This guide is meant to be a general introduction to Myler bits, for people who may not be familiar with them, or with how different Myler bits are from traditional designs.  I will go through some misconceptions that many people have regarding bits, and explain things in what I hope will be a clear manner.  I will explain the basis for the Myler bits, and go over some unique design features that, in my opinion, make Myler bits the absolute best.

Myth #1 - The Bars are The Most Sensitive Part of The Horses' Mouth.
   This is false.  In reality it is the tongue which is the most sensitive part of the horses' mouth.  Think about it - the horses' bars are like our own jawbone - a bone covered in a thin layer of flesh in which the tooth roots pass.  If you stick a finger in your own mouth, and first try jabbing that finger down into the middle of your tongue, and then into the side of your jaw, just below your teeth, which can you feel more?  In your tongue!  That is what a horse feels with a bit in his/her mouth, particularly with a single jointed snaffle.  Other mouthpieces may excert pressure across a wider part of the horses' tongue, and feel differently, like a solid bar mouth bit.  This lack of sensitivity in the bars is how some horses' bars get damaged by rough handling.  You take a rider with harsh hands, a bit that works mainly off the bars, and since the horse doesn't feel as much from the bars, the horse can't let the rider know that he is doing damage.

Myth #2 - A Single Jointed Snaffle Bit is The Mildest Bit.
  Also false.  With pressure on a bit with a single jointed mouthpiece, the center joint of the bit digs into the center of the horses' tongue, and the sides and cheeks of the bit collapse inward, squeezing the tongue and lips against the bars and teeth of the horse.  This is what is known as the "Nutcracker" action of a single jointed snaffle.  This nutcracker action occurs to various degrees with just the slightest amount of pressure on the reins.  Also, with this, the horse cannot swallow his saliva.  Many horses become panicked by the fact that they cannot swallow.

Myth #3 - "Foaming at the Mouth" is a Good Sign, When a Horse is Being Ridden.
  Again, also false.  Most people take the foaming at the mouth to mean that the horse has a moist and responsive mouth.  In reality, all this means is that the horse cannot swallow his saliva.  Think about it - you see this mainly in Dressage horses, who are ridden with constant contact.  With constant pressure on the bit, restricting the tongue, the horse cannot swallow at all.  In many cases, this causes the horse to tense up his tongue and jaw, which in turn causes the horse to tense up his neck, then shoulders, then back, etc.

Myth #4 - A Thicker Mouthpiece is Always Milder Than a Thinner One.
  Wrong again.  While it is true in general that a thicker mouthpiece will spread the pressure over a wider surface, the mouthpiece should be chosen based on the conformation of the horses' mouth.  In a horse with a normal or small sized tongue(one that sits below or only slightly above the level of the bars), and normal to high palate, there is room for a thicker mouthpiece, and this adage would hold true.  However, for a horse with a very thick or large tongue(one that spills over the bars and from between the teeth with the mouth closed), or a low palate, a thick mouthpiece bit would exert constant pressure with no release.  For these horses, a thinner diameter mouthpiece fits much more comfortably in their mouth, and allows them room to move the bit to swallow.

This picture is of my horse Brandy, who as you can see, has very little room in his mouth for a bit.  Note how his extra large tongue oozes out from between his teeth.  Brandy requires a bit which has a thin diameter, an arched shape, and a wide port for tongue relief.  All of this was found with a Myler MB 05 Ported Barrel Comfort Snaffle mouthpiece, seen below.


Myth # 5 - A Snaffle is Milder than a Curb Bit.
    This is false in many cases.  Of course, the bit's mouthpiece will play a role in how soft or harsh it is, but let's just talk about a snaffle cheek versus a shanked cheek here.  Firstly, a snaffle is any bit in which the headstall and reins attach to the same ring.  Mouthpiece has nothing to do with a bit being a snaffle or not!  Loose ring, eggbutt, offset, dee, and full or half cheeks are typical snaffle cheekpieces.  Curb bits have a separate ring for headstall attachment and reins.  Usually in a curb bit, the headstall attaches to a ring that sits above the mouthpiece, while the rein attachment is below the level of the mouthpiece.  Western or English curbs, pelhams, kimberwickes, bouchers, and elevators are all types of curb bits.  Now many people believe that a snaffle is always milder than a curb bit.  They believe this because a curb bits' shanks multiply the amount of force that a person puts on the reins.  However, let's think this through.  In a snaffle bit, you have the reins attaching right about at the level of the mouthpiece.  All of the pressure from a pull on the reins is going to be felt by the horse in his mouth.  The pressure will be felt on the tongue, lips and bars.  So, if you put 1lb of pressure on the reins, the horse feels 1lb of pressure in his mouth.  Now a curb bit.  The reins attach somewhere below the level of the mouthpiece, how far below depends on the shank length.  In a curb bit, ridden with a curb strap, the pressure the horse feels is felt in many different areas - the poll, the mouth, and the chin.  Now for the sake of this example we will say that the shank length will cause the pressure exerted on the reins to be doubled.  So, 1lb of pressure on the reins translates to the horse feeling 2lbs of pressure, right?  However, that 2lbs of pressure is now divided onto three different areas.  So, the horse feels 1/3 of 2lbs of pressure at each of the three areas: poll, mouth, and chin.  1/3 of 2lbs equals 6/10 of a pound.  So this horse would feel only 6/10lb of pressure on his mouth in a curb bit.

Myth #6 - My Horse Is Resisting His Current Bit, I Must Need A Stronger/Harsher Bit.
  Very False!  If a horse is resistant to his current bit he is trying to tell you something - that his current bit hurts.  Signs of resistance include: head tossing, opening the mouth, rooting(thrusting head downward sharply while being ridden), inverting(head in the air, "above the bit"), dropping a shoulder, not stopping, rearing, tongue out of mouth while being ridden, heavy on the forehand, and tripping.  With any or all of these problems, the horse is telling you that "ouch, my mouth hurts, my bit hurts my mouth".  Many people whose horses exhibit these symptoms go for a stronger/harsher bit.  In reality, you should switch to a bit that offers less pressure.  If you're riding your horse in a single jointed bit, try one with multiple joints, such as a french link or a waterford.  Maybe even a solid mouthpiece.  Maybe try a ported bit that offers more tongue room.

Myth #7 - A New Bit Will Solve All Your Problems.
  This is also not true.  A bit is only one part of the whole equation.  Bit resistance can lead to behavior problems that may stand in the way of a horses' training progressing.  A new bit that makes the horse comfortable will enable that horse to learn more and perform better.  But no bit will create a perfectly trained horse.  The rider plays a large role, and a bit should be selected to complement both horse and rider.  The goal is to find a bit that allows the horse to relax, while being ridden by that particular rider.

  Now onto a little bit(no pun intended) about what makes the Myler bits so different from traditional designs.  Firstly, all Myler mouthpieces are curved to fit the horses' mouth better.  Horses' mouths are not flat, yet that is the way traditional bits were made and measured.  Traditional bits have straight mouthpieces, and are measured for size with the mouthpiece lying flat.  Myler mouthpieces have an arched shape, and the size of the bit is measured between the cheek pieces, not along the arch.  This allows for tongue room so that the horse can swallow.  So, a Myler 5" mouthpiece is a true 5", and will not shorten in the horses' mouth.  A more traditional bit that measures 5" with the mouthpiece flat, will curve up over the horses' tongue in that horses' mouth, and thus measure less than a 5" in truth.
  Secondly, many Myler bits offer what they call Independent Side Movement(ISM).  With this feature, a signal given on one side of the bit, will not affect the other side of the bit.  Picture a traditional bit.  Let's say a single jointed mouthpiece.  The bit is on a bridle, and is hanging as it would be in a horses' mouth.  You have the reins in your hands.  Let's say you want your horse to turn left.  You apply pressure to the left rein.  What happens to the mouthpiece of the bit?  As you apply pressure to that left rein, the left cheekpiece of that bit moves upward and backward.  After a little while, because the center joint only allows for so much free play, the mouthpiece locks, and now as you continue to apply pressure on the left side, the whole bit starts to move, and now the horse feels pressure on both sides of his mouth.  Kind of confusing, wouldn't you say?  It's even worse with a solid mouthpiece - then you cannot separate the sides at all.  Many of the Myler bits are different, and you can turn one side of the bit all the way around in a circle, and the other side will stay in place.  This makes turning aids clearer for the horse, as well as allowing for more control over the shoulders, say, for lifting a dropped shoulder.
  Thirdly, many Myler bits have "hooks" on the snaffle cheeks.  These hooks are slots in which the headstall and reins attach.  By locking the attachment of the headstall and reins in place, you add a little bit of curb-like action and feel to a snaffle bit.  You gain a bit of poll pressure, and/or curb pressure on a snaffle cheek, without giving up the lateral control that a snaffle offers.  This aids in collecting a horse, and also allows a little more relief from tongue pressure for the horse.
  Fourth, the Mylers have some very unique mouthpieces which are designed to address specific issues which horses may have.  These very unique mouthpieces allow you to really find a mouthpiece which you horse works best in, rather than having to make do with what was previously available.  You can have a custom bit that allows you to communicate to the best of you ability with your horse.
   For more information on Myler bits, and the Myler bitting system, I would advise you to read their book "A Whole Bit Better."   This book is a great  resource for information about the anatomy of the horses' mouth, how the mouth affects other parts of the horses' body, resistance to bits, and the history and creation of bits, as well as an in-depth look at all the different Myler mouthpieces and the types of horses they were designed for.  A great read for anyone who just wants to know more about mouths and bits.  Or you can visit the Mylers' website at www.mylerbitsusa.com,  or www.toklat.com/myler.  See how to test your current bit for mildness on your arm.  You'll be amazed at what you find.

  I do not work for Mylers, Inc, nor am I in any way associated with them.  I am simply a very big fan of their bits.  I have had great personal results with using their bits, and currently have 6 various Myler bits in my personal collection, including 2 custom made combination bits.  I won't use anything else, now.  If you are thinking of purchasing a Myler bit, they have a bitting assistance questionaire on their toklat.com site.  You answer questions about yourself and your horse, and they recommend certain mouthpieces and cheeks that might work well for your horse.  They are very nice people, and very willing to answer your questions.