The Peter Pletcher Bit — three-quarter view

C&H

The House of Calloway & Hale

A small house devoted to a single object, made the slow way. Each bit is forged, jointed and finished by hand — copper for the horse, built to be ridden for a lifetime and handed on.

The Peter
Pletcher Bit

★★★★★ 4.9 / 5 · 38 early riders

Hand-forged copper alloy · Double-jointed D-ring snaffle

A double-jointed copper-alloy mouthpiece on fixed D-ring cheeks — warm in the hand, soft in the mouth, and shaped entirely by hand. The founding release is fifty numbered pieces, each fitted to its rider before it's made.

Founding Release — Waitlist Only Join the Waitlist

Each bit forged by hand and stamped with its release number.
Copper-alloy mouthpiece — the metal riders already trust for a soft, warm mouth.

Forged for the ride. Kept for life.

Warm in the hand, soft in the mouth, and built around an object riders already trust.

The horse that fought a cold steel snaffle goes quiet. Within minutes of the copper teardrop, the jaw softens, the mouth moistens, the bracing stops. Copper is softer than steel and warms to the body — so the horse stops resisting the metal and starts listening to the hand. That's the difference you feel in the first ten minutes, and the trust you keep for the next ten years.

The difference is in the detail

Copper Alloy

Not plated. A warm, soft copper alloy that horses mouth and salivate to — the foundation of acceptance.

Teardrop Link

The signature curve. Spreads pressure across the tongue and bars instead of pinching at a single point.

Dee Cheek

Flat-sided rings that won't pinch the corners, holding the bit steady and adding gentle, clear lateral guidance.

Stainless Centre Link

A single loose stainless link joins the two copper bars — the double-jointed action spreads pressure evenly across the tongue, with none of the nutcracker bite of a single joint.

Hand Finish

Every edge drawfiled and burnished by hand so nothing rubs at the corner of the lip.

Balanced Weight

Heavy enough to sit still and quiet in the mouth, light enough to never deaden the contact.

Ring Gauge

Generous rings sized to lie flat against the cheek and protect the lips from pinch.

Release Mark

Each bit stamped C&H with its number in the founding fifty. Yours, and only yours.

From the
forge.

A small house, a short first release, and an object made the slow way. Here is exactly what you are buying.

Mouthpiece: copper-alloy bars on a loose stainless centre link
Cheeks: stainless steel D-ring
Finish: hand-drawfiled and burnished
Sizing: fitted to your horse before forging

Each bit is forged, jointed, and finished by hand in small batches. The copper is worked, the joint set and rounded, then every edge is drawfiled and burnished so there is no seam or sharp corner against the lip. There is no production line — the founding release is fifty pieces, numbered in the order they are made.

Copper develops a living patina as it's used — this is normal and part of why horses accept it. Rinse and dry after each ride; an occasional polish brings the shine back, though many riders leave it. The stainless rings are maintenance-free. Stored well, a copper bit outlasts the rider.

Measure your horse's current bit from inside ring to inside ring, or the mouth width with a bitting wand. Most warmbloods sit at 5"–5¼"; ponies and finer horses 4¾". Unsure? Join the waitlist and we'll fit you personally before your release piece is made.

The Peter Pletcher Bit