Parts Of A Western Curb Bit

Just like everything else a bit has several parts and they all come into play with one another. The cheek is the length of the purchase and shank put together. The purchase is the part above the mouthpiece of the bit. If the bit has a long purchase, the bit will move quicker in a horses mouth when the rider pulls on the reins. With a shorter purchase it will make the bit slower to react with pressure from the rein is applied. The shank is below the mouthpiece of the bit. It is the leverage point for the mouthpiece. The shorter the shank the more a rider will have to lift up on the rein to apply pressure to the mouthpiece. If the shank is longer it will not take much for the horse to feel pressure when the rider lifts on the reins. The mouthpiece is the part of the bit that is in the horses mouth. Bits come in a number of different styles of mouth pieces, thus some of the being very severe and other not being severe. They are also made out of different material. With that being said they vary in price but you get what you pay for when it comes to bits. The bars of a bit are the piece that rest on the horse gums. The port is is in the center of the mouth piece, the height and the width are important as the create the amount pressure that will be applied to the tongue and pallet. If a bit has a small wide port it will relive pressure from the tongue. The higher the port and more narrow it will apply more pressure to the tongue and also the pallet. A bit like that needs to be used by only experienced riders. The design and shape and size of western curb bits will vary. Often times mouthpieces will be solid and other it can be broken. Some bits will have solid cheek pieces others will swivel. Needless, to say a curb bit is a leverage bit, it requires less pressure to be applied by the rein to have the same cue. Curb bits need to have a chin strap.