Crikey. Can anyone tell me what this is?

[chev]

It's called the Norton Perfection, down at the bottom of this page (http://www.maxihealth.co.uk/Magnolife_Catalogue_Loose_ring_snaffles_126.html). Is it as horrendous as it looks? What on earth is it supposed to do? :eek:

And I'm so glad the bike chain snaffle is for professionals only.... that makes me so much happier about someone having invented the thing :mad:

[joshes mum]

It looks like some sort of torture device.:eek::mad:

[chev]

The W-mouth bits, twisted snaffles and such I have seen before. But this Norton Perfection... ick. Can't even see how it would fit in the mouth.

[Alibi]

Thanks for the link Chev, I'm ordering one straight away, together with the bike chain, the curbchain loose ring snaffle and the cheesegrater loose ring - :eek: NOT

[~*sugarlump*~]

ouch :eek:

i dont quite get the 3 mouth W snaffle (do all three bits bits go in the mouth at once?) or the jointed wilson loose ring (do the ring things go in the mouth too?)
:confused::o

[Soot]

I think I need at least two bike chain snaffles ... maybe three ...

Then my OH will finally do as I say!

[CL66]

That looks hideous.

Found this about it:

The Citation (another name for the norton perfection) is, however, one of the most severe bits of all. It comprises a standard loose-ringed snaffle to which the reins attach. However, also attached to small sliding rings on the mouthpiece (again, like the Wilson) is a second, extremely fine "wire" snaffle, which is further combined with the "Y" nosepiece as in the Rockwell.


When the rein comes into play there is a sharp raising action on the nose, face and corners of the mouth together with a severe double "nutcracker" snaffle action, forming an extremely harsh bridle.


While a bit is only as severe as the hands on the reins, many people would perhaps consider the pleasure derived from riding to be dramatically curtailed if it were necessary to use such a combination on their horse.

Ouch :eek::eek:

[Skeeder]

Wowsers those are some scary bits and people used to think the Dr Bristol was cruel eeekk my other half had better run a mile in the next arguement about how much time I spend with horses:eek: and the people who invented these barbaric!!!

[Wally]

What in the name of everything pink and fuzzy would make you resort to something like that???

Who had the idea, the EUREKA moment in the bath, I know let's put the contents of the Iron Monger's in my horse's mouth and see what happens!????

if the poor horse has been trained so badly that they think that will be the answer the horse does not stand a cat in hells chance.

[Hippyhorse]

Good god they are scary, I'd be too worried about having my fingers in some of them trying to get them on never mind putting them in a horses mouth, the mind boggles at where they came up with the idea from!

[NuttyMare]

things like this sadden me as to what ever happened to the idea of treating the cause, not the symptoms!

[sharpsky]

you have to wonder at the sanity of people who invent those devices :eek: :mad:

what happened to the idea of partnership between horse and rider anyway?

[jaydevon]

never mind the horse, im getting one to tame the hubby! ok being serious.... no wonder horses end up screwed up, has anyone else noticed theier very high prices!

[chev]

That looks hideous.

Found this about it:

The Citation (another name for the norton perfection) is, however, one of the most severe bits of all. It comprises a standard loose-ringed snaffle to which the reins attach. However, also attached to small sliding rings on the mouthpiece (again, like the Wilson) is a second, extremely fine "wire" snaffle, which is further combined with the "Y" nosepiece as in the Rockwell.


When the rein comes into play there is a sharp raising action on the nose, face and corners of the mouth together with a severe double "nutcracker" snaffle action, forming an extremely harsh bridle.


While a bit is only as severe as the hands on the reins, many people would perhaps consider the pleasure derived from riding to be dramatically curtailed if it were necessary to use such a combination on their horse.

Ouch :eek::eek:

:eek:

I was really hoping the nasty bits didn't go in the mouth. :( Just makes me very very sad. Gentle hands has nothing to do with it; if you're putting things like that in your horse's mouth, you shouldn't be anywhere near a horse in the first place.

Hubby reckons Norton Perfection sounds like a motorbike not a bit - when I showed it him he reckons it has more place in a motorbike than on a bridle....

[kyanya]

I can't believe there are bits actually called the bike chain and cheesegrater - those are both definitely things that should go knowhere near anyone's mouth.

With the rockwell, are the bits of metal coming off the mouthpiece for the cheekpieces to attach onto, or do they go in the horse's mouth too?

[~*sugarlump*~]

I can't believe there are bits actually called the bike chain and cheesegrater - those are both definitely things that should go knowhere near anyone's mouth.

With the rockwell, are the bits of metal coming off the mouthpiece for the cheekpieces to attach onto, or do they go in the horse's mouth too?

bike chain says only sold to professionals, but still....ouch!:eek:

[chev]

There's a picture here (http://www.gibson-saddlers.com/cart/shop/shop.php?action=full&id=365) that shows the 'Gibson Rockwell Citation' bridle. Nasty stuff. I'm assuming the metal hooky bits the noseband attaches to are not in the mouth but suspect I might be horribly wrong. :( As far as I can work out the difference between that and the Norton Perfection is the extra cheesewire thin mouthpiece on the Norton Perfection.

[Kis Vihar]

Hi Chev:)

Have you got hold of a certain bit-manufacturer's catalogue (or online sales site!) by any chance...? If so, I think I have the same one here....!

We have an updated catalogue sent from the UK regularly and I was horrified this time at some of the contraptions! :eek: Like others have said...Why would you want to shove half of these contraptions in your hrose's mouth???

Paul, (saddler who I live here with), would be my 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire phone-a-friend' on the Norton Perfection. He is quite an authority on it!! (No, he doesn't use or own one!) Ghastly bit! I'd get him to 'explain' it's development and use, but he's sleeping!

If you REALLY want to see some bizzare bits, you should take a look round the enormous (you need a shopping trolley and it's on 2 floors) saddlery in Budapest. Driving is the 'in' equine pastime here - they have the most INCREDIBLE range of bits, especially driving bits! I've had to get hold of their brochure so I can learn and identify most of them! Although none quite so vile as the cheesegrater, bike chain or NP!!:eek:

K

[~*sugarlump*~]

i know somebody who's used one :eek:

apparently they used it on a horse with a very hard mouth to soften the mouth, and apparently it only needed a snaffle afterwards



you wont find me using one

[Liz1949]

If, in the US, you go into a saddlery and ask for a standard mule bit, you will very often be offered one of the bike chain abominations.

Just Googling worldwide on the simple term 'mule bit' brings up several doozies which look as if they would be more at home in an exhibition of 'torture chambers through the ages' than in a decent person's tack room.

Personally I think it says more about the mentality of the people who sell the things, than anything else. Some may say that they are only supplying a market, but that's what drug dealers and child porn peddlers say, too.

[Wally]

Driving bits in the UK that I would use and be expected to know about in any exam.

Wilson snaffle, pony bit kind with the rein on both rings......if you have soft hands and it suits the pony
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/sprimble/wilson.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/sprimble/wilson-snaffle.jpg

And the rest are on here under my posts.

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75125
I don't agree with all of them, and I let the horse tell me what he preferes,

[Wally]

My Oh half was watching over my shoulder as I looked at this, both OH and son and heir thought it more suitable to scrapheap challenge than equitation.

[Kis Vihar]

Hi Wally

Lots of the (shall I say) 'poorer people' around here use Wilsons - Often crap*y and brown, (needs to hang on a pub wall type thing!) on the most severe way...With the reins on the outside rings only - I have tried to persuade some people to change this, especially when I see a horse going along in harness trying to get the bit out of it's mouth and throwing it's head around... The sort of 'driving' I'm talking about now is farm-cart and home made trolley type thing.....! But the 'older farming folk' can't see a problem with how they use the Wilson, and can't be persuaded to change - they just don't understand how a bit can be severe or less severe...!!! You should see some of the mouth-sores I see!!

The 'professionals' drive with either Wilsons or Liverpools - or something I couldn't identify!!

I used a Wilson for years (the nice way!)

But round here, 'what do I know??' I'm just an 'English woman' ...And women DON'T DRIVE here!!!! It's just not seen! (But I do drive my groom's farm-cart up and down with hay sometimes....!)

K

[alanalovesfinn]

Omg i dont even want to know what that does! ive never even seen/heard of most of those bits! :eek:

[Jen_e_Jen]

I especially like the windsucker. Geez, some people should be shot.