Sidepieces Guide

LOOSE RINGS

Loose Rings are designed to move independently to the mouthpiece. This allows the horse more freedom to use his tongue, enabling them to place the pressure from the mouthpiece either higher or lower, whichever they prefer. Loose Rings work differently and independently from the mouthpiece in comparison to Fixed Rings. The use of Bit Guards will reduce movement of the rings, if you prefer a more stable feel on the reins. When Bit Guards are correctly fitted, the hole where the bit ring passes through should sit just on the corner of the mouth. To avoid any pinching, we recommend using our Mouth Corner Tape. Loose Rings are a good choice for a horse that prefers to lean on the bit and can feel stiff. The choice of accompanying mouthpiece is also a consideration, for example for a playful mouth, you may consider using something more stable.

FIXED RINGS

Fixed Rings are attached to the mouthpiece, and the reins’ contact will be more still towards the mouth. Fixed rings will encourage a horse to keep the contact towards the bit and create a stable feeling for both the horse and rider. (how much contact and stability you get depends on what mouthpiece you choose to go with it). Fixed rings will also help with steering and calm down a horse that plays a lot with the bit.

DEE RINGS

Dee Rings are attached to the mouthpiece, and the reins’ contact will be more still towards the mouth. Dee rings will encourage a horse to keep the contact towards the bit and create a stable feeling for both the horse and rider. The Dee rings make the bit lay still in the mouth and prevent the bit from sliding side to side. The straight sides help with steering and framing.

BABY FULMER

Baby Fulmer is a registered design by Fager. This sidepiece will give you a mix between the loose and fixed rings. The Fulmers will lay close to the horse’s side, helps with steering, and keep the mouthpiece steady. The loose rings are placed further away from the mouth corners, and this will put the pressure further down and inwards, encourage the horse to lift in the front, come back to your hand, and avoid a stiff feeling towards the bit. It is a very comfortable choice for many horses and a great start for a youngster. Baby Fulmer is FEI approve, even for dressage.

FULL CHEEK

Full Cheek sidepieces give a framed and stable feeling. It can help with steering and bending, keeping the horse's shoulders in place. It also protects the mouth corners from getting pinched or rubbed, and keep the mouthpiece steady. It is a very comfortable choice for many horses and a great start for a youngster. Fullcheek is FEI approve, even for dressage.

LOOSE BAUCHER

The Loose Baucher is a registered design by Fager. This sidepiece is designed to keep the mouthpiece steady, without the loose ring interfering with the mouth piece’s placement. Loose Baucher is to prefer if you have problems with wounds in the corners of the mouth or wears on the premolars (P2). The Loose Baucher will reveal these places from constant pressure and help the horse to relax.

BAUCHER

The Baucher gives a stable, framed feeling. This sidepiece is designed to keep the mouthpiece steady. Baucher is to prefer if you have problems with wounds in the corners of the mouth or wears on the premolars (P2). The Baucher will reveal these places from constant pressure and help the horse to relax.

KIMBLEHOOK

The Kimblehook can be described as a fixed ring with the possibility to add leverage when you need it. The further down you place your rein; the more pressure will be added and divided between chin, poll, and mouth. The stable feeling Kimblehook creates can be good for fuzzy and worried horses that gets strong, unbalanced and hard to turn. The Kimblehook puts the pressure further down in the mouth which can help a horse that gets too high in the neck. Kimblehooks are always used together with a chain or strap behind the chin.

2.5 RING

The 2.5-Ring rings allow variation of the effect to suit different situations and horses: For maximum effect, attach the reins to the bottom ring and this creates a gag effect. For a mix which emulates a mix of a Baucher bit and loose rings, attach the reins to the middle ring. This bit can be used with the Fager Non-swivle hooks and Chain to distribute the pressure more evenly between the poll, chin, and mouth.

UNIVERSAL

The Universal’s versatility with Baby Fulmer will provide a steady mouthpiece, together with the desirable leverage and flexibility feeling from the Universal rings. The Universal rings work as a Gag-bit when the reins are placed in the lower rings. The ring will glide and put pressure on the neck as well as the mouth. Attach a chain or strap between the top rings that goes behind the chin, and you will divide the pressure on Chin, Poll and mouth. Many different ways to try to find out what your horse prefers. The Universal rings creates a very flexible and light feeling that can help a horse who gets heavy, stiff, too long and low but still can be sensitive if the bit moves too much in the mouth.

BEVAL

A Beval bit has a similar effect to a 2½ & 3 Ring Snaffle, but has a softer effect and less leverage. Gives a flexible, soft feeling in the hand. This bit can be used with the reins in multiple positions depending on what effect you’d like from the bit. It can also be used with a gag rein thanks to the special design with bent loop rings on the inside. The gag rein can slide smoothly in the loop rings.

BABY PELHAM

The Baby Pelham sidepiece creates a frame feeling for horses who have a tendency to become unstable but still strong. We recommend using the Baby pelham with a delta bridle or two reins, one in the large fixed ring and one in the small ring. With two reins, you can easily regulate how much leverage you want from the bit by shortening, or lengthening, the rein that is attached to the bottom ring. With more leverage, you get a slightly lower neck and more effect, with less leverage you can get the horse a bit higher in the neck with less effect. If you use Fager’s adjustable delta, you have the same choice without having to use 2 reins. This design acts as a curb version of a Baucher bit.

SHOW PELHAM

Similar to a Kimblehook, the Show Pelham is used with two reins and gives more flexibility thanks to the loose ring. It is a combination of a Loose Baucher bit and curb bit in one. The rein placed in the snaffle ring will not add any leverage, and the rein in the bottom ring will. This will give the rider the advantage of adding leverage only when needed. A Baby pelham can also be used with a converter strap/Pelham roundings between the rings to use only a single rein.The Universal rings creates a very flexible and light feeling that can help a horse who gets heavy, stiff, too long and low but still can be sensitive if the bit moves too much in the mouth.

BUTTERFLY

Similar to a Kimblehook, the Butterfly can be used with two reins. It is a combination of a Baucher bit and curb bit in one. Specially suitable driving it has enhanced impact and control and helps support the horses in tight turns. Butterfly sidepiece allow variation of the leverage to suit different situations and horses: For maximum leverage, attach the reins to the bottom ring. For a mix which emulates a mix of a Baucher bit and fixed rings, attach the reins to the highest ring. A Butterfly can also be used with a converter strap/Pelham roundings between the rings or with two reins.

DOUBLE BRIDLE

A Double Bridle is a set of two bits, a bradoon, and a Weymouth. Each of the bits has its own set of reins and can be used separately and combined. The bradoon (also called bridoon) is used the same way as a snaffle, usually with smaller rings, loose or fixed. A Bradoon should be placed the same way as your snaffle, close to the mouth corner. The Weymouth is a curb with a leverage effect and rests slightly lower than the bradoon. A short shank (5cm) will have an uplifting effect, while a 7cm shank will keep the contact further down. The Weymouth should be 0,5-1cm bigger than the Bradoon; this will help the upper Cheek bar (also called purchase) to glide more freely.

ICELANDIC SHANKS 

Fager’s Sabina(Icelandic) shanks are the shortest shanks on the market and similar to a baby pelham but without the snaffle ring. A shorter shank is to prefer if you want the horse more up in their front and provide a quicker response without losing the horses’ neck and body’s flexibility. Sabina creates a very flexible and light feeling that can help a horse who gets heavy, stiff, too long and low. The flexibility of the sidepiece will give a more flexible mouthpiece as well which can be good for horses that can get tense in the mouth, neck and jaw. Magnus and Jamila shanks are a registered design by Fager, with smart variation features depending on what you need. The dividing steps on the shank can be used to attach the reins to different heights to add more or less leverage. It can also be used with two reins for training purposes on different levels if you for example, want more leverage in one gait than another. This fantastic design is developed together with Magnús Skúlason and Jamila Berg, two of the world’s best Icelandic horse riders and trainers.