Traditional Baucher bits from Spain

Time and again, customers tell me about their sometimes lengthy search for the right bit for their horse. There is certainly no single solution that fits all horses. However, anyone who deals with Iberian or baroque riding will come across Baucher Bits sooner or later. Also in this type bit, the company López with its traditional product solutions has been making a valuable contribution to equipping riders and horses for more than a century. In the online store of Picadera you will find a select range of belly bits, whose main features I would like to introduce to you.

Baucher bits for riding and handwork - Made in Europe

The Baucher bits from López are all manufactured at the site in Cortegana, Andalusia - whether forged or cast in a mold. Especially with regard to stainless steel bits, this is an absolute specialty. The majority of all stainless steel bits sold in Europe are nowadays produced in the Far East.

Materials for traditional snaffle and ported & mullen mouth bits

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

Size specifications for bits

A Baucher Bit belongs to the category of bits with fixed - in the sense of not continuous as with a ring snaffle - side parts, as for example the toggle or full cheek snaffle bit. With these bits, a snug fit is desired so that the side pieces are relatively close to the corners of the mouth. This ensures both a quiet position of the bit, as well as the lateral impact possibility. In comparison, with loose ring snaffle bits with continuous rings, you can tolerate a play of up to 0.5 cm right and left of the mouth angles.

So if you've otherwise used a bit with continuous rings with lots of lateral play, you may need to choose a 0.5 to 1 cm smaller size for a bit with fixed side panels, like the Baucher Bit, to ensure the proper fit.

Some manufacturers have a large tolerance range for their measurements and the bits turn out somewhat larger in real size than the size specification indicates. At López, the bits are measured very appropriately, with a tolerance range of only 1 to 2 mm. This means that the real size, measured from side piece to side piece , corresponds quite exactly to the size specification. If you are unsure which bit size at Baucher Bit is the right one for your horse, I recommend you to measure the real size of your usual bit .

As a rule, my customers actually fit the usual size. In my experience, this is independent of mouthpiece - whether Ported Baucher Bit or Jointed Baucher Bit.

Function and buckling of the Baucher bit

The Baucher Bit has no leverage and is not used with curb chain . Instead, it lifts slightly when the reins are pulled and has an increased effect towards the corner of the mouth. For many horses, this has a somewhat straightening effect. The buckling on the bridle is done via the short upper trees. This causes the Baucher Bit to be more stable in the mouth, as well as providing a lateral positioning option.

Feature of Baucher snaffle & Baucher ported mouthpiece

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

In comparison (from left to right): Jointed Baucher Bit with forged side parts, Jointed Baucher Bit from casting mold, full cheek snaffle bit from casting mold 

Even with a bar mouthpiece, the shape of the Shanks of the Baucher bit has a strong effect on the fit of the mouthpiece: here the bar always remains in the correct position. This is particularly relevant for bar mouthpieces with tongue clearance or anatomical shaping, such as the ported baucher bit with Mullen Mouth mouthpiece shown.