Ultimate Book of Horse Bits

Why are some bits so expensive? For one thing, the raw materials out of which quality bits are fashioned are relatively expensive to produce. The second reason is that a well-made bit must touch many human hands before it is complete. That means a high cost of labor.

Yes, some bits are made in automated factories. You can usually tell these bits from the handmade kind because they might have some rough edges or welds, they might feel unbalanced, they might have uneven coloring, or their links and connections may not be smooth.

If you were to hire one of the custom bit makers, here’s what would happen: The bit maker would come to your horse. First he would talk with you about what particular problem you were trying to solve, or what you were looking for in a bit. Then he’d likely take a good look at and, most importantly, feel of the horse’s mouth by sticking his index and second fingers inside to gauge the width of the bars, the thickness of the tongue, and the height of the palate. He’d roll back the horse’s lips to see how his teeth align and the shape of his bite. A skilled bit maker would want to see you ride your horse. He would note the subtleties of the horse’s movement, areas of tension, and how the horse was reacting to rein pressure and other rider aids. He’d question you about what you’d hope to accomplish with a new bit. Once he had determined those specifics, he would go off to his workshop—a metal working shop—and begin to fashion your bit.

HIGH-QUALITY Mass-Produced Bits

On a bigger scale, the Herm Sprenger factory in Germany has been making high-end English bits for over one hundred years. While the company turns out lots of bits, each one is still crafted by a human being. The process begins with a mold of wax in the shape of each particular bit’s mouthpiece. In the case of the single-jointed snaffle, for example, the mold is in the shape of the canons (mouthpieces)—the two pieces will be welded together after all the parts are made. Then hot metal is poured into the mold and allowed to harden (See page 59).

Next, the piece moves to the assembly stage. Holes are made in either end for the insertion of the rings and the joint is fixed to the center of the bit. At this stage, the decision is made as to what kind of cheek or ring the bit will have—D, full cheek, eggbutt, and so on. Then the bit is smoothed in a vat of stones and hand-polished, packed, and shipped to your local tack store or your doorstep. Even though the process for making bits may be more automated than it was in past centuries, the basic theory remains unchanged.

After the casting process, bit pieces are assembled. The rings are attached to the canons. The bit is then hand- and machine-polished. The vat in this photo contains smooth stones for that purpose.

It is important to know the bit-making process to understand quality. When you consider buying a bit, make sure you feel it carefully. Run your hands over the edges: the bit should be smooth and no burrs should catch on your skin. Pay particular attention to the connection points where the bit has been welded together by either man or machine. The joints should be smooth. The skin around the horse’s mouth, and particularly the corners of the lips, is thin and sensitive. A poorly made bit that pinches or pokes could cause the horse to begin to resist the bit, toss his head, and become irritated with the bridle in general.

While there are many well-made bits in the world, there are also plenty of poorly made bits. The quality of the raw material is important (see chapter 7), as is the fabrication process. Machine-made bits may be less expensive, but they won’t have been subjected to the scrutiny of an individual, and thus could have defects. You can buy a perfectly good bit for less than $100; just know that the bit needs to meet your quality requirements or you could create an inadvertent horse-training problem.

Another inspection bit buyers need to undertake is the balance test. With a jointed bit, drape it across the back of your hand or your forearm. The center joint should be in the center of your arm or hand. Let it rest there. Does it feel as if you have equal weight on either side of your hand? Because bits are made in pieces, it is quite possible that one side could be slightly heavier than the other. A well-constructed bit should feel precisely balanced on either side.

Test your bit’s balance by laying it across either your fingers or the back of your hand. Does it feel even? Are the rings the same size and the same angle? This bit is actually slightly off-balance. The right ring is bent slightly more than the left.

BIT BALANCE

When we talk about balance for a Western curb bit, it means the leverage action of the bit rather than its manufacturing. The shape of a curb bit’s shanks and the angle of the mouthpiece determine the balance. Although any bit must be well made, the balance of the curb determines the speed of tightening and release of the curb strap and how the leverage is applied to the poll. Rest the bit on your hand with the front of the bit facing away from you. Draw an imaginary line from the mouthpiece straight to the floor. When the bit is resting on your hand, note whether it floats toward you, floats away from you, or remains stable. That determines whether the bit is under or over balanced. It basically measures the weight of the shanks and angle in relationship to the mouthpiece.

The length and angle of the shanks determine the “balance” of the bit—in other words, how it rests in the horse’s mouth.

Next, drape the bit over your index finger, letting each side of the link fall on either side of your finger. Do you feel any pinching? Do both sides of the bit feel identical on either side of your finger? If you’re testing a double-jointed bit, such as a French snaffle or Dr. Bristol (see chapter 10), test each of the links.

For single-bar bits, such as a mullen mouth or a curb bit, simply rest the bit across the palm of your hand. Feel the weight. It should feel like one continuous piece of metal, with both sides the same weight. Run your finger over the entire length on all sides to check for rough spots or rough edges, particularly where the cheeks attach to the shanks or rings.

It’s also wise to check on your bit after each use. We may look closely at a bit before we buy it, but then we attach it to the bridle, put it in the horse’s mouth, and promptly forget about it. But bits wear, just like leather and other saddlery, and need regular inspection, cleaning, and polishing. After you rinse off your bit (which you should do after every ride), inspect the edges, the corners, and the finish. Note any irregular wear patterns or sharp edges. Less expensive bits and those that are plated, as well as those made of softer materials such as rubber, plastic, or copper, tend to wear more quickly than those made of stainless steel, sweet iron, German silver, or Aurigan.

As a horse owner, your quality control should be the same with synthetics, such as Nathe or vulcanite. Check your bit regularly for signs of wear, rubbing your fingers over it frequently. Wash it off after each ride, as the dried saliva and grass bits that accumulate in bits can cause decay.

Taking care of your bits properly will make them last a lot longer and ensure that they aren’t hurting your horse with crustiness that can rub your horse’s lips and cheeks.

When you buy a new bit, first wash it well in mild dish soap and warm water, making sure to rinse it thoroughly. Before you attach it to your bridle, give the bridle a good oiling, especially the loops that attach the bridle to the bit and the reins—these often get stiff from horse saliva and can dry and crack easily. It’s crucial that these attachments are regularly checked to make sure the leather is holding its integrity. Also make sure your bridle is adjusted properly. Your cavesson noseband should rest no more than two fingers’ width from the bottom of your horse’s protruding cheekbone. For bridles without a noseband, the cheeks should not be so loose that pulling the sides away from the horse’s face has no impact on the position of the bit. The bridle and bit adjustment should cause no more than two wrinkles in the corners of the horse’s lips. Some Western bits are designed to be worn lower in the mouth, however, so adjust accordingly.

After each ride, dip the bit in clean water and rub the residue off with a towel or a soft sponge. Keep an old toothbrush handy to clean out the joints and hinges. A plain piece of steel wool (not the kind infused with soap) helps to rub off rust or anything stuck on the bit. If you want your horse to have a little sweet rust taste on his metal bit, you might want to skip this last step. Wipe the bit dry with a clean cloth. Another method is to simply put your bit in the dishwasher and run it on the regular cycle. Also, if your bit rings squeak or lock, use an eyedropper or cotton swab to dab the moving parts with corn, olive, or vegetable oil. Now and then, polish your bits with a bit polish.

If you switch bits between different horses, or if you’ve been trading bits around the barn, set the dishwasher to “sanitize,” or drop the bits in a pot of boiling water for five minutes. Always give the bit a really good cleaning after it’s been in a different horse’s mouth. Another quick way to disinfect a bit is to wash it with Listerine or other minty mouthwash that has bacteria-killing properties.

If you simply dip your bit in a bucket of clean water and rub it with your fingers or a soft sponge after every ride, and wash it in soap, water, and mouthwash when you do your regular tack cleaning routine, your bit won’t collect any gunk in the joints and it will wear much longer.