Myler Bits work as a system.
Every horse and rider combination has specific needs and therefore requires the proper bit. As the needs of horse and rider change over time and progress, it may become necessary to upgrade to a different bit, or downgrade depending upon the level of your horse’s training.
In order to properly bit your horse it is essential to consider all of the following factors.
Your horse’s mouth.
Knowing the
equine mouth is crucial to proper bitting, look inside. How is your
horse's dental health? What do the bars and palate reveal? How thick and
wide is that sensitive muscle, the tongue, where pressure and relief
give the bit its main means of control? Though not part of the mouth,
the chin and poll (located at the second vertebrae) both receive
pressure from the bits. The chin, or curb, is affected by the bit's curb
strap: the poll receives downward pressure through 
the
headstall.
Points of
Pressure caused by the bit:
1.Tongue
2. Bars
3. Poll
4. Curb or Chain
5. Palate
Weigh your horse's level of training and the rider's level of skill.
Level One
• Horse has just begun training or has had little training
• Is learning basic gaits, transitions and obedience
• Has begun to “break at the poll”
Level Two
• Basic training is established
• Relaxed at the poll; holds position when rein is released
• Possesses more complex skills such as bending, collection, side passes
and lead changes
Level
Three
• Horse considered broke or finished; willing to obey commands
• Relaxed at the poll
• Possesses advanced skills; works well off seat, legs and hands
Rider's
Skills
Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced rider? How are your hands?
If you are building basic skills and/or have overactive hands, be
mindful of bits which send too quick of a signal, including long shanks
and/or straight shanks.
Take into account your discipline and go with the level that fits
Though some categories overlap, training and skill levels correlate to the three levels of Myler Bits, all of them suitable for both Western and English riding. (If you compete, check with your sport's governing body to confirm which bits are legal for your event.)
Level One
Bits
• Feature curved mouthpiece that allows horse to swallow.
• Apply some bar pressure, but mostly on the tongue. (Myler Bits
distribute tongue pressure more evenly than rival designs.)
• Feature Pinch & Restrict with Release.
• May also use tongue, curb, poll and/or palate pressure.
Level Two
Bits
• Feature curved mouthpiece with tongue relief.
• Use more bar pressure relative to tongue pressure, with mouthpiece
rolling onto, and sometimes collapsing into, the bars.
• May feature hooks, and apply curb, palate and/or poll pressure.
• May offer Independent Side Movement™.
Level
Three Bits
• Feature curved mouthpiece with tongue relief.
• Use mostly bar pressure, rolling downward on the bars.
• Address various pressure points to take the horse as soft as possible;
may also use tongue, curb, poll and/or palate pressure.
• May feature hooks and/or Independent Side Movement.™