Loose ring, eggbutt or D-ring: what does the bit's cheek do?

The mouthpiece is the part that sits in the mouth. The cheek shapes how that mouthpiece is held and how the rein signals reach it. On our JP Korsteel page the advice is to pick the cheek before the mouthpiece, and Herm Sprenger's own guide to choosing a bit is organized by cheekpiece.

Here is the short version. Everything in the table is what makers and sources say each style is designed to do, not a promise about any one horse.

Nathe says its loose rings move with the horse's mouth. Herm Sprenger calls the loose ring snaffle the 'basic' bit and says the movable rings can dampen a somewhat unsteady rider's hand to some extent. JP Korsteel's description for its jointed loose ring says the moving rings discourage a horse from fixing and leaning on the bit.

The movement is the point and also the trade-off. The notes on our JP Korsteel page say a loose ring's movement can add to the fidgeting in a horse who fusses at the mouth, and that an eggbutt may sit steadier. Riders report both outcomes. One rider's note below shows it from the other direction.

Fit is the key to a loose ring. Horse & Hound's expert says his lips should clear the ring holes by about 1/8 inch on each side, to prevent pinching, and that half an inch or more showing means the bit is too big. Some riders add bit guards, the rubber discs that sit between the ring and the lips. If you compete in dressage, note that USEF dressage rules prohibit bit guards in competition. For measuring, see What size bit does my horse need?.

Nathe describes its eggbutt as lying steady and not slipping through. JP Korsteel says its eggbutt cheekpieces reduce the risk of pinching.

Herm Sprenger groups the eggbutt, D-ring and full cheek together as the 'frame givers'. Its guide says the fixed side pieces frame the horse's mouth, which can make turns easier because the outside rein is supported, and that rein aids come through more directly than with a loose ring because the rider's hand movements are not dampened. It adds that the steady position may suit horses with a restless mouth that tend to play with the bit.

Those are makers' statements about intent. Riders disagree about how much the cheek changes in practice, and the sections below show that. If you want to try one, our bits can be filtered by cheek style.

Korsteel says its dee ring cheeks sit between an eggbutt and a full cheek and avoid pinching at the corners of the mouth. Herm Sprenger puts the D-ring in the same framing family as the eggbutt, with a lateral limit that rises as the cheek has more contact with the mouth.

A hunter dee, such as the Hunter Dee Ring snaffles on our JP Korsteel page, has large dee cheeks that JP Korsteel says offer some directional support. Nathe's 18 mm single joint D-ring pairs 70 mm rings with cheek guards. Spellings vary between 'D ring', 'dee ring' and 'D-ring'; they are the same cheek.

Herm Sprenger's scale for the framing effect is simple: the greater the contact area between the cheek and the mouth, the greater the lateral limit. It places the eggbutt and D-ring toward the lighter end of that scale and the full cheek at the 'distinct framing' end.

That is how Korsteel describes the design. Nathe lists its full cheek snaffle for horses that fall out toward an obstacle, and says handy hunters use the style for tight turns. Herm Sprenger places it at the 'distinct framing' end of the cheek scale.

Other cheek styles do other jobs. Three-ring bits let the rider adjust leverage, and Nathe lists its gag bits for experienced riders only. Those leverage bits work on different principles from the snaffle cheeks above, so they deserve their own comparison and a trainer's guidance. In the next sections we stay with the four snaffle cheeks.

A last point on terms: a snaffle, in USEF's definition, is a non-leverage bit with the rein attached at the level of the mouthpiece, with the rein and cheekpiece on the same ring. So a bit can have a full cheek and still be a snaffle.

Horse & Hound's piece on measuring says a bit that is too narrow squeezes the lips and cheeks, and that fitting a bit too big is the more common fault its expert sees. A bit that is the wrong width can pinch whatever the cheek style, so the sizing page comes before any cheek swap: What size bit does my horse need?.

If the width is right, the cheek is the next place to look. Makers say fixed cheeks such as the eggbutt and the dee ring avoid pinching, and that a loose ring needs the clearance described above. Bit guards are the rubber discs some riders add between the ring and the lips, and USEF dressage rules prohibit them in competition. None of this replaces a look at his mouth by your vet or equine dentist if a sore spot keeps coming back.

Under DR121, a snaffle's rein and cheekpiece attach to the same ring and rotate freely around it, with an exception for hanging cheek snaffles. Single or double jointed snaffles may be used with upper or lower cheeks, full cheeks or Fulmer cheeks, and loose rings may have a narrow sleeve fitted around part of the ring. The figure caption adds that keepers are permitted only in national level tests for full cheek, half cheek (upper cheek only) and Fulmer snaffles.

The double bridle has a tighter rule. A bridoon may be combined with a loose ring or an eggbutt ring, but D rings, full cheeks, half cheeks and hanging cheeks are prohibited on bridoon bits. Bit guards are prohibited in competition.

Hunter, jumper and eventing rules differ, and each division's chapter sets its own list. The bit-by-bit check, with the Annex A that USEF keeps current, is in Is this bit legal for dressage?. Check the rule for your division and the date on it before you buy.

Wikipedia's article on bit mouthpieces notes that the rider's use of hands is one of the most important factors in how severe a bit is, and the mouthpiece, cheek and fit all play a part. We would not read a verdict into the cheek alone.

Makers describe their intent and riders describe their results, and they do not always line up. One rider, quoted below, tried copper, Nathe, French link, baucher, Myler and Happy Mouth in turn without finding a favorite. That is common, and it is a good reason to change one thing at a time. The notes on our Happy Mouth page give the same advice: change one thing at a time and ride a few sessions before you judge.

If he is fussing and the bit fits, ask your vet or equine dentist to check his mouth before you buy another. The mouthpiece and its material are the next question, and the next page covers them: Copper, sweet iron or rubber.