>> I always thought if it had a shank, it wasn't a snaffle. > > I looked this up in "Bits and Bridles"--very excellent book! So > actually, the Ebay bit is technically a curb, since it acts by > leverage on the horse's mouth. Snaffle bits (which can have a > broken / jointed or bar mouthpiece) act by direct pressure on the > horse's mouth. Therein lies the definition of snaffle vs. > curb--snaffle acts by direct pressure, curb acts by leverage.
Good discussion and definition! Anything with some shanks is a curb. And a curb with a broken mouthpiece can be pretty danged severe; for example, the icelandic bit. We hear that only a professional / very experienced horseman should use a curb with jointed mouthpiece, but if they were good, they wouldn't need it! Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
