What is the Tom Thumb bit used for?

Tom Thumb bits are most commonly used by young or small riders who are trying to manage a stout, insensitive horse. For experienced riders, if the Tomb Thumb bit is being used to make your horse stop faster, you might consider why your horse isn’t stopping in the first place.

Are Tom Thumb bits abusive?

Myth 4: American tom thumb bits are the cruelest bit you can put in your horse’s mouth and you are abusive if you use one! Tom thumbs have smooth mouthpieces that are quite thick, which makes them duller and less painful to the horse.

What kind of bit is a Tom Thumb?

The Tom Thumb Bit, often referred to as a Western Snaffle or the Tom Thumb Snaffle, is a popular finishing and fine-tuning bit for the Western horse. The mouthpiece of the Tom Thumb bit is like other snaffles, available in single or double-jointed styles.

Is a Tom Thumb an English bit?

The American style, not the Aussie or British one. The one that in the American West is called the Tom Thumb snaffle. Straight or nearly-straight shanks with a single-jointed mouthpiece. One explanation I’ve come up with is that the schooling horses are purchased locally.

What’s a Tom Thumb?

1 : a legendary English dwarf. 2 : a dwarf type, race, or individual.

What does a Kimberwick bit do?

The Kimberwick or Kimblewick bit is mostly used for general riding activities. It provides a mild curb action to help to control a horse or pony that pulls or which requires help from a slight curb action to encourage it to lower its head.

Why is a snaffle bit used?

Snaffle bits are generally gentler on a horse’s mouth than other types of bits while still providing adequate communication. When a rider pulls the reins, the snaffle bit puts pressure on the bars, lips, and tongue of the horse’s mouth. When using a snaffle bit, no pressure is applied to the horse’s poll.

Why is it called Tom Thumb?

As for where Tom Thumb got its name, just in case you were wondering, the company describes it this way: “Back in 1948 two Dallas friends with family roots in the grocery business became intrigued with a new shopping concept. The men were J.R. Bost and Bob Cullum. The new concept was called ‘supermarkets.

How was Tom’s thumb formed?

This iconic formation is visible from miles around, and has quickly become one of the area’s most popular hiking and climbing destinations. About 1.4 million years ago, rising magma intruded overlying rhyolite and quartzite rock layers and lithified into granite.

Is a Kimberwick harsh?

A bit is only as harsh as the rider, but a kimberwick is a leverage bit and is much easier to be harsh with. If your horse goes fine in a regular jointed snaffle, I would just get a bigger jointed snaffle.

How does a Tom Thumb bit work?

Many people disagree on the severity of the Tom Thumb bit. Because it is jointed it has a nutcracker action in the mouth. Combined with the leverage action provided by the shanks the bit will apply pressure to the horse’s head over the poll, and under the chin as the curb chain or strap pulls upwards.

Are Tom Thumb bits really that bad?

Tom Thumb bits are not total evil, but there are much better bits available. But a lot depends on how she uses the bit. Both of the bits I showed can give terrible results if used incorrectly, as can a snaffle. This is an excellent thread (and a ‘sticky’). It can give you ideas of a lot of bits that are better than a Tom Thumb.

Do Tom Thumb bits shift when reining?

“However, because the Tom Thumb has so many moving parts, even the lightest pressure during neck reining with it often results in the shifting of the bit. Again, the shanks tip and turn causing the curb strap to tighten, the mouthpiece to collapse and the horse to become confused.” Again, this does not happen.

Should I switch from a Tom Thumb bit to a snaffle?

“If you are currently using a Tom Thumb snaffle or any other type of similar bit and you are happy with the way your horse is responding, then by all means, don’t switch it.” I’ll agree with that. If the horse is happy with bit X, be happy for the horse. That doesn’t mean I love Tom Thumb bits. They are straight bits, with no curve to the shank.