Other considerations Mouthpieces should be smooth with a solid surface. This means that twisted threads or strands are considered illegal. Only one rolled piece is allowed on a mouthpiece. The wicks can be made of flexible rubber or covered with rubber or plastic. However, they cannot be modified by adding other materials and must match the contours of a traditional flange described in the lists above. If a double-jointed bit or flange with a rotating mouthpiece is shaped in such a way that relief of the tongue is possible, the maximum height of the gap is 30 mm, and the widest part of the wick-shaped gap must be above the tongue so that the tongue is pressure-free and has a minimum width of 30 mm. The central limb of a double-jointed mouthpiece may be aligned differently from the mouthpiece, but must have rounded edges. For all horses, the diameter of the dental rings or jaws should be at least 10 mm. As expected, a fixed dentition moves less in the horse`s mouth. Step 1: Choose a ring style. The rings attach to the reins and flange jaws, and their design and effect affect how the mouthpiece acts on the horse`s mouth and (sometimes) its probing. The most commonly used bridle bite rings in dressage horses are loose rings and firm cheeks (egg strain, D ring, full cheek, belly).
(See the illustrations on the right for representations of these ring styles.) Non-metallic mouthpieces are also still alive. The USEF allows “Bits. with a rubber or plastic lid”, as in the Nathe or Happy Mouth lines in stainless steel pieces covered with synthetic material – although packaging a mouthpiece with latex for dressing is illegal. “Soft rubber or synthetic tips” are also allowed, according to USEF regulations. “My six-year-old with 18 hands has a 14mm bridle. It doesn`t need vibrations, but it needs lateral stability and it has a small mouth,” says Larsen, who is also an amateur FEI-level competitor. On the other hand, “my 17.3-hand horse needs something dynamic with `feeling` and `conversation`. When I put him in a firm cheek, he`s like he`s rolling a two by four. In this article, we will help you sort through the options and find the best USEF legal bridle framework for use on the lower levels (from introduction to fourth) of dressage competition. Step 3: Choose a mouthpiece material. Previously, it was simple: the wicks were made of stainless steel, plastic or rubber; and the USEF rules prohibited the use of wicks made of more than one type of metal. Today, in addition to the above materials, there are trenches in a variety of metals and metal alloys, including copper, German silver (not silver at all, but a copper alloy with zinc and nickel) and aurigan.
At one time, riders thought that copper would shock a horse. Not only has this belief proven to be wrong, but it has also been found that copper has the benefit of promoting salivation and chewing when it oxidizes in the mouth. However, the disadvantage of copper as a bit material is its softness. So HS Sprenger worked with the University of Hanover in Germany to develop a new alloy they called Aurigan. Composed of 85% copper, 4% silicon and 11% zinc and recognizable by its golden color, Aurigan warms up quickly to body temperature and is now a favorite of many riders and dressage trainers. Gags and hackamors are allowed for cross-country as well as other types of unconventional bits. In the dressing phase, flange parts made of metal, leather, plastic or rubber are allowed. No bit guards are allowed. For some tests, double cesura with Cavesson nasal bands is allowed. “The fixed ring transmits less vibration than the loose ring,” says Mette Larsen, owner of Metlar llC, Riverhead, NY, the US distributor of the UK-made New School Bits Line.
“If you have a young horse that needs lateral stability or is difficult or green, or a rider who doesn`t yet know how to sit well, a firm cheek is a better idea.” Lower level dressage A bridle frame is required for all exams and classes of second level and below. A bridle bit is optional in third and fourth level tests. Loose ring partitions and fixed rings are allowed. For example, for many years, it was widely accepted that a thick mouthpiece is softer than a thin tip. However, Dr. Clayton`s research has found that a thick lump in a small oral cavity can actually cause greater discomfort. She concluded: “The mouthpiece should be width equal to the distance between the left and right ends of the lips and adjusted to fit the corners of the lips without bending them. The study showed that if the teeth were too wide or too deep in the mouth, it would be easy for the horse to slide its tongue over the teeth, which could lead to a potentially dangerous loss of control for the rider. In addition, the range of motion of the dentition in the oral cavity was increased if the mouthpiece was too wide or too low, which facilitated the lifting of the mouthpiece between the cheek teeth. “There are strict rules for what is considered an acceptable dentition for dressage under USEF regulations, while other equestrian disciplines vary, which is considered acceptable.
The USEF regulations for the Jumper division have no specifications for bits, while the regulations for the Hunter division only mention what is allowed. If you invest in riding equipment, it is worth buying legal equipment in the discipline in which you want to ride or ride. Part of responsible horse management is to consider the ethical aspect of choosing the right equipment, as well as what is allowed by USEF regulations and what is best for your individual horse. The mouthpiece of a loose ring flange surrounds, but is not attached to, the bit rings. Similarly, the cheeks and reins can rotate freely around the rings. This design, most often used on flanges for dressage, allows the teeth to move through the horse`s mouth, encouraging it to put the teeth in the mouth while avoiding leaning or locking against the mouthpiece. In dressage, the most common styles of mouthpieces are single and double joint. The single-joint flange, which is Snaffle`s traditional design, has two arms or “barrels” that can be machined independently. When pressure is applied to the reins, the single-joint flange functions like a nutcracker, with the mouthpiece taking on a V-shape and applying direct pressure to the horse`s lips, tongue, and stems (the edentulous spaces of the lower jaw or lower jaw). A disadvantage of this design is that, depending on how the reins are used, the central member of the mouthpiece can touch the delicate palate of the horse.
The hunter`s ring allows flange parts, pelhams or complete flanges. The judge has the right to punish, but not eliminate, a hunter`s gag or kimberwick, among other unconventional bridles, pelhams or full bridles. Three ring bits, gags (except for a hunter gag) and other similar bits are considered illegal for the hunter network under USEF regulations. Modern snaflfe pieces are available in a variety of styles, shapes, sizes and materials. Choose one that is both practical for your horse and legal for use in a dressage competition licensed by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/approved by the USDF – did you know that many trenches are not allowed in dressage? – can be intimidating. In all likelihood, someone in your stable has a bucket full of pieces of horses from the past and present, representing successes and failures, changed philosophies and experiences. To begin with, you should know that the piece you choose must be a bridle required in USEF/USDF dressage competitions up to the fourth level and allowed in most (but not all) RDI tests during national competitions. (For the purposes of this article, we`re only discussing what the USEF calls the “single bridle hodgepodge,” not the bridles [small ringed flange pieces] used in the double flange.) For more information, see “Know the Bit Rules” on page 40. Which one to choose for your horse? Experts will help you sort through the options The Sprenger Full Cheek Dynamic RS is very quietly in the mouth of the horse as this one. Snaffle Bits These are the same as the flange parts approved for lower-level dressing, with the addition of rotating wicks with rotating centerpieces and loop rings.
Double Bridons Bridoons Allowed in this category are: The diameter of the ring itself does not play a major role in the function of the bit. As a rule, any given style will come from loose ring flanges in a larger and smaller ring size. The larger ring is usually used with a bridle flange, while the smaller ring is often purchased as a flange for use in a double flange because the smaller ring does not interfere with the sidewalk bit. However, a pony or horse with a small and delicate head sometimes looks better in a smaller ring. Wat would suggest u for ottb. At the moment I only have eggs, but snaff he is very forward in the gear n trot also he keeps his head high n forward. I would constantly stop it halfway and play with the song? More testing, fewer bugsTest bits can be expensive if you don`t have a friend or instructor who owns tons of them.
