# Explain Driving bits to Me Please.



## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

hi the only time I have ever used a straight bit when driving such as a Liverpool bit ,is when I have been driving a horse with a hard mouth,sometimes a stallion in the summertime when they have luvin on their mind and can take some pulling up,but ninety nine per cent of the time I drive in a snaffle bit,and not any particular snaffle bit ,what ever one came with the harness I bought


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

BlueSpark said:


> I have relatives with percherons they drive.
> 
> I understand the mechanics of regular bits fine, but I'm having a hard time with driving bits. from what the driving instructor was saying, you are supposed to have some pressure on the reins at all times. the recommended bit is this, a Liverpool;
> Horse Driving Bits | Liverpool Driving Bit Straight mouth
> ...


 Butterfly is more casual for everyday or casual vehicle like a meadowbrook
Liverpool is more formal for like a gig and the rein settings are slightly different.
You have contact not tension. This is how the horse knows what to do and that you haven't abandoned them. Since you don't have seat and legs contact is important. You can also have the settings higher and softer than with a riding bit with a shank
Not sure about the cheek piece. Where you riding in the driving bridle? It may have been ill fitting or a cheap bridle. You should have had a swivel on the bit for a single.

The mullen has some control as it doesn't give tongue relief. Had she had tongue relief she might not have been so soft and controllable.
Not a fan of jointed bits for driving. They are meant to work separately on each side which isn't feasible in driving with contact


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I guess that's just one of the differences between coming from a "show" perspective and a "working" perspective. I grew up with working teams and we actually used horse drawn equipment to farm our land until the mid 90's.

Other than the occasional very badly spoiled team that my Dad got in for re-training, we never used anything more than a simple snaffle on any of our teams and, for the most part, they have always been worked on semi-slack lines. When we were actually working them all the time, they worked more on voice commands than from the lines anyway. 

I guess the moral of my story is that I can't really help you with why they choose curb bits for driving. It never made much sense to me *shrugs*.


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