Why use Western Bits: Part 1-Debunking Leverage Misconceptions

Debunking Western Bit Misconceptions and Understanding Leverage

Misconceptions about western riding, especially bits, abound in modern media.  I hope to debunk some of these misconceptions, especially about leveraged or curb bits in this two part article. 

There are many reasons for this misinformation including the desire to be recognized, the need to sell a product, the ease of publishing, fads amongst riders and horse owners, and (mostly) not taking the time or effort to study and learn the principles of riding or riding gear.  Traditional western riding and its gear (some call it tack) has a rich history of research and development. The gear, especially the bit (when used correctly), serve as an ideal tool for effective communication with horses to obtain the best performance from the animal. Horsemen throughout history have sought to make the horse’s attributes useful while safeguarding the well-being of the horse and our investment in the animal. Studying this accumulated knowledge is essential in comprehending the principles behind the gear and training of western horsemanship. 

While the internet provides vast amounts of information, it has also become a breeding ground for misinformation and misconceptions. Anyone can post content without sufficient knowledge or research, leading to the spread of incorrect information. To provide assurance I have not done the same, I have provided references for the information presented here. I recommend reading the references entirely as this article addresses a narrow topic. 

The misinformed labeling of western bits as harsh or severe disregards their design, proper application, as well as the required training of the rider and horse. Through well-referenced information, I aim to correct these misconceptions and provide a confident understanding of the basis of western riding and skills.  Hence, I am writing nothing new.  I make no claim to originality of this content.  Quite the opposite.  I want the reader to explore existing good reference material to learn the principles behind western bits and riding, and experience the results of proper application of the principles to their riding.

To fully grasp the principles behind the gear and training of horse and rider associated with western horsemanship, it is crucial to refer to the wealth of knowledge accumulated over hundreds of years. Extracting the principle, as Dr. Deb Bennett suggests, allows us to comprehend why certain practices and behaviors have evolved, hence allowing us to determine their relevance in different situations.¹  Dr. Jordan Peterson’s statement: “Ritual lasts long after the reasons have been forgotten,” resonates within horsemanship. We must not discard the ritual without first understanding the reason.  To do so, risks relearning the reasons often through suffering of the horse and rider.

 Unfortunately, some individuals have labeled western bits as harsh or inhumane without understanding their design or proper application. In reality, western bits are ideal for the demanding work horsemanship carried out by cowboys. We will learn that being harsh or severe has no place in the western bridle horse tradition.  By extracting principles and understanding their application in different situations, we can assess the relevance of potential pressure and severity associated with western leveraged bits.

It is advisable to download articles or videos for future reference, as their availability on the internet may change over time, as posts or pages are removed.

To begin the extraction of western bit principles, we will break down this amassed knowledge into understandable pieces. In Part I, we will examine the mechanics of the bit and explore the appropriate application of well-understood mechanical lever models. By doing so, we will debunk misconceptions about force and pressure when applied to horses and their bits and address the inconsistently applied concept of severity. In Part 2, we will further explore the mechanical principles of western bits and their applicability to traditional western horsemanship.

I believe that many will be surprised to learn that numerous sources on levers and leverage application regarding Western leverage bits often misapply the information.  To provide further assurance to the reader, I have provided a reference to a video showcasing an experiment I conducted to verify and validate the correct method of leverage analogy to bits.

By extracting the principles of the bits, we will understand why the potential of the western leverage bits to apply force and its potential to inflict pain simply shouldn’t matter.   That potential is just as great with any mishandled bit. Before we delve further into the subject, I want to emphasize a couple of important points. 

Notes:

Being a good horseman and having a keeping a well-trained horse demands a significant investment of time and effort. In today’s world, many individuals simply wish to go for a ride on a horse without dedicating themselves to studying, training, practicing, or maintaining consistency in their riding technique.  Misapplication of these bit principles most often result in causing pain or unnecessary pressure to the horse, horse resentment for the task, and in many cases harm to the rider.

It is crucial to note that the following explanation, although correct, is a simplified one. The dynamics and forces involved are contingent upon the magnitude and direction of forces, which change with movements such as the position of the horse’s head, the horse’s mouth opening, the positioning of the bit in the horse’s mouth, the angle of pull by the rider’s hand, the shape of the mouthpiece, and the muscular forces exerted by both the horse and rider.

This discussion will incorporate mechanics, math, and algebra. If these concepts prove too complex, rest assured that the provided information serves as evidence supporting the conclusions. Ultimately, the application of these conclusions is what holds the utmost importance.

Forces and leverage

The leveraged bit in western riding is designed to operate within a limited range of motion.  It is the properly adjusted curb strap which provides this limit. Before the curb strap comes into play, movement of the reins provide clues to the horse as to what to do. The movement before the curb chain tightens is called the “signal phase.” This is where the reins are moved backward and upward towards the rider’s hands. This motion causes the bit to rotate around the mouthpiece, which acts as a pivot point between the top of the purchase (headstall ring) and the bottom of the shanks (Rein Connection). This movement of mouthpiece pivot action has led to the misunderstanding surrounding leverage and the western bit.

A lever pivots about its fulcrum, and that point is sometimes called the pivot point.  Therefore, using our lever analogy, to the bit, it is easy to make the mistake that the mouthpiece is the fulcrum of the leveraged bit.  It is not.  But let’s examine the implications of that misapplication.

Since most lever diagrams are shown horizontally, I will turn the cheek piece horizontally so one can more easily make the association between the leverage diagram and the cheek piece.

Using lever mechanics helps us understand the principles of the bit. 

 A lever is a simple machine.  The lever, as shown, is simplified by using the terms effort, load, and fulcrum. Levers can be any size from extremely small, such as in a wristwatch, or as large as a crane. 

A lever has an effort force (input), a load force(output), and a pivot point or fulcrum.  The purpose of a lever machine is to apply a force to, or move an object (load).  Depending on the type (class) of lever, either the effort force can be multiplied on the load, or the distance the load is moved can be gained (for a small movement of the effort input, a larger movement of the load occurs). 

The difference among the three simple lever types (classes) is the location of the fulcrum (pivot point), and the location of the effort and load forces.  These locations affect the resultant force on the load and the distance the load moves compared to the distance the effort arm moves.  (The diagram below will help one understand these ideas).

 The distance between the effort force and the fulcrum is called the effort arm.

The distance between the fulcrum and the load force is called the load arm. 

For any lever system at equilibrium (not moving), the applied force multiplied by the distance of the effort arm must always equal the force applied to the load, multiplied by the distance of the load arm.

 Hence, for a lever in equilibrium (not moving):

(Effort Force) (effort Arm) = (Load Force) (Load Arm)

Knowing this, allows us to calculate the effects on the load as a result of our effort. 

When the fulcrum is between the effort force and the load force, the lever is called a Class 1 lever.  If I have 5 lbs of effort force applied to an effort arm of 6 inches; what is the force on the load if the Load Arm is 2 inches?

In the above example, notice that we divided the effort arm by the load arm.  This ratio is called the Ideal Mechanical Advantage of the lever.  The nice thing about knowing the mechanical advantage is that one simply needs to multiply the effort force by the mechanical advantage to determine the force on the load.

Some references will express the mechanical advantage as a ratio.  In our example, this ratio would be expressed as 3 to 1.  Mathematically, it is it the same thing.

Now let’s relate this leverage theory to our leveraged bit as many sources have explained it.

In this example, our leveraged bit has a shank of 6 inches and a purchase of 2 inches.

Now, let’s apply an effort force of only 5 lbs. to the reins.

All of the previous equations apply:

Using bit terminology, the Effort Arm is the Shank length and the Load Arm is the Purchase length of the bit.

Hence our formula becomes:

We are also told in numerous references that the mechanical advantage or the leverage ratio of the bit is:

Properly Applying Leverage Principles to the Bit

With these fundamental principles, we can identify the misconception.  Keep in mind that our objective is to determine how much force is being applied by the leveraged bit to the horse’s mouth parts. 

We are told that the load force is the force in the horse’s mouth.  But what is the load in this example?  Look carefully. (Extract the principle.)

The calculated load Force is the force exerted upon (and opposed by) by the CURB STRAP on the jaw of the horse.

What is the load?  In the above example, the calculated load Force is the force exerted upon (and opposed by) by the CURB STRAP on the jaw of the horse.

Unless the curb strap engages (becomes tight), there is no leverage action of the bit!

Without a curb strap, it is not a leveraged bit.  I will discuss the importance of the curb strap and its adjustment later.  Since the bit is designed to be used with a curb strap (they are sometimes called curb bits) let’s limit this discussion to that configuration.

Unless the curb strap engages (becomes tight), there is no leverage action of the bit!

So, is the force on the curb our major consideration, or is it the force applied to the mouth piece?  Most people want to know how much force is applied to the horse’s mouth.  This sensitive area is of primary consideration when estimating the pressure applied by the bit.

In the above lever example, the force exerted upon the mouthpiece is the downward force exerted on the fulcrum!  How do we calculate that?  Actually, the calculation is simple:

The force on the fulcrum is the combined force of the effort and the opposing force of the load caused by the curb strap (for a class 1 lever).

In this example, it is 15 lbs. of the load PLUS the 5 lbs. effort force, or 20 lbs. of force to the mouthpiece.

So, contrary to many descriptions, the force applied to the inside of the horse’s mouth is NOT the Shank length divided by the Purchase length (mechanical advantage) times the force of effort.  The force applied to the horse’s mouth is LARGER!  About 33% more force (in this example).  So what was wrong and how do we fix the misconception?

A Better Leverage Model

If a class 1 lever doesn’t meet our objective, then what is a better model?

Recall the extracted principles that:

• The leveraged bit does not function as a lever until the curb strap becomes tight, hence stopping the rotation of the bit about the mouthpiece.
• It is the amount of force exerted by the mouthpiece that is of primary concern.

The problem is that most of the explanations incorrectly consider the leveraged bit to be a Class 1 lever.  It was a confusion of the term pivot point.

Because 1) the curb strap is what stops the rotational motion of the cheek piece and determines when the bit acts as a lever, and 2) when the curb strap is engaged, the ring of the shank becomes the pivot point about where the lever rotates, then a more appropriate description is to consider the fulcrum to be where the curb strap connects to the bit, NOT the mouthpiece.  This is not a new concept and has been correctly expressed by many people:

“The curb chain is attached to the rings at the end of the cheek, so, as the cheek moves forward, the chain is pulled and tightened in the curb groove. Once it comes in contact with the curb groove of the horse it acts as a fulcrum, causing the cannons of the bit mouthpiece (the bars) to push down onto the bars of the horse’s mouth, thus amplifying the bit’s pressure on the mouth.”- Curb Chain, Horse-Pros.com, July 4 2016⁴

“The curb strap is the fulcrum for leverage on the bit.”  Curb Strap Adjustments, Lynn Kohr, Cavvy Savvy, March 20, 2015⁵

“To exert their leverage, curb bits depend on a curb chain or strap that passes beneath the horse’s chin groove and attaches to the rings on the cheeks of the bit. The bit rotates in the horse’s mouth until the curb strap stops (i.e., curbs) the rotation and the leverage action of the bit takes effect.”  An Overview of Bits and Bitting, Dwight G. Bennett, DVM, PhD⁶

“The shanks are the lever, the curb strap or chain is the fulcrum or prop lifting against the tongue and bars” A.R. Rojas

When the load is between the effort force and the fulcrum, the lever is considered to be a Class 2 lever.  A wheelbarrow is an example of a class 2 lever.  Notice that using this model, the Load force is the force applied to the mouth piece.  That information meets our objective.

The equation for a lever in equilibrium (where the motion of the load and the effort has stopped) is the same as our first example:

(Effort Force) (Effort Arm) = (load Force (Load Arm)

Or:

Let’s plug in the same numbers as the class 1 example above and determine the load force.  We will use the same 5 lbs of Effort Force and the same shank and purchase length used above in the class 1 lever example.

From the above equation:

We can now see that the mouth piece force using this model is the same magnitude as the fulcrum force of the class 1 lever model, above.  Hence using the class 2 model example, we correctly obtain the same mouthpiece force as the first example (for a cheek piece of the same dimensions).

Let’s check the force on the fulcrum (curb strap).  The sum of the forces on each side of the lever must be zero for the lever to be balanced.

If the load force is 20 lbs and the applied force is 5 lbs., then the force on the fulcrum (chin strap) would be the load force minus the applied force (the load force in in the opposite direction), or 15 lbs.  This is the same chin strap force we calculated in the class 1 model.

Movement Modification

As previously stated, the purpose of a lever type machine is to apply a force to, or move, an object.  We have not yet talked about movement.  Western riders refer to the period before engagement of the curb strap as the “signal phase” of the bit.  During this phase, the horse is getting its head cues from the results of the rotation of the mouthpiece and sensation on the horse’s lips, tongue, bars and pallet.  This rotation of the mouthpiece in relation to how far we moved the effort is called the action of the bit.  By changing the Purchase length to Shank length ratio, the amount of action (amount of rotation of the mouthpiece compared to the amount of movement of the shank) is determined.  This will also determine how soon the curb chain becomes engaged for a given amount of movement of the reins.  There is no “good” or “bad” ratio, the appropriate ratio depends upon the abilities and desires of the rider and what the rider is trying to accomplish.  This principle is explained very well in: The Bit Video: Understanding How and Why Bits Function by Dauphin Horsemanship.³

Extracted Principle of Leverage Correctly Applied to the Western Bit

If one wants to estimate the force on the mouth piece of the leveraged bit, one must model the bit correctly.

To model the western leveraged bit (determine the mouthpiece forces), a Class 2 lever is the most appropriate model because it is the chin strap that limits free rotation of the bit (without it there is no fulcrum) and it is the tightened chin strap that becomes the fulcrum of our leveraged system.

Unless the curb strap engages or becomes tight, there is no leverage action of the bit!

Modeling the leveraged bit as a class 2 lever, the load is the mouth piece (our primary point of interest).

The mechanical advantage or leverage ratio as applied to a leveraged bit is:

Disclaimer: Recall that the examples above represent ideal leverage conditions, not the dynamic and complex reality of riding a horse. The actual forces are dynamic (constantly changing).  Determining those forces requires complex modeling involving not only leverage but other factors such as the angles of applied forces, the position of the bit, and the changing forces applied by the rider and the horse’s muscles. Therefore, these simple models serve as a mere comparison between bits and are only applicable if similar conditions are used.

We have observed that a leveraged bit can exert significant force on the horse’s mouth, and the incorrect classification of the bit as a class 1 lever underestimates this force. 

What is correct? – An Experiment

To provide further understanding, I have conducted an experiment and created a video that demonstrates the correct measurement of the forces on the mouthpiece.  You can watch the video, Western Bits- An Experiment in Determining Force and Leverage¹⁶, here: https://youtu.be/jfji1J79jq0

Force and Pressure

We have been using the term “force.”  Without using a complex physics definition, lets simply call force a push or pull.  Your weight (measured in pounds) is the force of gravity pulling you down on the scales.  When one pulls on the reins, one can measure his force on the reins using a scale.  We can understand the principles of the bit adequately while ignoring the effects of force direction.

Although important, force in not what the horse “feels” when one sits on the horse or pulls on the reins. The comfort (or discomfort) an animal senses is more accurately determined by the pressure applied to the horse and where it is applied.    Pressure is the amount of force applied over a given area, similar to the measurement of car tire pressure (pounds per square inch).

The horse’s sensation depends on the pressure applied and its distribution over the horse’s body. The location of the pressure also plays a crucial role, as different parts of our body perceive pressure differently.

Therefore, besides the amount of force, the surface area over which the force is applied and the specific location of the pressure are crucial factors in considering what we feel or the sensation.

Severity

A concern often raised is the level of discomfort the horse feels by the use of certain aids. Interestingly, it is worth noting that the ranking of bits based on their supposed “severity” is an inconsistent and unsubstantiated marketing tactic, lacking standardized comparison.

We have learned how to approximately determine forces generated by the rider and leveraged bit.  We explored the concept of pressure and the importance of its location to affect the sensation a horse feels. The accomplished horseman must understand the extracted principles of any bit design, especially the mouthpieces, to understand how the reins are to be handled to obtain the best horse performance.  This is fully explained in the next part of this article.

Here’s a thought-provoking question that we’ll address: If leveraged bits are perceived as harsher than direct or snaffle bits, then why do snaffle bits cause the majority of horse mouth injuries? We will learn harshness is not solely determined by force. Prepare to be convinced that the calculations of leverage bit force simply don’t matter when you’re a trained horseman working with a trained horse.

References

Below are the references provided for Part I and Part II:

The following references were used for the generation of this article on western leveraged bits.  Where practical, I suggest reading them in their entirety as they contain a wealth of knowledge to help one communicate with the horse.

1. Deb Bennett, The Equine Studies Institute, Internet source
2. Rojas, Arnold R. Bits, Bitting and Spanish Horses. Alamar Media, Inc., 2010
3. Daniel Dauphin, The Bit Video: Understanding How and Why Bits Function by Dauphin Horsemanship, DVD, 2022
4. Jax, Curb Chain, Horse-Pros.com. July 4 2016, Internet source
5. Lynn Kohr, Curb Strap Adjustments. Cavvy Savvy, March 20, 2015, Internet source
6. Dwight G. Bennett, DVM, PhD, An Overview of Bits and Bitting. Damascus Equine Associates, [PDF],(No date), Internet source
7. Deb Bennett, PhD. Conquerors, The Roots of New World Horsemanship. Amigo Publications, 1998
8. Vido Clip from Guns, Germs and Steel: Spanish Jimeta Horsemanship. National Geographic Society, YouTube, Internet source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YXusV8q1cI
9. Ed Connell. Reinsman of the West: Briddles and Bits. Lennoche Publishers, 1964
10. Deb Bennett, PhD. The Ring of Muscles Revisited [PDF]. Equine Studies Institute, 2008. Internet source https://www.equinestudies.org/required-reading
11. Pat and Deb Puckett. The Disciplined Ride. 2019. Internet source https://www.thedisciplinedride.com/
12. Pat and Deb Puckett. Pat’s take on Bits.  YouTube, 2019.  Internet source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvt0PBr61Cc  .
13. Ross Hecox. If the Bit Fits. Western Horseman Magazine, October 20, 2015. Internet source: https://westernhorseman.com/horsemanship/how-to/if-the-bit-fits-2/
14. Hilary M. Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS and R. Lee, BVSc, DVR, PhD, MRCVS. A Fluoroscopic Study of the Position and Action of Different Bits in the Horse’s Mouth. Equine Veterinary Science,1985.
15. Pat and Deb Puckett. Hanging Styx in the Las Cruces Half Breed…and Other Business. YouTube, 2021.  Internet source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIWs53fIzyo 
16. Tim Norris. Western Bits- An Experiment in Determining Force and Leverage.  YouTube, 2023.  Internet source:  https://youtu.be/jfji1J79jq0