BITTING.
ABOVE: AN EDT OR EXPERIENCED VET CAN PICK UP POTENTIAL BITTING PROBLEMS. BELOW: HANGING CHEEK SNAFFLES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR.
CONTACT SPORT CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE OF BIT FOR YOUR HORSE CAN BE A MATTER OF TRIAL AND ERROR,
E
BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEEK EXPERT HELP, SAYS HELEN TRIGGS.
ach owner owes it to their horse to find the most comfortable bit possible but it’s not an easy tas . Faced with the variety on the mar et, do some research, especially if you are having a contact problem. Information on the internet ranges from si ing, to design style and metal composition. anufacturers provide guidance and advice on choosing and fitting and the benefits of their particular products, as do specialist bit retailers and bit hire services. he latter can be a valuable source of impartial information and advice and a number offer a helpline service. he conformation of the horse’s mouth and lips dramatically affects which bits they are comfortable wearing. he length and breadth of the tongue, fleshiness of the lips and thic ness of s in on the bars all impact on fit. al to your vet or e uine dental technician D ) they can describe the shape of the mouth and advise you if your current bit is having a detrimental effect. n D or e perienced vet can pic up potential problems by noting pinches or rubs in the mouth or on the lips. uine dentist rant hanter has also trained in bit
fitting. I always as how the horse is going and if there is a contact inconsistency which is not caused by the teeth or saddle fitting, and if lameness is ruled out, the bit could be the cause. wners need to thin about the conformation of the mouth there are differing opinions on how high the bit should be and every horse is different, says rant. It’s uite common for bits to be too wide or too narrow and if the horse has a big tongue and a shallow mouth the bit will push up against the hard palate. Some horses have very thin s in on the bars of the mouth and react badly to pressure there. odern bits have been designed with the aim of reducing tongue, bar and poll pressure. owever, there is still debate between manufacturers and e perts on their benefits. ach horse is an individual and needs to be treated as such. here have been advances in the materials used for mouth pieces originally made of iron, then stainless steel, today’s bits could be composed of rubber elements, copper, titanium or silicon blends. ach has different properties and horses will respond in different ways. Sweet iron’, which encourages salivation, is believed to encourage acceptance while a titanium bit is lighter and therefore causes less pressure on the tongue. BRITISH DRESSAGE // Issue 2 2021 // 23
