TIPS ON HOW TO FIT YOUR BIT

Text | Christie Wolhuter

In one of our previous issues, we discussed how your pony can tell you that they don’t love their bit! In this article, we will discuss how your pony’s anatomy will help you narrow down the selection and make a better bit choice for your pony. For this exercise, it is important to have a look inside your pony’s mouth because it will help you have an understanding of how their mouth might be shaped differently from other ponies.

TOP TIP

It may be a good idea to start by asking the dentist that deals with your pony to teach you what to look for. Often, they are very happy to teach you where the different parts of your pony’s mouth are and what function they serve. For example, you could ask them:

• Where are the bars? Are my pony’s bars narrow or wide?

• Where is the palate? Does my pony have a high or low palate?

• Where does my pony’s tongue sit compared to other ponies? Does my pony have a large fleshy tongue or not?

• What do my pony’s lips look like compared to the lips of other ponies? Does my pony have ‘short’ or ‘long’ lips?

Some common differences

Let’s go over some of the common differences in mouth anatomy and how they impact bit fit:

1. Narrow mouth

One of the most common errors when choosing a bit is to choose one that is too wide for your pony’s mouth. An easy way to measure the width of your pony’s mouth is to take a wooden rod or spoon and place it in the mouth where you want the bit to fit. Mark the edges of the spoon nice and close to the lips and take the spoon out. You can then measure the length the bit should be with a tape measure and choose your bit size accordingly. The size of bits is normally printed on the bit or on the packaging, but you can measure the mouthpiece yourself if not.

When checking the bit in the mouth, make sure that if you slide it from left to right, there is very little movement from side to side. Bits that are too wide will slide in the mouth, which can cause pain and will likely make your rein aids confusing for your pony.

NOTE: With a loose ring bit, add 5mm to your measured length to ensure there is no pinch.

2. Low palate

A horse with a low palate will require a bit that does not have a high port, as a high port is more likely to bang up against the palate when the contact is picked up.

Similarly, you need to be careful with a single jointed snaffle without a lockout feature, as this may fold and bang against the top of the mouth when rein pressure is added. For ponies with a low palate, a bit with a lozenge may be better, like the elliptical snaffle shown here.

When rein pressure is added with this bit, it may ‘fold’ in half, which can bang against the top of the mouth in a pony that has a shallow palate.

An elliptical snaffle may be a better choice.

DID YOU KNOW?

Arabians and Thoroughbreds are known to have low palates.

3. Thick fleshy tongue

Certain breeds of ponies have quite large tongues, which means a thick rubber bit that may seem kind will actually be uncomfortable due to the lack of space in the mouth. This will likely lead to them opening their mouth to avoid the pressure of the bit. A thinner mouthpiece, possibly with a happy tongue shape, will probably be best for these ponies.

4. Short lips or long lips

It is important to look at where the corner of your pony’s mouth is situated in relation to the teeth.

The bars are the section of bone covered by tissue where there are no teeth. The bars are where the bit should sit in the mouth. Some horses have short muzzles with ‘short’ lips. This means the corner of the mouth where the bit sits is far from the teeth. These horses can often tolerate more than one wrinkle because the bit will not likely sit close to the teeth and will rest properly on the bars.

On the other hand, some horses have long lips, and a one or two wrinkle bit fit may mean the bit bangs against the teeth of your pony. A good tip is to try out different bit heights by adjusting your cheekpieces. Your pony will show you what is more comfortable when you put the bit in or, even better, once you are riding. And remember – you don’t need to guess, you can always just take a look in the mouth and see exactly where the bit is sitting.

Final thoughts

If you are not sure about where to start with choosing a bit, chat to a bit fitter for advice. There are a lot of bit fitters who can come to your yard with a number of bits to try out so that the trial and error process is not one big guessing game. They are the experts and will make sure your pony has the right bit for his mouth!