Guide)

Honestly how does one ever choose the right bit? That might be a big question for today's post, but I thought this would be a good time to dig into the basic's of western bits, just to give ya'll a general idea and a little more terminology for your equine toolbox!

Categories

Western bits can be broken down into two main categories, snaffle bits and curb bits.

snaffle - is considered a non-leverage bit. Also it is commonly considered the milder of the two types of bits, but there are certain modifications that can be made to snaffles that increase the severity. Rein pressure = bit pressue.

Curbs - as you would expect, it is the opposite of the snaffle meaning it is a leverage bit, and that means depending on the shank length, there will be more bit pressure with less hand pressure.

I am going to mostly dive into snaffle bits this week, because there is a wide variety of snaffle bits and I'm sure you'll want to have time to check out all the other awesomeness on this web page!

We're going to kick it off by starting with cheek rings, which are the side pieces that hold the mouth piece.

D Ring Snaffle

The D shape in this bit fixes the cheek piece to the mouth piece, for zero bit rotation, but this one does place some lateral pressure on the mouth.

Eggbutt Snaffle Bit

A lot of people say this bit is slightly less harsh than the D ring, as the corners be the mouth piece are rounded and do not put as much lateral pressure on the mouth, therefore "pinching" less. This bit is also considered fixed, with zero bit rotation.

Full Cheek Snaffle

This bit is excellent for any horses needing help with lateral guidance. I find this one especially helpful when starting young colts, who need a little extra support when learning what rein pressure is. This is also helpful for fixing the bit in the mouth so the mouthpiece has limited movement laterally.

Loose O Ring Snaffle

The primary difference in this bit, is the freedom of bit rotation. Some people say the horse is much more comfortable with a loose ring bit, because the horse has more freedom to choose where the bit sits in the mouth.

Snaffle Mouthpieces

Mullen Mouth Bit: No joint, slight curve (mild)

Ported Mouthpiece: No Joint, port reduces pressure over tongue, but increases bar pressure

Single Jointed snaffle. allows for unequal bit pressure from individual reins.

Double Jointed Snaffle. Similar to single with more bit movement and individualized bit pressure.

French Link. this bit is intended for the same reason as a double jointed snaffle, but is supposed to decrease the 'nutcracker' effect that other snaffles may have on the roof of the mouth.

Roller mouthpiece. This piece is typically designed to entertain or calm a horse during riding, providing a focus for them.

Twisted wire mouthpiece.The smaller the twist and thinner the mouth piece, severity increases.

These are just a few of the millions of variations out there! The best advise I can give is to analyze each piece of the bit, how it is similar to other more simple versions, and what application does each piece have? Whenever in doubt, make sure to ask your friends and any other equine connections!

Hope this helped ya'll learn a tad bit more about western snaffles! Subscribe to my page to stay up to date with all the exciting learning adventures I have planned!

- C