Bit guard
A bit guard (cheek guard in Australia) is a specialty piece of horse tack: a washer, usually made of flexible rubber, that is sometimes used in pairs on a bit. Reasons for using a bit guard include: to protect the horse's lips from chafing or pinching by the bit rings to provide a better fit when the bit is too wide for the horse's mouth to prevent the bit rings from being pulled through the horse's mouth A pair of bit guards is placed on a bit by stretching them to pass over one bit ring.