How do i know what size bit to buy?

Question

my horse uses a tom thumb bit, but i dont like it, and neither does she, so im buying a snaffle bit.

how do i measure her or whatever to buy to correct sized bit?

thanks!

Answer 1

The average width of a horses mouth is 5 inches now this might be too big or little, you can always try out the bit to find a size, but you can always measure from corner of mouth to corner of mouth.. also this article here will help a lot =] http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_...

Answer 2

if u dont know then u shouldnt OWN a horse

Answer 3

ok what you need to do is put a string in her mouth and have a marker ready and mark the two places were if comes out of her mouth; or you can go to www.statelinetack.com for info

i recommend you get a copper bit because its softer on her mouth :D

hope i helped

Answer 4

You could measure the mouthpiece of her current bit(assuming it fits correctly to start with) or you could get a piece of string and knot one side about an inch or so away from the end.  Get your horse to take it like a bit and line the knot up with one side of the mouth.  Pull it so there's no slack in the string and mark the unknotted end with your  fingers.  Remove ti from the horse's mouth and add a knot where your fingers are.  Measure the distance between the knots. Add about a 1/4 to each side if the bit you're buying is jointed(most snaffles are) and you have your size.  I've heard of people doing basically the same thing with a straw and marker, it sounds easier, but I've never tried it.

Answer 5

just go to bit sizing. you can also use a staw.

http://www.horse.com/English-Tack.html

Answer 6

Alley,

I was taught this way to measure for a bit.

Take a straw (drinking straw) put it in the horses mouth with just a little showing on the one side of the mouth and the extra out the other side. the width on the sides of the mouth should have enough room to put a round bit cover on. (the bit cover will keep the horses mouth from being pinched) Measure the part of the straw that was in the horses mouth and you will have your bit size.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Answer 7

get a string and mark from the side of her lips to the other side. if you can get her to open and put something in there have her bite works well also.

Answer 8

Look carefully at the horse’s mouth before deciding on the bit to use when beginning the mouthing programme. The upper jaw is much wider than the lower jaw (just feel the side of your horse’s face to see the difference). Have a careful look at the tongue because the size and the shape will have an enormous influence on how the bit sits in the lower jaw. The overall placement of the tongue - if you think it through - will give you a good indication of a suitable bit. If the tongue is fat and thick the nutcracker action of a jointed snaffle will constantly pinch the tongue, encouraging the horse to try to put it elsewhere. If the tongue is narrow and/or short the dropped positioning of a jointed snaffle will give too much room for a horse to accidentally flop the tongue to the wrong side and then begin the indecisions.

For a thick tongue, choose a double-jointed mouthpiece, such as a ‘french’ snaffle, as there is hardly any nutcracker action with this type of bit. A ‘mullen-mouth’ snaffle will cause problems because it will press more directly onto a fat tongue than the bit was intended to do. The ‘mullen-mouth’, however, is ideal for the horse with the thin and/or short tongue as it sits slightly higher inside the mouth but without compromising the distance to the back molars. For those riders who insist on a single jointed snaffle, a jointed Pelham, used without a chain and with the reins on the top ring only, will give the single-jointed-snaffle effect in the rider’s hand but will give a steadier and higher effect in the horse’s mouth [ONLY USE ONE OF THESE IF YOUR HORSE IS REALLY HEADSTRONG] Don't choose a thinner bit as they are crueller to the horses mouth choose a thicker one

I hope this has helped a bit!!!!