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Beginnings
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While early riders often controlled their equine mounts simply by leg pressure, others used very primitive hackamores or a jaw rope. Still others fashioned crude bits from bone, wood and even animal horns.
Metal Bits
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Historians say that the earliest metal bits originated in Mesopotamia around 1,500 B.C. Many of these early bits were similar to those of today with mouth and cheek pieces.
Modifications
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Knights of the Middle Ages needed bits with long shanks and high ports to control their mounts. Xenophon began modifications around 440 B.C. to those early bits. He is credited with developing some of the first standards of horsemanship and improving the bits of the time. In the Middle Ages knights added high ports and long shanks to help could control their large, spirited horses.
Later Changes
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By the 1800s, numerous bit designs were available and showed adaptations for different equine pursuits. In addition, some records show attempts began to be made to find a bit to suit an individual horse and not just to conform to the rider's ability.
Today's Bits
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According to "The History of Bits," most of today's bits can be divided into three main categories: snaffle, curb and gag bits. Each bit is designed to work on a different part of a horse's anatomy with some putting more pressure on the poll, others on the bars, and still others on the palate or tongue. Bit materials range from traditional metals to synthetics.
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The History of Horse Bits
Hundreds of bits are available to today's horsemen, but this has not always been true. In fact, the first bits were probably nothing more than a rope around the horse's lower jaw that slowly evolved into today's designs.