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Loose ring snaffles can have a simple curved mouth piece or jointed one. The rings are attached by a simple loop at the end of the mouth piece. The loose ring is a circular ring which may rotate around on the mouthpiece. There is a chance the horse's lips could be pinched if the rings slide, or are pulled into the horse's mouth. For this reason many people prefer other snaffles. Some loose ring snaffles have rubber protectors (bit guards) that sit between the horse's mouth and the bit ring to protect the horse's lips.
The sliding makes it more difficult for the horse to tighten against it, promoting relaxation and chewing from the horse. The loose ring therefore keeps the bit more mobile than any other ring type. The ring will also rotate slightly before the bit mouthpiece adds pressure to the mouth, thus allowing it to give more signal than a more fixed bit. How it works is the primary action is pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth, and with the jointed mouthpiece there will be some action on the tongue and roof of the mouth. The loose ring snaffle is a commonly used bit for breaking and training.
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