Bridleless Curb Bit
Not on view
According to contemporary equestrian manuals, the mouthpiece of this bit was designed for a horse with a thick tongue and an insipid mouth (meaning that the horse does not ‘taste’ its bit, so by rolling the rings on its bars, the toothless part of its mouth, it will make the horse salivate).
The curious system at the back of the cheekpieces, connected to the bosses, was used for pinching the upper lip between the tab and the back of the purchase, allowing this bit to be used without the need of a headstall to hanging it.
These rare bridleless curb bits, described in some equestrian manuals written in the second half of the 16th century, were certainly somewhat experimental, and only used in non-military contexts. They seem to have been invented, and probably mostly used, in Germany.
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