A drop cheek has an eggbutt ring for the reins and a small upper shank for the bridle's cheekpieces. Since the mouthpiece cannot slide on the rings, it creates a very slight poll pressure. The cheekpieces lie flat and steady against the horse's face, and the mouthpiece remains very still in the mouth. The pressure is primarily applied to the bars. It is used without a curb chain. Also known as a Baucher bit. The Bombers snaffle is a popular bit due to its curved mouthpiece, which distributes pressure more evenly across the tongue and bars. This reduces the nutcracker effect and pressure on the tongue.
The upper shank is no higher than 5 cm, which is the maximum allowed according to the new competition rules.
