The rings run through holes in the ends of the mouthpiece, so the mouthpiece can turn and slide a little on its own. That small amount of play is the whole point. A horse that leans, or locks his jaw and pulls, struggles to brace against something that keeps moving, and the movement tends to encourage a soft, chewing mouth.
The cost is stability. A worried horse, or one still working out what the bit means, can find all that movement unsettling. Check the holes now and then, because worn ones pinch the lips. Rubber bit guards are a cheap fix while you decide on a replacement.
Browse the loose ring snaffles, or start with the Myler Low Port Comfort Snaffle, one of the most popular in the range.
The barrel-shaped join fixes the mouthpiece to the cheek. Nothing slides or pinches, and the bit stays where you put it. That stillness suits a horse who fusses with a busy bit and the youngster learning to take the rein forward. It suits the leaner less well, since a fixed bit is something to lean on.
Good places to start are the Neue Schule Verbindend Eggbutt and the BR Double Jointed Eggbutt Soft Contact, or see all eggbutt snaffles.
So, eggbutt or D-ring? In the mouth they behave much the same. The difference is on the outside: the flat sides of a D lie against more of the face, so an opening rein is backed up by a gentle push on the opposite cheek. It’s a sensible choice out hacking, and for the horse that drifts through a shoulder. Try the Sprenger Duo D Ring or browse the D-ring snaffles.
Long cheeks above and below the mouthpiece can’t be pulled through the mouth, and they give the clearest sideways aid of any snaffle. That’s why you see so many on young horses and on anything that is hard to steer. Fitted with bit keepers, the top of the cheek is held upright, which keeps the mouthpiece still in the mouth.
People often search for the difference between a Fulmer and a full cheek. A Fulmer is a full cheek with loose rings outside the cheeks, so you get the steering of the long cheek and some of the play of a loose ring. On a plain full cheek the mouthpiece is fixed. Compare the Fager John Sweet Iron Baby Fulmer with the fixed Neue Schule Tranz Angled Full Cheek, or browse full cheek and Fulmer snaffles.
There’s a fifth cheek, the hanging cheek, which works differently enough to need its own article.
A loose ring needs a few millimetres either side so the rings can move without pinching. Fixed cheeks can sit closer. If you’re between sizes, our guide on how to measure a horse bit and the 12-point fit checklist will settle it.
Swapping only the cheek, with the same mouthpiece, is one of the most useful experiments you can run, and one of the most expensive to get wrong. Most of our metal snaffles can go out on 30-day trial from the Bit Bank: ride in it for a month, and if it isn’t right, send it back for a refund less the hire fee. Not sure which to try first? Our Bitting Specialists are on 01405 861800, option 3.