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Posts: 2203
May 3 08 9:06 AM
Nothing will convince me a chain bit is not severe. I understand the mechanics, and I know it will conform to the mouth. But that's not he kind of conformation that makes it less severe, it conforms in a way that pressure is applied to the bars, tongue and lips/corners of the mouth. It will pinch the sides of the tongue and the lips against the bars. For those who want to test it themselves, put a chain in your mouth and pull downwards and backwards, then put a snaffle in your mouth and do the same. TRD mentioned testing a chain and a snaffle on his arm, and finding the chain more comfortable, but there's a reason for that. When you test an bit on your own arm, you'll have to 'pull' on the bit with your other hand, and by doing that you pinch the rings of the bit together, which will creative a different kind of pressure than when the bit is in the horse's mouth, because than you can't pull the rings towards each other (unless the bit is way too big and you cross your reins under the horse's chin). If you pull the rings together while the bit is on your arm, and the further you do that, you'll have a smaller area where pressure is applied (and thus more pressure) than when you'd pull the rings straight backwards as you would when the bit is in the horse's mouth. A chain on your arm will do the opposite. When you pull the rings of a chain bit together, the pressure would be applied to a bigger area than when you'd pull the rings straight backwards, and thus less pressure. And an arm is nothing like a horse's mouth. Your own mouth isn't either, but it does give a better idea of the pressure applied.
Curb bits with a chain mouthpiece are even worse, because of the leverage. And I've never seen one that had a solid metal bar between the ends of the shanks, something that is essential with any curb bit that doesn't have a solid mouthpiece.
I've corrected many 'problem' horses, and I've never had to use something more severe than a snaffle (smooth mouthpiece, french link or mullen and never thinner than 1/2"). I don't treat horses as pets, but I do believe in being as hard on a horse as I need to be, and as gentle as I can be.
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