This is a great bit for a young horse who is moving up and out of his single-joint snaffle. Transitioning to this mouthpiece will make stage two of his training more comfortable.

When the rider is "off the reins" as with most Western riding, the bit is balanced to sit comfortably in the horse's mouth with the spoon resting back away from the palate - providing the horse's head in the proper position. If he raises his head, the bit tips forward (by itself), contacting the palate, which reminds him to lower his face back to the "sweet spot" where the spoon top is again comfortably resting without touching his palate. "S" cheeks help to give the bit a favorable balance for instant release of palate pressure when the horse's head is in proper position.

Cheeks are loose for lateral control. Shanks add curb pressure.

Greg Darnall suggests that a bit like this might be used on "a war horse who wants to be tough, who's learned how to root against the bit. If you apply steady holding pressure and let him push against it, he will back off on his own. It hurts when he roots against it, so he will figure out that if he backs off the pain goes away."

Not for inexperienced hands or horses. The long cheeks add leverage, and the spoon mouth makes this a very powerful bit capable of delivering palate pressure as well as bar, poll, and chin pressure.

The shape of the "spoon" mitigates the palate pressure making it a little less severe because it rolls gradually onto the palate instead of hitting with localized pressure like other correction bits do. When the rider is not "on the reins" as with most Western riding, this bit will rest comfortably in a horse's mouth, allowing him moderate tongue relief and affording no other pressure - provided his head is in the proper position. If he raises his head, the bit tips forward (by itself), contacting the palate, which reminds him to lower his face back to the "sweet spot" where the spoon top is again comfortably resting without touching his palate.

The shape of the "spoon" mitigates the palate pressure making it little less severe because it "rolls" more gradually onto the palate instead of hitting with localized pressure like other correction bits do. Copper rollers on the bars also make bar pressure milder, as they make the diameter of the bit bar larger. Port mouth adds some tongue relief and copper "cricket" helps to calm a nervous horse who will play with it. However, the cricket also takes up some of the room in the high port that would be used for more tongue relief. Cheeks are loose for lateral control. Cheeks are long for leverage using the curb strap to press the bit bars down onto the horse's bars with more power and to engage curb action.