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 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.
This innovation is brilliant in helping to achieve a comfortable and quiet mouth. Turtle Top™ with Flex keeps the mouthpiece centred and arched over the tongue at all times, encouraging relaxation. This comfortable mouthpiece re-focuses the inattentive mouth back onto the rein aids in order to achieve a soft consistent contact. By combining this mouthpiece with a D-Ring it enhances directional control making it exceptionally good for tight turns during faster work as the mouthpiece should not slide across the mouth. It’s also good for dressage as it gives the rider greater shoulder control on a circle and helps set up the bend when changing the rein or with lateral work. The stability the D-Ring offers along with the clever design of the mouthpiece is often useful for horses that are overactive in the mouth in a loose ring design.