The Bombers Colin Miles Full Cheek Snaffle from Bombers Bits has a 55mm centre piece with rings. This creates tongue pressure if the horse becomes strong and also gives the horse something to play with, which encourages a soft contact and helps to keep the horse's attention on the bit.
The blue sweet iron mouthpiece encourages salivation, softening and acceptance of the bit because it oxidises easily, creating a warm, sweet taste in the horse's mouth. The double joint means the mouthpiece follows the contours of the horse's mouth, which reduces the 'nutcracker' action associated with single jointed bits, and resultant bar and palate pressure.
Full cheeks can be useful for horses that are unsure of the bit, because the bit doesn't move around so much in the mouth as it would do with loose rings. The fixed nature of the mouthpiece can encourage the horse to stretch into the contact. The full cheeks also help to prevent pinching at the sides of the mouth.
The arms of the full cheeks assist with steering, as pressure is applied to the cheek when a turning aid is given. This can be useful for young horses, or schooling and training purposes. The cheeks also ensure that the mouthpiece remains in a central position and cannot slide through the horse's mouth.
Please note that the blue will fade with use.
