Neue Schule Turtle Top Universal Snaffle

From the TRT bit fitter: The Turtle Top mouthpiece will provide a unique tool that helps prevent horses to use their tongue to fold the cannons upward which is common for teeth clenchers and grinders, thus fighting against the pressure of the bit. The turtle top locks the cannons from folding upwards. It also is a nice safety feature for horse with low palettes and that can often feel the bit on the roof of their mouth resulting in not wanting to close their mouth. As with most double jointed mouthpieces, it also has a nice anatomical shape to the horses tongue evening the pressure of the bit on the tongue and the bars.

I like the universal cheek pieces for those riders looking for a staged level of poll pressure. When the rein is on the center ring there is no additional poll pressure, action will be the same as a class 1 bit. There is double the poll pressure with the use of a bit converter on the bottom two rings, since the bit converter does minimize the counter-clockwise rotation of the bit. The leverage is doubled also with the reins on the bottom ring but with use of a curb strap. The curb strap prevents further action of the leverage and transfers the fulcrum of the leverage to the curb strap, adding pressure on the tongue and the poll. The pressure is tripled or possibly quadrupled with only the use of the reins on the bottom hole and no curb strap to minimize the rotation. This bit also allows the use of two reins: one "snaffle" action rein on the middle ring and one "leverage" action rein on the bottom ring. To minimize the pressure of the leverage, or spread out the pressure across the tongue and poll, add the curb strap with the double reins as well.

Overall, this bit is helpful for various stages of training in tense horses with low palates and thick tongues, needing to spread out the pressure in multiple areas of the head and mouth, transitioning to a double bridle, or simply needing extra emergency brakes in the faster equestrian sports. Ask us how you can trial this bit!

From the Manufacturer:

Turtle Top™ with Flex
Anatomy-inspired double jointed bit design with enhanced mouthpiece stability, through optimised alignment of the mouthpiece surfaces to the tongue and palate.
The Turtle Top™ link shape takes inspiration from the shell of the Box turtle. This flattened dome shaped link lowers palate pressure and prevents the cannons from being pushed upwards above the link by the horse’s tongue.

The Neue Schule Flex design concept delivers a guaranteed and well controlled co-alignment of the surfaces of the mouthpiece with the sensitive surfaces of the equine mouth. For most designs Flex delivers parallel co-alignment of the Turtle Top™ dome with the equine palate.

In selected designs we allow Flex to deliver some firm but fair additional pressure to the tongue and poll using a lever action-induced rotation of the mouthpiece. The extra pressure obtainable is carefully restricted with Flex limiting the range of additional rotation to around 10 degrees.

FlexZ - FlexZ is a development of our popular Tranz range (hence the “Z”). Gently curved cannons form a wide arch aligned over the tongue and held in shape by Turtle Top™. FlexZ is therefore more securely centred on the tongue and more resistant to being pulled through the mouth.

FlexZ Universal - The Universal cheek provides a number of rein options including the option of a curb strap. But whatever option you choose, the flattened underside of the FlexZ cannons with their anatomy-inspired recesses are held parallel to the tongue whatever riding activity you enjoy.

This innovation is brilliant for the over-active busy mouth that chomps and chews on the mouthpiece. Turtle Top with Flex keeps the mouthpiece centred and arched over the tongue at all times, safely helping to prevent sideways tongue evasions. This comfortable mouthpiece re-focuses the inattentive mouth back onto the rein aids in order to achieve a soft consistent contact.