Snaffle Bit Analysis

When choosing the right bit for your horse, you must first decide what type of bit would work the best, either curb or snaffle bit. A snaffle bit is usually made of two rings and a piece of material that goes through the horse mouth. The size and shape of rings can widely vary, as well as the material that makes up the mouth piece. A snaffle bit achieves direct pressure on the horse mouth because when you pull on the reins, the snaffle bit , put the amount of pressure you are pulling with on to the horse's mouth. The direct pressure of a snaffle bit is controlled completely by the rider, and a snaffle bit give the rider no additional leverage on the bit. The other type of bit is the curb bit which works by utilizing the leverage that …show more content…
The four main categories of snaffle bit rings are loose ring, D-ring, eggbutt, and full cheek. A loose or O ring snaffle has a ring that is free moving, and that is not directly connected to the bit. Since the ring is not directly part of the bit, when a rider pulls on the reins of a loose ring snaffle the horse gets a feel for the pressure before the full extent of the pressure is exerted. This type of bit is known to be gentle and forgiving in young horses or horses that don’t like much plate pressure. A d-ring snaffle is D shaped ring that one piece and is connected directly to the mouthpiece of the bit. The D-ring is a little less forgiving on the horse's side because the ring doesn't rotate which means the horse has much less time to react to pressure on the reins. A variation of the D-ring is the full cheek, which look like exactly what it sounds like. The full cheek has a small ring that is directly connected to the bit, and is not free moving. A full cheek also has two metal rods that extend both up and down the cheek from the ring, these help spread the pressure around to different parts of the mouth and face. The last type of ring that you will see on a snaffle bit is an egg-butt ring. An egg butt shaped snaffle works much like a D-ring, but the mouthpieces are often larger in diameter which changes how the pressure is distributed and …show more content…
The first thing to think about when choosing a bit is the diameter of the mouthpiece. The rule about the diameter of mouthpiece is that a mouthpiece should be just a hair wider than the horse mouth but no more. If a mouthpiece is too wide then the pressure and be too much in some places, well there could be absolutely no pressure in other places,and vice-versa. In a simple world all bits would be made from the same material, but of course this just isn’t the case. Bits can be made out of aluminum,chrome,copper,stainless steel,rubber,vulcanite, leather,and many many other materials, Different types of bit materials, especially different types of metals help a horse salivate, which helps keep the mouth soft. A salivating horse with soft mouth is usually much more willing to cooperate then one that isn’t. The material from mouthpiece to mouthpiece can vary widely, as can the surface of the mouth piece. Some mouthpieces are twisted or rolled,which makes them more severe towards the horse, and it also increases the bits surface area, which in turn increases pressure when