Sweet iron is a term for cold-rolled "mild steel" or carbon steel that has been work hardened, popular for use in bit mouthpieces used on horses in the

western riding Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet th ...

disciplines. It easily rusts, which supposedly encourages salivation from the

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

and acceptance of the bit. In the United States this metal is used in many

Western riding Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet th ...

disciplines, and is not as popular in English riding. In Europe it is frequently used across disciplines, not just Western.

References

Hill, Cherry. "Sweet Iron Bits". ''Horsekeeping.com'' 2006. Accessed January 17, 2010
Bits (horse) Steels {{horse-stub