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Our experts
Bomber Nel is a world renowned bitting expert and the founder of Bombers Bits.
Bekki Schofield is a freelance groom. She’s also part of Lister’s Pro Team.
Photos: Jon Stroud
Keeping up
Do I need keepers on a full cheek or fulmer bit?
Faye Simmons
A Bomber Nel answers:
Full cheek and fulmer cheeks both help prevent pinching on the sides of the horse’s mouth. The extended pins above and below the bit stop it from being pulled through the mouth, and they also help guide the horse’s head, which is great for schooling purposes. It’s important to understand that the release with this style of cheek is slower than with a loose ring.
The use of keepers (also known as fulmer loops) with these cheeks is largely dependent on what the mouthpiece is. Some will work well with keepers, whereas others won’t. Mouthpieces that are angled generally don’t work well with keepers, because the keepers change how the mouthpiece interacts with your horse’s mouth. This means that with most angled mouthpieces, keepers will make the bit much stronger.