Tack it Could Be a Tool or it Could Be Abuse

People see how large horses are and feel that they can withstand anything. That is true in some instances but they also have very sensitive skin and tack that is intended to be corrective can actually be borderline abusive. 

Some horse bits can be considered abusive because they can cause pain and injury to horses. Twisted wire bit have sharp edges that can press into a horse's mouth, increasing pressure and pain. Chifney bits are made of thin metal and are shaped to depress a horse's tongue. They can cause severe injuries, including lacerated tongues, with little effort. Thinner bits spread out pressure less across a horse's mouth, making them harsher. A corrective bit goes up into the horses mouth with no break and has constant pressure. 

Arabian horse trainers use halters with spikes behind the ears that forces the horse to keep its’ head at the perfect angle to release the pressure. Draw reins can put pressure on the horse's mouth and create discomfort if not used correctly.

Regardless of the discipline, a martingale's main purpose is to help manage how high a horse can raise his head. Some people keep the martingale at the shortest length to force the horse to keep its head as low as possible, this can be seen as abuse as well. 

Anything can be seen as abuse in the horse world but it is important to differentiate between a well-cared for horse and experienced rider/owner and someone that has an anger towards the animal.