Derived from the German word schnabel and the Dutch snavel, meaning beak, the snaffle is a bit with two rings connected on either side of the mouthpiece, which may be unjointed, single-jointed, or double-jointed.
Modern snaffle bits come in a wide variety of styles, shapes, sizes, and material. Choosing the one that’s both comfortable for your horse and legal for use in United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)-licensed/USDF-recognized dressage competition—did you know that plenty of snaffles aren’t permitted in dressage?—can be daunting. In all likelihood, someone in your barn owns a bucketful of bits from horses past and present, representing successes and failures, changed philosophies and experimentations.
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If you’re an amateur rider with limited time to spend at the barn, there’s nothing wrong with knocking the dirt off your horse and keeping the grooming routine simple so that you can spend more time in the saddle. But keeping a top dressage horse looking its best is a detailed affair that requires time, elbow grease, and an eye for detail. To learn how it’s done—and to pick up a few tricks of the trade—we talked with two grooms who work for elite riders and trainers.
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HORSE HEALTH CONNECTION
THE JUDGE'S BOX
