[xxrider21xx]

What exactly is a Dr. Bristol mouthpiece? How does it differ from your average double jointed / french link mouthpiece?

[showjumper]

The Bit Gallery - Dr. Bristol Mouthpiece

a useful link xxx

[Silverleprichua]

That's a good link but it really underestimates the severity of this bit. A french link, oval mouth, or any three part mouth piece is designed to lie flat against the tongue. In doing so it works mainly off of the bars while preventing the nutcracker action that a single jointed bit can cause. A dr.bristol is designed so that the middle piece lies on an angle. In doing so it works off of the tongue and the bars making it much more severe than a french link or oval mouth, so in a soft-mouthed horse it can really be to much of a bit.
May I ask why you wanted to know? Curiosity or was this bit suggested to you?

[xxrider21xx]

Originally Posted by Silverleprichua

That's a good link but it really underestimates the severity of this bit. A french link, oval mouth, or any three part mouth piece is designed to lie flat against the tongue. In doing so it works mainly off of the bars while preventing the nutcracker action that a single jointed bit can cause. A dr.bristol is designed so that the middle piece lies on an angle. In doing so it works off of the tongue and the bars making it much more severe than a french link or oval mouth, so in a soft-mouthed horse it can really be to much of a bit.
May I ask why you wanted to know? Curiosity or was this bit suggested to you?

I have been looking at french link bits and someone suggested it to me saying it was the same thing. I looked at them and decided the middle piece would probably sit weird in the mouth, so I thought I would ask HGS. From what you described, looks like exactly what I pictured. Thanks!

[JBandRio]

I wouldn't say the Dr B is MUCH more severe than a FL or one with a bean in the middle. It is a bit more severe due to the action of the middle piece edge-wise against the tongue. So, all else being equal, it's not as kind. But the wrong hands can do great damage with a FL and the right hands can be butterfly-light with a Dr B.

[harli36]

A french link, oval mouth, or any three part mouth piece is designed to lie flat against the tongue. In doing so it works mainly off of the bars while preventing the nutcracker action that a single jointed bit can cause.

Actually not quite. Because any three piece bit will conform itself to the conformation of the mouth and wrap itself around the tongue it has more tongue action then a single jointed bit. So a FL, or bean bit or Dr. B will work off the lips and tongue and then the bars. With the FL having the least pressure on the tongue the bean bit a little more and the Dr. B the most. Whereas a single jointed bit will have more bar and lip pressure then does a double jointed bit.

Originally Posted by JBandRio

I wouldn't say the Dr B is MUCH more severe than a FL or one with a bean in the middle. It is a bit more severe due to the action of the middle piece edge-wise against the tongue. So, all else being equal, it's not as kind. But the wrong hands can do great damage with a FL and the right hands can be butterfly-light with a Dr B.

I agree. A FL, Dr. B and bean bit is definetly not the same bit but a Dr. B is still less sever then a single jointed bit because it conforms to the mouth better and has no nutcracker action.