Suzanne Redford
Equine Dental Services
Understanding Bit Seats
You may have recently heard your equine dental technician talk about 'Bit Seats', and wondered what they are, and how they will effect or benefit your horse.
Hopefully the information below will give you a better understanding as to their role within the horse's mouth.
Side view of horse's teeth, demonstrating bit seats
As can be seen from the diagram above, installing bit seats involves rounding off the upper and lower front cheek teeth. This assists the horse in two main ways; firstly it creates
more space in the mouth, giving the tongue more room when the bit is in the mouth, and secondly it smoothes the edges of the front teeth. Therefore, if the bit pushes any fleshy parts,
such as the cheeks or tongue against the teeth, there are no sharp points to cause pain. Overall, bit seats are there to make riding with a bit a more comfortable experience for the horse,
which in turn should lead to enhanced performance.
When discussing the possibility of bit seats, it is important to advise your equine dental
technician of the type of bit you ride in. Just as different bits have different effects on the horse,
they will also determine the style of bit seat most appropriate. Once the bit seats are installed, they are fairly easy to maintain during regular dental maintenance. However, due to the
amount of tooth height reduced and thus pressure on the horse's jaw, they are often easier to initially install using power equipment.
Finally, it is important to note that whilst bit seats were designed with the horse's comfort and performance in mind, not all horses will benefit from them. Some horses will show
no change in behaviour whilst others will greatly appreciate the difference which will reflect in their riding.
Although bit seats can assist the horse, they are no substitute for regular dental maintenance, which should be performed every 6 months.