The Santa Barbara Bit

by Davis Deering

A completely new and distinctive bit shank design appeared in Santa Barbara about 1860 and reached its full development there about 1880. For several years recently this bit has been called the Santa Barbara bit, but old time California arriendadores know it as a Medrena bit. Medrena, a native son of Santa Barbara, was the originator of the novel bit shanks.
 
 After twenty-five years of research the author has found no written description, illustration, or actual example of a Santa Barbara bit shank in Spain, Mexico, other foreign countries, or in California prior to 1860.
 
 At first these bits were of rigid construction, but later were what is termed "loose jawed." In the latter the cheek pieces swivel slightly and thus give the horse advance warning before direct action is applied.
 
 In the author's opinion, the Medrena, or Santa Barbara bit is the only distinctive, wholly American shank design and therefore deserves the closest study. It is always handsome and some examples are truly splendid with etched silver inlay or completely overlaid with that metal However, beauty and splendor are not the only basis for the excellence of this design.
 
 The bulge towards the rider, just under the mouthpiece, prevents the horse from lipping the lower branches, prevents the bit from being pulled into the mouth, and best of all, gives the whole bit a fine balance. Though seemingly heavy, this design actually makes for lightness as the good handmade ones were hammered and are very thin and perforated in their wide portions, their design making up in strength for the thinness.
 
 Medrena made many variations of his basic design. At first the shanks were comparatively narrow solid iron with decorative line work in the iron itself, pressed in while the metal was hot, with small metal stamps. Edwin Field of Santa Barbara presently has these original stamps. Later the shanks were widened and perforated.
 
 During the period in which Medrena was becoming known, Edwin Field, a watchmaker and silversmith from New England who had worked for several years at Tifany's in New York, decided to come to California, married a Latin American girl on his trip around the Horn, and arrived in Santa Barbara in 1870. He started to silver inlay and etch Medrena bits, thus adding greatly to their beauty and popularity. Later, he and his son John Field made many Medrena type bits, as well as spurs and saddle "jewelry;" but he also employed numerous other cheek designs such as the Ventura and Las Cruces.
 
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