Im wondering why people stll use tom-thumbs
I don't like the tom thumb much for real training, but for a pleasure horse it's great since it's not as harsh as many curb/shanked bits but still has the leverage for horses who go best in that kind of bit.
People use tom-thumbs for various reasons, but the problem is that many people don't realise that a basic, everyday, eggbutt snaffle can be quite severe because it has a nutcracker type action on it. When you add shanks, you have one severe bit.
Many people are under the impression that if a bit is jointed, it is a snaffle, which are considered to be more gentle than curbs, which have ports, which would make a tom-thumb fall under the 'gentle' catagory. This is wrong. A curb is anything with a shank, a snaffle is anything without one. A tomb thumb is a pretty harsh bit, and should ONLY be used on a loose rein.
That being said, I don't think 'pinching the horse's cheek' is any where near the worst quality of a tom-thumb. It's the nut cracker action combined with leverage that make it so bad. In the hands of a good rider, who uses their seat before thier hands and in the mouth of a well, broke, well trained horse that listens to the riders seat, there is nothing wrong with one. Its just that so many people are misinformed or use it incorrectly, or overestimate their riding ability
Because they come with the bridle...that is the only reason I can think of that a person would own one.
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