No BITTING-DON’T GUESS THE SIZE… MAKE SURE YOU MEASURE !
Some excellent advise from our friends at the The Horse Bit Shop – thehorsebitshop.co.uk
So, these days everyone is interested in the science of bitting.. so as the leading bitting specialists in the U.K and Europe and arguably across the world, we don’t want you to be baffled by sales jargon or mislead by FB Posts by anyone and everyone… So as part of our up and coming clinics and demonstration tour we have talked our bitting specialists and lecturers into sharing top tips and advice on a regular basis through our Twitter and Facebook page… and here is the first installment in our ‘Bit Fact Not Fiction’ blogs written by our very own Senior Bitting Specialist Ema Odlin-Baxter ….
As it’s a vast subject, I guess the best place to start is right at the beginning on how to measure your horse’s mouth.
There are several devices you can purchase, along with many templates that you can download off websites to cut and and fasten together. And whilst on a day to day basis I personally prefer the stainless steel Sprenger Bit measure, which is quite a costly item is a little overkill if you only have one or a few horses. So I would always recommend using a good old fashion wooden spoon. It’s simple to use and is quite accurate.
Step 1: Place the wooden spoon in the horse’s mouth as you would a bit. (Pic 1)
Step 2: Take a pencil and mark on either side alongside the lip on each side.
Step 3: Remove the spoon and measure between the lines you have drawn. (Pic 3)
Once you have this measurement, give this to the retailer or bitting specialist when ordering the bit and they will be able advise you on the correct size required in the brand and type of bit.
DON’T GUESS THE SIZE… MAKE SURE YOU MEASURE
For more advice or further information on bit trials give us a call on 01405 861800 or visit www.thehorsebitshop.co.uk
Thank you to Welsh Section A, Princess for posing for the pictures!
