I was thinking of getting a french link full cheek snaffle and someone mentioned something about keepers?
What are these? Thanks.
They're those little double loops of leather that attach the top cheek piece of the bit to the cheek piece of the bridle. Properly attached, they can add a little leverage to the bit so the horse is encouraged to drop his poll. There's two positions: through the loop that attaches the cheek piece to the bit, or higher up above that to the actual cheek piece for greater leverage.
They also keep the bit from going through the mouth, but that's secondary.
Edit: Many people use these because they like the look and because they keep things untangled, but that's not their primary purpose! By attaching the bit further up the cheekpiece, the bit becomes a mild leverage bit - it compares to how a curb bit like a Kimberwick works. In a curb, the attachment to the bridle is offset from the mouth piece, which is what gives it the leverage. This bit is milder as the attachment is not as rigid, but that is its intended function.
These are great bits. If you don't follow my description, just stand beside a horse wearing these properly and pull back on the rein. You'll see the effect on the bridle being transmitted to the poll, and the leverage involved. Take the keepers off, and it's gone.
If you don't want the leverage, you might as well use a D ring. This has the same effect many people think a Full Cheek has, without the side effects of pointy things by the mouth.
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