Chain Mouth Piece The Truth Behind The Rumors

 The Least Understood Bits: The What, Do, Don't and How on: The Chain Mouth Piece:

It looks bad, why would anyone put a piece of chain in a horses mouth? 
Well it is really one of the least harsh bits. 
But first the DON'TS:
1. A chain mouth piece should always be on a bit with a full cheek piece like shanks or a D ring it should NEVER be able to be pulled through the mouth and "sawing" is definitely not allowed. 
2. The mouth piece should either have bit guards attached or have no pinch attachment to the shank like a Argentine tube or hinge or solid weld.
3. Always inspect before first use and each ride for any sharp edges or welds all the links should be smooth and rounded no cracks or burrs.
4. The chain should never be twisted or distorted in the horses mouth ever the links should lay flat and sit just enough in your horses mouth to be against the crease of his mouth but not making creases this should keep the bit from pulling on his mouth during release and off his teeth while working.

Now for the Do's:
This is a great bit for a horse that needs a pacifier something to play with in their mouth for anxiety or boredom issues.

A bit is made "gentler" by adding breaks to it the more breaks in a bit the more "gentle" a chain mouth piece has the maximum amounts of breaks in it and conforms to the horses mouth and across the tongue.

This is not a "controlling" bit and is not a mouth piece for a horse who still needs a firm mouth feel but is a good bit for a person who has heavy hands the pressure is broken down by all the links and spread across the bars and tongue. Heavy handed riders would do better to use single hand reining (neck reining) with this bit as it keeps all sawing motions from happening
This is very much a lateral guiding bit with out any vertical pressure even with a high precipice.

I use this bit on horses that do better with mouth cue but do not need much pressure. I use this bit as a lateral guide for in mouth cues with horses that need something to play with while learning a lesson that takes multiple steps to master. Many of our horses have a mind that needs to stay engaged and this mouth piece lets me slow down the training steps without them feeling as frustrated. Kind of like a fiddling toy for kids who need help calming down their mind.

I also use this with people who are test riding a horse with a sensitive mouth and I know this rider harder on the reins. The chain bit will slow down and gentle their rein cues to for a softer mouthed horse.

The big point is the chain mouth piece is not a monstrous bit it has a purpose and place in the training world but like all bits needs to be used correctly and for proper reasons with real expectations on how it will help you and your horse communicate. 
A bit is a tool and specialty bits are meant to be used for short time for a specific reason. A bit is just a tool to allow for proper communication between horse and rider. 
Bits do not fix horses or problems. They can merely open up a new way to ask. Not all bits work the same in all horses some horses prefer different types of pressure on different areas on the mouth. So never assume it will have the same effect on multiple horses.