Artifact of the Week - Equestrian Bits

During the 1800’s, horses were relied heavily upon for travel as well as work. Having proper equipment for them was incredibly important. The design and creating of these bits was the responsibility of the blacksmith. Bits were most often made of iron as it was more freely available and easily molded into the designs required. When making these bits, two techniques were most often used: hand forging or casting. Hand forging is a process in which metal is heated to very high temperatures or red heat and then beaten or carved into shape using various tools. Casting is a process in which the chosen metal is melted down and poured into a mould.

The Glengarry Pioneer Museum has a large collection of antique equestrian bits, all made of iron but with many different uses that we will explore in this post. Our first grouping of bits was used primarily for general riding or working on horseback. They are primarily a snaffle style bit meaning a bar with a hoop at either end for the reins to attach to. These bits could either have a jointed or mullen (straight) bar for differing control: jointed bits provided more control but are considered slightly more severe while mullen bits tended to be a more gentle mouthpiece. The bars could also be made from twisted iron, which created an incredibly severe bit - they are no longer made today.

Our second and larger group of bits were primarily used for driving horses; these would have been used for pulling carts, carriages and farm equipment such as plows. Driving bits must have cheekpieces on the outside hoops to prevent the bit from slipping through a horse’s mouth while working. Large pieces or bars on the outside of the mouth also allowed for more control as you could turn the whole head more easily. Most driving bits involved a half cheekpiece (bar on one side of the hoop) as it allowed for more control without the bar getting caught in the harnesses or reins when driving. These bits could be custom made for the kind of control one needed: bits can create pressure in places such as the bridge of the nose, chin, corners of the mouth, roof of the mouth, tongue and poll (the area behind the ears), allowing the bits to be personalized for not only the horse but the rider as well.

Modern bits are still used and made in many of the same ways and styles, however, very few are made from iron anymore: they are made from lightweight and rustproof metals such as stainless steel, nickel and copper.