Rubber Bit Guards

Not much to write about. Catching up at work, getting back in the flow of the family and searching for the next horse. Nothing else. I decided to copy some of my reviews from horsetackreview.com and put them up here for some mildly informative reading. If you've never checked out horsetackreview, I suggest it is worth stopping by. It helped me when I made the decision to buy the Wintec 2000 saddle as none of the tack shops around here sell the synthetics unless it's the dressage model.

Review of Rubber Bit Guards - I thought this one would be helpful since I gave the trick to how to get these dang things onto the bit rings without breaking them - or a fingernail!

Purchase: These can be bought from most tack shops, catalogs and online retailers for just under a dollar to about $3.00 for a pair. The cheaper you can find them, the better.

Likes: These are wonderful to protect the corners of the horses' lips from being pinched by a loose ring bit or from having the bit pull through the horses' mouth to the other side.

Dislikes: Putting these onto a bit can be tricky at best and downright frustrating at the worst. A saddler taught me that to put these on a bit, you take two flat leather reins and loop them through the center hole. Then, with a loop in each hand, slowly pull the reins in opposite directions to stretch the center opening. Push the stretched hole down over the bit ring as you prop the bit between your knees or have a friend hold the ring for you. However, if the quality is poor and the rubber is not flexible enough, the hole will rip with almost no effort. That's why I suggest you go for the cheaper ones. I've used both high priced and cheap and found no difference.

Quality: If the quality of the rubber is good and they are flexible enough, these will go on most bits will little effort and not get damaged in the process. They come in lots of colors now, but I have most experience with the white and black ones. I have not found any difference from one color rubber to another.

Summary: Again, these are great for protecting your horses' lips and be sure to look for the lower prices.