Misty

Can I answer this Marion?  Sorry Tracy...do you mind? I will try to make it easy to understand, but "bitting" is a complicated thing.

Bits are made in all sorts of ways these days. Most are stainless steel but copper and copper mixes are also used, as is rubber and nylon and plastic. Some are smooth and some have ridges. Some have joints in them resulting in a "nut cracker" action some have double joints which lessen this action. A bit works in conjunction with the bridle exerting pressure on various parts of the horses head aswell as the mouth. Just having a bit in the mouth is not painfull if the right bit is used. The pain comes from riders hands. The mildest bit in the world can cause great pain in the wrong hands. A riders hands must be still. They can allow for movement of the horse or not allow...but they must never, ever pull. The horse must be ridden from the riders seat and legs up to the bit. 

There are bit less bridles which are wrongly thought of as very mild. Again, in rough hands it causes great pain to the horse's sensitive nose area.

In Western riding (think cowboys) I have seen some pretty strong bits capable of real damage IF they were used as in English style riding. BUT they are not. The reins are always kept loose and the horse learns to move away from the rein pressure against the neck. This is called neck reining. I dont know what they do to stop the hirse though (I am not qualified to talk about Western style) but if the reins are pulled, then....ouch!

So basically, if bits are the correct size for the horses mouth and the bridle is adjusted correctly so that the bit sits in the correct place (in the horses mouth), then bits are not painfull for the horse to wear ...unless the rider makes it so by having rough hands that pull and jerk. This is why, when I teach someone to ride from scratch, I do not let them have reins until their position is secure enough in the saddle for them to have quiet hands. I always always start my riders off on the lunge line. To save the horses mouth while educating the rider.

Hope this makes sense to you, Marion.

Sorry, Tracy I could not let myself make no comment...hope I'm forgiven x