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This is a guide to help you fit your curb chain correctly on your horse.
For your bit with leverage to work correctly, you need to add a curb strap/chain behind the horse's chain. The chain/curb strap will prevent the bit from rotating too far in the horse's mouth, which can cause discomfort and divide the pressure between the neck, mouth, and chin. If you ride with a curb bit and no curb strap or a too-loose curb strap, you can risk getting too much pressure in the mouth but also get the bit rotating too much in the mouth, causing it to be in a bad position.
An easy way to check if the curb strap is tight enough, without being too tight, is to pull the reins attached to the bit's shank carefully. The bit's shank should follow your reins so it sits at a 45-degree angle from the mouth when the curb strap stops the rotation and should not rotate any further. If the bit rotates further, it's too loose. If the bit does not rotate to 45 degrees, it's too tight.
This photo shows a bit that has a well-fitted curb strap. The strap will stop the bit's rotation at a 45-degree angle.
This photo shows a bit that has a curb strap that's sitting too loose. The strap will not stop the bit's rotation at a 45-degree angle, making the movements of your hands delayed and can cause damage and discomfort to the horse.
This photo shows a bit that has a curb strap that's sitting too tight. The strap will stop the bit's rotation before it's at a 45-degree angle, causing the movements of your hand to be very exact, making the bit sharpe.
The most common thing we see is the 2 wrinkle rule, which we do not recommend using.
Using the 2 wrinkle rule can result in the bit sitting too low for horses with short smiles, or too high for horses with long smiles. This will not only cause discomfort for the horse, it can also cause damage to the teeth and mouth.
How should the bit fit, then?
It is very individual from horse to horse. You should be able to fit at least 2-3 fingers, depending on the size of the horse, between the mouthpiece of the bit and where the premolar teeth start. However, the bit should not be too far down so it gets in contact with the canine teeth or disturbs the horse.
For some horses the perfect position might result in wrinkles or no wrinkles, depending on how big lips and smile the horse has and how the mouth is shaped. If you feel unsure, ask your horse's dentist.
This photo shows how you use the 2-3 fingers method, which is much safer than the 2-wrinkle rule.
