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A. S. Websales is a Better Business
Bureau Accredited Business - Online Since 1997
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Celebrating
our 11th
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Horse Bits & Accessories
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Abetta Brand Bits
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prices |
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Snaffle, Antique
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Snaffle, California Shank
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Snaffle, Dee
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Snaffle, Hinged
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Snaffle, O-ring
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Snaffle, Offset Dee
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Snaffle, Shank
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Snaffle, Show
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Snaffle, Tom Thumb
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Snaffle, Training
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Spade & Frog Mouth
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Sweetwater
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Three-Piece Mouth
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Training
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U. S. Port
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Wonder
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Reinsman Brand Bits
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prices |
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All
Reinsman Bits have a
Lifetime Guarantee |
Weaver Leather Bits
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Thousands of
Bits!!!
We have the
internets largest selection of equine bits!
Here is just a sampling of the
different type of bits we carry:
Curb, cutting, reining, draft horse, english, hackamore, miniature horse, pony,
seminole, trammel, training, colt, winchester, show, arabian, walking horse,
roller bit, four rein bit,"C" bit, loose jaw, grazing, butterfly, bradoon,
overcheck, french snaffle, buxton, liverpool, elbow, eggbutt snaffle, o-ring
snaffle, d-ring snaffle, driving, waterford, pelham, dressage, weymouth,
kimberwick, uxeter, hollow mouth, argentinian, gag, tom thumb, cloverleaf,
double rein, hinged snaffle, jointed snaffle, long shank snaffle, short shank
snaffle, dee ring, bicycle chain snaffle, mule, springsteen, slip snaffle,
racing ring, french link, futurity ring, braided ring, twisted ring, rubber
mouth, twisted wire, rutledge roper, flat bar, sweet iron, vaquero, c-reiner,
life-saver, california pleasure, pro cutter, reining curb, mattie gag, reiner
gag, offset dee, correction, dewsbury, miracle, bumper and lots more!
We also have lots of different styles of hackamore bits, like: gag, bicycle
chain, miracle gag, curb draw, headsetter, short cheek, short shank, mechanical,
braided nose, rawhide nose, leather nose, chain nose and more.
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A bit used in equestrian activities is a piece of metal or
similar synthetic material that is placed in the mouth of a horse
and allows a rider to control the animal. It is held on a horse's
head by means of a bridle and has reins attached for use by the
rider.
The first bits were made of rope, bone, horn, or hard wood. Metal
bits came into use between 1300 and 1200 BC, originally made of
bronze. Stainless steel is the most popular material used today,
although copper and "sweet" iron (cold rolled steel) are
incorporated into some bits to encourage salivation in the mouth of
the horse and hence a softer mouth. Other materials such as rubber
or plastic are also used, sometimes in combination with metals.
Throughout history, the need for control of horses in warfare drove
extensive innovation in bit design, producing a variety of
prototypes and styles over the centuries, from Ancient Greece into
modern day use.
Design and terminology
A bit consists of two basic components, the bit mouthpiece that goes
inside the horse's mouth, and the bit rings of a snaffle or shanks
of a curb bit, to which the bridle and reins attach.
All bits act with some combination of pressure and leverage, often
in conjunction with pressure applied by other parts of the bridle
such as the curb chain on the chin, cavesson on the jaw and face, or
pressure on the poll from the headstall. Particular mouthpieces do
not make a bit a snaffle or a curb. It is the sidepieces and the
leverage these rings or shanks use to act on a horse's mouth that
determines if a bit is in the curb or snaffle family, and has a
great impact on the severity of the mouthpiece.
Often, bits with single- or double-jointed mouthpieces are
incorrectly referred to as snaffles. Likewise, a ported mouthpiece
on a bit with direct pressure from a bit ring, such as the
kimberwicke is not a curb.
The mouthpiece of a horse's bit is the first factor most people
think of when assessing the severity and action of the bit.
Therefore, it should be carefully considered when choosing a bit for
a horse. Many mouthpieces are not allowed in certain competitions.
Bit mouthpieces may be single jointed, double-jointed, "mullen" (a
straight bar), or have an arched port in the center of varying
height, with or without joints. They may also be smooth, roughened
or of twisted wire or metal.
Effects
The mouthpiece of the bit does not rest on the teeth of the
horse, but rather rests on the gums or "bars" of the horse's mouth
in an interdental space behind the front incisors and in front of
the back molars. When a horse is said to "grab the bit in its teeth"
they actually mean that the horse tenses its lips and mouth against
the bit to ignore the rider's commands (although some horses may
actually learn to get the bit between their molars).
Bits are designed to work by pressure, not pain. Depending on the
style of bit, pressure can be brought to bear on the bars, tongue,
and roof of the mouth, as well as the lips, chin groove and poll.
Bits offer varying degrees of control and communication between
rider and horse depending upon their design and on the skill of the
rider. It is important that the style of bit is appropriate to the
horse's needs and is fitted properly for it to function properly and
be as comfortable as possible for the horse.
Copyright (c) 2007, A. S. Websales
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software
Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no
Back-Cover Texts.
All the above listed horse bits are
available online along with a great selection of horse tack and
western saddles at
www.buytack.com
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