Whats the harshest bit in the world?

Question

Buffy, you didn't answer my question, but I love the way you explain things!

Also the reason I'm wanting to know is because I'm making an abused horse role play character and wanted to know which was the worst.

Answer 1

Interesting Q!!

I'd say the long shank bits are harsh - but mainly on an untrained horse and especially with a rider with heavy hands (beginner). Reason being the incredible amount of pressure the horse feels at so many different points.

Answer 2

Like some people already said, any bit can be harsh if it's used wrong. But some bits are much harsher than others, and a heavy-handed rider only makes them worse.

Here are just a few extreme bits. You can see why they are so severe.

http://www.bitsnmore.com/images/catalog/...

http://www.bitsnmore.com/images/catalog/...

http://www.bitsnmore.com/images/catalog/...

http://www.bitsnmore.com/images/catalog/...

Answer 3

Well any bit that is colied or thin.

Answer 4

Do not use a twisted metal bit, they are in my opinion the best way to ruin a horses mouth. It is harsh because if you don't know what your doing you'll pinch the horses mouth in the bit and cause pain when the horse doesn't obey, in the right hands it can be a good tool because that person knows how to use it but for anyone else never use a twisted bit.

Answer 5

That would be the Citation Bridle.  It is a bit/bridle combination that can actually break the lower jaw and/or the cartilage at the end of the nose.  http://www.horsetackinternational.com/ci...

The snaffle rein applies downward pressure on the cartilage on the end of the nose by way of a leather strap and also on the tongue.  The curb rein applies upward pressure on the lower jaw by way of a chain and upward pressure on the roof of the mouth.

This bridle can do serious damage to a horse.  Thankfully I have not seen one at a horse show in many, many years.

Like any bit, if the horse is doing what it is supposed to be doing the bit is very kind.  If the rider does not have supremely educated hands it can be very, very scary.

Answer 6

Darn!  You beat me to it - all bits are harsh in uneducated hands - I like that way of saying it b est.

OK, so if you're a person who's uneducated in riding, any bit with leverage that allows a pinch, has long shanks or a high port is not for you.

Here's a bit about bit mechanics.  Let's discuss a typical two-piece snaffle that's joined in the middle.  Put your finger on your gum behind your teeth and press down - now walk around.  How far can ya go before it's uncomfortable?  Pretty far, huh?  Not too bad?  Now put your finger in the middle of your tongue and press down - back toward the back, works better than right in front.  press down in differing pressures - how far can you walk now without discomfort or gagging?

Now you have the basic theory of bits.  The snaffle bit, when held relaxed in the horse's mouth breaks across the tongue and is pretty comfortable.  When it is engaged, however, it collapses so the rings become closer together (picture this now) and the joint of the bit makes a point.  From the back of the horse, pressure on the reins draws the rings closer together and up which drives the point of that joint into the horse's tongue - taking the "tongue away" - gagging the horse.  The harder you pull, the harder the point goes into the tongue of the horse - addition of leverage on a but like a tom thumb bit makes it even worse.  A loose ring snaffle has the least amount of leverage.

Got that now?

OK - so let's say you're a young horse, you have a lot to learn and are pretty headstrong - you will be started with a snaffle bit to teach you quickly what you are supposed to learn.  If your rider is smart they will use the bit in such a way as to teach you to learn and respond quicker and quicker by use of pressure and release - once you get very smart and educated in how to carry this bit, the rider may begin to teach you with a bitless bridle how to respond to pressure on your nose, then, once you've got that down well, he'll go back to bits with a small amount of tongue pressure and more pressure on the bars - you'll learn to "listen" to the bar pressure and respond and no longer will you be gagged - unless you regress and need a little "tune up".

Howz that?

Bits with multiple pieces - like a dog bone or a mullen mouth allow more tongue movement, so the message can get to the horse without completely choking him and gagging him.  For a horse, if they feel trapped they have to get free - cranking down and taking forceful control of their mouths will definitely make them feel trapped.

So if I were starting a young person learning on a well trained, horse, I would begin that youngster depending on what his or her desires for riding are - if English, it woiuld probably be a split bit with direct rein pressure like an eggbutt or d-ring.  I would not put the kid in a high-ported, high-leveage bit.

Does this answer your question?

Answer 7

Okay  here is the honest answer.  You can tear up a horse's mouth with any bit!  It is how you use your hands on the reins.

You can put a heavy high port, sharp bit in the mouth and use your hands very softly and his mouth will be fine.  On the other hand, you can put a snaffle in the mouth and tear his mouth up by the severity of your hands!  OUCH!  

Hope this helps you understand how important the use of your hands are.  

Answer 8

Double thinly twisted copper wire fullcheek with breaks, maybe.  Or something called a "war bridle" that is made from rope and draws over the horse's gums.  They are harsh because they hurt.  The war bridle for obvious reasons and the thin wire pinches, pokes, and centralizes pressure over a small area of the horse's mouth.  Same reason Chinese water-torture hurts.

Course both can be used delicately and appropriately by an experienced user.

Answer 9

My understanding is that a spade bit with a cathedral port is about as tough as it gets.  These aren't bits that would typically end up in an abuse case though, they are used only on finished bridle horses.  In the classes that these bits are used they will very often remove a tail hair from the horse and use that to connect the bit shank to the rein.  If enough pressure is put on the bit that it breaks the strand of hair, then the rider is DQed.  Those bits require a very light touch.  

Basic description of the bit is long shanked, very tall port, very complex mouth piece which could include twisted wire springs, crickets that turn, and many other metal components that will fill the horses mouth.  

Answer 10

a long shank spade bit.they are the worst bit in the world and will literally rip through the roof of a horses mouth if they are pulled.although they have been used by vaqueros for centuries there has  always been a long and slow process to get a horse into a spade bit and since most of the vaqueros who actually know how to train a horse for this bit are becoming very few and far between.it is one of the only bits that not only does the horse need long and drawn out training but the rider also needs the same long drawn out training otherwise it can ruin a very expensive horse.a spade bit to work properly has to be custom made for the horse and can cost as much as $130.000 dollars(gold and platnum inlays on a solid silver base with diamonds and rubies was made for a sheik in UA and the horse was flown in on his private jet to be fitted)

in the right hands and on the right horse it can also be a thing of beauty and grace.

Answer 11

why do you want to know

Answer 12

I was told a German Hackamore was one of the strongest. instead of going in the mouth It exerts A LOT of pressure on the horse's sensitive nose, and in the wrong hands it can damage cartilage, nerve endings and break bones on the horses head, causing irreparable damage.

Answer 13

Isaw one that is harsh in ANY ONES hands, there is honestly no correct way of using bit.  I worked with a western pleasure trainer for a week, and she would take two strands of  barb wire, twist them together and put two rings on either side.  then she would tie the horses head down to there knees with it and leave them in a round pen for a hour like that.  most of the horses had blood coming out of there mouths when she took them out.  I left after I saw this and complained to the local animal control, and was told that it was a "acceptable training technique"  WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE about that!!  I was so glad when they started to have the Western pleasure horses heads higher!  

Answer 14

The rider's use of their hands is one of the most important factors when determining the severity of the bit, that being said any bit could be harsh.

Answer 15

Chain saw mouth bit. Basically a peice of chain saw attached to a bridle.  

Answer 16

i dont really believe that there is a "harshest" bit....its really depends on the rider and how they use it....

Answer 17

I agree with sovereign on the spade...however, the vaqueros NEVER used snaffles...I believe it was the Texans who introduced snaffles since they needed to speed up the bitting process.  Vaqueros went right from a series of bitless gear into the spade, which took years to accomplish...few ever achieve the light handedness to use a spade bit.  If a snaffle enters into that process, it's a shortcut that disqualifies you from being properly prepared to use the spade.

Answer 18

A cathedral port......or spade spoon port; sorry but the "wrong hands" and zero training do irreparable damage to a horses mouth no matter the bit.   The two I've listed require a very educated set of hands.  All you have to do is check the height on the cathedral port, or spade bit....obviously it'll tear up the soft palate on a horse's mouth.   If you have a clueless rider and an uneducated horse who's unfamiliar with either of the two bits, bad things are gonna happen.   Takes years to get a horse into a spade bit if done properly through a proper bitting up process....it's a vaquero tradition, philosophy and goal to get their horses into these bits.   From a snaffle or bosal, to the two rein and onto a straight up bit.  Bits have been used since the Romans, the Egyptians and Cesar.

http://www.pards.com/store/merchant.mvc?...

http://www.elvaquero.com/The%20Spade.htm

http://www.bennyguitron.com/articles/232...

http://www.bennyguitron.com/articles/232...

Edit:  ("Gallop") ...the horses started now in the vaquero tradition begin with either the snaffle or the bosal; sorry.    Benny Guitron, Bob Avila, Ted Robinson, all masters of the  working cow horse tradition  use snaffles/bosal as part of their training program....snaffle/bosal/two rein/to the straight up bit.   Bob, winner of the Magnificent Seven riding Brother White in a straight up bit and romal...the horse has been completely schooled through the vaquero tradition.  Benny Guitron rides the spade on a very few of his bridle horses.   But all of the above gentlemen have the skill set to show successfully with a spade as most have schooled under masters of the spade bit.

http://www.bennyguitron.com/articles/232...

The motto of the National Reined Cow Horse Association...

"Where Tradition is Not Forgotten"...the vaquero tradition.     Get yourself to the Snaffle Bit Futurity, Reno and watch not only the youngsters but the mature horses shown in the bridle.

  

While you're there, be sure to tell Benny Guitron, Bob Avila and the rest of them that they're not qualified to ride the spade bridle horse because they may have begun training that horse with a snaffle bit,  nor are they competent enough to ride the spade, nor have they apprenticed long enough to show with the spade bit...I wonder what they'll say to you.

  

http://www.horsesdaily.com/news/reining/...