The Waterford 2.5 Ring Gag from Bombers Bits offers a mild gag action, which can be useful for horses that require a stronger bit than a snaffle for show jumping and cross-country. The Waterford mouthpiece is made up of a series of flexible ball links, which spread the pressure around the horse's mouth, encouraging mouthing and salivating while deterring the horse from leaning on the bit.
As there is nothing rigid for the horse to latch on to, the Waterford can be very useful for giving the rider extra control on horses that tend to lean on the bit, set their jaw or take hold of the bit. It is suitable for most types of mouth conformation, including horses with large tongues.
The blue sweet iron mouthpiece oxidises easily, creating a warm, sweet taste in the horse's mouth. This encourages the horse to salivate, gently mouth the bit and relax his jaw.
The top ring is attached to the cheekpieces to apply poll pressure, resulting in the horse's head lowering, while the half-ring provides leverage, causing a head raising action. When these actions are combined, it results in a gag action. The 2.5 ring, sometimes known as a Universal, is the mildest version of a ring gag because the half-ring softens the leverage on the mouthpiece.
The reins can be attached to this bit in a number of ways to create the desired action: when attached to the big main ring it results in a hanging cheek action with poll pressure, and if attached to the bottom ring it creates a mild gag action.
Bombers have recently altered their design of this bit so it has elongated ends on the mouthpiece to reduce the risk of the bit pinching the horse's lips. This means that the bit does not have to be fitted bigger than the horse's usual size to avoid pinching.
As the design change is phased in, we may still have the older style in stock. If you would like to specify which version you require, please contact us when placing your order.
Please note that the blue will fade with use.
