Bit keepers or bit loops on a full cheek bit?

What is the purpose of bit keepers on a full cheek bit?


Do you reccommend them?

Bit keepers or bit loops on a full cheek bit?
a bit keeper also helps by blocking the bit from pinching the side of the horse%26#039;s mouth or rubbing the skin raw when the reigns are pulled back/
Reply:I only use them on my barrel horses so the bit doesnt move around during the run. If you are planning to compete they are illegal in all classes except for speed events. Well atleast in the American Quarter Horse Assosiation......
Reply:They keep the bit in a fixed position in the mouth.
Reply:Lisa M is correct.... and in addition to that, having a keeper on a full cheek will allow for a little more leverage and control when you pull the reins back.





Without the keepers, the a full cheek snaffle will be farily loose in the horse%26#039;s mouth. It will remain straight against the tongue unless the horse%26#039;s tongue moves and pushes it, or if you pull on the reins. The keepers actually tip the bit towards the back of them outh, and when you pull back it will force the bit the oppostie direction, thus tipping it towards the bottom of the mouth and applying pressure to the tongue, getting the horse to have a little more reason to listen, stop, and back up or turn. It provides another degree of control that the bit alone could not do. And that degree is small, but it might just be enoug in some cases. Just enough so that when you use the reins, the horse notices.





They are defintely a good recommendation for horses that tend to ignore the bit just sometimes, or horses that ground or toss their heads. They are good learning device.





It is my personal opinion though, that once a horse has learned what it should know, it should be dropped back down to a gentler bit to give it the chance to prove that it%26#039;s learned well enough with the more stringent bit... and not the opposite way around..... using a gentle bit to teach then upgrading to a harsher bit makes no sense to me.





However, the full cheek with a keeper is not soooo severe that a horse can%26#039;t use it full time, but again make sure it is legal in anything you plan on showing.



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