Q: Is it true that you need to see two ‘smile rings’ in the corners of your horse’s mouth to know that the bit is hung at the correct height?
A: When it comes to how high you should hang the bit, most trainers will tell you that when the bit is adjusted correctly there will be two wrinkles in the corners of the horse’s mouth. This is, however, not always true. It depends on the length of the mouth fissure and the skin of the lips. Tougher skin will wrinkle less than thinner skin. It is generally best to use your judgement and experience as to what works best for your horse. Beware these ‘rules of thumb’, as they often do not apply in the real-life scenario – every single horse is different!
Answered by Natascha van Ejik