Western Bits for Barrel and Cow Horse
Turn-Two Western bits give barrel racers and cow horse riders a working gag, lifter or curb in sweet iron or copper, so you can choose the lift, stop and mouthpiece your horse needs.
By the Tack of the Day Product Team · Updated November 2026
Shop by Style
Find Your Fit
In the Spotlight
Turn-Two sweet iron and copper Western bits
Turn-Two Western bits
Sweet iron lifters and gags, copper D-rings and a roller bit
The Turn-Two Edit
Five short sections cover Turn-Two gags and lifters, copper D-rings and the roller bit, copper against sweet iron, sizing by cheek length and mouth width, and who the range suits.
Lift and stop
Turn-Two Western gag bits suit barrel and cow horse riders who need more lift and stop than a plain snaffle gives. The Western Sweet Iron Pretzel Lite Lifter pairs a sweet iron wrapped ported pretzel mouthpiece with 152mm cheeks, and Turn-Two describes it as ideal for a well trained but strong barrel horse. The Western Sweet Iron Dogbone Lite Lifter is popular among barrel racers: its gag cheek pieces stop a horse from dropping its head, the twist mouthpiece adds stop, and the dogbone center prevents a nutcracker action. For longer cheeks, the Western Sweet Iron Dogbone SlidingH Gag uses 165mm gag cheeks and a sweet iron twisted dogbone mouth. Cow horse riders get two 127mm options: the Smooth Jr Cow Horse Gag has a wide smooth sweet iron snaffle mouth, and the TW Dogbone Jr Cow Horse Gag has a twisted dogbone mouth. Look elsewhere if your horse is green or soft in the mouth. A gag adds leverage, so a plain D-ring snaffle is the better first bit.
Soft copper mouths
Turn-Two copper D-ring and roller bits give Western riders a classic cheek with a mouthpiece that encourages a soft mouth. The Western Copper Twisted D-Ring pairs a round D ring and 65mm cheeks with a twisted copper wire mouth, which the vendor calls a bit more severe than a smooth snaffle. The Western Copper Ring 3 Piece Twist D-Ring Bit keeps the round Western D and adds a three piece copper twist, and its ring center softens the nutcracker action of a single joint. For a curb, the Western Medium Port Copper Roller Bit has a medium port, neither too high nor too low, a copper roller and 170mm cheeks. Turn-Two calls it a standard Western bit that belongs in every tool kit, and says the roller keeps a young or anxious horse busy. Look elsewhere if you want a smooth mouthpiece: each of these bits has a twist, a joint or a port.
Copper vs sweet iron
Turn-Two copper and sweet iron bits do different jobs in the horse's mouth, so the metal is the quickest way to narrow the range. Copper encourages salivation and a soft mouth, according to Turn-Two, and it is the mouthpiece on the Western Copper Twisted D-Ring, the Western Copper Ring 3 Piece Twist D-Ring Bit and the Western Medium Port Copper Roller Bit. Sweet iron is the metal on the working gags and lifters: the Pretzel Lite Lifter wraps it around a ported pretzel, the Dogbone SlidingH Gag and TW DogboneJr Cow Horse Gag use sweet iron twists, and the Smooth Jr Cow Horse Gag uses a wide smooth sweet iron snaffle. Choose copper for a D-ring or curb, and sweet iron for a working gag. Look elsewhere if you want a rubber or synthetic mouthpiece, because every Turn-Two bit here is metal.
Cheek and width
Turn-Two bits are sized two ways: cheek length sets leverage, and mouthpiece width sets fit. Cheek lengths run 65mm on the Western Copper Twisted D-Ring, 127mm on both Jr Cow Horse gags, 152mm on the Pretzel Lite Lifter, 165mm on the Dogbone SlidingH Gag and 170mm on the Medium Port Copper Roller Bit. Longer cheeks give a gag or curb more leverage than a short D-ring cheek, so move up one step at a time. For width, measure your horse's mouth corner to corner with a bit gauge and compare it with the width listed on each bit's page, since Turn-Two sizes its bits in inches. Look elsewhere if you cannot measure your horse's mouth first, because a fixed-width bit only works when the width matches.
Western working riders
Turn-Two is for Western riders, especially barrel racers and cow horse trainers, who want a working bit with one clear job. The Pretzel Lite Lifter and Dogbone Lite Lifter suit a strong horse, the two Jr Cow Horse gags round out a working cow horse tool kit, and the Medium Port Copper Roller Bit is the standard Western curb. A rider who wants one bit to try first can start with a copper D-ring or the roller bit and move to a gag later. Look elsewhere if you ride English or want a dressage or jumper bit, because the Turn-Two range here is Western. Also look elsewhere if you are teaching a green horse to accept contact: a plain snaffle serves that job better than a gag or a twist.
Questions riders ask
The Turn-Two Western Sweet Iron Pretzel Lite Lifter is the bit Turn-Two describes as ideal for a well trained but strong barrel horse, with a sweet iron wrapped ported pretzel mouthpiece and 152mm gag cheeks. The Dogbone Lite Lifter is another barrel racer favorite, with a twisted wire mouth and a dogbone center. Compare both mouthpieces, then open the lifter that fits your horse.
Copper encourages salivation and a soft mouth, according to Turn-Two, and it is the mouthpiece on the D-ring and roller bits. Sweet iron is the metal on the gags and lifters, in twisted, dogbone, pretzel or smooth snaffle styles. Choose copper for a D-ring or curb and sweet iron for a working gag, then browse the copper or sweet iron mouthpieces to compare.
Cheek lengths run 65mm on the Western Copper Twisted D-Ring, 127mm on the Jr Cow Horse gags, 152mm on the Pretzel Lite Lifter, 165mm on the Dogbone SlidingH Gag and 170mm on the Medium Port Copper Roller Bit. Longer cheeks add leverage, so stay near the length your horse already goes well in. Open the gag bits to compare them.
The Western Medium Port Copper Roller Bit is the one Turn-Two points to for a young or anxious horse: a medium port, a copper roller to keep the horse busy, and 170mm curb cheeks. Copper also encourages salivation and a soft mouth. Open the Medium Port Copper Roller Bit to read its full details.