#snaffles

[tradlads]

Charles “Snaffles” Johnson Payne [1884-1967]

The Huntsman, The 'oss loves the 'ound but I loves both' [1923]

[serendipity-books]

Snaffles

[fieriframes]

[Snaffles.]

[horsesarecreatures]

@diedfromembarrassmentlikeasim​ hey, I wanted to give you a more detailed response before but unfortunately I had to go somewhere so I just responded really briefly. I would be inclined to agree that double joints are softer than single joints assuming that the mouthpieces are both smooth and of equal thickness and the leverage is the same because according to some people single joints can cause the nutcracker effect. There’s a lot of debate as to whether the nutcracker effect is really a thing, but I have an Arabian with a low palate so to be on the safe side I started her in a double joint. A single joint like a mullen mouth, however, also would avoid the nutcracker effect.

Not all double jointed snaffles are French links, but as I mentioned in the tags a lot of people think they are the same because they can look similar.

^This is the exact double-jointed snaffle I ride Amba English in. It is NOT a french link, although it looks very similar to some. The difference is that the oval link lies flat on the mouth.

^This is a typical French link (French link describes the mouthpiece, not the cheek piece, so a french link can be a full check or a loose ring or an eggbut or a baucher; it doesn't matter). As you can see, the middle link does not lie flat, and it will dig into the tongue more deeply when pressure is applied. So this would be a harsher bit than the one above.

^Here is a softer French link with a more rounded middle joint that is less severe than the one above, but still applies more pressure to the tongue than one that lies flat.

^This bit is incorrectly labeled as a French link. It is not a French link and is more similar to mine because it is not angled, but also harsher because the lozenge is pointed so it has a similar effect to a french link. 

What is ultimately the softest bit can vary from horses to horse, but smooth mouth pieces are less harsh than twisted ones, no leverage is softer than leverage, a thick mouth piece will put less intense pressure over a certain point in the mouth than a thin one (though some horses do not like the bulkiness of thick bit), and a fixed cheek piece will apply more direct pressure than a loose ring (but some horses can get thrown off by the extra movement of a loose ring despite that). So, you really have to experiment a bit to find what’s the least harsh for any particular horse. Generally, to start a horse I think either a double jointed snaffle like mine of medium thickness with a smooth middle joint that doesn’t dig in, or a smooth single joint snaffle of the appropriate thickness are both good choices. I prefer a full cheek for a horse that is just learning because it makes steering aides more clear without applying any sort of pain unless you really give it a sharp yank, but a loose ring or d ring or eggbut are all perfectly acceptable to start a horse in as well. I also prefer a double joint to no joint because they tend to help more with lateral flexion. A mullen mouth is to me better than a straight bar single joint because its shaped better to the horse’s mouth and relieves pressure from the bars.

[dessert-foodi-li-cious]

Snaffle's Hokkaido Cheese Catchcakes

[serendipity-books]

Snaffles

[serendipity-books]

Snaffles

[thebestspanishhorses]

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