What is the optimum thickness for a mouth piece?
The mouth piece on a bit should be over 1/4″ and under 1/2″. The horse’s mouth is filled almost completely by his tongue. Most horses prefer an average diameter mouthpiece, which provides slightly more space in an already cramped mouth. Additionally, thicker mouthpieces do not give a great deal of extra bearing surface, and so generally don’t help as much as many riders believe. Mouth pieces that are extremely thin, those that are only 1/8-1/4″ in thickness, are not mild. These can be damaging to a horse’s mouth.
