Bit Seats

Sufficient pressure exerted on the reins, transmitted to the bit, causes the bit to be moved toward the rider’s hands. The bit then comes I into contact with the anterior aspect of the first cheek teeth, and, if they have not been shaped into a radius, the bit comes up against the flat junction of the upper and lower sixes and slides downward and rearward, putting pressure on the tongue. Some horses respond by gaping their mouths open, some shake their heads and others show no reaction at all.

However, the irritating pressure cannot help their performance.

The third benefit of bit seats, helping ease the path of long stems of grass or hay into the molar tables, applies to any horse that eats grass or hay. The food material can enter the area between the upper and lower cheek teeth arcades if the corners at the front of the arcades are rounded over.

A study reported in 2001 found fiber digestibility was increased by "performance floating", plus installation of bit seats is performed. For this reason, I include bit seats with dental equilibration on all horses whether they are performance horses or not.

Normal Mouth after dentistry

In the early 1900’s, Dr. Merillat had to work in the mouths of un-sedated horses (sedation was not an option then). Now that we have better methods of controlling horses, we don’t have to rely on the recumbent position, or even on the natural willingness of the patient to stand still to allow us to sculpt the first cheek teeth (upper and lower sixes). With the administration of Xylazine and Detomidine combinations, horses are quickly and easily

sufficiently sedated to allow the practitioner to easily shape these premolars into the desired, relief-giving form. With a little practice, bit seats can be installed within the first five minutes of the dental procedure, right after reduction of the canines, if present, and before beginning to take the points off of the buccal edges of the upper cheek teeth and the lingual edges of the lowers.