Leather Mouth Full Cheek with Aurion Lozenge

Suitable for horses that:

• Will not accept metal but still need a steering aid

• Fall out through the shoulder in the turn

• Are newly backed and sensitive about the bit

• Slide the bit across the mouth

How it works

Mouthpiece.14mm finished, double jointed, with curved cannons angled forward to follow the shape of the tongue. The lozenge lies flat on the tongue rather than standing upright between tongue and palate, so tongue pressure is spread across the width of the tongue. There is no nutcracker action and nothing reaches the palate.

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. 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.

8247

Material. The cannons are 12mm stainless steel bars wrapped in bark tanned leather to a finished 14mm. Leather carries no metal taste and does not draw heat from the mouth, so there is no cold metal contact at the start of work. Saliva softens the covering until it takes the shape of that individual mouth and holds it, and the surface gives slightly under load, spreading the bearing wider than bare steel of the same diameter. The stainless core keeps the geometry and the strength unchanged, so nothing is given up for the softness. The leather is hand stitched with the seam running along the front of the mouthpiece, away from the tongue, and tapered down to a smooth finish where it meets the joints. Colour comes from vegetable oil and deepens with use. The centre lozenge is Aurion, a high copper concentrated alloy, which adds a taste stimulus that leather alone does not give.

Fit closely, with the lip gently brushing the cheek. 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.

Size and fit

4.5"

5"

5.5"

115 mm

125 mm

140 mm

Mouthpiece

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

Core

12 mm

12 mm

12 mm

Cheek arm

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.