Ported Bits

ported & mullen mouth bits at Picadera

Picadera offers a wide range of ported & mullen mouth bits. These differ in their material and their effect.

Effect ported & mullen mouth bit

The ported & mullen mouth bit consists, as the name suggests, of an unbroken, continuous mouthpiece in the shape of a bar. Unlike a single or double snaffle bit it does not only act on the edges of the tongue but over the whole width of the tongue. This creates an even pressure at shank the reins. The ported & mullen mouth bit also lies very calmly in the horse's mouth because of this. From a functional point of view ported & mullen mouth bits can be divided into those without and those with leverage. Bars with little port relieve the pressure in the middle of the tongue, while Mullen Mouth models have a larger curve. These also allow horses with fleshy tongues to distribute pressure evenly.

ported & mullen mouth bits without leverage - the Ported Baucher Bit

The side pieces of the belly bit are B-shaped. The mouthpiece lies particularly calmly in the mouth, since it is fastened over the short upper trees to the bridle. This buckling also allows for lateral positioning. Another advantage is that the Baucher Bit does not sag downwards, as is common with single-break bits. Therefore, it is also well suited for horses with short mouth gaps. The Baucher Bit has no leverage, as it has no lower tree and therefore lacks the counter lever. Therefore, the Baucher Bit is also ridden without curb chain and does not act on the neck.

ported & mullen mouth bits with leverage - Spanish and baroque curb bit

The leverage is developed through long lower trees, which act as counterparts to the shorter upper trees and the curb chain of the bit . Through the shank of the reins the leverage unfolds from the tongue, over the jaw and from there over the cheek pieces of the bridle to the neck. The curb chain is clamped into the curb chain hook , which should sit flat in the chin groove. It is important that the curb chain is hooked in untwisted. This exerts additional pressure on the chin groove.

With a sliding cheek curb bit this effect is somewhat delayed. The mouthpiece first slides a little way up the curb bit trees before acting on the mouth, lower jaw and neck. This ensures a rhythmic up and down action which can help mouthy horses to relax their jaws. A horse that is loose in the mouth runs more contentedly and can use its body apparatus better, as the looseness can affect the whole horse. The pump curb at Picadera can be used alone or in combination with bradoon .

ported & mullen mouth bits with leverage - Pelham & Kimblewick in English and Vaquero style

The Pelham is ridden four-hoofed in the Iberian riding style. It has a milder action than a more classical curb bit. Because of this, it is also a transition bit and suitable for horses that are to be accustomed to the curb bit or for riders who want to familiarise themselves with the leverage effect. This also applies to the jumping bit, which is a special form of the Pelham.

The so-called Kimblewick is often called a jumping curb bit or baby curb bit. It has D-shaped bit rings that have English-style individual recesses for attaching the rein in the desired position - top and bottom. If the rein is attached in the upper recess, the jumping curb bit acts like a normal snaffle bit or like a Ported Baucher Bit, depending on the type of mouthpiece. If the rein is hooked in the lower opening, there is a little leverage that acts like a curb bit. Of course, you can also just hook the reins into the D-rings for a flexible action. If the horse takes the head too low, the rein slides up and the Kimblewick works without leverage. If the horse holds the head too far up, the rein slides down and the curb action kicks in. The Kimblewick in Vaquero style has no extra slots for hooking the reins, but can be ridden with four reins.

Materials

The bits comes in different materials. The best known are the stainless steelbits. bits made of burnished iron, through natural oxidation processes form noble rust, which can stimulate the salivation of the horse. It is recommended to occasionally rub these bits with a cloth soaked in oil. The Ported Baucher Bits is also available in silver - and gold-colored brass. Sweet Copper-bits are made of a solid and high quality nickel-free alloy with 89% copper content. The resulting sweet taste activates the chewing and mouth activity of the horse.