Sweet Iron Weymouth Short Ported Mullen

Suitable for horses that:

• Are moving up to a double bridle for the first time

• Are short in the mouth, where a longer shank sits too close to the chest

• Have a large tongue and need room under the mouthpiece in a curb

• Are ridden by someone new to carrying two reins

How it works

Mouthpiece. An unjointed mullen bar formed from a single piece of sweet iron, tapering from 14mm at the cheek to 10mm through the centre. The port measures 80mm wide by 10mm high, low and broad rather than tall and narrow, so the tongue is given room across a wide span while the bar stays well clear of the palate. The mouthpiece is swept forward to follow the arch of the tongue. Port relief moves the load off the centre of the tongue and out onto the bars, which is what a curb mouthpiece is meant to do.

Cheek piece.A Weymouth works on several parts of the head at once. Taking the curb rein rotates the shank back, the curb chain comes into the curb groove, poll pressure is applied through the bridle headpiece and the mouthpiece rolls back onto the tongue and bars. The horse answers by softening at the poll and lifting through the base of the neck. At 50mm the shank adds leverage but less than a 70mm shank, so the curb engages quickly and to a modest degree.

8243

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, and this mouthpiece is formed from a single bar with no joints in it at all. Supplied blue, fading to brown grey as it oxidises in work. Cheeks are stainless steel. Curb chain supplied.

A Weymouth is ridden with a bradoon on a second rein. Fit the Weymouth one size larger than the bradoon so the two bits do not interfere. Fit closely, with the lip gently brushing the cheek. Adjust the curb chain so it engages as the shank reaches approximately 45 degrees. The shank is well inside the 10cm lever arm limit for affiliated dressage.

Size and fit

4.5"

5"

5.5"

115 mm

125 mm

140 mm

Mouthpiece

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

Port

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

Shank

50 mm

50 mm

50 mm

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