Fitting Your Bit

A well-fitting bit on a horse's bridle should allow a pinky finger's width on either side of the mouth. Try out several different sizes to find the right bit with helpful advice from a veterinarian in this video on caring for horses.

Hi, I'm Dr. Joanna Robson, doctor of veterinary medicine with Inspiritus Equine Incorporated. I'd like to give you just a couple of quick tips on fitting your horse's bit. Now bits and bitting is a hot topic right now, as we're understanding more about how the horse's jaw and TMJ's function, and how the bit influences this action. But for some basic understanding of how to get the correct bit fit, we need to know the length of our bit, and how that corresponds the horse's mouth. Now, one of the ways to do this is to try a bunch of different bits, particularly if you have friends, or if you're at a barn where there's people who are willing to let you try their bits on for size. When you place the bit into the horse's mouth, you want to have a pinky finger's width on either side of the horse's mouth between the bit and the horse's cheeks. This is to prevent pinching of the sensitive tissue at the corners or the commissures of the horse's lips. However, in addition to measuring for the correct bit length, we also understand now that we also need to assess the inside of the horse's mouth. Some horse's have very high pallets, very open mouths, some horse's are much more narrow on the inside of their mouths, and can't incorporate larger, fatter bits. If you have questions about this, seek someone who's experienced in bitting, a horse trainer, your veterinarian, or most importantly, an equine dentist to assess whether or not your bit fits appropriately. One of the ways that you can also measure for the correct length of your bit fit, is to purchase a relatively inexpensive plastic bit fitting device that's available in a lot of tack catalogs, or to use a piece of bailing twine. Insert the twine in to your horses mouth, and use a Sharpie pen, or a pair of scissors to mark or cut the appropriate length for your bit.