Mouthpiece
Level: One
Design: Curved mouthpiece with single joint in center. 5" mouth.
Function:
• Downward pressure on tongue
• Collapses on bars
• Joint drives into center of tongue
Useage: For a horse in beginning stages of training learning to bend and balance.
Cheek
Design: A ring where the mouthpiece has no fixed point of attachment, but simply slides around the ring on a sleeve. Sleeve design allows the mouthpiece to lock into fixed position on the ring when needed.
Function: Sleeves help keep the bit from pulling through or pinching the sides of the mouth. Without rein pressure, loose rings with sleeves move freely, allowing the horse some play with the bit in the mouth. With backward rein pressure, the loose ring with sleeves applies the same amount of pressure to the mouth. but with outward and backward rein pressure, the ring locks into position on the sleeve. the mouthpiece is then fixed. This offers a more direct signal to the mouth as well as keeps the ring from flipping to the front.
Usage: Used in English and Western.