Key Bits for Training
The first of these key bits are mine and I use them for mouthing a horse. If you place these bits into its mouth they will chew and chew and the keys must be quite annoying. But the horse gets used to them. Then when he goes very quiet with the key bit it is ready to have an ordinary bit. Over stimulus is a training procedure. It works brilliantly and this method of training must be sensibly studied. A horse that does not accept the bit and is constantly putting their tongue under the bit, simply does hear or concentrate on the rider. So the keys do the job of over stimulating the horse’s mouth and teaching them to accept that mouth piece and be quiet and peaceful with it.
We then have a key bit which is huge, and must have been for a very large Shire or Suffolk Punch. it is very heavy and quite the biggest widest bit I have ever seen. It has some age to it.
The top one has a tongue piece to hold the tongue down and is made of wood. The second one has fulmer sides and the lower one is a standard straight mouth piece loose ring.
Provenance: South Hatch Museum, The Pitt Collection