Talk:Lip strap

Sliding shanks

The sentence about sliding shanks (in this version) is unclear. Some bits have a mouthpiece that can slide up and down on the shanks, but I think what is intended is the following. Some bits have a hinge between shank and mouthpiece that allows the mouthpiece to swing on the shank. Thus, it may be possible to flip over the shank so that the bridle cheekpiece is twisted and the curb chain becomes tight. --Una Smith (talk) 04:22, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

I tossed it for now. Can be restored if someone digs up a source. Western bits do not have a lip strap and yet many are loose-jawed, many also do not have a shank hobble or slopper bar, (which serve a purpose similar to a lip strap, except they do not hold a curb strap) I have never known this to happen, though I suppose in theory it could. Montanabw^(talk) 03:22, 16 November 2008 (UTC)

Photo

The lip strap in the photo should be placed on the shanks the other way around, so that the buckle is on the near side and end is facing to the rear of the horse. Cgoodwin (talk) 02:36, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Hm. I wonder if that's a regional issue. Have you some photos or sourcing we can look at? The argument I have heard is that on the off side, it doesn't cause problems when unhooking the curb chain during bridling and unbridling. I'm open to finding the answer to this. Montanabw^(talk) 01:11, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

"The Manual of Horsemanship", "Saddlery" and "Equitation" (all UK) all show images of lip straps as correctly fastened on the near side. I now realise though that some lip straps cannot be buckled with end facing the right direction. Turnout classes in OZ are often very picky about these small details. Sometimes the connections (rope or leather) that are fixed to the rings of snaffle bits are also called lip straps.Cgoodwin (talk) 03:34, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

The straps that connect the rings of snaffles on western bridles here in the US are usually called a "bit hobble" or a "ring hobble" though sometimes, because a curb strap is usually used as a bit hobble, people also use the misnomer "curb strap." (Go figure). I think it would be a good idea to add that tidbit to the article. Go for it! If these sort of things are in the rules, then they need to be mentioned for the benefit of users. I'll surf through the USEF and USDF rules to see if I can find anything in the US. Frankly, the lip strap is so little understood in the USA that half the time people with weymouths don't even use one (note images at double bridle). Here there are also lightweight chains used in lieu of the strap. If you want to tweak the image caption to say something like, "in the UK and Au, the lip strap is to be buckled on the near side" or whatever, that works for me. (You guys drive on the "wrong" side of the road too, you do EVERYTHING backwards!!! LOL!!! (grinning, ducking and running...really fast!) Montanabw^(talk) 17:24, 1 April 2009 (UTC)