Aurion Loose Ring Double Jointed Snaffle with Lozenge

A 14mm double jointed snaffle on a loose ring cheek, in Aurion throughout.

Suitable for horses that:

• Are dry in the mouth and produce little salivation

• Are tense through the jaw and slow to soften

• Lean on the hand and feel stiff

• Have gone better in copper than in stainless steel

• Object to the bit going in on a cold morning

How it works

Mouthpiece. 14mm, double jointed, with curved cannons angled forward to follow the shape of the tongue. The lozenge lies flat on the tongue rather than standing upright between tongue and palate, so tongue pressure is spread across the width of the tongue instead of concentrating at one point. There is no nutcracker action and nothing reaches the palate. Cannons and lozenge are the same alloy throughout.

Cheek piece. The bit rings run through the mouthpiece rather than being fixed to it, so the mouthpiece can move and the horse can carry the bit slightly higher or lower in the mouth. Pressure comes off the moment the rein is given and the bit returns to a neutral position. Loose rings suit a horse that is stiff or hard in the hand, because there is no fixed surface to set against. The shaped barrel where the mouthpiece meets the ring covers the hole, so bit guards are not needed.

Technical Details

Material. Aurion is a high copper concentrated alloy. Copper oxidises gently in saliva and gives off a faint sweet, metallic taste, which draws the horse to mouth the bit and salivate. Because the whole mouthpiece is Aurion and not just the centre link, that taste runs the full length of the bar, so tongue, bars and corners all meet the same surface. Aurion also warms towards body temperature faster than steel, so the bit feels less foreign on a cold morning. The colour deepens with use. Rings are stainless steel. 

Allow 2 to 5mm clearance at each side so the ring can rotate. Most horses take a quarter inch larger in a loose ring than in the same eggbutt. Aim for one to two soft wrinkles at the corners of the mouth.

Size and fit