A metal (or composite) mouthpiece used with a bridle; reins attach to the bit so the rider can communicate pressure cues to the horse.
A bit sits in the horse’s mouth across the bars (the toothless gap between incisors and molars) and is held in place by the headstall of the bridle. It is the primary interface for many ridden communication systems: when the rider applies the reins, the bit transmits pressure to the horse’s tongue, lips, bars, and sometimes the poll or curb via leverage, depending on the bit design.
Types and action
Bits fall into two broad functional groups: snaffles (direct‑action bits that apply pressure mainly to the mouth) and leverage (curb) bits (which use shanks and a curb chain to multiply pressure). Mouthpiece shapes — jointed, mullen, ported, or twisted — and materials (steel, sweet iron, rubber, synthetic) change how pressure is distributed and how severe the cue feels to the horse. Thinner mouthpieces and those with leverage generally increase severity; thicker, smooth mouthpieces tend to be milder.
