Neue Schule’s Turtle Top vs Turtle Tactio

Neue Schule’s popular ‘Turtle’ range contains two similar bits, the Turtle Top and the Turtle Tactio, with one key design difference.

Both bits have this same central link, it’s a Neue Schule patented design, named ‘turtle’ because its shape takes inspiration from the shell of the Box turtle. It sits very smoothly in the mouth, with no sharp edges creating additional pressure points that many other double-jointed bits have. It prevents the cannons from lifting up beyond 180 degrees, so it can help prevent the horse from getting their tongue over the bit, and it is a little more stable than other double-jointed, whilst retaining the double-jointed benefits.

The Turtle Top, the first design from the turtle range, is very even and balanced in terms of where it applies pressure in the mouth. It is distributed evenly across the tongue, the bars, and onto the lip.

Whereas if you look at the shape of the Turtle Tactio, you can see that the cannons of the bit are shaped very differently. What this does is emphasise the pressure on the tongue and reduce it slightly from the bars. The bars of the mouth can often be more sensitive to pressure than the tongue, and so some horses may prefer that slight change in pressure distribution to be more tongue-focused.

When choosing between the two, it will be a horse-dependent decision and may involve some trial and error.