The One Hander

The "One Hander" Bit is an interesting contraption, designed to teach neck-reining or for use when direct-reining is not only unnecessary, but in fact undesirable (for example, in events such as roping).  The mouthpiece is adjustable, with a rotating port that screws into and out of the rubber-covered cannons, thus changing the overall width.   Bit guards are built in.  The shanks have a spring-loaded design which slows the action and absorbs some of the force of the reins, thus making the bit milder than it might otherwise appear at first glance.  The shanks also bend in every direction, so that pulling laterally really results primarily in a backward force on the bit (thus rendering direct-reining a fruitless task).  It is therefore impossible to pull the mouthpiece off-center in the mouth, and the bit is very forgiving of mistakes made by the rider's hands, either from pulling too abruptly or pulling unevenly.  My mare in the video was only flinging her head because I was using more force on the bit than I generally do in order to better illustrate its action.

This is a cool little bit:  certainly not appropriate for all circumstances, but nice to have around for use on the right horse and right situation.  It's also fairly collectible, being hard to come by since the company producing it was disbanded.

Myler Pelham (41PB)

Here is a short video demonstrating the action of the Myler Pelham with the 41PB (ported barrel) mouthpiece, which illustrates Myler's patented "independent side movement" very well.  As is plainly visible in the first video segment, the entire mouthpiece rotates, bends, and folds about itself, creating a very flexible, fluid motion in the horse's mouth.  Traditionally, a Pelham is an English leverage bit designed to be used with two sets of reins (one on the snaffle ring and one on the curb), but this is not necessary if only curb action is desired, and indeed, I find that this mouthpiece is more favorable when paired with a curb than as a snaffle.

In the second video clip, I have placed the Pelham in my mare's mouth and adjusted it as I would normally ride (yes, the extra curb length should ideally be cut off, but I digress).  It was difficult to photograph--and even harder to film--the action when on the horse, so I will attempt to explain the two pictures.

One point that is often made against these sorts of bits is that the edges of the mouthpiece at the bottom of the port are squared off, albeit smooth.  The concern is that the small surface area here could be damaging to the tongue.  I found, and attempted to photograph, how the bit rotated and, when engaged and applying downward pressure, only the flat, non-squared portion of the mouthpiece was pressed up against the tongue and bars.  This effect may be somewhat dependent on how the bit is adjusted, but my experimentation was quite sufficient for me to declare, at least in this case, that the squared edges are a non-issue.  (You might also note that in the first photo, in my efforts to get my camera in place and hold the mare steady, I have pulled the bit sideways through the mouth--when riding, so much lateral pressure would not normally be applied, so the bit would sit more centered.   Additionally, please forgive the chewed grass chunks!)

In the second photo, I have attempted to illustrate the action of the port.  Again, the cannons of the mouthpiece have rotated so that the flat part is parallel to and against the tongue.  The tongue is filling the gap in the "tongue relief" section, where the cannons curve upwards into the joint and the port arches further.  The top of the flat port has come into contact with the palate, which is naturally low in all horses.  However, the primary force of the bit at this point, with a moderate amount of pressure on the rein that would mimic a normal riding cue, is directed downward still, against the tongue and bars.  While the port is hitting the palate (and disbursing pressure over a wider area than a rounded port would), it is not pushing up against it so hard as to create undue force, and the mare seemed completely unperturbed.  The curb is hobbling the bit to prevent the port from moving further and, indeed, this is a relatively low port to begin with.

Cues from one rein are easily isolated, so direct reining is easy and clear with this bit.  In summary, I knew there was a reason I liked this mouthpiece....

Curbs and Poll Pressure

Presented here are three different types of curb bits:  A Myler Kimberwick, an Argentine snaffle, and a long shank Sweetwater.  Each has been adjusted on the horse exactly how I would do so if I were going ride.  I am pulling on the reins from the angle that would occur in the saddle, so that everything mimics the riding condition as much as possible.  The point of this video is to show the relative degree of poll pressure (or lack thereof) that occurs with each of these bits.  Poll pressure is often touted as an inherent component of the action of a curb (leverage) bit, but this is not necessarily the case, depending on the exact mechanics and design of the bit, the adjustment of the curb chain and headstall, the degree and angle of contact on the reins, and the horse's head position.  While it is difficult to capture on camera exactly what is going on, I have tried my best, and am providing this description to accompany the visual.

First, please note that in order for poll pressure to be an action of the bit, the cheeks of the headstall must tighten, as they are the connecting pieces between the bit and the crown (poll).  If the cheek pieces are slack, or if they do not further tighten from their default setting when rein pressure is applied, then poll pressure cannot be part of the action of the bit.

For the Kimberwick, note that the cheek pieces grow very slack as increasing rein pressure is applied.  What is happening is that, while the bit is indeed rotating and applying curb pressure, it is also rising in the mouth.  The shanks are short and the curb activates slowly enough to allow the cheek pieces to loosen (you can see them bowing out).  Poll pressure actually *decreases* from default when this bit is activated.

Next, look at the Argentine.  It is difficult to observe what is happening with the action here, and there is certainly no visible bowing of the cheeks, as with the Kimberwick.  However, if you look closely, you can see that the cheek pieces remain completely in place and do not appear to have any additional tension placed upon them.  The purchase ring of the bit slides freely over the cheek piece's attachment--it does not grab and pull it forward, so the crown is not activated.  I did place my hand under the crown piece of the bridle while pulling firmly on both reins, and I was unable to feel any tightening, even with considerable force applied to the bit (and a thankfully tolerant horse).

Finally, consider the Sweetwater.  This is a hefty, severe curb bit, so I did not pull as hard on the reins.  Still, while it is hard to visualize in the video, you might note that there is indeed some tightening of the headstall's cheek pieces.  I placed my hand under the crown and was able to feel poll pressure that increased as I applied more force to the reins.

In summary, poll pressure is certainly a component of the action of some curb bits in some scenarios, but it is not a foregone conclusion and its severity depends on multiple factors.

More on Bouchers

Boucher bits (also known as hanging cheek snaffles and more properly spelled "Baucher," but old habits die hard) are surrounded by a lot of hype and misinformation.  It is commonly believe that their large purchase and rotational action engages a horse's poll, and indeed, they are often prescribed to riders hoping to lower their horse's head.  Their legality and suitability for dressage is even called into question, since if they have leverage action behind a horse's ears, then they are no longer true snaffles and thus should not be permitted in the show pen.  But what is the truth?

Previously, I have uploaded another video titled "The Boucher/Pelham Experiment."  Surprisingly, despite the obvious similarities between these two types of bits, the film was met with harsh criticism and accusations that the set-up did not accurately simulate the action of a true Boucher.  So, I procured a hanging cheek snaffle of my own and set up a controlled testing protocol to settle the debate once and for all.

At the beginning of the video, you can see that with a cavesson and from a distance, it is very difficult to determine what is happening with the crown strap.  However, comparing the location of the headstall concho to the palomino's facial crest shows that no movement is occurring, so the bridle must not be tightening.  This is confirmed when one of the cheek straps is replaced by a hanging scale.  The scale is tared while the bit and reins are at rest, to read a weight of 0.00 pounds.  As the reins are pulled and the bit engages, the latter rotates forward but also lifts in the horse's mouth with cheek stretch.  Thus, the scale now records a negative value.  Far from increasing poll pressure, the action of the bit has actually *decreased* the force behind the ears--just like every other snaffle.

The same experiment is repeated several other times, using slightly different variations on the theme.  On the front view of the Paint horse, the cheek straps visibly slacken as the bit is engaged.  On the sorrel, again the weight is recorded and shown to decrease (from 0 to a negative number) when the reins are pulled.  In each case, the reins were lifted in an angle intended to mimic the same position that would occur during normal riding (although admittedly this is sometimes hard to see in the video, due to difficulties with both the scale reading and the rider's hands showing up on the screen at the same time).

What conclusions can be made from this?  First, bit manufacturers and "popular opinion" are often wrong about the actions of various pieces of equipment.  If in doubt, test it yourself.  Second, just because the Boucher does not provide poll pressure, that does not mean it is not a useful bit.  Some horses may appreciate the stability it provides in the mouth, as it has far less inherent motion than other snaffles.

The Billy Allen Mouthpiece

This video shows my concern with the standard Billy Allen curb bit. Even on a well-made model, such as this Professional's Choice Bob Avila number, pulling on one rein transmits through the central joint and pushes the opposing shank forward. Does this bother the horse? Admittedly it doesn't really seem to, and many horses do well in this kind of mouthpiece, but the two cheeks should be hobbled at the bottom to prevent too wide of separation between them. I've seen the same problem in similar bits, like the Imus Comfort models and others with a joint designed to allow independent side action, yet too tight to allow freedom of movement in other planes. 

(I did own a very cheap TexTan Billy Allen at one point that maxed out this effect so severely that I ended up literally trashing it. The shank opposite the one I was contacting would flip forward and then get stuck in an upside-down position, and any efforts to fix it would only further twist it out of place, making an uncomfortable situation for the horse in addition to taking all control away from the rider. The moral of this story? Buy the highest-quality tack you can afford, but still inspect its actions carefully, lest they be different from what you had anticipated.)

Loose Ring and Fixed Ring Snaffles

This is a simple video demonstrating the actions of the O-ring and Western Dee. These are direct-action bits with no leverage and no mechanical advantage to provide amplification of force. They work on the tongue, bars, and lips of the horse, stretching the latter back as the rein pressure is applied. Thus, the cheek pieces of the bridle will be loosened as the bit is raised, and in extreme circumstances, the bridle can even fall off of the horse's head if it is not well-secured. Therefore, it is always advisable to use a headstall with a throatlatch when riding with a snaffle bit.

The loose ring bit has rings that slide freely, as its name suggests. This allows slight "jingles" of the reins to be felt more easily by the horse, which can allow for subtler cuing, but some horses do not appreciate the "noisiness" of this bit. Also, there is some risk of pinching if the lip gets caught between the cannons and the cheeks. The fixed ring bit is more stable in the mouth, and in addition, its flat sides push against the outside cheek and provide some outside lateral pressure when the horse is asked to turn to the side.

These particular bits both have a two-piece jointed mouth. The O-ring has a twisted mouthpiece, making it more severe as it rubs against sensitive tissue. These single-broken mouthpieces will fold in half as the reins are pulled, collapsing onto the tongue and bars. It has long been said that there is a "nutcracker" effect, where the middle point of the bit pokes into the horse's delicate palate. However, it has been shown by Dr. Hilary Clayton's research team that this effect is much exaggerated, and most horses will more than compensate by retracting their tongues, so that the palate is never contacted.

The Boucher/Pelham Experiment

I'm tired of hearing speculation about whether or not the Boucher snaffle provides poll pressure.  It never made sense to me that it could, but lots of people swore by this effect.  So, I decided to test it out for myself.  I didn't have a Boucher, so while imperfect, a Pelham had to do.  Without the curb chain, and with the reins on the snaffle ring, it's close to the same bit.  I tried to pull the reins from every conceivable angle that could occur while riding.  As the video shows, there was a fair amount of rotation in the cheek, but only when the reins were pulled downwards did poll pressure come into play--as it will with any other bit.