[TheForge] Horse bit, sweet iron

[Phlip]

I'm not absolutely certain on this- I'm using logic and experience, rather than
knowledge of the exact meaning of the term- scrumming the web didn't find me a
definition, just encouraged me to think I'm right.

Most horse bits are made of stainless steel these days, the idea being to avoid
putting nasty flavors in the horse's mouth. As a general rule of thumb,  the
thicker the bit piece (the part that goes in the mouth) and the shorter the
shanks ( the part that's attached to thebit on the outside, to the reins) the
easier it is on the horse's mouth. The basic idea among modern horsefolk is to
use  the minimal bit which will give the desired amount of control, Control goes
beyond just getting the animal to stop and start and turn on command, but
includes how he sets his head, the length of his stride, and a bunch of other
things.

Obviously, a horse who isn't comfortable with his bit is going to be more
concerned with dealing with the annoyance, than worrying about what you want him
to do.

One thing we've discovered, is that horses like the taste of copper, and all the
"Sweet iron" bits I've heard of incorporate copper into the mouthpiece in some
manner. This can be a situation where the bit is thickly plated with copper,
where there is a transition from the steel to the copper, or a specificly
designed "toy" for nervous horses- a copper ring set in the center of the
mouthpiece so it can't go anywhere, and gives the horse a nice-tasting something
to play with. Pure copper bits are not really an option, because copper is a
little too soft and flexible to stand up to heavy usage. In a panic situation, a
horse could easily bite through it, or break it (yeah, I know, we avoid panic
situations, but they happen, and 1200 lbs of sheer panic in a hurry to go
elsewhere requires reliable control).

When and if you make these bits, keep in mind that everything put in the horses
mouth must be very, very smooth and well-rounded- even a very mild roughness
will drive a horse nuts. Think how you feel, any time you get, say, a piece of
pepper stuck in your teeth.

Phlip

Bob Ehrenberger wrote:

> Our farier was out last night to trim our horses' hoves. I showed him some
> of my work and he wants me to make him some horse bits. He said that they
> use something called "Sweet Iron" in the bits. Do any of you know what
> exactlly Steet Iron is? Or is that just a term used for any steel horst bit?
>
> He is coming back in a few days with a bit to copy, I'd like to be prepared
> and know what I'm getting into before he gets here.
>
> Bob Ehrenberger
> Shelbyville, Mo
>
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