Sweet Iron Eggbutt Ring Single Jointed

Suitable for horses that:

• Need a clear one sided aid but will not settle on a moving bit

• Are busy in the mouth and never take a consistent contact

• Are anxious and do not yet trust the bit

• Are rubbed or sore at the corners of the mouth

• Are narrow in the mouth and short between the bars

How it works

Mouthpiece. A single joint acts on the tongue, the bars and the corners of the mouth, and each side of the bit can move independently, so the rein aid reaches its own side of the mouth directly. The cannons are curved to follow the shape of the tongue, which shallows the angle the mouthpiece closes at so the joint does not rise sharply towards the palate, and they taper from 14mm at the cheek towards the joint, keeping bulk out of the centre of the mouth while leaving a full bearing surface where the bit rests against the corners.

Cheek piece.The bit ring is fixed to the mouthpiece and does not rotate. This prevents pinching of the lips, gives a solid feel against the side of the face and prevents the bit being pulled through the mouth. The release is slower than a loose ring and light poll pressure is introduced. A fixed cheek sits closely to the lips and encourages flexion, which steadies a horse that is busy in the mouth. There is no hole drilled through the mouthpiece, so there is nothing for the lips to catch on.

8264

Material. Sweet iron is low carbon steel with no chromium in it, so it is meant to rust. That surface rust is the working part of the bit. It tastes warm and sweet, which draws the horse to mouth the bit and salivate into a softer, wetter mouth. Ours is solid iron right through rather than a coating, so it keeps producing it for the life of the mouthpiece. Supplied blue, fading to brown grey as it oxidises in work. The joint, eyelets and cheeks are stainless steel, so the parts that carry the load and the moving parts stay clean and free.

Fit closely, with the lip gently brushing the eggbutt. Nothing rotates, so no clearance is needed and most horses take a quarter inch smaller than in a loose ring. A single joint draws up into a V under contact, so check the fit with a contact taken up as well as at rest. Aim for one to two soft wrinkles at the corners of the mouth.

Size and fit

4.5"

5"

5.5"

115 mm

125 mm

140 mm

Mouthpiece

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

Ring

65 mm

70 mm

70 mm

Wipe dry after use and apply a light food safe oil to the joint. Surface oxidation after a period of storage lifts with a damp cloth.