Equine Head to Tail by Billie Morris

Equine Head to Tail by Billie Morris Equine massage therapist & bit fitter. With over 40 years experience riding in most equine disciplines, I worked as a work rider in all types of racing yards.

I have managed polo yards and race yards. I have extensive equine medical knowledge.

This is worth another share. Thank you Vikki Fowler - Verterinary Equine Dental Technician.
17/07/2025

This is worth another share. Thank you Vikki Fowler - Verterinary Equine Dental Technician.

A bit is only as harsh as the hands that hold it - true.

If the rider is good enough, it doesn’t matter what bit the horse has in - false.

Usain Bolt could not have broken those world records if his running shoes were too tight. Cristiano Ronaldo would not have won champion league titles if his boots were too large. Lewis Hamilton would not be a 7 time world champion if he didn’t fit perfectly in his car.

Horses are not one size fits all. They might have large tongues, low palates, fleshy lips or knife edge bars. They might have a dry mouth or produce excessive saliva. They may freeze with the bit or they might fidget constantly. Some have a very small interdental space leaving almost no room for a bit, and some have their first cheek teeth ahead of their lip corners. I generally tell clients that they can choose the cheek pieces but the horse gets to choose the mouthpiece of their bit.

But that choice goes deeper than their individual anatomy. Horses are living, breathing, feeling animals that have preferences. Some horses prefer tongue pressure, a lot of horses hate palate pressure and open their mouths to escape it, some will put their tongue over the bit if there is any tongue pressure, where others will throw their head if the bars are pressured. The horse gets to have an opinion on where their bit acts too. A happy horse will be an easy horse.

Anyone can make these assessments. You don’t need any specialist equipment. Just experience, and an understanding of what is normal, to know how your horse varies from the “normal”. If in doubt, ask your EDT, vet or a bit specialist.

A little about the bit mouthpieces, there are 4 main types, straight bars, single jointed, double jointed and multi jointed.

Straight bars - a mullen mouth will act mostly on the tongue with a little lip corner pressure. Often straight bars will have a port for tongue relief. The bigger the port, the more tongue relief so the more pressure is placed on the bars and lip corners whilst less is applied on the tongue. Straight bars do not have palate pressure when fitted correctly but if the port is too large, it will hit the palate. Straight bars are very still by their nature. They are good for horses that mess with the bit a lot, crunch the bit, put their tongue over (with an appropriate port for tongue relief), or sit behind the bit, over bent. They are not good for horses that are strong or lean.

Single jointed - these act mostly on the bars and corners of the mouth and less so on the tongue surface. But they squeeze the tongue from the sides in a nutcracker action, and the joint can hit the horses palate. This will cause the horse to open its mouth to escape that palate pressure. There are some anatomical single jointed bits which curve with the horses mouth and reduce these side effects. Being more mobile than a straight bar, the horse is less likely to lean. Better suited for those that dislike tongue pressure but are too strong for a straight bar.

Double jointed - there are 4 types, peanut, french link, Dr Bristol and barrel. All double jointed bits share pressure equally across the tongue, bars and lip corners.
A peanut is smooth and rounded so very gentle. This is generally the ideal starting place when starting along the journey to find your horses ideal bit, or as the first “grown up” bit for a youngster.
The french link has a plate which sits flat on the tongue, the edges and joints can cause more uneven tongue pressure than the peanut. This bit takes very little space between tongue and palate, suited for those with large tongues and low palates.
A Dr Bristol plate lies opposite to the tongue, meaning the plate edge digs in the tongue making it quite a harsh bit, even in gentle hands. A horse can not move into the riders hands for a true outline with this bit.
Barrel bits act as a straight bar when in action but each side moves independently. Barrel bits can come with ports to offer more tongue relief. These are ideal for horses that like a straight bar but become confused and require the reins to work independently to understand the rider clearly, or perhaps lean on one rein in a straight bar.

Multi jointed - apart from the chain bits which I won’t mention, these are mostly Waterfords with many joints across the mouthpiece. These act equally on the tongue, lip corners and bars. Be careful when choosing these bits as the cheaper versions have joints on the lip corners which nip and bruise. Better quality Waterfords have short straight sections for the lips. Lots of joints prevent the horse from taking hold of the bit. Good for those that lean or are strong. Keep in mind they can prevent the horse from moving into the hand for a true outline due to the mobility of the bit. Similar to the French link, the joints can cause uneven pressure across the tongue and those joints tend to make these bits chunky so not ideal for those with big tongues or small mouths.

Other considerations -

Bit material - horses with dry mouths find stainless steel very uncomfortable. A horse needs a moist mouth to be comfortable with a bit in their mouth. Warmer metals like sweet iron encourage the horse to salivate and makes them more comfortable. Copper rollers or other mobile parts can encourage a horse to mouth the bit and produce saliva, but may also encourage the horse to mess and fidget with their mouths and heads. Some horses hate all types of metal and prefer the softer feel of nathe or plastic. These need to be inspected very regularly as they are easy to damage and can have sharp points. The plastic/nathe bits are very good for those that over bend or sit behind the bit.

Over salivating - some horses produce large amounts of saliva. This is uncomfortable and distracting for the horse. Consider sitting in the dentists chair desperate to swallow, it’s not a pleasant feeling. These horses need a bit that remains as still as possible and does not encourage salivation to be comfortable.

Bit positioning- the old advice use to be you should see 2 wrinkles in the corner of the mouth when the bit is in the correct place but this varies between bits. For example, a straight bar needs to be a little lower than a jointed as a jointed bit lays lower on the tongue so needs to be a little higher at the cheek. Some ponies, in particular shetlands and welsh ponies, have shortened noses with normal sized teeth which brings the first cheek tooth forward of the lip corners. These need the bit to be lower than normal. Those with very fleshy lips will also need the bit a little lower to allow space for them. Be sure to part the horses lips with the bit in place and check the position in relation to the lips, teeth and tongue.

Bit thickness - the fleshier the horses mouth and larger the tongue, the finer the bit needs to be to fit between the tongue and palate, too thick a bit and the horse wont be able to close its mouth. Thicker bits tend to be gentler as the pressure is spread further, where the horses mouth has space to accommodate.

Bit width - if a bit is too narrow, it will pull the lips into the teeth and cause internal bruising (even when the teeth are perfectly smooth and rounded) or cheek and lip ulcers (if the teeth are sharp). It can also cause external nipping if a loose ring. If the bit is too wide, it will not act on the intended areas of the mouth and the bit can slide across the mouth. Generally speaking, with the bit pulled tight across the mouth, a little finger sideways on should be visible each side, no more, no less.

Bitless/hackamore bridles - some horses have no/almost no space for a bit. With big tongues, low palates, short interdental spaces and fleshy lips, some horses just can’t comfortably take a bit and may prefer an alternative.

Bit rings - eggbutts are better for horses that sit behind the bit and over bend, loose rings are better for horses that lean or take hold of the bit.

Cheek pieces - there are many many options for cheek pieces, gags, drop cheeks, full cheeks, D rings, Pelhams etc etc. Once you have found the mouthpiece your horse likes, you can find a cheek piece that suits you and the horse for the discipline you are in and your capabilities. But the horse chooses the mouthpiece.

Please remember to make sure your horse’s teeth are perfect before messing around with their bit. Get a BAEDT qualified EDT or a dental trained vet to check out your horse. Do not assume you would know if your horse is in pain. They are very good at hiding pain and humans are very poor at picking up on their subtle signs.

EDIT - it has been brought to my attention that the Dr Bristol has been used incorrectly for the last century. Apparently according to the patent, the inventer intended the bit to be used the other way up which makes the bit a more ‘anatomical’ French link and would be a gentler bit.

Leading on from my last post which has got people talking. Good!I worked for over 20 years in racing in NH, pointing and...
15/07/2025

Leading on from my last post which has got people talking. Good!

I worked for over 20 years in racing in NH, pointing and flat yards. Overall we, the staff had a good work ethic and loved our horses and racing. If you don’t like that, then jog on.

My post was not to slag racing staff off, lord only knows the long hours I and many others work. It was nothing to start work at 5.45 am, ride out anything between 3-6 horses, then get in a lorry to drive to a racetrack, often not getting back till nearly midnight or after. Then doing it all over again the following day. But we love it. It’s a way of life.

But over the years things change and not always for the better. Take my last yard, I had a brilliant boss, the horses needs came first no matter what. Then he retired and a new trainer came on board. The yard mostly went to pot, because the lazy staff were rewarded and the staff who knew their jobs and their horses were cast aside and belittled.

Me and another member of staff would have to go round checking every single horse, (we had a hundred), every night to make sure that the horses had enough hay to see them through the night. The reason the horses weren’t given enough hay was because they, the stable staff didn’t want to muck out the following morning. Most of the horses were given only given one slice of hay. I am not exaggerating. Despite bringing this matter to the attention of the trainer, nothing was ever done. But we made sure every horse was topped up with hay before leaving for the day.

There are many, many good trainers and stable staff who truly care about their horses, but the odd few really let the side down. If you think my highlighting what goes on in racing is detrimental to racing, I say, tough! The horses well-being must come first at all times. They are the yards bread and butter. All of us in racing have witnessed some shocking behaviour at some time or other. Only we can start to put it right.

I’m going to be a bit controversial here, that’s no surprise I hear some of you say. Seeing as we are actually having a ...
13/07/2025

I’m going to be a bit controversial here, that’s no surprise I hear some of you say.

Seeing as we are actually having a summer instead of a deluge of rain, can the weather forecasters please call it summer and not a heatwave.

Yes it’s a bit hot, but isn’t summer supposed to be hot? Which brings me to racing. I love racing, sorry but I do. I love thoroughbreds.

It’s business as usual for race yards in all weathers be it hot or cold. In hot weather the yards start earlier to avoid working at the hottest part of the day.

So it saddens me to see horses who have run their races in the hot weather today who were not properly cooled down straight after their races. I mean where were the grooms with the water buckets at the finish post? This was at Newmarket, the world is watching, looking for an excuse to criticise.

There are multiple huge barrels of water at every racecourse with buckets to cool horses down after their races. Does it hurt to fill buckets with water and wait for the horses at the finish line in this hot weather? It doesn’t matter if the horse is a winner or comes last, his well-being should be paramount. If the racing media wanted their scoop on the winning horse and jockey and wanted to stay dry, then tough, the horse must come first.

Cheltenham and Aintree can put the horses first why can’t Newmarket? People complain that racing needs to be more transparent. I agree with some of that, but in all honesty racing needs to do better in all areas.

This is interesting. When I worked in polo, we were feeding tons of soya oil. The ponies disliked it but were hungry so ...
06/07/2025

This is interesting. When I worked in polo, we were feeding tons of soya oil. The ponies disliked it but were hungry so ate their feed. I never understood why they couldn’t be given feed that they enjoyed. After all, they worked hard for us.

🔥 Inflammatory Cascade: Chronic low-grade inflammation is the silent killer of performance.

Omega-6 fatty acids (corn, soybean oil) fan the flames while omega-3s (flax, chia, algae, h**p) cool them down. Aim for a 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, not the 10:1 ratio most horses get. Your horse's joints, hooves, and attitude will thank you.

What's your horse's main fat source? Time to check those labels! 🏷️

This came up on my memories… I was given both Newcastle plates the grooms one and the owner/trainer one. Thank you for t...
04/07/2025

This came up on my memories…

I was given both Newcastle plates the grooms one and the owner/trainer one. Thank you for that.

But it’s unfortunate for Markaz that he has been shipped off to Mongolia to whatever fate awaits him.

Maybe if we bred less thoroughbreds, there would be less unwanted horses. Just breed from the best. Is that so hard to work out?

My drive to work.
04/07/2025

My drive to work.

02/07/2025

*** IT IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO REMOVE RAGWORT FROM ALL LAND USED FOR GRAZING HORSES AND LIVESTOCK ***

I have, once again, been shocked at the amount of ragwort I’ve seen left in paddocks with horses in. Even the most clueless of horse owners can normally tell you that ragwort is poisonous to horses, so why are so many owners not pulling it?!

It is actually an OFFENCE to leave ragwort in any field intended for grazing or hay making, AND an offence to allow it to seed and spread onto neighbouring land, if that neighbouring land is used for the same. That neighbour is within their rights to take LEGAL ACTION against you, if you allow ragwort to flower and seed on your land. I cannot fathom why you wouldn’t want to clear your own paddocks of ragwort, as it is both chronically and acutely POISONOUS to horses. It is absolutely not safe to just assume that horses won’t eat it. There is hardly any grass in any paddocks at the moment, and these are normally the paddocks that you see full of ragwort.

Under the Weeds Act 1959, you can be FINED for leaving ragwort to flower and seed on your land, if it is used for, or adjacent to, grazing livestock.

Don’t be complacent and lazy; pull that ragwort TODAY! We are all caught out by the odd bit of ragwort here and there, that has seemingly appeared overnight, but I’m talking about the crops of the stuff that should have been pulled weeks ago.

Carrying on with the hard ground theme. There are a few things you can do to help your horse cope with hard ground. • Do...
01/07/2025

Carrying on with the hard ground theme.

There are a few things you can do to help your horse cope with hard ground.

• Don’t ride hard or fast on hard ground.

• Listen to your horse, if he is showing signs of soreness. Stop. It’s that simple. No show or event is worth making your horse lame.

• You can gently massage the fetlocks and knees by rotating the joints. It helps to relieve stiffness that may be present in the joints. It gets the synovial fluid mobile to help it do its job of lubricating the joint.

• Gently stretching the front legs and then returning the leg to a bent position so that you can rotate the shoulder in a circular motion helps to loosen the shoulders.

• Stretching the hind leg both backwards to relax the stifle and then forwards, bringing the hind leg under the horse, bring the leg back to be in line with the hip and rotate the hind leg in a circular motion will help to loosen any tension in the hips.

28/06/2025

Another sad loss to the racing world.

Barry Hills my old boss has died. I loved working for him at Kingwood, he was old school, he knew his job inside and out. His passion for his horses was immense.
He will leave a huge hole in the Hills family.

In all of my racing career only two of my old bosses stood out, these two men were formidable in their respective racing careers and I absolutely loved working for them.

I learned so much from both of them.

Richard Barber at Seaborough was National Hunt and pointing.

Barry Hills at Lambourn in flat racing.

My thoughts and condolences to Barry’s family at this sad time.

Hard Ground.Summer has finally arrived and with it hard ground. Horses are prone to suffering from jarring of the legs a...
26/06/2025

Hard Ground.

Summer has finally arrived and with it hard ground. Horses are prone to suffering from jarring of the legs and joints due in part to the shape of their feet. They can also develop a condition called sore shins, which some racehorses can have if they are not trained properly. A good trainer knows when to ease off the work when a horse looks like he is starting to struggle, looking a bit footie and sore. A good rider who listens to their horse will also pick up on when the horse is becoming uncomfortable.

Any horse can develop sore shins if they are worked repeatedly at a fast rate on hard ground. Take someone who continually hammers their horse round the roads in a fast trot. Horses who are pulling carriages and carts, you often see travellers horses and ponies being driven at stupid speeds. And if you look closely, you will see that quite a few are lame. A good driver takes his horses steady.

Jarring is when the joints become sore and enflamed. The Synovial fluid which surrounds every joint to cushion and reduce friction of the bones when they come together is working extra hard and in some cases is not enough to ensure that the joints are properly lubricated.

Sore shins are actually microscopic fractures of the shin bone-cannon bone. They present as swelling at the front of the cannon bone. They do heal through rest and avoiding work on hard ground.

25/06/2025

This is a worthy cause. Too many thoroughbreds being bred and not enough being done to protect and care for them. Although it is starting to get better.

We create innovative programmes that other charities follow, using rescued horses to change lives.

This came up on my memories. It still stands. 😂
22/06/2025

This came up on my memories. It still stands. 😂

Address

Torquay

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Equine Head to Tail by Billie Morris posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share