Re: Horses sucking the bit.

[Linda_Merims@ne.3com.com]

April" <adlee@bigfoot.com>   said:

> So I bought a longer-shanked Tom Thumb grazing bit.  The shanks are about
6"
> long and curve back toward his chest.  Apache will try to play with that
and
> suck it up, but since the shanks are longer AND curved inward, he has a
hard
> time getting it into his mouth (although he HAS managed to flip one side
> over so it's curving toward the sky and then tried to get THAT into his
> mouth).

This is what the lip strap on an English shanked bit is
for--that funny little strap that attaches to those
extra little rings toward the bottom of the shank and
threads its way through the ring on the center of the
curb chain.  You know, that thing that you have to take
five minutes to figure out how to put back on right
when you take your bridle apart to clean it.

The lip strap prevents the horse from catching the
shanks of the bit in his lips.  Properly adjusted, as
he tilts his head to the side, instead of gravity
letting the shank hang into his mouth, the strap through
the curb chain ring holds the curb bit more or less square
in the horse's mouth so he can't reach it.

(Information courtesy of Mr. Richard Briggs, learned
32 years ago when my saddlebred had gotten into the
habit of chewing on his shank in the lineup and Mr.
Briggs explained to me it was because my lip strap
was too loose.  He tightened it, and, presto!  Problem
solved!)

I don't think western curbs come with loops for lip
straps.

Linda B. Merims
lbm@ici.net
Linda_Merims@ne.3com.com
Massachusetts, USA



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