> She also told me that the bit she uses is similar to an English > snaffle except it has long metal pieces on the sides--I'm guessing > that those are shanks? She said she hardly has to use the reins and > her horse responds to the lightest touch--when she rode her horse > English with contact her horse was very heavy in the hands and she > found it very tiring. > > I'm curious--is her horse lighter and more responsive because of the > shanked bit? What does a shanked bit do?
The short answer is yes. It sounds like a Tom Thumb snaffle, which is a pretty severe bit w/ a cute name. The shanks provide leverage not only on the roof of the mouth (with a bit that has a port--that's the part that sticks up in the center of the bar), but also puts pressure on the curb chain or strap underneath the chin, and sometimes on the poll. I'm not surprised that her horse is light and responsive on the bit--he doesn't want to get pinched in his mouth or have pressure under his chin. Tom Thumbs are not well-balanced bits, and apparently are notorious for pinching the mouth and cutting the tongue. Robyn
