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Bit (horse)

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The bit is an item of a horse's tack . It usually refers to the assembly of components that contacts and controls the horse's mouth, and includes the shanks, rings, cheekpads and mullen, all described here below, but it also sometimes simply refers to the mullen , the piece that fits inside the horse's mouth. The mullen extends across the horse's mouth and rests on the bars , the region between the incisors and molars where there are no teeth . The bit is located on the horse's head by the headstall , and which has itself several components to allow the most comfortable adjustment of bit location and control.

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79-401: The bit, bridle and reins function together to give control of the horse's head to the rider. The bit applies pressure to the horse's mouth, and reinforces the other control signals from the rider's legs and weight distribution. A well schooled horse needs little pressure on the bit from a skilled rider. Studies have indicated that soft, consistent bit contact between the rider and horse causes

158-731: A martensitic stainless steel alloy, today known as AISI type 420. The discovery was announced two years later in a January 1915 newspaper article in The New York Times . The metal was later marketed under the "Staybrite" brand by Firth Vickers in England and was used for the new entrance canopy for the Savoy Hotel in London in 1929. Brearley applied for a US patent during 1915 only to find that Haynes had already registered one. Brearley and Haynes pooled their funding and, with

237-575: A body-centered tetragonal crystal structure, and offer a wide range of properties and are used as stainless engineering steels, stainless tool steels, and creep -resistant steels. They are magnetic, and not as corrosion-resistant as ferritic and austenitic stainless steels due to their low chromium content. They fall into four categories (with some overlap): Martensitic stainless steels can be heat treated to provide better mechanical properties. The heat treatment typically involves three steps: Replacing some carbon in martensitic stainless steels by nitrogen

316-415: A bridle, that is, to stand still when the reins are dropped on the ground. This can only be done with split reins, as a horse can easily put a foot through a pair of reins that are attached to one another. Even with split reins, a horse can still step on a rein, jerk its head up and both break the rein and injure its mouth. Historically, it was a useful skill if a rider had to momentarily dismount and perform

395-627: A group of investors, formed the American Stainless Steel Corporation, with headquarters in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania. Brearley initially called his new alloy "rustless steel". The alloy was sold in the US under different brand names like "Allegheny metal" and "Nirosta steel". Even within the metallurgy industry, the name remained unsettled; in 1921, one trade journal called it "unstainable steel". Brearley worked with

474-538: A headstall with reins attached to some type of noseband or nosepiece. Various designs allow control and good communication to the horse and may, in some cases, be more comfortable to the horse, particularly a young animal or one with a mouth injury. The jaquima or original bosal style hackamore is mostly seen on young horses being started under saddle in western riding disciplines. Bitless bridles and other types of hackamore are most often seen on horses used for endurance riding and trail riding . A design called

553-491: A horse is called a hackamore , or, in some areas, a bitless bridle . There are many different designs with many different name variations, but all use a noseband that is designed to exert pressure on sensitive areas of the animal's face to provide direction and control. The bridle was devised by Indo-European herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppes to control horses between 3000 BC and 2000 BC. The bridle consists of

632-446: A horse's bit is the first factor most people think of when assessing the severity and action of the bit. Therefore, it is carefully considered when choosing a bit for a horse. Many mouthpieces are not allowed in certain competitions. Bit mouthpieces may be single jointed, double-jointed, "mullen" (a straight bar), or have an arched port in the center of varying height, with or without joints. Some have rollers, rings or small "keys" that

711-407: A horse's head carriage and may be used in conjunction with an overcheck bit. The Liverpool curb bit is most commonly used for carriage driving. The reins can be attached in any of the three slots along the shanks, resulting in a snaffle or curb action as required. Wilson snaffle bits are commonly used with trade turnouts. These bits have four rings so that the inner two rings may be attached to

790-519: A local cutlery manufacturer, who gave it the name "stainless steel". As late as 1932, Ford Motor Company continued calling the alloy "rustless steel" in automobile promotional materials. In 1929, before the Great Depression, over 25,000 tons of stainless steel were manufactured and sold in the US annually. Major technological advances in the 1950s and 1960s allowed the production of large tonnages at an affordable cost: Stainless steel

869-451: A lower design criteria and corrosion resistance is required, for example in high temperatures and oxidizing environments. Martensitic , duplex and ferritic stainless steels are magnetic , while austenitic stainless steel is usually non-magnetic. Ferritic steel owes its magnetism to its body-centered cubic crystal structure , in which iron atoms are arranged in cubes (with one iron atom at each corner) and an additional iron atom in

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948-401: A mouthpiece that is usually seen more often on curb bits, ridden with two reins; and the double bridle , which places a curb and a snaffle bit simultaneously in the horse's mouth so that each may act independently of the other, ridden with four reins. Another bit that combines direct pressure and leverage in a unique manner is the gag bit , a bit derived from the snaffle that, instead of having

1027-438: A neutral effect on salivation; sweet iron , aurigan and copper , which generally tend to encourage salivation, and aluminum, which is considered drying and is discouraged as a mouthpiece metal. Synthetic mouthpieces may be made with or without internal metal cable or bar reinforcement. Rubber bits are generally thicker than metal bits, but other types of synthetics such as plastics are also used. Plastic-coated bits are often

1106-457: A noseband with shanks and a curb strap or chain that can put considerable leverage on the jaw and poll. Another design, called a bitless bridle is the "cross-under" or "figure eight" bridle. One common design connects the reins to a loop that passes from the noseband , under the jaw, and up around the poll , returning on the opposite side back under the jaw to the noseband and out to the other rein. This design directs pressure from one rein to

1185-469: A protective oxide surface film, such as aluminum and titanium, are also susceptible. Under high contact-force sliding, this oxide can be deformed, broken, and removed from parts of the component, exposing the bare reactive metal. When the two surfaces are of the same material, these exposed surfaces can easily fuse. Separation of the two surfaces can result in surface tearing and even complete seizure of metal components or fasteners. Galling can be mitigated by

1264-437: A rein attached to the mouthpiece, runs the rein through a set of rings that attach directly to the headstall, creating extra pressure on the lips and poll when applied. Usually used for correction of specific problems, the gag bit is generally illegal in the show ring and racecourse. Bits and the behavior of horses while wearing bits have made their way into popular culture outside of the horse world. Bridle A bridle

1343-424: A task that required both hands (such as removing brush or fixing a fence) in a remote area where tying was impracticable. In actual practice, just as with the "stay" command used in obedience work for dogs , even well-trained horses may not stay "ground tied" for long, especially if left unsupervised. Thus, ground tying today is usually seen in specific classes at horse shows such as the trail horse class , or as

1422-406: A useful interchange table. Although stainless steel does rust, this only affects the outer few layers of atoms, its chromium content shielding deeper layers from oxidation. The addition of nitrogen also improves resistance to pitting corrosion and increases mechanical strength. Thus, there are numerous grades of stainless steel with varying chromium and molybdenum contents to suit the environment

1501-572: A useful short-term command: many horses are taught to stand still for a limited period of time on a "whoa" or "stay" command, with or without dropping the reins. Stainless steel Stainless steel , also known as inox , corrosion-resistant steel ( CRES ), and rustless steel , is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion . It contains iron with chromium and other elements such as molybdenum , carbon , nickel and nitrogen depending on its specific use and cost. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion results from

1580-399: A very high "spoon" or "spade" extension that contacts the roof of the mouth. The length of the shank determines the degree of leverage put on the horse's head and mouth. Again, a bit with shanks and leverage is always a "curb" type bit, even when it has a jointed mouthpiece more commonly seen on a snaffle (such bits are sometimes—incorrectly—called "cowboy snaffles"). All shanked bits require

1659-494: Is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse . As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary , the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit . It provides additional control and communication through rein pressure (Oxford English Dictionary, n.d., para. 1). Headgear without a bit that uses a noseband to control

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1738-406: Is a recent development. The limited solubility of nitrogen is increased by the pressure electroslag refining (PESR) process, in which melting is carried out under high nitrogen pressure. Steel containing up to 0.4% nitrogen has been achieved, leading to higher hardness and strength and higher corrosion resistance. As PESR is expensive, lower but significant nitrogen contents have been achieved using

1817-532: Is an extension of the heating- quenching - tempering cycle, where the final temperature of the material before full-load use is taken down to a cryogenic temperature range. This can remove residual stresses and improve wear resistance. Austenitic stainless steel sub-groups, 200 series and 300 series: Ferritic stainless steels possess a ferrite microstructure like carbon steel, which is a body-centered cubic crystal structure, and contain between 10.5% and 27% chromium with very little or no nickel. This microstructure

1896-426: Is bent or cut, magnetism occurs along the edge of the stainless steel because the crystal structure rearranges itself. Galling , sometimes called cold welding, is a form of severe adhesive wear, which can occur when two metal surfaces are in relative motion to each other and under heavy pressure. Austenitic stainless steel fasteners are particularly susceptible to thread galling, though other alloys that self-generate

1975-510: Is classified into five main families that are primarily differentiated by their crystalline structure : Austenitic stainless steel is the largest family of stainless steels, making up about two-thirds of all stainless steel production. They possess an austenitic microstructure, which is a face-centered cubic crystal structure. This microstructure is achieved by alloying steel with sufficient nickel, manganese, or nitrogen to maintain an austenitic microstructure at all temperatures, ranging from

2054-409: Is near that of ordinary steel, and much higher than the melting points of aluminium or copper. As with most alloys, the melting point of stainless steel is expressed in the form of a range of temperatures, and not a single temperature. This temperature range goes from 1,400 to 1,530 °C (2,550 to 2,790 °F; 1,670 to 1,800 K; 3,010 to 3,250 °R) depending on the specific consistency of

2133-1421: Is one of the most-produced industrial chemicals. At room temperature, type 304 stainless steel is only resistant to 3% acid, while type 316 is resistant to 3% acid up to 50 °C (120 °F) and 20% acid at room temperature. Thus type 304 SS is rarely used in contact with sulfuric acid. Type 904L and Alloy 20 are resistant to sulfuric acid at even higher concentrations above room temperature. Concentrated sulfuric acid possesses oxidizing characteristics like nitric acid, and thus silicon-bearing stainless steels are also useful. Hydrochloric acid damages any kind of stainless steel and should be avoided. All types of stainless steel resist attack from phosphoric acid and nitric acid at room temperature. At high concentrations and elevated temperatures, attack will occur, and higher-alloy stainless steels are required. In general, organic acids are less corrosive than mineral acids such as hydrochloric and sulfuric acid. Type 304 and type 316 stainless steels are unaffected by weak bases such as ammonium hydroxide , even in high concentrations and at high temperatures. The same grades exposed to stronger bases such as sodium hydroxide at high concentrations and high temperatures will likely experience some etching and cracking. Increasing chromium and nickel contents provide increased resistance. All grades resist damage from aldehydes and amines , though in

2212-402: Is porous and fragile. In addition, as iron oxide occupies a larger volume than the original steel, this layer expands and tends to flake and fall away, exposing the underlying steel to further attack. In comparison, stainless steels contain sufficient chromium to undergo passivation , spontaneously forming a microscopically thin inert surface film of chromium oxide by reaction with the oxygen in

2291-498: Is present at all temperatures due to the chromium addition, so they are not capable of being hardened by heat treatment. They cannot be strengthened by cold work to the same degree as austenitic stainless steels. They are magnetic. Additions of niobium (Nb), titanium (Ti), and zirconium (Zr) to type 430 allow good weldability. Due to the near-absence of nickel, they are less expensive than austenitic steels and are present in many products, which include: Martensitic stainless steels have

2370-452: Is superior to both aluminium and copper, and comparable to glass. Its cleanability, strength, and corrosion resistance have prompted the use of stainless steel in pharmaceutical and food processing plants. Different types of stainless steel are labeled with an AISI three-digit number. The ISO 15510 standard lists the chemical compositions of stainless steels of the specifications in existing ISO, ASTM , EN , JIS , and GB standards in

2449-571: The Essen firm Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft built the 366-ton sailing yacht Germania featuring a chrome-nickel steel hull, in Germany. In 1911, Philip Monnartz reported on the relationship between chromium content and corrosion resistance. On 17 October 1912, Krupp engineers Benno Strauss and Eduard Maurer patented as Nirosta the austenitic stainless steel known today as 18/8 or AISI type 304. Similar developments were taking place in

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2528-416: The bridle such as the curb chain on the chin, noseband on the jaw and face, or pressure on the poll from the headstall. Particular mouthpieces do not define the type of bit. It is the sidepieces and the leverage these rings or shanks use to act on a horse's mouth that determines whether a bit is in the curb or snaffle family, and has a great impact on the severity of the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece of

2607-638: The cryogenic region to the melting point. Thus, austenitic stainless steels are not hardenable by heat treatment since they possess the same microstructure at all temperatures. However, "forming temperature is an essential factor for metastable austenitic stainless steel (M-ASS) products to accommodate microstructures and cryogenic mechanical performance. ... Metastable austenitic stainless steels (M-ASSs) are widely used in manufacturing cryogenic pressure vessels (CPVs), owing to their high cryogenic toughness, ductility, strength, corrosion-resistance, and economy." Cryogenic cold-forming of austenitic stainless steel

2686-403: The mechanical hackamore is sometimes seen at rodeos . Most horse show events do not allow bitless bridles of any kind. The exceptions are show jumping , where equipment rules are fairly generous, and in certain western horse show classes for "junior" horses, which permit use of bosal hackamore. Besides the bosal hackamore, there are many other designs. A design that combines elements of

2765-528: The water industry . Precipitation hardening stainless steels have corrosion resistance comparable to austenitic varieties, but can be precipitation hardened to even higher strengths than other martensitic grades. There are three types of precipitation hardening stainless steels: Solution treatment at about 1,040 °C (1,900 °F) followed by quenching results in a relatively ductile martensitic structure. Subsequent aging treatment at 475 °C (887 °F) precipitates Nb and Cu-rich phases that increase

2844-719: The 10.5%, or more, chromium content which forms a passive film that can protect the material and self-heal in the presence of oxygen. The alloy's properties, such as luster and resistance to corrosion, are useful in many applications. Stainless steel can be rolled into sheets , plates, bars, wire, and tubing. These can be used in cookware , cutlery , surgical instruments , major appliances , vehicles, construction material in large buildings, industrial equipment (e.g., in paper mills , chemical plants , water treatment ), and storage tanks and tankers for chemicals and food products. Some grades are also suitable for forging and casting . The biological cleanability of stainless steel

2923-549: The 1840s, both Britain's Sheffield steelmakers and then Krupp of Germany were producing chromium steel with the latter employing it for cannons in the 1850s. In 1861, Robert Forester Mushet took out a patent on chromium steel in Britain. These events led to the first American production of chromium-containing steel by J. Baur of the Chrome Steel Works of Brooklyn for the construction of bridges. A US patent for

3002-549: The 19th century didn't pay attention to the amount of carbon in the alloyed steels they were testing until in 1898 Adolphe Carnot and E. Goutal noted that chromium steels better resist to oxidation with acids the less carbon they contain. Also in the late 1890s, German chemist Hans Goldschmidt developed an aluminothermic ( thermite ) process for producing carbon-free chromium. Between 1904 and 1911, several researchers, particularly Leon Guillet of France, prepared alloys that would be considered stainless steel today. In 1908,

3081-667: The United States, where Christian Dantsizen of General Electric and Frederick Becket (1875–1942) at Union Carbide were industrializing ferritic stainless steel. In 1912, Elwood Haynes applied for a US patent on a martensitic stainless steel alloy, which was not granted until 1919. While seeking a corrosion-resistant alloy for gun barrels in 1913, Harry Brearley of the Brown-Firth research laboratory in Sheffield, England, discovered and subsequently industrialized

3160-441: The air and even the small amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. This passive film prevents further corrosion by blocking oxygen diffusion to the steel surface and thus prevents corrosion from spreading into the bulk of the metal. This film is self-repairing, even when scratched or temporarily disturbed by conditions that exceed the inherent corrosion resistance of that grade. The resistance of this film to corrosion depends upon

3239-587: The alloy in question. Like steel , stainless steels are relatively poor conductors of electricity, with significantly lower electrical conductivities than copper. In particular, the non-electrical contact resistance (ECR) of stainless steel arises as a result of the dense protective oxide layer and limits its functionality in applications as electrical connectors. Copper alloys and nickel-coated connectors tend to exhibit lower ECR values and are preferred materials for such applications. Nevertheless, stainless steel connectors are employed in situations where ECR poses

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3318-610: The alloy must endure. Corrosion resistance can be increased further by the following means: The most common type of stainless steel, 304, has a tensile yield strength around 210 MPa (30,000 psi) in the annealed condition. It can be strengthened by cold working to a strength of 1,050 MPa (153,000 psi) in the full-hard condition. The strongest commonly available stainless steels are precipitation hardening alloys such as 17-4 PH and Custom 465. These can be heat treated to have tensile yield strengths up to 1,730 MPa (251,000 psi). Melting point of stainless steel

3397-706: The alloy. The invention of stainless steel followed a series of scientific developments, starting in 1798 when chromium was first shown to the French Academy by Louis Vauquelin . In the early 1800s, British scientists James Stoddart, Michael Faraday , and Robert Mallet observed the resistance of chromium-iron alloys ("chromium steels") to oxidizing agents . Robert Bunsen discovered chromium's resistance to strong acids. The corrosion resistance of iron-chromium alloys may have been first recognized in 1821 by Pierre Berthier , who noted their resistance against attack by some acids and suggested their use in cutlery. In

3476-407: The animal less stress than intermittent or unpredictable contact. Although there are hundreds of design variations, the basic families of bits are defined by the way in which they use or do not use leverage . They include: Bits are further described by the style of mouthpiece that goes inside the horse's mouth as well as by the type of bit ring or bit shank that is outside the mouth, to which

3555-425: The bosal hackamore is known as a sidepull, which acts mostly on the nose, and are popular with western riders and many trail riders. English riders sometimes use a jumping cavesson or "jumping hackamore" that is basically a leather sidepull noseband reinforced internally with a cable, with rein rings attached. The so-called mechanical hackamore or "hackamore bit" is basically a hybrid bridle/hackamore made up of

3634-505: The bridle needs to be individually adjusted to fit the horse's head. Other parts of the bridle are adjustable in length, though there are limits to adjustment and thus many manufacturers offer two to six different basic sizes. The sizes may have different names, but in the US and Canada they are often called "cob" and "horse" for small and large animals, sometimes with "pony", "mini", "warmblood" and "draft" sizes in some designs. The bit and browband are of set lengths and must be selected in

3713-580: The center. This central iron atom is responsible for ferritic steel's magnetic properties. This arrangement also limits the amount of carbon the steel can absorb to around 0.025%. Grades with low coercive field have been developed for electro-valves used in household appliances and for injection systems in internal combustion engines. Some applications require non-magnetic materials, such as magnetic resonance imaging . Austenitic stainless steels, which are usually non-magnetic , can be made slightly magnetic through work hardening . Sometimes, if austenitic steel

3792-496: The cheek pieces and the outer pair to the reins. This arrangement is designed to prevent rein pressure interfering with the position of the winkers. Other styles of bits are used for harness racing , fine harness , and coach driving. A bridle is individually fitted to a horse. Without properly fitting the bridle to the horses’ head, the horse may be uncomfortable, and poor fitting may also result in lack of control while riding or unclear communication. The length of each piece of

3871-497: The cheekpieces of a driving bridle and sometimes bear a monogram or badge. Winkers may be square, dee-shaped, hatchet-shaped, or round, and are adjusted to fit clear of the center of the horse's eye. The noseband is fitted into the bridle so has a certain amount of action, and is not on a separate headstall (also called sliphead) as is a cavesson. Harness bridles may feature a fancy browband, rosettes, and other ornamentation. An overcheck or bearing reins are sometimes used to control

3950-544: The chemical composition of the stainless steel, chiefly the chromium content. It is customary to distinguish between four forms of corrosion: uniform, localized (pitting), galvanic, and SCC (stress corrosion cracking). Any of these forms of corrosion can occur when the grade of stainless steel is not suited for the working environment. The designation "CRES" refers to corrosion-resistant (stainless) steel. Uniform corrosion takes place in very aggressive environments, typically where chemicals are produced or heavily used, such as in

4029-436: The correct size. A too-narrow bit is uncomfortable and cannot be widened. One that is slightly too wide can be narrowed to some extent by adding a pair of bit guards. A browband that is too short causes the browband or crownpiece to rub the ears. The cheekpieces are adjusted not only so that the bit avoids the extremes of pulling the corners of the horse's mouth or banging the horse's incisors , but also so it hangs properly in

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4108-427: The following elements: A hackamore , put simply, is headgear that controls a horse via pressure points on the face, usually with a nosepiece instead of a bit. A hackamore is not the same thing as a halter , as a halter is primarily used for leading and tying up an animal. Bitless bridles are similar to hackamores, but some designs use different leverage principles for control. Hackamores and bitless bridles use

4187-399: The following elements: On a double bridle , where the horse carries two bits (a curb and small snaffle, often called a " bit and bradoon "), a second, smaller headstall, known as a 'bradoon hanger' or ‘slip head’ is used to attach the bradoon. A second set of reins is attached to the bradoon, and hence the rider carries four reins. The bridle, depending on style, may also contain some of

4266-413: The front incisors and in front of the back molars . When a horse is said to "grab the bit in its teeth" they actually mean that the horse tenses its lips and mouth against the bit to avoid the rider's commands (although some horses may actually learn to get the bit between their molars). Depending on the style of bit, pressure can be brought to bear on the bars, tongue, and roof of the mouth, as well as

4345-402: The hands of a poor rider, particularly if they are improperly adjusted or have metal parts, a thin design, or rough surfaces. Bridles used for driving horses have some differences from most riding bridles. The most visible difference is that they usually include partial eye coverings called blinders , blinkers or winkers that restrict the horse's peripheral vision. They are stitched into

4424-443: The horse and broken equipment. Should a rider need to tie a horse, best practice is to either remove the bridle and put on a halter , or to put a halter on in addition to the bridle (under or over the bridle), and tie the horse using the halter only. In addition, tying with a slipknot that can be released by pulling on the end of the lead rope is a key safety tactic. In western riding , some horses are taught to "ground tie" with

4503-462: The horse can move with its tongue. Mouthpieces may be smooth, wire-wrapped or otherwise roughened, or of twisted wire or metal. Various types of metal or synthetic substances are used for bit mouthpieces, which may determine how much a horse salivates or otherwise tolerates a bit; a horse having a moist mouth is considered more relaxed and responsive. Commonly used metals include stainless steel and nickel alloys, which generally do not rust and have

4582-442: The lips, chin groove and poll. Bits offer varying degrees of control and communication between rider and horse depending upon their design and on the skill of the rider. It is important that the style of bit is appropriate to the horse's needs and is fitted properly for it to function properly and be as comfortable as possible for the horse. All bits work with either direct pressure or leverage. Bits that act with direct pressure on

4661-798: The materials would not have held up over time. For this reason, no one can say with certainty which came first, the bitted or the bitless bridle. There is evidence of the use of bits, located in two sites of the Botai culture in ancient Kazakhstan , dated about 3500–3000 BC. Nose rings appear on the equids portrayed on the Standard of Ur , circa 2600–2400 BC. To date, the earliest known artistic evidence of use of some form of bitless bridle comes in illustrations of Synian horseman, dated approximately 1400 BC. The first bits were made of rope, bone, horn, or hard wood. Metal bits came into use between 1300 and 1200 BC, originally made of bronze. In modern times, nickel

4740-506: The most widely used. Many grading systems are in use, including US SAE steel grades . The Unified Numbering System for Metals and Alloys (UNS) was developed by the ASTM in 1970. Europe has adopted EN 10088 . Unlike carbon steel , stainless steels do not suffer uniform corrosion when exposed to wet environments. Unprotected carbon steel rusts readily when exposed to a combination of air and moisture. The resulting iron oxide surface layer

4819-453: The mouth for the specific riding discipline and bit design involved . The adjustment of the noseband depends on the type used, but needs to be snug enough to be effective, yet loose enough to avoid discomfort. The throatlatch is adjusted each time the bridle is put on the horse, loose enough to not interfere as the horse flexes at the poll. A standard throatlatch measurement is that the width of three or four fingers should be able to fit between

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4898-528: The need for control of horses in warfare drove extensive innovation in bit design, producing a variety of prototypes and styles over the centuries, from Ancient Greece into modern-day use. A bit consists of two basic components, the bit mouthpiece that goes inside the horse's mouth, and the bit rings of a snaffle bit or shanks of a curb bit , to which the bridle and reins attach. All bits act with some combination of pressure and leverage, often in conjunction with pressure applied by other parts of

4977-542: The opposite side of the horse's head, or pressure on both reins to the whole head. Other designs only cross under the jaw and do not go over the poll. Some riders, not realizing that a horse's head overall is a very sensitive area, use a noseband-based style of headgear without the same caution they might use with a bit, thus defeating any benefit that an apparently milder form of gear would otherwise provide. While many bitless designs are marketed as humane, and some are indeed quite mild, other designs can be remarkably harsh in

5056-457: The poll, chin groove and mouth of the horse are in the category of curb bits . Most curb bit mouthpieces are solid without joints, ranging from a straight bar with a slight arch, called a "mullen" mouthpiece, through a "ported" bit that is slightly arched in the middle to provide tongue relief, to the full spade bit of the Vaquero style of western riding which combines both a straight bar and

5135-414: The product was issued in 1869. This was followed with recognition of the corrosion resistance of chromium alloys by Englishmen John T. Woods and John Clark, who noted ranges of chromium from 5–30%, with added tungsten and "medium carbon". They pursued the commercial value of the innovation via a British patent for "Weather-Resistant Alloys". Scientists researching steel corrosion in the second half of

5214-429: The pulp and paper industries. The entire surface of the steel is attacked, and the corrosion is expressed as corrosion rate in mm/year (usually less than 0.1 mm/year is acceptable for such cases). Corrosion tables provide guidelines. This is typically the case when stainless steels are exposed to acidic or basic solutions. Whether stainless steel corrodes depends on the kind and concentration of acid or base and

5293-418: The reins are attached. Types of headgear for horses that exert control with a noseband rather than a bit are usually called hackamores , though the term " bitless bridle " has become a popular colloquialism in recent years. The riders of early domesticated horses probably used some type of bitless headgear made of sinew, leather, or rope. Components of the earliest headgear may be difficult to determine, as

5372-411: The same size as metal bits, and some are flavored. Often, bits with shanks that also have single- or double-jointed mouthpieces are incorrectly referred to as snaffles. Because of the presence of a shank, they are actually in the curb bit family. The mouthpiece of the bit does not rest on the teeth of the horse , but rather rests on the gums or "bars" of the horse's mouth in an interdental space behind

5451-574: The solution temperature. Uniform corrosion is typically easy to avoid because of extensive published corrosion data or easily performed laboratory corrosion testing. Acidic solutions can be put into two general categories: reducing acids, such as hydrochloric acid and dilute sulfuric acid , and oxidizing acids , such as nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid. Increasing chromium and molybdenum content provides increased resistance to reducing acids while increasing chromium and silicon content provides increased resistance to oxidizing acids. Sulfuric acid

5530-949: The standard AOD process. Duplex stainless steels have a mixed microstructure of austenite and ferrite, the ideal ratio being a 50:50 mix, though commercial alloys may have ratios of 40:60. They are characterized by higher chromium (19–32%) and molybdenum (up to 5%) and lower nickel contents than austenitic stainless steels. Duplex stainless steels have roughly twice the yield strength of austenitic stainless steel. Their mixed microstructure provides improved resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking in comparison to austenitic stainless steel types 304 and 316. Duplex grades are usually divided into three sub-groups based on their corrosion resistance: lean duplex, standard duplex, and super duplex. The properties of duplex stainless steels are achieved with an overall lower alloy content than similar-performing super-austenitic grades, making their use cost-effective for many applications. The pulp and paper industry

5609-536: The strength up to above 1,000 MPa (150,000 psi) yield strength. This outstanding strength level is used in high-tech applications such as aerospace (usually after remelting to eliminate non-metallic inclusions, which increases fatigue life). Another major advantage of this steel is that aging, unlike tempering treatments, is carried out at a temperature that can be applied to (nearly) finished parts without distortion and discoloration. Typical heat treatment involves solution treatment and quenching . At this point,

5688-698: The structure remains austenitic. Martensitic transformation is then obtained either by a cryogenic treatment at −75 °C (−103 °F) or by severe cold work (over 70% deformation, usually by cold rolling or wire drawing). Aging at 510 °C (950 °F) — which precipitates the Ni 3 Al intermetallic phase—is carried out as above on nearly finished parts. Yield stress levels above 1400   MPa are then reached. The structure remains austenitic at all temperatures. Typical heat treatment involves solution treatment and quenching, followed by aging at 715 °C (1,319 °F). Aging forms Ni 3 Ti precipitates and increases

5767-543: The throatlatch and the horses’ cheek. It is unsafe to tie a horse using a bridle for two main, seemingly contradictory, reasons. First, if the tied animal pulls back on the bridle, the bit or controlling noseband (such as a bosal or mechanical hackamore ) may cause considerable pain or even injury to the mouth, tongue, or other facial structures of the animal even if the bridle breaks. Second, compared to halters , most bridles are made of thin leather which will easily break under pressure. The end result can be both injury to

5846-419: The tongue and lips are in the general category of snaffle bits. Snaffle bits most commonly have a single jointed mouthpiece and act with a nutcracker effect on the bars, tongue and occasionally roof of the mouth. However, any bit that operates only on direct pressure is a "snaffle" bit, regardless of mouthpiece. Bits that have shanks coming off the bit mouthpiece to create leverage that applies pressure to

5925-521: The use of a curb chain or curb strap for proper action and safe use. Some bits combine both direct pressure and leverage, the most common examples being the Pelham bit , which has shanks and rings allowing both direct and leverage pressure on a single bit and is ridden with four reins; the Kimblewick or Kimberwicke , a hybrid bit that uses minimal leverage on a modified snaffle-type ring combined with

6004-487: The use of dissimilar materials (bronze against stainless steel) or using different stainless steels (martensitic against austenitic). Additionally, threaded joints may be lubricated to provide a film between the two parts and prevent galling. Nitronic 60, made by selective alloying with manganese, silicon, and nitrogen, has demonstrated a reduced tendency to gall. The density of stainless steel ranges from 7.5 to 8.0 g/cm (0.27 to 0.29 lb/cu in) depending on

6083-415: The yield strength to about 650 MPa (94,000 psi) at room temperature. Unlike the above grades, the mechanical properties and creep resistance of this steel remain very good at temperatures up to 700 °C (1,300 °F). As a result, A286 is classified as an Fe-based superalloy , used in jet engines, gas turbines, and turbo parts. Over 150 grades of stainless steel are recognized, of which 15 are

6162-406: Was a favored material until about 1940, when stainless steel largely replaced it. Copper , aurigan and sweet iron (cold rolled steel) are incorporated into some bits to encourage salivation in the mouth of the horse, which encourages a softer mouth and more relaxed jaw. Bits also can be made of other materials such as rubber or plastic, sometimes in combination with metals. Throughout history,

6241-476: Was one of the first to extensively use duplex stainless steel. Today, the oil and gas industry is the largest user and has pushed for more corrosion resistant grades, leading to the development of super duplex and hyper duplex grades. More recently, the less expensive (and slightly less corrosion-resistant) lean duplex has been developed, chiefly for structural applications in building and construction (concrete reinforcing bars, plates for bridges, coastal works) and in

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