Alternative to Dutch gag?

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Traks

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My daughters pony is usually ridden in a loose ring snaffle unless she’s jumping or hacking in which case she uses a Dutch gag… this is the bit she came with and she can be more forward jumping, so we’ve stuck to this bit for the past 9 months.

However I really don’t like it, if feel it’s too severe (she has it on the bottom ring) especially for a child. It also looks enormous in her mouth…Welsh D pony. I know they are also pretty ineffective without a curb strap.

She can be strong when jumping, she absolutely loves it, so my daughter needs some help on these occasions. We tried a universal when we first got her but she kept tossing her head with it and it looked like she really didn’t like the bit.

We could keep to the gag but im keen to change it. Any suggestions? Daughter is 10 and fairly balanced etc. thank you!
 
IrishMilo said:
To be blunt it doesn't matter what you do or don't like. If the pony goes well in it, and seems happy, why fix what ain't broken?
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It just looks massive on her little head! Unless we can get a pony sized version? I do worry it’s a bit too severe too but then again have read stuff that said they are useless without a curb anyway so maybe I’m over thinking!
 
Bobthecob15 said:
It just looks massive on her little head! Unless we can get a pony sized version? I do worry it’s a bit too severe too but then again have read stuff that said they are useless without a curb anyway so maybe I’m over thinking!
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Honestly I'd much rather have something in where you can take a light touch than have to constantly be taking a pull in something more blunt. What about a Wilkie or hanging cheek?
 
IrishMilo said:
Honestly I'd much rather have something in where you can take a light touch than have to constantly be taking a pull in something more blunt. What about a Wilkie or hanging cheek?
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I don’t think the hanging cheek has much poll pressure at all, looks like it should but it doesn’t.

I’ll perhaps try a Wilkie failing that will stick to what we have 😆
 
Bobthecob15 said:
I don’t think the hanging cheek has much poll pressure at all, looks like it should but it doesn’t.

I’ll perhaps try a Wilkie failing that will stick to what we have 😆
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I’ll take a pic when I go upstairs of Poppy wearing hers. It was ugly on a pretty little head but as my son always rode with his reins too long it worked really well.
 
I ride my pony in a 2 ring gag without a curb (and I’ve never seen one used with a curb in real life) and after having played with various other bits over the years it’s the one that works best 🤷‍♀️ if it’s legal for what you want to do and the horses isn’t objecting and goes nicely then just stick with it.
 
Bobthecob15 said:
It just looks massive on her little head! Unless we can get a pony sized version? I do worry it’s a bit too severe too but then again have read stuff that said they are useless without a curb anyway so maybe I’m over thinking!
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You can indeed get one with pony sized rings. I got one by accident recently. Ordered what I assumed would be standard sized and it came with Welsh A sized rings!

I find ponies like Dutch gags with child riders because they absorb some of the fiddle/movement with a child’s hands but still allow control. I dislike them personally for anything other than hacking for the same reason - I can’t get a proper feel. I don’t ever use the bottom ring though. There’s hardly any steering!
 
Bobthecob15 said:
My daughters pony is usually ridden in a loose ring snaffle unless she’s jumping or hacking in which case she uses a Dutch gag… this is the bit she came with and she can be more forward jumping, so we’ve stuck to this bit for the past 9 months.

However I really don’t like it, if feel it’s too severe (she has it on the bottom ring) especially for a child. It also looks enormous in her mouth…Welsh D pony. I know they are also pretty ineffective without a curb strap.

She can be strong when jumping, she absolutely loves it, so my daughter needs some help on these occasions. We tried a universal when we first got her but she kept tossing her head with it and it looked like she really didn’t like the bit.

We could keep to the gag but im keen to change it. Any suggestions? Daughter is 10 and fairly balanced etc. thank you!
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Personally I hate the dutch gag, it was useless on my mare, putting the reins on the lower ring just change the angle of the bit nothing else bit rings go horizontal only.

I had better success with trans angle universal
 
GypsGal1718 said:
Ok let me just ask you something. You say she runs at the jumps and loves it.
Why do horses run in the wild?
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For untold amounts of reasons, some of which include fun. Its not always fear/making an escape.

OP I'd get a bit consultant out. I had my local lady and she was brilliant. I ended up with a beautiful and very cheap comparatively, custom bridle, and a £15 bit. Revolutionised the ponies way of going.
 
I used a Dutch gag on my mare but used it with 2 reins so rode on the snaffle ring except in emergencies , it worked well for me , I’ve never seen one used with a curb strap.
 
It will go horizontal if you don't put a strap on it. It's pretty useless without just rags the corners of the horses mouth. It won't give you any poll pressure it just slides through the top ring. You need something to stabilise it.
 
splashgirl45 said:
I used a Dutch gag on my mare but used it with 2 reins so rode on the snaffle ring except in emergencies , it worked well for me , I’ve never seen one used with a curb strap.
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Interestingly (to me anyway!), the City of London police horses all wear Dutch gags with double reins, except one of their horses in training. It stood out to me because most of the police horses I’ve seen are in pelhams.
 
Ok back to this thread…we did switch the gag from a 3 to a 2 ring gag and she seemed fine in it, pony does tend to continue to charge towards fences so in her lesson this week with a new instructor the instructor put a curb strap on the bit. The jury was out…but today they did some XC jumping and my daughter did feel like she had better control. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still quick to a fence! But my daughter felt she had better brakes.

However looking at the videos the ponies head is so high going into the jumps…I know gags can lift the head but I’m not sure if this is too much?!

My daughter seems happy with the bit, can the curb make that much of a difference with the head height? Should a curb not lower it? Confused!
 
Kaylum said:
Might be avoiding the bit by putting her head high. What mouth piece is it?
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Just a simple single jointed one, her head only seems to go up when she is racing to the fence, assuming my daughter is taking a bit of a pull to slow down 🤪 they have been working on slowing between fences and corners x
 
Single jointed bits are my most hated.
I often used a 2 or 3 ring gag but always with a back strap and a french link mouthpiece.
 
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