Roman horse bits

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Hello,

I want to begin a post about roman bits. I know many of the roman cavalry reenactors use modern bits, me included. I want to use some roman ones, but don't want to hurt my horses.

As i know, there are basically two great groups of bits: snaffle ones and curb ones. Probably i will go for a snaffle one, with the circular plates to connect with the headstall. I have seen many times a iron rod is puted under the horse jaw, acting as a kind of curb chain. Is needed or not?

About the curb bit, if i will go for one, i will use one without port. Now i use a curb bit, but modern, with curb chain. As i have undestand, romans not use chains, instead use a kind of bar. Someone can clarify exactly how it works?

Thanks. I wait for your comments and exeperiences.

Happy Chritsmas for all!

[Vindex]

Hi

A subject close to my heart

There is a third type of bit which is the (proper) hackamore which is only nose pressure and no iron goes in the horse's mouth.

There is no evidence of any curb chains but I would agree with you that the bars we see on the bits are a replacement for this; this is supported by the many examples from the archaeological record of the bit posts having at least three holes in them for this bar to be adjusted.

An alternative function could be to keep the long sides of the bit steady in the horse's mouth (prevents a degree of twisting which would be very uncomfortable for the horse) and has an added advantage of stopping loose reins or anything else interfering with the bit.

Robert Wimmers has made some fabulous reconstructions for me (below) but I won't be riding in them. I have managed to find a modern Spanish curb in iron (black) which I have used. You should have no trouble finding one and I think they add that little bit more authenticity to stainless steel bits.

Here are my lovely reconstructions. It is not until you get them in your hands that you can really understand how they work in the horse's mouth and how "advanced" the Romans' knowledge of their horses is. It is also due to these bits that I am more and more convinced that the saddle could not have been of a rigid wooden tree since there is absolutely no way a rider can communicate with his horse through the seat; and if you are riding off a long rein on a severe curb, you need to be able to do this (in my opinion).

[attachment=11372]Picture005.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=11373]Picture006.jpg[/attachment]

[Vindex]

...If you also want to discuss poll pressure and how the bits work, more than happy... It is fundamental to riding and fighting from a horse (again, in my opinion).

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Thanks.

Another diference between modern curb bits and roman ones is that roman can rotate or move in the mouthpiece axis and modern ones not, being the mouthpiece and the bars/shanks soldered or fixed. So, in my opinion, the lever action in modern ones have to be greater, then rougher than roman ones.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Modern ones


Roman ones

You can see what i mean.

[66kbm]

Sorry.....I miss-interpreted the thread title.... :woot: ive been working long hours, .give me a break.
Kevin.

[Vindex]

But that modern one is not really a standard curb is it? It is a Western bit.

And also, having got a reconstruction of the Newstead curb (your second picture) the weight of the mouth piece makes it highly unlikely that it is going to rotate at all - how would you see that happening?

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Have to apologize if my words are unclear, because english is not my speaking, i'm spanish... I mean that the shanks rotate around the mouthpiece when reins are pulled.

[Vindex]

Your English is much, much better than my Spanish - I only know how to swear at people when playing polo

I think the individual rotation is not necessarily a good thing and from what I have seen of Roman bits it would not have happened (or highly unlikely to have been the case).

Also remember that the iron the Roman bits are made of - now called sweet iron and very expensive in modern horse bits - is a lot kinder to horses than modern stainless steel or even copper. Iron - or sweet iron - encourages the horse to salivate and therefore keeps the mouth wet and , so, softer.

Another point to consider its that through out the life of the horse, the Romans did not have the benefit of dentistry (or I have not seen evidence of it in the research of horse skeletons from the period, although I'll admit it is limited). A horse's mouth changes considerably over time as the action of grazing causes the horse's teeth to wear and for some very sharp edges to be produced. I believe that in time the horse would not be able to bear metal in its mouth and would become unmanageable, hence the move to hackamores and long shanked bits to give the leverage you require.

This picture shows a modern bit called a gag. It has very large rings on the side of the bridle but connects directly to the top of the horse's head (the poll) and the lever effect is what controls the horse. You can see from this picture - taken at the gallop during a game of polo - how the pressure works.


[attachment=11376]ShowMe_gagaction.jpg[/attachment]

PS the bit you have shown above has fixed shanks (side of the bit) so I think by rotation you mean what I am referring to as leverage!

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Not a very good picture but this is my Spanish bit. It is a curb with a chain (I needed brakes!)
[attachment=11377]SpanishBridle6Dec13_2.jpg[/attachment]