From: Stephanie
Hi Jessica! I searched your archives, and I couldn't find anything that answered this. I've learned so much from your archives, keep up the good work! I sure hope you answer this, because I'm pretty confused right now.
Some people claim that straight-bar snaffles, with no middle joint, are the harshest of the snaffle bits. Several other people say that that is now old beliefs, and that new studies show that it is the gentlest.
I would imagine that it would depend on the shape of the horses mouth, and of course whose hands the bit is in.
What is your opinion on this? Is there a generalization of straight-bar snaffles?
Thanks so much for your time!
I do, as a rule, keep up with the scientific literature on this subject, and I am unaware of any studies that indicate the gentleness of a straight-bar snaffle. I very much doubt that any such study exists. Common sense and even a very basic understanding of horse anatomy (not to mention horses' easily-observable responses to bits, including straight-bar snaffles!) indicate that the opposite is true.
If I have to generalize - which I hope you will NOT take as the final word, because in EVERY case, the HORSE must have the final word when it comes to bit selection - here's my list of the four basic snaffle mouthpiece types, according to severity. All things being equal ("all things" would include quality, material, design, and construction):
More severe: straight-bar and single-joint snaffles.
Less severe: mullen-mouth and French-link snaffles.
Straight-bar snaffles are quite severe, because their design leaves no room for the horse's tongue, and therefore a straight-bar bit will put severe pressure on the horse's (very sensitive) tongue.
A single-joint snaffle is quite severe, and depending on the contours of the horse's mouth, may be more or less severe than a straight-bar snaffle. For a horse with a thin tongue, a high palate, and narrow bars, a mullen-mouth bit would probably be most comfortable; for a horse with a thin tongue, a high palate, and wide bars, a single-joint snaffle might be most comfortable.
The gentle curve of a mullen-mouth snaffle will accomodate a horse's tongue, provided that neither the tongue nor the bit is overly thick.
The three-piece design of a French-link snaffle with a small, rounded center link will accomodate even more shapes and sizes of bars and tongue, and in most cases will be even more gentle than a mullen-mouth snaffle.
Mouth shape does have a lot to do with bit suitablity - you need to know your horse's mouth. Does he have wide or narrow bars, fleshy or thin lips, a thin tongue or a thick one? Is his palate high or low, and is it narrow or wide? Are there any old or new injuries in the horse's mouth? Is there any scar tissue? Are the horse's teeth in good shape? ALL of them - all the way up? These are things that every rider should know about his or her horse's mouth.
But those are by no means the only factors with which the rider should be familiar. Even the "perfect" bit can cause pain if it's the wrong size. The position of the bit in the horse's mouth matters, too - is it too high? too low? or just right? The materials from which the bit is made can have a strong effect on the horse. So can the bit's design - and its condition. Two bits that look almost identical on the bit wall at the tack shop may have completely different effects once they're in the horse's mouth...
With ANY bit, the rider has a responsibility to know his horse's mouth and choose the bit that fits and suits the horse best. Any given bit can be found in a variety of forms, materials, and designs. Many riders say "My horse likes bit X" or "My horse hates bit Y" without really understanding what it is about the bit that makes it acceptable or unacceptable to the horse. At tack clinics and "Horse and Rider Comfort" clinics, I've seen bits that were twisted and damaged, mouthpieces with sharp edges and rough areas that cut into the horse's bars or tongue, and mouthpieces that were uneven - one cannon much longer than the other. I've seen horses whose owners are convinced that they dislike a particular type of bit, whereas in fact fact they only dislike the pain caused by a particular VERSION of that type of bit, and are very comfortable as soon as the offending bit is replaced with a very similar bit that happens to fit better.
Here's an example: At one clinic, a rider insisted that her horse HATED his French-link snaffle and went much better in a single-joint snaffle. This bothered her because she knew that the French-link was a kinder bit, and wanted to be good to her horse - but the horse made it clear that he preferred the other bit! She showed me both bits and then used each one on the horse in turn. After just a moment or two, it was clear that the horse's dislike for the French-link was caused by the bad design and construction of that particular bit, which had absolutely straight (no curve at all) cannons and an extra-long center plate that looked more like the center plate of a Dr. Bristol. It was an eggbutt bit, so the horse could get no relief from moving the mouthpiece (as he could with a loose-ring model). We replaced it with a better-designed, better-made French-link snaffle, and the horse immediately relaxed and became much more cooperative. His rider had been on the right track - she had correctly determined that her horse didn't like HER French-link bit - but she hadn't thought things all the way through, and she had just assumed that all French-link bits were exactly alike. Her horse DID go better in his single-joint snaffle, but not nearly as well or as comfortably as he went in a more suitable French-link.
Another example: At another clinic, a rider brought in a horse that kept lolling his tongue and twisting his lips in an attempt to get away from his bit. The mullen-mouth bit fit his mouth just fine - but the mouthpiece was copper, and this horse or some other horse had chewed the soft metal until it formed twists and ridges. The ridges were digging into the horse's bars and tongue, and the pain - plus, in all probability, the taste of the copper - was causing the horse to be completely preoccupied with its mouth. No amount of expertise on the rider's part could make up for that bit. We changed it for a similarly-designed bit made from a strong alloy, and when the pain and the bad taste were removed, this horse, too, relaxed and went well for his rider.
Finding the best bit for your horse is really quite a lot like shopping for your own shoes. Obviously it helps a lot to know that your size is, say, 8, and that you have a wide (or narrow) foot - that information will help you limit the possible "pool" of potential footgear. But knowing that you wear a size 8D - or 8A - doesn't mean that someone else can go shoe-shopping FOR you, because not every shoe in "your" size is going to fit comfortably or allow you to move comfortably. Similarly, the information you collect about your horse's mouth should serve as a starting point to help you limit the "pool" of potential bits, but it won't guarantee that you'll be able to pull just the right bit off that bit wall. Learn as much as you can, and once you've narrowed down the choices, let your horse decide which one is right.
The rider's hands DO make a big difference, of course, and even the best-chosen, best-fitting, most comfortable and acceptable (to the horse) bit can't compensate for rider violence and bad hands, but it's also important to remember that both rider and horse will be better off if the rider doesn't count on good hands making up for a bad bit. Every horse deserves good hands and a good bit - or no bit at all. ;-)
One more thing to consider: A tight noseband will make even a comfortable bit uncomfortable, and will make an already-uncomfortable bit extremely painful.
I hope this helps to answer your question - and I also hope that if you find any straight-bar snaffles in the barn, you will put them on the wall as decorations, and NOT into the mouths of any horses. ;-)
Jessica
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