Curb Bit
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
This bit was used for the training of young horses and starting them with the curb bit. Despite their impressive aspect, the straight elongated shanks were in fact thought to be gentler on the horse, because of the longer reaction time in their leverage effect and the fact that they were stopped by the horse's chest at some point. Curb bits were also used with a very light hand, the well-trained horses responding by anticipation to the slightest move of the reins. In addition, this kind of mouthpiece, according to contemporary equestrian manuals, was meant for a horse with a hard mouth, rounded and non-sensitive bars (part of the horses’ jaw without teeth), and thin lips. The banquets, the parts of the cheekpieces to which the mouthpiece is attached, can be opened for switch out the mouthpiece, a feature particularly appreciated on dressage bits in Germany. At the beginning of the training, this bit would have been combined with a cavesson, a rigid noseband, often made of iron, resting on the horse’s nose, a sensitive area. The rider would use his cavesson’s reins at the same time he used his bit’s, teaching the young horse to respond to the bit without spoiling the sensitivity of its mouth. Though long straight cheekpieces were used in all of Europe for training young horses, in Germany and Hungary alone they took on extreme proportions, sometimes up to 20 in. (50.8 cm).
Arms and Armor
An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.