Can someone tell me what the purpose of the bottom piece of this bit is?
I spotted something similar on a calendar I have over my desk, and am just curious…
It is to stop the cheek pieces getting caught up in the reins when driving multiples.
Whenever there’s a bottom bar then it’s a bit to be used when driving either a pair or a team. It stops one horse interfering with the other by getting the bar caught on something. It can also stop them nipping each other.
Ahhhhh - ok! That makes sense… the photo is the close up of the rear pair in a team (sorry if the terminology is off).
I can barely ride one horse. I cannot imagine dealing with four :lol:
Thanks!
Just a note on bits with bottom bars, is that they CAN get snagged on things.
They were invented for times past when the horses were kept checked up, unable to drop heads to get the bar down by the leader bars or pole head.
From personal experience, the bar on the bottom of bit can get caught on the MOST AMAZING things! It is a danger if you are not watching the horses ALL THE TIME they are hitched, both moving and standing. And even then a horse will still get bar snagged before you can prevent it. We found out WHY most Tandem vehicles are shown with the very hooked Gig styled shafts! Wheeler can’t get the bottom bar over the end of shaft!!
You will see some of the CDE folks using plastic tubing instead of the cast bar, for their Team bits in competitions. Tubing serves the same purpose of preventing rein snagging under a bit shank, with the advantage of pulling loose if tubing gets firmly caught on a piece of equipment. This photo shows the tubing in use, but not an obnoxious look with that addition to the bits. Just not quite “Driving traditional”, which is true CDE all the way! Tubing is definately a safer method with no checkreins on horses.
http://www.gavinrobson.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=59820468
Many horses just freak when head is caught with the bit and they can’t raise it. A few will work with you, allow you fractions of time to get the bar unhooked before they quit being patient. Of course this always happens at the worst possible time, when you have the Coach fully loaded, are getting ready to compete! So modern drivers are often thinking outside the box, with useful changes over traditional bitting styles of the past.
I tend to only use bits with bottom bars nowadays if team’s driving or doing something to show folks or else when I know I’ve a horse in a multiple that’s inclined to want to rub or not one of his mates.
Mine would all break off though if they stuck on something solid.
I do also have them with plastic bottom bars.
I actually tried to find some photos to demonstrate where and how I use them yesterday but to be honest you couldn’t see the difference with the plastic and the majority you could barely see the bits.
Then again the photos were snaps of me and the horses and weren’t taken to show bits.
