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.

Riding gloves

Gloves for horse riding are often an over looked piece of riding kit, but in my opinion quite a vital one!! The obvious riding clothing is the riding hat, jodhpurs and riding boots, but for often only a little extra cost, a pair of appropriate riding gloves ride and one you would rather forget.

Gloves that are made for riding differ slightly from conventional gloves, the basics being a good grip on the palm to allow the rider to keep hold of the reins. There is nothing more scary than losing control of a horse because the reins slipping through your bare hands! Good quality riding gloves like the Roeckle Ulla glove will be thin enough to give feel, but tough enough not to wear quickly even when using rubber grip reins. They will be reinforced between the little finger and ring finger (to help the glove resist wear where the reins are held) across the palm and sometimes around the edge of the palm by the thumb too. They need a stretchy comfortable back and good fastening to prevent rubbing and twisting whilst in use. Again, as with everything investment in a good quality pair of riding gloves will mean comfort and years of good service from your horse riding gloves.

Gloves enhance the grip, which is essential on reins made from plain leather. On reins that have good grip such as rubber grip reins or continental web reins, the gloves serve to protect the riders hands from the reins which can easily cause rubs and blisters due to their abrasive nature.

Lastly, riding gloves can also serve the simple purpose of keeping the riders hands warm, this is especially important with young children who quickly loose the feeling in icy little fingers which is very painful for them! Cold, numb fingers are also very difficult to use effectively, and efficient and safe riding is greatly hindered by frosty fingers (and not very pleasant either)!