The Bit - Device for fine Communication or Torment

Juan Jose Arhancetbehere 

The bit provides one of the important elements of control to ride horses, nonetheless their material, bad design or poor use can contribute to handicap the horse’s performance and, furthermore, create a hazard to their health and demeanor. 

The message to the horse from the rider's hands could be subtle, sharp or extremely aggressive, to convey the same command. The only leveler is the rider’s knowledge, dexterity, and empathy. The hard manipulation of the reins can be further aggravated by the rider's balance (or lack thereof), riding technique, the complexity of the task in hand and by the type of bit in the horse's mouth. There are plenty of riders who rely on the reins as the main source of balance to keep them in the saddle or to forcefully bend the horse’s neck in a misguided attempt to show a false or so-called ‘collected’ shape. There is also the simplistic argument that is not harsh bits but the riders who abuse them. A similar argument to the arms lobby group that 'guns don't kill people, the hand that pulls the trigger does'. 

In my opinion, many bits or steel contraptions should not be allowed to be used in horses at all, no matter the hands behind them. All too often riders have the belief that horses need strong pressures to control them. The bigger the horse, the bigger the bit. It can be said that bits are one of the most ‘myth’-understood devices that man has invented through the centuries to control horses. It is unbelievable what some riders think or expect of their horses with these contraptions alone 

Is very important to understand that is not just the use of the bit which keeps the horse under control...but rather the overall correct training and partnership/trust. If one can put it into percentages, correct riding techniques should be approx 80% influenced by the seat and 20% by the hands. So one must bear in mind that when a horse is fighting the bit (reacting to the pain caused by) at this point he has lost the feeling /attention for the rest of the rider's commands (aids). Riders should be very aware that hands should not be louder than the rest of the body communications 

The bit should be just an integral part of the complex physical communication system and not been considered as the predominant medium or critical element to control the horse. The bit should be a part of this communication system by being first, directional and second, as a part of the speed/power control network There are a large percentage of riders with the mindset that different bits will correct specific horse problems, behavior or even enhance the performance Problems with horses have to be resolved at the source, which is infallibly 99% the riders’ bad attitude, poor training, inadequate riding technique or simply bad posture or lack of balance, otherwise the undesirable attitude will continue its mutation into a different form somewhere along the line. 

Horses are like a mute individual who has only physical behavioral signs to communicate. The bit should form a part of that complex physical communication system between horse and rider without acting as the preponderant or imperative element of control. The bit should be a part of this communication system by being first directional and second as a part of the speed/power control network 

A common mistake regarding horse control is to put too much emphasis on the bit in use. Most of the time the expectations that the riders put on the type and use of the bit are unrealistic Again, riders should not need strong bits to control horses if they know how to ride properly, to have their horse’s attention and influence their behavior on the saddle 

The horses are flight animals and severe restrictions of their flight impulses by the reins and bits will cause often stress and pain not just in the mouth and neck but also in the back and not to forget that also will play a great deal in its state of mind. 

It is remarkable that the mouth, one of the most sensitive and important parts in the horse's anatomy, too often is underestimated or overlooked ‘In all Interaction with horses, the main priority should be its comfort’. Therefore what is placed in its sensitive mouth should be of vital importance, yet so much hardware is placed here, and in some cases savage contraptions in order to control the horse Dressage regarded as one of the most refine branch of equitation, a sophisticated equestrian art form, uses at its high levels no one by two steel bits simultaneously. This could be seen as an ambiguity in the oratory of some pseudo-classical riders /trainers when they talk about softness, collection engagement, roundness, happy horses, balance. Questionable messages when achieved by double steel bits,... or just merely a case of following traditions? So, the question in the dressage world is' the double bridle can still coexist in a more horse-friendly sports environment? Proof of that The Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation, after a 3 years pilot announce in 2014 that horses may be ridden without bits at the lower levels in recognized shows in the Netherlands 

Respect for traditions should not prevent the love for progress 

Often we hear 'no foot, no horse, but how about 'no mouth..?’ Horses with ailments in their mouth have a great propensity to subsequently have a multitude of health problems including difficulty eating, poorly masticated food, digestive problem or loss of general condition. All of these issues affect the horse's demeanor, attitude, behavior, appearance, and health, even death caused by aggravated conditions. The overall health of the horse starts at the mouth and we should pay great attention to it. 

Resistance to the bit 

Often one can hear, riders, and trainers, particularly the competitive ones, no matter how sympathetic they are towards their mounts, they seem to have a way to view and transmit softening commentaries on the head equipment they use to convey their wishes to their equine partner. The combined equipment placed on a horse's head in order to control them, including the bridle, bits, varied nosebands, draw reins, etc tends to be viewed with rose-colored glasses, and is justified in terms of the promptness and speed of delivery of the difficult or sharp maneuvers demand from their horses. 

I had heard statements like this for instance : (many documented in videos) that an elevator bit will break the horse at the poll in order to soften his jaw and make him rounder' (??) 'this bit is good to keep him balanced',( ??) 'this bit will help him manage the corners'(??) ‘this bit will make his mouth better’(??) There is also discussion of horses becoming 'immune to the bit', or 'if the bit is too light, the horse will come out of it'. "elevator with a chain will make a horse to break at the poll,...to soften his jaw, to go rounder"?? 

These are some of the commentaries some riders are making when mentioning that equipment used to deliver rapid, strict direct orders to the equine partners. 

Another fallacy is when a rider will say I like this or the other bit, how about the horse one may ask? 

“I favour,I prefer,I love a determined bit” as a statement from a well known, celebrated trainer/coach will be taken as a strong recommendation, a take-home valuable tip for success for learners That is why very influential trainers, coach, educators should be very aware of the importance of their words/advise and all the consequences that they might imply. For those who believe in the principle that “ bits are for the riders as much as they are for the horses” One could say that they seem to detach from the prime consideration, that is the horse that is wearing the piece of hardware in its mouth Once in a visit to my dentist, while he was digging enthusiastically with his sharp, noisy and intimidating drill into my decayed tooth ” stop being a wuss and complaining about pain I do not feel a thing” Also there is the argument out there that there are some big horses who might struggle with collection, and some small riders that they might struggle with their control Some trainers also are in the belief that “it is better in the long run to have more control (=stronger bit ) given to a petit rider rather than the horse always leaning against the reins” I will humbly suggest to those that a better solution is to match the horse with riding capability of the rider. If one needs a trunk of gadgets to harness the horses' enthusiastic demeanor and extravagant power is not your match, do not get stronger bits or other means of restrain. Either get another horse or improve your riding skills to match the horses' natural attributes Force will destroy the good riding action or good movements will crumble under forceful restrictions from the rider PRESSURE= RESISTANCE=FIGHT= CEASE ALL GOOD COMMUNICATION Example the competition life of TOTILAS after Edward Gal I consider myself a very competent driver. I can drive my car or truck under any conditions with a high degree of confidence, but I will not be as confident to drive a high-performance Ferrari to its optimal potential 

Sweet iron, aurigan alloy, copper bits, and others, are also sometimes referred in terms of 'softer" " warmer"....than what one might ask? In any event after a while any metal you might put in the horse's mouth will transfer the heat from its body, onto the metal 

Foaming at the mouth, chewing at the bit is traditionally considered a sign of a soft mouth horse. Arguably nowadays there is a discussion if when the horse is chewing at the bit is a sign of relaxation or the opposite anxiety One also must take into consideration when trying to unlock the real mean of it, that salivation also occurs as the horse masticate the fodder in order to moisten the bolus to be swallowed, so one can also take into the equation that the action of salivation can be just a reflex triggered by a foreign object/matter in the horse's mouth 

I will suggest you try to put a bar of steel in your mouth? after a short while, you will start salivating too The horse is preeminently a nose breather, if one observes horses running free in a paddock it will be obvious that the mouth will be closed and their lips will be sealed, to stop air to enter the digestive tract If a bit were to interfere with breathing that in terms will interfere with locomotion because the two are related A study shows that a bit triggers digestive tract reflexes which are physiological opposed to rapid breathing when exercise. No one including horses can eat and exercise at the same time, these two activities are mutually exclusive. 

Further, showjumping and polo horses are often talked about as being 'strong in the turns' and that is naturally due to the fast & furious nature of the sport and the riders thereby perceive the need of a stronger bit to control 

Some riders discuss their favorite steel gadgetry as the important element that will make the big difference in competition - horses become like a car to a racing driver - in order to stop/turn/bend in form and on time their answer lies in a piece of hardware. When it comes to a big competition, some riders seem to be detached from the reality of the consequences to their horses, and their attention is somewhat transformed into 'winning at almost any costs'. That place on the podium becomes the prevalent objective. Riders who sometimes talk convincingly in lessons and clinics about fine, classical riding, horse welfare, suddenly become hypocritical with justifications, using 'soft' vocabulary and long explanations full of contradictions that have little basis in fact, of the devices and practices in use. For instance, one of the most sympathetic terms on training is used in Natural Horsemanship, which by the way is a contradiction in terms because is nothing natural about the methods that are not made or caused by humankind, is just a mere ‘soft pink’ ‘communication or a marketing campaign 

It is simply ludicrous to think that by using a hard, metal bit that often combines pressure and leverage forces, the horse's responses will be instantaneous to extremely difficult changes of motion and direction without causing any significant pain or trauma to this very sensitive body structure. Also, riders should bear in mind that there are ground reaction forces (GRF) to take into account particularly in extraordinarily dynamic sports as Showjumping and Polo. GRF, particularly in biomechanics, are the forces exerted by the ground on a body in contact with the ground Moreover, if one adds to this the influence of the riders weight and its own balance into the equation, quite often we can observe extremely demanding commands from the riders that are very questionable in terms of physical stability (some even defiant of gravity). 

The head and particularly the mouth of the horse is a minute anatomic proportion in front of an over 1/2 ton of muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments, plus that of the rider and gear when mounted, way too much to bear 

In my humble opinion professional trainers, riders (and the more popular, the more they should restrain because of the gravitas that their advice carries) should be extremely cautious, when talking about very complicated, severe metal bits, with leverage or any other adverse restraining or pressure actions to the horse’s mouth/ head, because the propagation of such devices in the wrong hands will become a torture apparatus Riders should bear in mind always that any injuries caused by the bit or headgear could cause temporary numbness or even permanent one 

Some riders /trainers talk from time to time about horses with hard or even savage mouths drawing images in minds that a particular creature has jaws of steel, not soft tissue in the palate but a tin roof, and gums made of teflon. So there is no damage that any bit can do to it and the poor rider will need all muscular power available plus some contraption just as savage to make any impression in such brute to control it 

The use of the running or auxiliary reins also cause further grief and even damage to the horse’s mouth (and also their backs for that matter) because of the leverage action, and even more when attached to the bottom of the girth. Definitely, a tool not to be used in the training young horses full stop but more so by inexpert rider or unsympathetic hands. 

In polo for instance there is too much pressure in the horse's mouth when the gag bit or elevator gag is working in conjunction with the auxiliary reins ( running reins attached from the saddle )as the second rein.That means that the leverage in the horse's mouth has been multiplied x 2 again . Also this head gear combination means that the horse is under constant leverage pressure forces without respite From my point of view at least the auxiliary reins should go. This two gear arrangements should not be working together 

Let us take a glimpse at the horse’s mouth and its functions:- 

Mouth Horses seize food using in a well-orchestrated combination, the lips, tongue, and teeth. Their lips are extremely sensitive, tactile when it comes to picking up and selecting feed. They can be extraordinarily selective as many of us could attest, have seen powdered medicine, supplements or pellets in a nice little pile at the bottom of the feed bin. 

Feeds are mixed with saliva in the mouth to make a moist bolus that can be easily swallowed. The saliva is produced by three pairs of glands– the parotid, the submaxillary, and the sublingual. Horses can produce between 20-80 liters of saliva per day. The saliva contains bicarbonate which buffers and protects amino acids in the highly acidic Also the saliva contains small amounts of amylase which assist with carbohydrate digestion. 

The horse’s mouth contains 36 teeth on females and 40 teeth on the males. Wolf's teeth are not included as not all horses have them. The horse's upper jaw is wider than the bottom jaw to allow for a chewing motion that is quite complex. The chewing action of the horse is a sweeping action which incorporates both lateral forward and backward motions and also vertical motions. This allows the feed to be effectively ground and mixed with saliva to initiate the digestive process. 

Exploration of the Mouth 

Riders should learn and explore their horse's mouth to get an idea of the shape, how much space there is to fit a bit, the condition of the teeth, size, shape, and position of the tongue, the molars, and the height of the palate. 

To measure the horse’s mouth one can utilize a stick, introduce it into the horse’s mouth as one will do with an ordinary bit, and measure by marking at both edges of the horse's lips 

If a horse has a low palate there is obviously less space for the bit to rise into. So, the metal bit should not be too thick and the ones with 'nutcracker' effects should be avoided at all costs. The palate is connected to the maxillary nerve division 

A study by the veterinary University of Hanover has found that average palate highs differ dramatically from horse to horse. The study also found that the palate lowers significantly with age but there is no consistency between individuals 

In a horse with a large tongue, the bit will sit on the tongue alone, without touching the maxilla bars. 

The bit should ideally sit about a quarter of an inch visible at either side of the lips. If less than this the steel bits are likely to pinch and rub the corners of the mouth. 

The pinching from the bit, which could be exacerbated by a loose ring bit, will cause callusing of the lips. 

A too wide jointed mouthpiece steel bit will hit the roof of the mouth 

Because the lowest part of the mouth is the narrowest part of the jaw, at the beginning of the mouth, the bit will sit at a more acute angle, poking at the roof of the mouth or pinching the tongue. 

If the steel bit is sitting too high in the mouth it will hit the first molars or pull the lips. 

If the steel jointed bit is too long, the short space of the jaw will make the bit sit into a more acute angle, and may push into the roof of the mouth and pinch the tongue. 

For the young, beginner horse whilst lunging or long reining and riding, it is recommended that big rings or bars be used to maintain the bit in the correct position while the horse is learning to turn. 

The Interdental Space 

It is in this very spot where the bit will be placed This is the space between the incisors and the molar teeth. The natural role is to separate any foreign matter fodder. This is of vital importance to the horse's health. The interdental space is therefore well supplied by nervous functions and extremely sensitive. This oral cavity is formed by the soft tissue of the gum, tongue, the palate and the bit has to make itself a place by reshaping the tongue and its interaction felt to all of them, including the lip Sitting just below the bit it will be the trigeminal nerve, which is enervated directly to the brain The pain originated by this nerve is one of the most severe pains known to mankind (in many cases driven to suicide) One has to remember an acute toothache to relate to the unbearable pain suffered by people who have to endure this for a long period of their lives.........How about the horse then?? The pathways of the trigeminal nerve are complex and cover a great part of the facial region The bars of the lower jaws are formed by very sharp-edged bones lined by a thin layer of gum tissue(mucous membrane) The nerves to the mouth and teeth are supplied by the mandibular branch of this particular nerve Riders should always keep in mind that the bit seats in this space. 

The Teeth 

The major difference between human and equine teeth lies in the development of their roots. In humans, the roots of the teeth are fully developed as soon as the tooth has erupted. whereas in horses the roots are growing and developing for a number of years. The enamel or crown of the tooth is fully developed by the time the young horse starts using it. 

IMPORTANT - it should be noted that no more enamel will be generated on a horse’s teeth after the time of eruption of the permanent teeth. Metal bits are far harder than dental tissue, no matter the composition of the metal, therefore if the horse carries the bit between its teeth, this action will obviously cause premature attrition of its teeth. 

The Double Bridle Bit The double bridle is indeed a very powerful bit system that is formed by two separate bits the snaffle or bridoon and the curb. Again this is a high power instrument that should be used if at all, only by elite riders with impeccable riding skills. In an average rider, it becomes too much for the horse to bear. Even with a professional rider, one can question the purpose or the validity of this bit at high levels of dressage, where riders should look primarily for the welfare of the horse, relaxation, easy mind, co-operation. So one wonders; can this bit still coexist with more empathic training techniques? The Curb Bit This bit is constructed of a mouthpiece with shanks. This bit is attached to the bridle by the upper shank. A curb bit exerts leverage pressure and as such, increases the amount of pressure from the reins to contact points in and around the horse’s mouth. When the reins are pulled the action of the mouthpiece and curb chain or strap tighten on various locations in and around the horse’s head and mouth. The curb construction applies varying amounts of pressure on the bars, tongue, lips, the 

roof of the mouth plus adding the pressure of the curb chain and bridle on the poll of the head and under the chin. The snaffle Believed to be one of the most ‘gentle’ of the steel bits. However, in the wrong hands, a snaffle becomes painful to the horse’s mouth, particularly the single jointed one, because of the nutcracker effect.The bit gives pressure to the roof of the mouth and the bars. The gag snaffle The gag snaffle bits exert extra leverage when the gag part is pulled sliding into the horse's mouth This bit is better used with two reins one for the gag part and another for the snaffle part When the gag part is pulled the horse will raise the head as defending mechanism for the over-increased pressure 

Bit pressure When trying to decipher about the pressure a bit exert on the horse, to quantify the pressure that a particular bit put into the horse's mouth when the rider pulls on the reins. There are some studies which make reference to how many pounds per square inch of pressure the bit will put over the area of contact in the horse's mouth The thicker the bit, the greater the contact area but the lower the pressure will be, on the contrary, the thinner the bit the less the contact area but the greater the increase of pounds per square inch ( the thinner the more acute the pain) 

Bit leverage The leverage in a bit is the exertion of force by means of a lever in this case a shank (curb) or rope pulley system(gag) The leverage of a bit increases the amount of pressure that the rider exerts on the reins. For instance, mild curb bits have a 3:1 leverage ratio. This means that if the raider put 10 pounds of pressure on the reins the horse will feel 30 pounds of pressure in its mouth A way to measure the leverage of a curb bit is to compare the distance from the mouthpiece to were the reins are attached ( the shank of the bit) In general, the shanks on the Western bits are longer than in the English curb bits 8’’ to 9’’ inches in Western opposed to 4’’ to 5’’ in English curb bits Running reins increase exponentially the leverage of a bit 

What can aggravate the pain in this type of bit particularly Western is the port. The port is a raised groove or attached spoon like in the middle of the mouthpiece, so protuberant that puts great pressure on the palate when the rider pull on the reins and the shanks of the curb bit rotates 

A deep raised port has no place in good riding because is non-directional and only cause severe pain on the horse 

" Damage of the Bit to the Equine Interdental Space and Second Lower Premolar" 

published Feb 2011 in Equine Veterinary Education (article can be viewed online)