Tack Tip Tuesday

The Piece of Tack You've Probably Never Heard Of

The Piece of Tack You've Probably Never Heard Of   If you've spent any time around racehorses or watched cross country closely, you may have spotted a small rubber Y-shaped piece of tack sitting on the front of a horse's face and thought - what on earth is that? That little piece of rubber goes by several names. Australian Noseband, Rubber Cheeker, and Sur Win Bit Holder are the most common, and the confusion around what to call it is honestly part of the charm. Even categorizing it is a bit of a debate. Is it a noseband? Technically it connects to the crown of the bridle, which puts it in noseband territory. But functionally it behaves much more like a bit guard - and that's where I'd personally file it. How it works The Cheeker fits onto the bit the same way bit guards do, with an O-ring sitting on each side of the bit against the corners of the horse's mouth. From there, the rubber Y connects those two rings and runs up the centre of the horse's face, fastening at the crown piece of the bridle. That connection up the face is what makes this piece of tack different from a standard bit guard - and worth understanding on its own terms. What it actually does The original design purpose is to help keep the bit lifted slightly off the bars of the jaw. Not higher in the sense of further back in the mouth - more like a lighter, lifted contact off the bars. For horses that carry a lot of tension through the jaw or lean heavily into the bit, that slight lift can make a real difference in comfort and response. The secondary benefit that often comes up is discouraging horses from getting their tongue over the bit. That's a real conversation, but also a nuanced one that deserves its own post. What we will say is that the Cheeker can be one piece of a larger puzzle when tongue evasion is something you're working through. Because the material is rubber, there's natural give built in. When pressure is applied on the bit, some of that signal travels up the Y onto the front of the face - but rubber absorbs and softens that, making it noticeably more forgiving than if the same design were made from leather or a firmer material. And like regular bit guards, those O-rings on either side of the bit do the familiar job of helping keep the bit from sliding through the horse's mouth. Where you'll find them The Cheeker is most at home in racing, where keeping a light, consistent bit position matters a great deal. Cross country is the other discipline where you'll spot them fairly regularly - again, horses working at speed and in situations where a steady, comfortable bit position supports focus and responsiveness. That said, there's no rule that keeps the Cheeker in those two worlds. If the mechanics make sense for your horse and your situation, discipline doesn't have to be the deciding factor. Is it right for your horse? As with everything in the horse world - it depends. Every horse is different, every mouth is different, and what works beautifully for one might not suit another at all. The Cheeker is a tool, and like any tool it works best when you understand what it's designed to do and whether that matches what your horse actually needs. We have one here at Evolution Tack for anyone who wants to see it in person. Sometimes it helps to just hold it, look at how it sits, and talk through whether it might be worth trying. Come in and we'll nerd out on tack with you. 🐴 Have a piece of tack you've always wondered about? Drop your question in the comments or come find us in store - we love these conversations.