Gray Horse Leatherworks

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Mint Hill, NC
Gray Horse Leatherworks

Custom leather goods for you and your furry friends 🐶 🐴
LANTRA Certified expert bit & bridle fitter (independent)

01/29/2026

LUNGING CAVESSONS

At first glance, these look like a bridle/halter hybrid - and they kind of are! There are many different styles, but you can spot these by the multiple rings on the Noseband, meant for a lunge line attachment.

Key benefits of a (properly made/fit) lunging cavesson:
▪️ Allow for connection of the lunge without interference with the bit
▪️ Stability
▪️ Better control of bend on the circle (the degree of which depends on what ring you connect the lunge to)
▪️ Increased control
▪️ Preserves the horse’s mouth
▪️ Most are well-padded to protect the nose

Key features:
🔹 Jowl strap - this is key for stability, comfortability, and effectiveness of the entire setup
🔹 Padded nose - the metal framed styles can be OK as long as they are fit well to the horse and are well-padded
🔹 Central ring - this is used more than the side rings for most, as it allows for greater control and the horse can change directions without needing to stop to re-connect

My favorites are those that double as snaffle bridles and/or bitless bridles. These types are highly recommended when using lunging equipment such as side reins, chambon, Pessoa systems, Vienna reins, etc.
The reason for this is so the lunging equipment can connect to the bit without interference from the lunge line.

Lunge lines, while usually lightweight, carry reverberations with every movement of the horse, that flow back to the bit. The longer the line, the greater the magnitude of this. ⚠️

These forces can quickly turn a soft mouth to a hard one, which is difficult to undo.

Once you try one - you (and your horse) won’t want to go back to your old ways of lunging!

01/19/2026

It might shock you to learn how much of the bit is actually acting on the lower jaw of the horse - mostly it is contacting the lips!

Every horse is quite different, but this is why I often say the middle 2” of the mouthpiece are the most important when it comes to mouthpiece suitability.

🎥

01/15/2026

COPPER ROLLER BITS

English or western, odds are you’ve seen one of these beauties in the tack room or tack shop. It’s a single joint bit with copper and stainless steel rollers inlaid on the mouthpiece.

THE MATERIAL:
Copper is a softer metal with a higher thermal conductivity, and thought to have a slightly “sweet” taste.
▪️Soft = Can be easily damaged 👎🏻
▪️High thermal conductivity = adjusts to changes in temp quickly. Can help horse adjust to bit more quickly. As long as the bit isn’t super hot or cold, this shouldn’t affect your horse much anyway.
▪️ Sweet = can help with acceptance of the bit and salivation, but this is unlikely to be the main factor.

THE MECHANICS:
It is a single joint bit with straight canons, which will have a “pinch and poke” (or “nutcracker”) effect on the mouth. 👎🏻

The rollers will help the bit slide up and down more smoothly in the mouth, making changes in rein tension or working angle less abrupt feeling to the horse 👍🏻

Alternatively, you could use a single joint with a nice curve to it which is sure to be more comfortable to the horse.

Remember a comfortable horse is far more likely to accept the bit and work into the contact.

Not sure what type of bit would suit your horse? Reach out for a consultation! 🙋🏼‍♀️ 💻

01/10/2026

Bespoke snaffle bridle for a cute Fjord horse 💛

01/08/2026

BIT TAPE

More often than I’ve expected, I get asked about bit tape - if it’s good to use and/or what it is for.

This is a self-adhering latex or silicone wrap that is water-tight and has a bit of a “gummy” feel to it. I like to think of it as waterproof vet wrap.

It is advertised for use in repairing bits, using as cushioning for the horse, and prevent pinching.

I’d be very careful with the word “repairing” as this tape will not fix any structural issues with your bit - if you have those present it needs to be trashed immediately for health & safety reasons.

As to the cushioning claim, yes this will have more “give” than metal, of course. But it also comes with a slew of negative factors (see below). If cushioning and flexibility is a concern for you and your horse, there are other bit options to try before opting for bit tape (reach out for a consultation!).

As for pinching, if wrapped around the ends of a loose ring bit (covering the hole where pinching is a risk) it will achieve this, but will restrict the loose ring (will become more like a fixed cheek bit) and can also chafe the lips terribly. Wrapping around any joints will also alter the mechanics of the bit.

Pros:
▪️ Can [very temporarily] extend life of a bit with superficial damage
▪️ Can help transition horse to non-metal bit (or test to see how they do with a non-metal material)

Cons:
🔸 Not smooth
🔸 High risk of chafing
🔸 Has drying effect on mouth
🔸 Does not last long - Can unravel in the mouth and become distracting or come off altogether
🔸 Can make the mouthpiece too thick for the horse
🔸 Can impact mechanics of bit if placed around joints

I still think it is a nice thing to have in the barn for wrapping curb chains and misc. applications where you’d need a waterproof wrap or quick patch job, But generally don’t recommend using it on bits unless for a very temporary scenario.

🌈 The more you know! 🌈

01/05/2026

Custom made halter with dark chocolate leather and hot pink padding 💕

12/29/2025

Ever heard of the “two wrinkle rule” for snaffle bit placement❓

I was always taught this growing up. And while it isn’t wrong for many horses, there is never a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to bit fitting!

HERE’S WHY THE TWO WRINKLE RULE NEEDS TO BE THROWN OUT - every horse has different:
🔹 Elasticity of their lips
🔹 Length of “smile”
🔹 Thickness of lips
🔹 Placement & size of canines*
🔹 Sensitivity to bit movement

For certain disciplines and training reasons you may want the bit to sit a bit higher or lower than what I have demonstrated in this video. And that’s ok!

The biggest things to note are that:
1️⃣ You will always want the bit contacting the corners of the mouth (lip commissures),
2️⃣ you never want the bit contacting the canines when the horse has a relaxed tongue (this often pushes the mouthpiece downwards a bit), and
3️⃣ you do not want the bit contacting the premolars at rest or when you apply rein pressure (like I am doing in this example).

Too much movement in the bit when you take up you reins (can happen when the bit is too low) is going to be very disruptive, but no movement (can happen when the bit is too high) will cause poll pressure, over-stretching of the lips, and a dull feeling in the reins.

You don’t need to use my method - but use a method specific to your horse, not the “one size fits all” approach of the two wrinkle rule 🙌🏻

*Note stallions and geldings will grow canines but in rare cases mares do as well! Always make sure you check when bitting a horse.

Unsure what works best for your horse? Reach out for a consultation! 💻

12/26/2025

A custom matchy matchy equestrian belt and spur strap set 💛

12/21/2025

Some memories are worth preserving 💕

I couldn’t do much for the hardware but the leather still has plenty of life left!

Leather deep clean / restoration:
1️⃣ Thorough scrub with diluted leather cleaner
2️⃣ Detail scrub with toothbrush - particularly along the stitch lines
3️⃣ Let dry in cool environment
4️⃣ Apply leather conditioner (I do this in two stages - the second stage I typically use Golden Mink oil)
5️⃣ Let dry
6️⃣ Optional - Apply leather protectant/sealant (like Resolene)

equestrian

12/18/2025

TONGUE GRID

A few weeks ago I covered the WTP bits with their long plate that is designed to physically prevent the horse’s tongue from coming over the bit. You will notice the visual similarities to the WTP bit in the tongue grid, and it is designed to do the same.

This “bit” is not to be used by reins at all and rather is a secondary mouthpiece to be put in the horse’s mouth. From the outside, it may look like a tiny overcheck bit.

It is installed on the bridle with a sliphead/bradoon hanger (or simply on a double bridle) and is positioned higher in the mouth than the bit.

Its sole purpose is to prevent the horse from getting their tongue over the bit, however, there are a few problems with this…
🔸 It can interfere with the primary mouthpiece - become stacked in the mouth or push the primary mouthpiece forward. This can change / disrupt the mechanics of the bit and restrict or pinch the tongue 😣
🔸 It can press into the genioglossus muscle (large bulge of muscle at the back of the tongue), causing the horse to want to draw their tongue back (this is what it is designed to prevent) and can prevent them from relaxing through their jaw/tongue 👅
🔸 It does not address the underlying problem as to WHY the horse would rather the bit contact their sensitive bars than the tongue - the bit (or use thereof) is causing pain/discomfort.

It is important to remember that restriction in the tongue/jaw is known to cause restriction in the body. As equestrians we want to encourage relaxation of the tongue/jaw and we do this by creating a comfortable environment for the horse to work into. If the horse is uncomfortable or in pain, we can assume tension will follow.

Questions? Have a horse that often puts their tongue over the bit? I can help! Reach out for a consultation 🙋🏼‍♀️ 💻

12/08/2025

Love the gold foil embossing on these custom neck straps!

I made this one to match the client’s tack which was a red-ish brown. Really stunning with the hunter green lambskin, don’t you think?

Address

Mint Hill, NC
28227

Telephone

+17043033848

Website

http://Etsy.com/shop/GrayHorseLeatherwrks, http://GrayHorseLeatherworks.com/

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