BarRelief Baucher Snaffle
- Best for
- for nervous horses and developing riders
- Feel
- redirects pressure away from sensitive bars
- Material
- German Silver
- Thickness
- Medium (13-15mm)
- Ships from
- Burlington, Ontario
- Returns
- Yes, within 30 days, used or unused
Dressage legality
- USEFLegal
- ECLegal
- FEILegal
- USEALegal
- EC EventingLegal
FEI Young Horse classes also require a 14mm minimum mouthpiece.
The BarRelief mouthpiece features uniquely angled cannons designed for horses with challenging oral conformations. Rather than applying direct pressure to sensitive bar tops, the innovative geometry creates a lifting action that redirects pressure to the sides of the bars. This anatomical design maintains clear communication while protecting sensitive tissues.
The central lozenge is precisely positioned to float at or slightly above the bars when the bit is properly fitted, effectively minimising direct downward pressure on the top of bars. When rein contact is taken, the independent movement of the cannons promotes a rolling action along the sides of the bars, tongue and lips rather than sharp pressure points.
The baucher or sometimes called hanging cheekpiece creates the most stability of all cheekpieces and pulls the bit up away from the bars.
The hanging cheek stops the bit from being pulled through the horse’s mouth and is therefore a great alternative to full cheek or even eggbutt bits for younger horses.
This cheekpiece is often used on sensitive young horses or those who prefer bits with bar relief or a negative poll pressure.
This thoughtfully engineered bit provides:
- Bar relief through strategic pressure redistribution
- Poll relief as reins lift the hanging cheek up
- Extra palate clearance from elevated lozenge positioning
- Gentle tongue pressure encouraging proper carriage
Mouthpiece thickness: 14mm
We don't make this one in every size yet. Tell us which you need and we'll count you in. Enough riders asking is how new sizes get made.
Thank you. We've noted it. If this size launches, we'll get in touch.
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Questions riders ask about this bit
Riders often choose this bit for:
- Sensitive bars: the design redirects pressure to the sides of the bars instead of the tops
- Horses that chew or grab the bit with their teeth (metal, non-ported)
The Baucher holds the bit steady, lifts it off the bars and puts no pressure on the poll under contact. Often the pick for rooters and bar-sensitive horses.
Every horse is an individual. If you are not sure, take our two minute quiz or write to hello@agadors.com and we will help you decide.
A Baucher is a snaffle. The reins sit level with the mouthpiece rather than below it, so the bit has no leverage, and a curb strap only does something on a bit that does. There is nothing here for it to act against, so adding one will not create curb action or poll pressure.
If you want to use one anyway, and some riders do purely to steady the bit a little further, it buckles onto the small top ring where the bridle cheekpiece attaches, not onto the large rein ring. It is not traditional on this cheekpiece and it is not necessary.
The cannons are angled so that rather than pressing straight down on the tops of the bars, the geometry lifts and redirects pressure to the sides. This is the one bit customers name bar sensitivity about by itself.
Raising the bit a hole will not help here, and that is the usual instinct. The fix is a mouthpiece that is gentler on the tongue, and CalmBlue at 10mm is the normal step across.
If thickness genuinely is your issue, and your horse also disliked chunky Happy Mouth style bits, then CalmBlue at 10mm is the real step down.
The copper content gives a mild warm taste that encourages salivation. Unlike sweet iron there is no oxidation process to manage, so it is the lower maintenance choice.
What size do I need?
Bit size is the width of the mouthpiece. We list inches. Some bits are stamped in centimetres, so a bit marked 13.5 is 13.5cm, which is our 5.5".
Measure your horse rather than going by their height. A 17hh horse can have a 5" mouth. If you already have a bit that fits well, measure that instead and match it.
Fixed cheek (eggbutt, Baucher, D-ring, full cheek): about 0.5cm of clearance each side. Loose ring: up to 1/8" between the corner of the lip and the bore hole each side. If you ride in bit guards, or your horse has fleshy lips that catch, order a quarter inch up from your fixed-cheek size.
Too wide slides side to side and can pinch the corners. Too narrow presses on the lips. If your current bit fits with no room at all, stay at that size. If it "just" fits, go up a quarter inch.
Send us a photo of your horse in their current bit and we will tell you what we see.
Can I return it if it does not suit my horse?
Most of our metal bits, yes, within 30 days, for a refund or an exchange, and we do take them back used. That is the point of the 30 days: a bit you have not ridden in tells you nothing.
What happens to it then is that we resell it as a Demo unit, clearly labelled and priced lower, rather than as new. That is also where the demo units on this site come from.
Three things cannot come back: rubber mouthpieces, Final Sale items, and Demo condition bits. Rubber because it cannot be brought back to a saleable state, and the other two because they have already been through this once. All three are marked in the product title and description.
You can add return coverage at checkout, which gets you a free return label. If you skip it you can still use the returns portal, and the label cost comes off your refund.
We do not run a trial or loaner program.
How do I know if this is right for my horse?
Ask us. We would rather look at your horse than have you guess.
Useful things to tell us: what they go in now and what is not working, your discipline and whether it needs to be competition legal, the size, and what their mouth looks like inside. Peel the lip back and look at the tongue. Is it fleshy and full, or thin and tucked? Is the palate low? Are the bars sharp to the touch?
A photo of your horse wearing their current bit tells us more than a paragraph.
One thing worth saying up front: the bit is one variable. Saddle fit, dental work, noseband tightness and rider hands cause a lot of what gets blamed on bits. If your horse has changed suddenly, get the teeth and the saddle checked before you change the bit.
Which way up does it go?
Lay the bit flat on a table. The roller or centre link should sit as the highest point. The Agador's lettering and the size should read upright, and the "A" points toward the nostrils.
Our logo placement is not perfectly consistent across the range, because where it lands depends on the bore hole the cheekpiece rings pass through, and some bits work either way up. If it looks odd, send a photo and we will confirm rather than have you guess.
When will my size be back in stock?
A restock is usually 4 to 8 weeks. Canada tends to land first and the US follows about 2 to 3 weeks later, so if you are in the US and it shows in stock for Canada, ask us. We can often ship one across the border, which adds roughly $10 in duties.
Sign up for the restock alert on this page and you will hear the moment your size lands.
Two honest caveats. Some cheekpieces get discontinued and will not return, and we will tell you plainly if yours is one of them. And sizes 6.5" and up are not something we stock regularly, because the orders are too few to justify holding them.
Can I get a custom one made?
Not right now. We have stopped taking new custom bit orders and we are not quoting turnarounds or a relaunch date.
If what you are after is close to something we already make, tell us the spec and we will find you the nearest match in stock.
Still deciding? See how this compares with similar bits.
Or try it for less first. A demo unit of this bit is available, lightly used and priced lower.
Choose options
- Best for
- for nervous horses and developing riders
- Feel
- redirects pressure away from sensitive bars
- Material
- German Silver
- Thickness
- Medium (13-15mm)
- Ships from
- Burlington, Ontario
- Returns
- Yes, within 30 days, used or unused
Dressage legality
- USEFLegal
- ECLegal
- FEILegal
- USEALegal
- EC EventingLegal
FEI Young Horse classes also require a 14mm minimum mouthpiece.
We don't make this one in every size yet. Tell us which you need and we'll count you in. Enough riders asking is how new sizes get made.
Thank you. We've noted it. If this size launches, we'll get in touch.
That didn't go through. Please check the email address and try again.
Done. We'll email you when it's back in stock. No newsletter signup, just the one note.
That didn't go through. Please check the email address and try again.
Correct Placement
How To Wear It
BarRelief Mouthpiece
Baucher Cheekpiece
German Silver
Dressage legal under USEF, EC, FEI, EC Eventing, and USEA rules.
Not sure?