Double Jointed Bradoon Bit

A Baucher bit (also called a "hanging cheek" snaffle) is a type of horse bit named after the 19th-century French equestrian François Baucher.

Design

The Baucher has an upper shank (arm) extending above the mouthpiece, ending in a small ring where the bridle's cheekpiece attaches. The reins attach separately to the main ring at the mouthpiece itself. This arm lies flat against the horse's face, which helps with directional control and prevents the bit from being pulled through the horse's mouth. Because the mouthpiece doesn't slide up and down the way it can on a loose-ring snaffle, the Baucher offers a level of mouth stability more typical of fixed-cheek bits like the Eggbutt or Full Cheek — bits often chosen for horses needing more stability or riders working toward a rounder outline (i.e., discouraging nose-poking).

Does it cause poll pressure? Busting the myth

It's commonly believed that the Baucher creates leverage and poll pressure, but this isn't accurate. A true leverage bit requires a lower shank and a curb chain — the Baucher has neither, so it cannot generate leverage in the way a Pelham or curb does. In fact, research shows the Baucher has the opposite effect: it relieves poll pressure rather than adding it. Here's the mechanism:

• Pre-tension: Before any rein contact is taken up, the weight of the bit itself creates a small baseline force traveling up through the cheekpieces to the poll. This "pre-tension" exists on any bit.
• On rein contact: As contact is taken up, the Baucher's arm rotates slightly toward the horse's nose (anti-clockwise), causing the mouthpiece to slide a touch further back in the mouth. This makes the cheekpieces bow away from the face, which lifts the bit toward the poll — reducing the pre-tension forces acting through the cheekpieces.
• Limit: This force-relief effect holds for up to about 3kg of rein tension; beyond that, forces return to normal pre-tension levels.

Because it reduces forces traveling up through the bridle to the poll, the Baucher also tends to relieve pressure on the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) — the joint connecting the upper and lower jaw that allows 3D jaw movement. The TMJ can be quite sensitive to poll pressure or ill-fitting tack, so this makes the Baucher a comfortable option for horses prone to TMJ sensitivity.

What horses is it good for?

The Baucher isn't inherently "stronger" than a loose-ring or fixed-ring snaffle — it simply applies pressure differently, with pressure landing more down and forward in the mouth rather than back toward the poll. This makes it well suited to:

• Horses that carry their neck high — the down-and-forward pressure encourages rounding and coming forward to the bit.
• Horses with worn premolars — gentler on the teeth due to the pressure direction.
• Horses with sensitive mouth corners — the stable sidepieces reduce friction at the corners.
• Horses that are unstable or worried in the contact — the fixed, still sidepieces help the horse trust the bit and stay consistent (though this same stability can make it less ideal for a strong, stiff, or heavy horse that needs more "give").
• Horses with sensitive bars — the sidepieces lift the bit off constant bar pressure (assuming the mouthpiece itself offers adequate bar relief).
• Horses sensitive to poll pressure — since rein contact actually slackens the cheekpieces and reduces poll pressure rather than increasing it.

Summary

The Baucher is a mild bit that trades a small amount of extra mechanism (the shank and stable attachment point) for real benefits in stability, consistency, and poll/TMJ comfort — making it a popular choice in dressage and for horses transitioning toward more consistent contact, rather than a "stronger" or more severe option than a plain snaffle.

This describes an all-polymer double-jointed mouthpiece, where even the center roller is made of the same soft, flexible material as the outer bars, rather than a metal roller (like brass or copper) set into a polymer mouthpiece. It's one of the gentlest, most fully "soft" bit combinations available.

Design

• The mouthpiece has a double-jointed structure — two outer sections plus a center piece — but instead of a flat plate or metal lozenge, the center features a rotating roller made entirely of polymer.
• Both the outer bars and the roller are typically made from the same "space age" polymer, often apple-scented, giving a consistent soft, warm feel across the entire mouthpiece with no metal contact points at all (aside from the rings/cheeks themselves).
• The roller sits at the center joint and rotates freely, similar in concept to a metal roller, but softer to the touch.

Function

• Eliminates the nutcracker effect: As with any double-jointed mouthpiece, the two joints prevent the sharp folding/pinching action of a single joint, spreading pressure more evenly across the tongue and bars.
• Softer overall feel than a metal-roller version: Because the roller itself is polymer rather than metal, there's no cold, hard metal anywhere in the mouth — the entire mouthpiece experience is warm and give-y, which can matter for horses especially sensitive to or apprehensive of metal.
• Gives the tongue something to engage with: Like metal rollers (brass, copper), the polymer roller offers the horse's tongue something to play with, which can help keep a fidgety or tense mouth quieter and more settled by redirecting nervous tongue movement into a controlled, contained motion.
• Encourages acceptance: The pleasant scent and consistently soft material throughout (bars and roller alike) is aimed specifically at improving bit acceptance, especially in horses wary of metal.
• Independent side movement: The double-joint construction allows each side of the mouthpiece to move somewhat independently, offering clearer lateral and flexion cues than a single joint.
• No leverage or added severity: This remains a true snaffle, working purely through direct pressure.

What it's good for

• Horses that are particularly averse to metal, or have had negative associations with a bit: Because there's no metal anywhere in the mouthpiece (aside from any internal core, which is usually not in direct contact), this is one of the softest, most approachable options for rebuilding trust and comfort.
• Very sensitive-mouthed or apprehensive horses: The combination of a soft polymer roller and soft polymer bars minimizes hard contact points throughout the entire mouth.
• Young or green horses learning to accept a bit for the first time: The gentle, fully soft mouthpiece plus the roller's engaging quality make this an approachable, encouraging introduction to contact.
• Fidgety or "busy-mouthed" horses: The roller gives a constructive outlet for a horse that wants to move its tongue or fuss with the bit, without introducing a firmer metal element.
• Advanced or precise work where a mild mouthpiece is still needed: Some versions of this design are specifically noted as suitable for more advanced training, since the double joint still allows fairly clear, independent rein action despite the overall softness.

A note on limitations

• Because there's no metal roller and no metal center piece, this combination doesn't offer any taste-driven salivation boost the way a copper or blue steel roller would — its comfort benefit comes purely from material softness and the tongue-engaging roller action, not from taste stimulation.
• Polymer mouthpieces, including rollers, can be chewed and damaged over time, particularly by strong or persistent chewers, so periodic inspection for wear or bite marks is worthwhile (and typically not covered under warranty by manufacturers).

A note on classification

• The overall lateral action still depends on the cheek style (loose-ring, D-ring, Full Cheek, Baucher, etc.) this mouthpiece is built into.
• This combination sits at the very mild end of the spectrum, prioritizing maximum softness and acceptance over any added control or taste-based salivation boost.

Summary

A Double-Jointed Polymer bit with a polymer roller offers a fully soft, all-polymer mouthpiece experience — no metal contact points, a gentle double-jointed profile, and a roller for the tongue to engage with — making it one of the gentlest, most approachable bit combinations available, particularly well suited to horses wary of metal, very sensitive mouths, fidgety horses, or young horses just learning to accept contact.