Full Leather Full Cheek with Straight Bar

Suitable for horses that:

• Are newly backed and sensitive about the bit

• Fall out through the shoulder in the turn

• Ignore the outside rein

• Will not take a metal mouthpiece

• Slide the bit across the mouth

How it works

Mouthpiece. An unjointed bar at 18mm, the widest bearing surface in the range. With no joint there is nothing to close on the bars, nothing to rise towards the palate and nothing to pinch at the lips, and rein pressure is spread across the full width of the tongue. A stainless steel wire core runs through the whole length, so under contact the bar takes a shallow curve and follows the shape of the tongue rather than bridging across it.

Cheek piece. The full cheek prevents pinching at the sides of the mouth, and the arms above and below the mouthpiece prevent the bit being pulled through and assist in guiding the head, which is why the full cheek remains a schooling standard. The upper arm is bent away from the face so it cannot press into the cheek, and both arms taper to rounded ball ends. Release is slower than a loose ring and light poll pressure is introduced. Fitted with keepers the upper arm is held to the bridle cheekpiece and the bit sits at a constant angle.

8256

Material. Built in layers over a 2mm stainless steel wire core. The core is sleeved in nylon webbing, built up with a suede layer that also carries over the cheek bushings, then wrapped in 1mm bark tanned leather and hand stitched with the seam running along the front, away from the tongue. The nylon sleeve means the horse never meets bare wire, and taking the suede across the bushings removes any hard junction where the mouthpiece meets the cheek. Leather carries no metal taste and does not draw heat from the mouth, and saliva softens it until the bar takes the shape of that individual mouth. Colour comes from vegetable oil and deepens with use. Cheeks are stainless steel.

Fit closely, with the lip gently brushing the cheek. An unjointed mouthpiece does not draw up under contact, so the width you measure is the width you need. Leather does not slide across the lips the way polished steel does, so do not fit tight. Fit keepers for jumping, and remove a full cheek from a horse left unattended.

At 18mm the bar is tall as well as wide, so check there is room between the upper and lower bars when the mouth is closed. Leather does not slide across the lips the way polished steel does, so do not fit tight.

Size and fit

4.5"

4.75"

5"

5.25"

5.5"

6"

115 mm

120 mm

125 mm

135 mm

140 mm

150 mm

Mouthpiece

18 mm

18 mm

18 mm

18 mm

18 mm

18 mm

Core

2 mm wire

2 mm wire

2 mm wire

2 mm wire

2 mm wire

2 mm wire

Cheek arm

150 mm

150 mm

150 mm

150 mm

150 mm

150 mm

Wipe dry after every use. Treat with a food safe oil if the leather dries out. Do not soak, do not store wet, and do not leave the bit on a horse standing or travelling in the bridle. The covering moulds to one mouth, so keep the bit to one horse.