Traditional Baucher bits from Spain

Customers often tell me about their sometimes lengthy search for the right bit for their horse. There is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution that fits all horses. Anyone who is into Iberian or Baroque riding will sooner or later come across the Baucher bit. With this type of bit too, the López company has been making a valuable contribution to equipping riders and horses for more than a century with its traditional product solutions. In the Picadera online shop you will find a select range of Baucher bits, the key features of which I would like to introduce to you.

Baucher bits for riding and handcraft – Made in Europe

The Baucher bits All of López's bits are manufactured at the site in Cortegana, Andalusia - regardless of whether they are forged or cast in a mold. This is an absolute rarity, especially when it comes to stainless steel bits. The majority of all stainless steel bits sold in Europe are now produced in the Far East.

Materials for traditional snaffle and bar bits

Most of the Baucher bits are made of both stainless steel and burnished iron. Known as "sweet iron" in the western world, bits made of burnished iron are characterized by their tendency to rust. The resulting sweet taste stimulates the horse's salivation and chewing. To maintain the dark color, the bit can be occasionally rubbed with a cloth soaked in olive oil.

Size information for bits

A Baucher bit belongs to the category of bits with fixed – in the sense of not continuous like a ring snaffle – side parts, such as the gag or snaffle bit. full-shank snaffle. With these bits, a suitable fit is desired so that the side parts lie relatively close to the corners of the mouth. This ensures that the bit is positioned in a stable position and that it can be used from the sides. In comparison, with loose ring bits with continuous rings, a play of up to 0.5 cm to the right and left of the corners of the mouth can be tolerated.

So if you have previously used a bit with continuous rings with a lot of lateral play, you may need to choose a size 0.5 to 1 cm smaller for a bit with fixed sides, such as the Baucher bit, to ensure a proper fit.

Some manufacturers have a large tolerance range for their measurements and the actual size of the bits is slightly larger than the size indicated. At López, the bits are measured very precisely, with a tolerance range of just 1 to 2 mm. This means that the actual size, measured from side piece to side piece, corresponds quite closely to the size indicated. If you are unsure which bit size is the right one for your horse in the Baucher result, I recommend that you measure the actual size of your usual bit.

As a rule, my customers' usual size actually fits. In my experience, this is independent of the mouthpiece - whether it's a Baucher bar or Baucher snaffle.

Functioning and fastening of the Baucher bit

The Baucher bit has no leverage and is not used with a chin chain. Instead, it lifts slightly when the reins are pulled and acts more towards the corner of the mouth. For many horses, this has a slightly straightening effect. The bridle is fastened using the short upper bars. This means that the Baucher bit is more stable in the mouth and offers the option of lateral adjustment.

Special features of Baucher Trense & Baucher Stange

The shape of the side parts also gives the Baucher bit a very special property: with a snaffle mouthpiece, it sags less than other bits and behaves almost like a bar. Even when chewing, it can only be moved minimally towards the incisors. When used as a snaffle in combination with a curb bit, a collision between the two bits in the mouth can be avoided more easily - an enormous advantage, especially for horses with a short mouth gap.

In comparison (from left to right): Baucher snaffle with forged side parts, Baucher snaffle from a cast mold, full-shank snaffle from a cast mold 

Even with a bar mouthpiece, the shape of the sides of the Baucher bit has a strong effect on the fit of the mouthpiece: here the bar always remains in the correct position. Especially with bar mouthpieces with tongue clearance or anatomical shape, such as the one shown Baucherstange with Mullen Mouth mouthpiece, this is of particular relevance.