wetting down the bit before bridling

Question
hello, i would wet down the bit before i bridle my horse so that i would increase salivation in the horse. am i right? if i'm wrong, please correct me. please suggest me which mouthpiece to use which encourages salivation.

Answer
I suggest that you go on the Bitless Bridle website, (Dr. Robert Cook). He has a most comprehensive bevy of articles that go into detail on how bits work in a horse's mouth.

Supposedly bits with a copper mouthpiece are supposed to encourage salivation.
Be very careful of rubber covered bits. They are supposedly mild but are often too wide for the horse's mouth and if the horse does not salivate they will rub the tissues of his mouth.

I have never heard of wetting the mouthpiece . I certainly do not think it would hurt. I have heard of people putting honey on the mouthpiece to get the horse to "chew", but it is not commonly done-possibly with a young horse to encourage acceptance.

Mitzi Summers
www.MitziSummers.com