When a bit does not fit a horse's mouth properly, bad habits or injuries may result. You can detect bit abuse or mis-fitting of a bit by looking closely to the horses lips & tongue for any cuts, or scars. This happens when a rider has used a bit that does not fit properly or comfortably in the horse's mouth. I hope the information below will help educate you on the proper way to fit a bit for your horse’s mouth.

# 1: The Horses Lips
How many times have you heard, "For all horses, you know when a bit is adjusted correctly when there are 2 wrinkles in the corner of the horse's mouth." Well, this little piece of information is only true in part. Not ALL horses have the same shaped lips. There are horses who have thinner skinned lips, which will wrinkle easier, and there are some have tougher skin which doesn't wrinkle as easy. Some horses are more sensitive to the bit, when some are not. Even the shape of the lips makes a big difference. Some have longer lips and some have shorter lips.

Here are a couple tips:

1. Use 1 wrinkle for horses that have shorter lips.
2. Use 2 wrinkles for horses that have longer lips.

# 2: The Bars
The bars are the space on the gums in the horse's mouth between the front teeth and molars. This is the space where the bit rests on the horse's gums. There are no teeth in this area. Bars become injured or bruised by handling the bit too roughly, or from harsh bits. It easy to check your horse's bars, just run your finger over them, they should feel flat and smooth. Not rough, scarred or bruised, he has had injury in the past if they are.

# 3: The Tongue
The size of the tongue and size of the mouth varies from horse to horse. Most horses have extra room for their tongue when their mouth is closed, but some don't. To check if your horse's tongue is too large, lift his lips open while his mouth is closed. If you see his tongue sticking out between his teeth, using a smaller bit is best.
 
# 4: The Hard Palate
The hard palate is the area on the roof of the horse's mouth. Some horse's hard palates allow for extra space, and some do not. For horses that do not have a lot of arch in their hard palate, you should not use a high-port bit.

# 5: Dental
You want to make sure your horse's teeth are not causing any problems. A horse's teeth should be checked and/or floated every 6 months by a veterinarian or dental technician. Any sharp, pointed or decayed teeth can cause uncomfortable or painful chewing and bit fit. 

# 6: The Bit
Before you use any bit always check its condition first. Check closely for sharp edges or worn spots. These things make it uncomfortable for a horse to carry the bit in his mouth. Make sure the bit has no potential to pinch the horse's mouth, tongue or lips.
Use a piece of string to measure from one corner of your horse's mouth through the inside of his mouth to the other corner. Then measure the length of the string with a measuring tape. The bits mouth piece should be 3/4 inch larger than the measurement you took of his mouth. This allows for just enough room, to avoid pinching of the bit in the corners of his mouth from a bit that is too small.
By using the tips above it should help your find the better fitting bit for your horse.

#7: Curb Use
Always make sure you can slide one finger in between the horse's chin and the curb chain.