A snaffle acts directly. The pressure you put on the rein is the pressure the horse feels in his mouth, with no lever multiplying it, which is why most horses start in one.
The cheek sets how still the bit sits and how much help it gives on a turn. A loose ring moves and lets the mouthpiece settle, which suits a horse that leans or sets his jaw. An eggbutt is fixed and quiet, and a D-ring adds a little steering from its flat sides. A full cheek or Fulmer gives the most lateral help on a young or green horse, and a hanging cheek holds the mouthpiece very still. Our guide to snaffle cheeks compares them side by side.
The mouthpiece decides where the pressure lands. A single joint folds around the lower jaw and presses on the bars and tongue. A double joint with a lozenge or French link lies more evenly over the tongue. A mullen or straight bar keeps still and spreads the pressure, and a port gives a thick tongue somewhere to go. Thicker is not automatically kinder: a horse with a low palate or a fleshy tongue is often happier in something slimmer.
If your horse is strong in every snaffle you have tried, the usual next step is a bit with some lever action, such as a Pelham or a gag.
Measuring. Lay a bit that fits flat and measure the mouthpiece from the inside of one cheek or ring to the inside of the other. With nothing to copy, put a length of dowel through the mouth where the bit sits, mark it at each lip corner and measure between the marks. Sizes are listed in inches and millimetres.
Fitting. A fixed cheek should sit snug against the lips without squeezing them. A loose ring needs a little clearance, no more than an eighth of an inch either side, so the ring cannot pinch. Aim for half to one wrinkle at the corners of the mouth, then check again with a contact, as some mouthpieces draw up more than others. The 12-point fit checklist covers the rest.
Many of the metal snaffles here can go out on the 30 day Bit Bank trial. Pick the “With 30 day trial” option, and if the bit doesn’t suit, get it back to us within 30 days of dispatch for a refund less the trial fee. Non-metal bits are sold outright. For sizing advice, ring 01405 861800.
A snaffle is any bit where the rein acts directly on the mouth, with no shank or lever. It can have a jointed or unjointed mouthpiece; what makes it a snaffle is the absence of lever action. Loose ring, eggbutt, D-ring, full cheek and hanging cheek are all snaffles.
No. Plenty of Pelhams, Kimblewicks and gags have jointed mouthpieces. Whether a bit is a snaffle depends on how the rein attaches. The joint in the middle has no bearing on it.
Measure a bit that already fits, from the inside of one cheek to the inside of the other. A fixed cheek can sit close to the lips, while a loose ring needs a little clearance either side. If you are between sizes, ring us before you order.
The gentlest bit is the one that fits and that your horse is comfortable carrying, which varies from horse to horse. A well-fitted snaffle in the hands of a quiet rider is mild, but a badly fitted one is not. Trying a bit on the 30 day trial is the honest way to find out.
Not sure of the width? How to measure a horse bit