D-Ring Snaffle Horse Bits

Video Transcript

"We're going to go to two other bits that also have a good function in the way of snaffle bits. This is kind of your inexpensive starter bit. It's a D ring of the stainless steel variety. It has nothing uniquely featured other than the size of the D ring. It's a good heavy metal. I like heavier bits. It kind of encourages the horse to want to hold that bit up in their mouth rather than gaping the mouth and letting it fall out and hit their teeth. So by having a little heavier bit, we're going to ensure that the horse wants to take that bit and hold it within their, the space allowed. We're always trying to keep our horse's mouths closed on the bit, and that's one technique that we can use. A little heavier metal, something that's going to ensure that the horse doesn't want to drop or let go of it. Along the same lines, I have another O ring. An O ring being the similar to what I said was my favorite bit. This O ring snaffle I point out, it's one of my student's snaffles and we need to catch them because they've got it on backwards. That's a feature that we hadn't pointed out yet, and we may need to elaborate a little bit. The bit does have a contour to it. That contour says this bit needs to be in a forward along the shape of the bars of this bridle. So in this position it would be correct. But it was affixed to the bride in the wrong way. But we note that it does have the copper mouth piece, that's that same metal that encourages the salivation, and it is an O ring that keeps the reins a little bit more secure. I would also attach a leather curb strap to this bit to make it as effective as possible, although the leather curb is not going to have anything to do with the performance of the bit itself."