A bit inbetween a 3 ring gag & a cheltenham???

[icklemadame]

After many bit changes I thought I had found one that worked.... but it appears maybe not!! I used to hunt my mare in a 3 ring with two reins, which we both liked but I still found her difficult to stop when doing fast work, so after advice etc. decided to try a cheltenham with 2 reins - this has worked superbly, I have complete control and I'm really happy - my mare however is not, and there have been suggestions that it may be her bit change (it seems to have made her go a bit backwards... which is a very odd feeling on a very forwards mare!!) So... is there anything inbetween? (if that makes sense!!) I don't like a curb strap on her as that didn't work, and I think I"d like to stick with the gag action as she was very forward and happy in the 3 ring (just unstoppable at times!!) and I've tried lots of other things and they didn't work

How about an american gag or a waterford 3 ring?

Many thanks everyone!!

 

[flyingfeet]

Universal gag is roughly in between

 

[kerilli]

when she goes, does she lean? if so, why not try a plain waterford first, i've never had one start thinking backwards in one of those. waterford 3-ring would be very meaty imho.

 

[lastresort]

I have used an american they are good I had a very strong hunter and this still was no good. In the end I had to use a pelham!!!

 

[icklemadame]

I've tried a normal waterford, a kimblewick, a pelham... nothing made much difference... I was thinking a 3 ring waterford because she was happy in the 3 ring, but yes she does lean and then just tanks, and the only thing i can do to slow down is to turn circles....

 

[dixie]

Neue Schule Universal gag or Myler combination bit ?

 

[LCobby]

Are you using two reins on the Cheltanham gag?
Is she the same when you are without a contact on the gag rein?

 

[icklemadame]

Yes I am using 2 reins on the cheltenham, and she's better when I just let her go and drop the contact but in deep or frozen ground I tend to try and hold her a little going into jumps, otherwise she just goes hell for leather, and thats what is causing the trouble, she doesn't like me holding her in the cheltenham, so backs off the jumps and ended up on her nose over a rail last week

I tried her back in her 3 ring yesterday with a spur strap as a curb chain - she was much more forward going and happy, she jumped beautifully, but I still had no brakes at all!! She does tend to 'poke her nose' upwards in her 3 ring, which I really noticed yesterday after riding her for a while in the cheltenham which she doesn't do it in...