Sweet Iron Loose Ring Single Jointed

Suitable for horses that:

• Do not answer one rein clearly

• Are green and learning to turn and yield

• Have become dull in a double jointed bit

• Are narrow in the mouth and short between the bars

• Are dry in the mouth and produce little salivation

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. That is what makes a single joint the clearest bit in the range for lateral flexion and for teaching a young horse to turn. 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 rings run through the mouthpiece rather than being fixed to it, so the mouthpiece can move and the horse can carry the bit slightly higher or lower in the mouth. Pressure comes off the moment the rein is given and the bit returns to a neutral position. Loose rings suit a horse that is stiff or hard in the hand, because there is no fixed surface to set against. The shaped barrel where the mouthpiece meets the ring covers the hole, so bit guards are not needed.

8263

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 rings are stainless steel, so the parts that carry the load and the moving parts stay clean and free.

Allow 2 to 5mm clearance at each side so the ring can rotate. A single joint draws up into a V under contact more than a double joint does, which brings the rings closer to the lips, 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.