Accessories and care of Western bits

Western riders place a lot of emphasis on keeping their horse’s Western headstall minimal so that the horse wears as little leather on the head as possible. Nevertheless, a curb chain or chin strap are among those useful accessories that should not be missing from any Western headstall. Why snaffle bits with chin straps and bits with shanks with curb chains are used and which reins make sense for which Western bit, you can read below.

Chin straps and curb chains

In contrast to English riding, where a curb chain is only used when riding with a weymouth bit, pelham or kimblewick, in Western riding, both the snaffle bit and the bit with shanks are used with a chin strap or curb chain. The reason is simple: the Western headstall does not usually have a noseband that can prevent the bit from being pulled through the horse’s mouth. A chin strap holds the bit in place. Especially one-eared headstalls that are only ridden one-handed with a Western curb bit need a chin strap or a curb chain.

For a pleasant appearance, the chin strap should be bought in the same colour as the Western headstall. Participants in Western shows should note that the width of the chin strap may be prescribed, depending on the competition and the rules.

When to use a curb chain, when a chin strap? A chin strap prevents the bit from being pulled through, which is why the combination of a bit and a chin strap is very common when riding both-handed. Curb chains, on the other hand, increase the pressure on the neck as soon as the rein is shortened and thus influence the effectiveness of the bit. For this reason, curb chains are mainly used with curb bits and bits with shanks. Lever bits, however, can also be used with a chin strap, these have a softer effect due to the leather. On the other hand, snaffle bits are not used with a chain, but exclusively with leather straps.

How is the chin strap or curb chain buckled correctly? The chin strap is fastened to the bit ring below the rein so that the strap does not get in the way of the rein. There should be room for two fingers under the buckled strap – this will prevent the bit from being pressed against the bars, but also prevent the chin strap from slipping over the lower lip.

The curb chain is buckled into the eyelet of the upper cheek bars together with the cheek pieces of a curb bit or bit with shanks. It is imperative that the chain lies flat in the chin groove, otherwise the twisted chain links will cause the horse unnecessary pain.

In order for the curb chain to limit the leverage of the shanks or for the leverage of the bit to be effective at all, there should again be a margin of two fingers. How tightly a curb chain should be buckled must be decided individually from bit to bit, as the shanks are curved in different ways and thus the leverage changes. In principle, the chain should only rest against the chin when the lower shanks have already covered half their distance when the reins are shortened.The chain should not be tighter than this, otherwise pressure will be exerted on the chin and tongue even when the reins are slack. The chain should also not be too loose, otherwise the signal from the bit will arrive too late, unexpectedly and too violently in the horse’s mouth.

The Western Headstall

A Western bit would not hold in the horse’s mouth without a Western headstall. There is a wide range of choice, not only in terms of the decoration for the headstall. Western riders are also spoilt for choice when it comes to the type of headstall:

• Western headstall with straight browbands
• Western headstall with knotted browbands
• Western headstall with V-shaped browbands
• One and two ear headstalls

The Western bit should always be selected in combination with the Western headstall, as the two form a unit and their functionality is mutually dependent. This is because, like a curb bit, which requires a sensitive horse moving in self-carriage, the same requirement applies to the use of one ear and two ear headstalls. For these headstalls a minimal, impulse-like aids are necessary. If the rein is pulled too strongly on one side, the headstall could be pulled off the horse’s head, especially because they are rarely used with a throat lash. For this reason, bits with shanks and ear headstalls should only be used on well trained horses that no longer require contact with the reins. Snaffle bits are therefore unsuitable for ear headstalls.

On the other hand, basic headstall are more likely to be used with a snaffle bit and chin strap.

If you want to show your horse, you should familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations beforehand. In Western riding, as with the bits, the organiser specifies which headstall is allowed in which class.

Western reins

Western reins also have an influence on the use and effect of Western bits. Classic Western reins are split reins – long, thin leather reins that are split in the middle. Split reins are most commonly used in Western riding because they are suitable for almost any discipline and can be held either one-handed or two-handed.

If the split reins slip through your hands onto the ground, you can use loop reins. These are closed Western reins that are available with different materials, thicknesses and lengths.

Romal reins are closed western reins with an extended leather flap (Romal). They come from the Californian riding style and are used with elaborately decorated head stalls. Romal reins are used with a bit with shanks.

Finally, there are slobber straps or slobber bars. These are leather connections that are hooked into the bit ring of the snaffle bit or into the bosal between the bit and the reins. They lengthen or shorten the reins and put even more weight on the bit. This protects the horse’s mouth: because of the weight, the horse is already told that the rein is being shortened straight before the actual rein pull comes. This makes the horse sensitive and maintains its sensitivity in the mouth.

No matter which rein you choose, the reins should carry a certain dead weight. If they are too light, they can fly through the air and send undefined signals and you would have to constantly stabilise them with your hand. For this reason, western riders distinguish between training reins for youn horses and reins for a trained horse. Training reins are wider and heavier than other reins.

Cleaning and care of Western bits

The cleaning and care of Western bits is basically child’s play, but can also vary due to special materials. A normal Western bit made of metal can be washed with water after riding and then dried with a cloth. It is desirable for bits with copper inlays to develop superficial rust. The sweetish taste of the rust leads to a better acceptance of the bit and promotes the horse’s mouth activity and salivation. Since many Western bits are supposed to rust anyway, you can save yourself the step with the water and simply clean the bit after use from saliva and feed residues with a dry towel.

Be careful with jointed bits with rollers or Billy Allen bits: The rust that develops must not restrict the mobility of the bit. Before each ride, make sure that all moving parts can actually be moved. If this is not the case, you can rub the bit with olive oil or other general cooking oil.

Olive oil (or any other vegetable oil) should also be used on sweet iron bits. If they start to rust, they must be cleaned intensively:

• First step: Remove the coarsest dirt with water.
• Second step: The sweet iron bit is dried well with a towel and then left to air dry.
• Third step: The bit is rubbed with a generous amount of olive oil. All corners also receive a generous amount of oil. The excess oil is wiped off with a cloth. The oil delays the rusting process a little and cares for the material.