“As one of the most widely used pieces of equipment, bits are ubiquitous in the equestrian world and so deeply ingrained that many riders don’t even question their application. In most cases, bits are a mandatory tool for competition yet, as a whole, we are failing to recognize signs of mouth pain and take action for the betterment of equine welfare”

I was asked by the editor to do this piece after one of the researchers reached out to them, expressing concern about this very issue in competitive horse sports. It was a deep dive into some harsh realities of what so many horses so amicably endure.