Gag Bits

Gag bits are seen a lot less in modern times, but were widely used on strong horses before the advent of the more modern bits. Continental style bits are often referred to as gags incorrectly, as a true gag has a much more extreme action.

Gag bits come in a similar pattern to traditional snaffle bits, but with one key difference - the cheeks have a hole top and bottom to allow a specially designed gag cheek piece to pass through the cheek as opposed to being buckled directly onto the bit ring.

The gag cheeks are usually made from all leather, of leather with a nylon core, the later often being preferable from the effect point of view as the release is quicker and more obvious to the horse than an all leather gag cheek which is less malleable (although aesthetically more pleasing than nylon it could be argued).

The action of a gag bit is to raise the bit up in the horses mouth, thus exerting potentially a great deal of poll pressure, and pressure on the corner of the horses lips. The mouthpieces also influence the effect the gag has on the horse, a jointed will also give strong bar and palate pressure. Gags should only be used by experienced riders with sympathetic hands, as their ability to raise the bit in the horses mouth is extreme and could potentially cause injury if used incorrectly.

Shanked and Curb Bits - Kimblewick Bits

Kimblewick bits are often used on ponies or horses with smaller heads as an alternative to a pelham.

The Kimblewick bit still uses the curb action but to a lesser degree as there is not so much poll pressure and leverage. The exception to this is the slotted cheek kimblewick bit, which has 2 slots in the cheek giving 3 possible options for the reins, either around the bit ring as is usual, or in the upper most slot which lessen the effect of the poll pressure and curb use, or the lower slot which gives the effect of a short shank, and greater poll pressure and curb use.

The slotted Kimblewick is the bit most usually seen on ponies and horses ridden by competent adult or child riders as it can be severe in the wrong hands. The standard Kimblewick cheek is a plain ring, and used with one pair of reins.

The mouthpieces most commonly associated with Kimblewicks are the mullen mouth or Cambridge/ported mouth, the kindest mouthpieces in general, and the jointed Kimblewick. As with the jointed pelham, the jointed Kimble wick lessens the action of the curb and although useful for some horses that dislike excess curb pressure the action of the bit is compromised.

The Kimblewick is a useful bit for small strong ponies, and especially is used with an elastic curb chain to minimise the risk or too much pressure, can be safely used (under supervision) by novice children on strong ponies.

Shanked and Curb Bits - Pelham Bits

Horse Bits with a curb chain often have a shank for added poll pressure as well. Bits that have a shank and a curb are often some type of pelham horse bit, which is classed as a fairly strong bit. The pelham family of bits work mainly on the curb groove and utilize poll pressure to gain control of the horse, particularly in exciting situations such as in company.

Rugby pelhams are often used as an alternative to a double bridle in the show ring for horses that do not have a mouth big enough to comfortably use the combination of a Weymouth and bradoon at once. The rugby pelham has the addition of a loose ring attached, which gives the appearance of a double and work slightly less directly on the mouth than the traditional pelham.

Common mouthpieces in either the rugby pelham or plain pelham are mullen or rubber covered mullen which are considered the mildest, Cambridge mouth or port mouth which are ideal for horses that need a little extra space for the tongue, and jointed or French link.

A jointed pelham or French link pelham work well on some horses, but less so on others as their action is somewhat of a compromise with the action of the curb being lessened by the broken mouthpiece of the bit. The shank provides quite a strong poll pressure in all cases, and all pehams should ideally be used with double reins to allow the rider to control the signal to the horse more precisely. If the rider cannot manage double reins, pelham roundings should be used to gain a half way effect, but the disadvantage is that the curb will always come into effect whether needed or not.

The Continental Cheek Bit

The continental bit is know by many names including the bubble bit, dutch gag and 3 ring bit. Some confusion can arise as the correct way to refer to a bit with 4 rings in the cheek i.e. a small top ring, large main ring and two further small rings, is as a 3 ring bit. This bit is often called a 4 ring bit, and the shorter style continental bit as a 3 ring (only one small ring top and bottom) which is incorrect and can lead to much confusion!

Continental bits were invented to try and emulate the effect of draw reins on show jumpers in the ring, and as such should not be looked upon as a particularly kind bit (especially with some of the more sever mouthpieces) as they are capable of a lot of leverage and hence poll pressure.

Being a cross between a pelham and a gag, often referred to as a Dutch gag this cheek causes the bit to raise up in the horses mouth slightly as the true gag does, but also asks the horse to lower at the same time through the use of poll pressure which can send quite a confusing signal.

They are not as strong as a pelham, and there is no doubt that some horses, particularly those that need persuasion to break at the poll, do seem to like the action of the cheek as it gives control without a curb action.

The 2 ring continental is a more modern addition and has become very popular for horses that do not need the strength of the 3rd ring and thus does away with the bulk of a spare ring. Correctly, both the 2 or 3 ring should be used with two reins, one on the main ring, and another on a lower ring to ensure the action is properly monitored by the rider. Care should be taken with fixed mouth versions of this horse bit as they can tend to ‘stick’ in their action and not release immediately which can cause confusion and fear for the horse so are best avoided if this is the case.

Full and fulmer cheek bits

Most commonly seen on young or green horses still learning to bend and flex, as the long cheek of the bit puts pressure on the whole side of the face when pressure is applied to the rein. These horse bits also have the advantage of not allowing the bit to be dragged through the horses mouth if the horse opens their mouth wide or yaws a lot in resistance to the riders aids. These horse bits should be used with fulmer keepers which help to keep the bit safely in place against the cheek piece, and also have the added advantage of allowing the bit to exert a little poll pressure to encourage a rounder outline when pressure is applied.

The full cheek is the eggbutt version of this type of cheek, again more suitable for novice riders as less unintentional vibration will be felt by the horse. More experienced riders and more highly schooled horses often prefer the fulmer cheek, which has a loose ring (no chance of pinching as it is well away from the horses lips) so enables clearer communication between horse and rider.

Again, I feel it is important to look at these bits as a stepping stone or temporary measure wherever possible in order to make sure the horse and rider do not become dependent on the effect of the full cheek to make a turn. Once the horse has a good understanding of the seat and leg aids involved in making a turn, the horse should be schooled in an eggbutt or loose ring bit instead.

The eggbutt cheek

The eggbutt cheek was the next step on from the loose ring- a more complicated closed joint that does offer some advantages in certain circumstances. The primary advantage was to prevent pinching of the lips in the days where the loose ring bits were badly made. It should be noted that a badly made eggbutt with a loose joint can also cause a nasty pinch, so again this highlights the need for careful selection of what you put in your horses mouth! The eggbutt bit is generally suited to more novice riders that are less steady with their hands, as the cheeks lessen the effects of the tiny vibrations from the riders hands which are often unintentional whilst the rider is still learning their balance.

For more experienced riders a loose ring is normally preferable as a finer and more subtle signal can be communicated to the horse. The variation on the eggbutt cheek is the less commonly used D cheek. Primarily used by racing yards, this cheek is almost more similar in action to a full cheek, giving a flat ‘edge’ to encourage the horse to turn his head but without the danger of the long shanks of a full cheek to get caught up. The D cheek is a more positive cheek than the eggbutt, and should only be used on a temporary basis when possible to avoid the rider relying on the use of it to turn the horse. As soon as the horse is more responsive to the leg and seat aids to turn, and listening to the bridle the horse should be stepped back down into an eggbutt or loose ring to progress the horses schooling more correctly.

The different basic cheeks available on bits and their uses- The loose ring

Conventional horse bits have 5 commonly seen groups of cheeks namely the loose ring, eggbutt/D, full/fulmer cheek, continental cheek, shanked bits. The two most popular are the loose ring and eggbutt, and all common mouthpieces are available in one cheek or the other. It has been said that the mouthpiece of the bit is for the horses comfort, the cheek is for the rider benefit which can be true in some cases. The loose ring is one of most commonly seen cheeks, and ideally used on youngsters and by more experienced riders with steady hands. The loose ring bit has the benefit of enhanced communication with the horse, which is beneficial if the rider has good hands and a careful contact. However it can also detrimental in wrong hands with a rider that moves inadvertently as the horse will feel every little vibration down the reins be they intentional or unintentional!

Some people are wary of loose ring bits, as there is a common misconception that modern loose ring bits can pinch the lips of the horse and make them sore. When bits were first mass produced they were made with a flat ring passing through a round hole, and it was possible for the horses lip to get trapped and pinched with such a large gap ensuing. With modern horse bits, in almost all cases (there are still some very badly made imported bits with loose joints out there to which this doesn’t apply) the ring is round with a round close fitting hole which makes all but the absolute finest of skin impossible to trap. Horse Bits should be checked regularly for signs of wear, as joints can stretch, especially if there has been undue strain placed on them when a horse has trodden on its reins for example. Symptoms of pinching are the horse reacting to a contact sharply, or marks on the inside or outside of the lips.