Abit guard (cheek guard in Australia) is a specialty piece ofhorse tack: awasher, usually made of flexible rubber, that is sometimes used in pairs on abit.

Reasons for using a bit guard include:

• to protect the horse's lips from chafing or pinching by thebit rings
• to provide a better fit when the bit is too wide for the horse's mouth
• to prevent the bit rings from being pulled through the horse's mouth

A pair of bit guards is placed on a bit by stretching them to pass over one bit ring. Then the bit is attached to abridle. The bridle is then put on ahorse so that the bit guards lie outside of the horse's mouth. Bit guards are used with loose ringsnaffle bits,gag bits, andpelham bits. Bit guards are used more often in jumping events, such aseventing andshow jumping, and inpolo. They are not permitted in competitivedressage, and are not used in horse showhunt seat competition.

A pair of bit guards with an integral forked strap, to suspend them from the browband or crownpiece of the bridle, are known ascheekers (seeFrentera).

Resembling a bit guard is abit burr (sometimesburr bit, alsobubble cheeker in Australia), which has teeth laid against the horse's cheek. The burr bit was for a time widely used on coach horses in New York City, until the use was stopped in part through the efforts ofHenry Bergh circa 1879.^[1] Bubble cheekers are approved for use inthoroughbred racing in Australia.^[2]

• Media related toBit guards at Wikimedia Commons

• Bit accessories
• Horse protective equipment

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• Short description matches Wikidata
• Commons category link from Wikidata