Double Jointed Copper Roller Baucher 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.

Like the blue steel version, this describes a mouthpiece material and design combination that can be built onto various cheek styles (loose-ring, D-ring, Full Cheek, or even a gag) — so the cheek/ring choice still determines the bit's lateral action, while these features shape the feel in the mouth itself.

Breaking down the features

• Polymer mouthpiece:
• Made from a synthetic "space age" polymer rather than metal — often scented (commonly apple) to encourage acceptance.
• Feels warmer and softer than metal against the tongue and bars, generally regarded as gentler and more forgiving, especially for horses that are apprehensive about metal bits or have sensitive mouths.
• Well accepted by most horses due to both the softer material and the palatable scent.
• Double-jointed construction:
• Consists of three parts — two outer sections plus a center link — rather than a single hinge.
• This reduces palate pressure and distributes contact more evenly across the tongue, bars, and corners of the mouth compared to a single-jointed mouthpiece, avoiding the sharper "nutcracker" action of a single joint.
• Allows greater mobility in the mouthpiece, which can improve comfort and reduce resistance in many horses.
• The size and shape of the center link influences how much tongue pressure is applied — a thicker center link means more tongue pressure, making mouthpiece choice somewhat adaptable to individual mouth conformation.
• Copper roller:
• A small rotating roller, usually pure copper (often 99.9%), set into the center of the mouthpiece.
• Copper is a soft, warm metal with a taste horses generally find pleasant, which encourages salivation and helps keep the mouth moist.
• The roller also gives the horse's tongue something to engage with, which can promote relaxation, softening, and a quieter, more settled mouth — while also giving restless or fidgety horses a constructive outlet.
• In some designs, the rolling action additionally discourages leaning on the bit, since a horse can't get a fixed, stable purchase against a moving roller.

What it's good for

• Horses that are apprehensive about metal or slow to accept a bit: The combination of a soft, palatable polymer mouthpiece and a pleasant-tasting copper roller is specifically aimed at improving comfort and acceptance.
• Horses with sensitive mouths or dislike of "cold" metal contact: The polymer's warmth and give can make the overall feel gentler than an all-metal mouthpiece.
• Horses that need encouragement to relax the jaw and salivate: Useful for tense, dry-mouthed, or resistant horses, similar in intent to sweet iron or copper metal bits.
• Horses that fidget, chew excessively, or seem to need something to do with their tongue: The roller offers a controlled, contained outlet for that tendency.
• Horses that lean on contact: The rolling action can discourage a horse from bracing against a fixed mouthpiece.
• Young or green horses learning to accept contact: Often used as an approachable, comfort-focused introduction to bit acceptance.

A note on classification

• As with the blue steel/brass roller combination, the overall severity and lateral action still depends on the cheek style the mouthpiece is built into — a loose-ring version will feel different from the same mouthpiece on a Full Cheek or gag bit, which would add steering support or leverage respectively.
• This mouthpiece and material combination is generally considered mild, prioritizing comfort, salivation, and acceptance rather than added control.

Summary

A double-jointed polymer mouthpiece with a copper roller combines a soft, warm, palatable material with an evenly-distributing double joint and a salivation-encouraging copper roller — making it one of the gentler, more comfort-focused mouthpiece options available, well suited to sensitive, apprehensive, tense, or fidgety horses that benefit from extra encouragement to relax and accept the bit, regardless of which cheek/ring style it's paired with.