[drivingpairs] Bit Guess--Bit Action

If it has a D by the mouthpiece, yet has two slots
below, I am going to guess it is an Elbow bit.  I have
seen the same bit called a British Calvary Bit.  Most
of them have swivel sides, with a rough or smooth side
on the low port mouthpiece.
  I personally, like the bit.  It has no pinching of
the mouth sides, like Liverpools often do.  The swivel
side allows the reins to work seperately on turns,
there is a fair amount of rein adjustment, up and
down.  The port gives some tongue relief.  We put
rubber bit guards on all our curb bits to prevent any
lip pinches between the bridle loop and curb chain, or
lip and swivel sides.  Most horses get along with the
bit pretty well.  Elbow bit is just less tradional to
some folks than the Liverpool.  Elbow bit has been
around for a VERY long time, though many old ones are
fixed sided.
  In CDE driving, you are not penalized for using
riding bits, though you would be in Pleasure shows or
Coaching.
  I also will say Snaffles come with NO LEVERAGE.  The
broken mouthpiece, can come in two or three pieces,
but any curb chain makes the bit a leverage bit.  If
you remove the curb chain and put reins on the ring,
then you have direct pull, like a correct snaffle bit.
  Everything I have read classes bits as direct pull,
reins straight from the rings on the side of
mouthpiece.
Mouthpiece can be broken, curved, straight bar, chain,
rope, whatever.
Snaffle name indicates a broken mouthpiece, 2 or 3
pieces, with some kind of ring sides, O, D, half or
full cheek.  A Mullen with a curved mouthpiece, ring
sides, is still a direct pull bit. 
  A leverage bit ALWAYS has a curb strap/chain action.
 This makes the Kimberwicke a leverage bit.  Now it is
a pretty ineffective bit with the smooth D sides, but
it has a curb chain.  The Kimberwicke with the slots
in D sides will give very gentle curb action, using
reins in the slots.  Mouthpiece will also add severity
to bit action.  Lots of bits and styles.

  Name of bit DOES NOT indicate kindness or severity,
or the action bit will apply to horse mouth.  The
"long-shanked Snaffle and Tom Thumb snaffle, a colt
training bit" are two of the nastiest bits around, in
ingnorant hands.  Names imply kindness since everyone
"knows" snaffles are the "easiest on a horses mouth"
of all bits.  Name is just a marketing ploy by bit
makers.  Sorry, both bits break in the mouth and
endeavor to fold around the lower jaw, when reins are
pulled.  Mouthpiece center jabs the upper palate and
lower jaw is in a nutcracker vise.  NOT KIND OR NICE!!
 Traditional use of a certain style, does not make it
a good bit.  It is just a training habit of the
person, what they are used to.

Material in a bit can be a bad choice too.  Copper
mouthpieces deliver a small electric shock.  Not true
you say?  How long can YOU hold an older, mostly
copper penny, or washer, in YOUR mouth?  New pennies
are not as much copper as old ones, so not good for a
true test.  I can't expect my horse to do something
which is painful to him.  Slobbering effect is not
"soft mouth", but a body reaction to pain.  Trying to
wash it out of his mouth.
 Sweet iron of western bits is along the same lines,
but rust developing in the mouth irritates the soft
tissues.  Would you rub rusty things on YOUR tongue or
gums?  Get the little pieces of rust imbedded into the
bars of YOUR mouth?  I would not, so I don't ask it of
my horses.  Yes it has been used for over 100 years,
but it was also a cheap, available and easy to work
metal.
  All of my old bits went up on a decorative wall,
when I learned what they were truly doing to my
horse's mouth.  We use stainless and nickle mix bits
now.  I avoid any of the mixed metal, gold appearance
mouthpieces of many German bits.  Heavy copper in mix,
though I have seen no testing on them yet.  No bits
with inlay in the mouthpieces for me now.  

Please understand the action of a bit, along with curb
and rein pressure influences, before buying.  Know
what you are trying to achieve with a bit change. 
Often backing up in training steps, review, will work
best.  I really don't care who the "expert"
recommending it is.  They often are just selling their
name.  There are a LOT of really awful bits available.
 Some might be magic in the EXPERT HANDS of a
specialist trainer.  Few of us have such trained
hands, reactions, horse has no clue what his correct
reation should be, can't help you.

Kathy Robertson


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