A ring bit is a

horse bit The bit is an item of a horse's tack. It usually refers to the assembly of components that contacts and controls the horse's mouth, and includes the shanks, rings, cheekpads and mullen, all described here below, but it also sometimes simply ref ...

that includes a ring passed through 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 y ...

's mouth and encircling the lower jaw. There are three primary designs. The most common ring bit design today, sometimes called a Dexter ring bit, is used in conjunction with a

snaffle bit A snaffle bit is the most common type of bit used while riding horses. It consists of a bit mouthpiece with a ring on either side and acts with direct pressure. A bridle utilizing only a snaffle bit is often called a "snaffle bridle", particu ...

, while a historic ring bit design was also used on some spade bits in certain

vaquero The ''vaquero'' (; pt, vaqueiro, , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in Mexico from a methodology brought to Latin America from Spain. The vaquero became t ...

traditions originating in Mexico. A third style is a simple ring, the Tattersall or yearling bit, used alone on a bridle, usually for use in-hand. Today, the Dexter ring bit is the most common, used primarily in

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. Most snaffle-based ring bits have a jointed mouthpiece, with the ring linked to the

bit ring The bit ring is the ring on the side of a horse's bit, particularly on a snaffle bit. It is used as a point of attachment for the cheekpieces of the bridle and for the reins. It also has an effect on the action of the bit. Therefore, the design ...

s or lower cheeks. In parts of western North America influenced by the ''vaquero'' tradition of Spain and Mexico, a spade bit called a ring bit had a metal ring that fastened at the highest point of the port or spoon of the

bit mouthpiece The mouthpiece is the part of a horse's Bit (horse), bit that goes into the mouth of a horse, resting on the bars of the mouth in the sensitive interdental space where there are no horse teeth, teeth. The mouthpiece is possibly the most importa ...

passed through the horse's mouth, and surrounded the lower jaw. This design was more common in the Southwest than in the Northwest, and gradually disappeared from both areas, but remained in general use in Mexico. Tattersall bit

Another form of ring bit is the circular metal bit that is known as a Tattersall (or yearling) ring bit which attaches to the headstall and used for leading young horses. A variation of this bit has metal players (or keys) hanging from it.Edwards, E. Hartley, ''Saddlery'', Country Life Limited, England, 1966

References

*Rollins, Philip A. (1922) The Cowboy: His Character, Equipment and His Part in the Development of the West, C. Scribner's sons, 353 pages. Bits (horse) Horse racing {{horse-stub