Bit advice - dutch gag &martingale

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mzybemf

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Hi,

I would love some advice on bitting. I have an ex racer TB, Ive only had him a few months and am trying to find the right bit for him. when i bought him he was in a dutch gag (1 set reins) and running martingale (which i know is quite controversial), but i cant remember how he went in it (obviously well enough for me to buy him tho!)

Ive tried him in a snaffle and then a french link since (with the martingale) to give him a chance but both are not enough for him. i have done a lot of reading of other threads and i know lots of people want to champion just keeping horses in snaffles, but he truly is unmanageable in that right now. i think he needs the martingale as he goes round the school with his head up, he is fine in walk but in trot its head up and trying to canter every other stride.

so my question is where do i go now? ive spoken to my instructor who recommended the gag with one set of reins and the martingale, but i wondered if there was another option i could try?

ive heard pelhams can help lower a horses head - would this provide me with the extra help i needed and maybe let me get rid of the martingale? (after a trial).

or how about a kimblewick?

i would really really appreciate some help with this. im so confused! i am of the thought that less is more so i was desperate to make it work in a french link but it just isnt for now. maybe when he is a bit more schooled i can step him back down.

of course i know that reschooling is important and i am focusing on that, but at the minute its just not really productive! any help would be greatly appreciated!

thanks xx
 
You could try using the Dutch gag with two reins ,if you can use mainly the top one and bring the other in to use when he gets strong he may prefer a french link one.You will hopefully find you need to use the bottom rein less.If you want to try a snaffle a hanging may be the next step.
Some horses will never go really well in a snaffle and it is really trial and error to find the right one.
I would also do some ground work with him lunging or long reining will help to re educate him.
 
My Rose was in a dutch gag one set of reins on middle ring with martingale.
I did plenty of schooling with an very good instructor.
To start we worked on just getting her going slow and trying to get her used to contact on the bit She would never stop and had to use all my weight to get her to.
Fast forward month or two and we started putting her on the snaffle part of the gag and using a market harborough. This has done wonders with us. She hardly needs it now and have started at the end of lessons weaning away from it. She is in a proper snaffle now and has started to hack alone with a snaffle which has always not been the case.

It could be the mouth piece to as rose only likes lozenge's.

Id say stick with dutch gag for the moment if you have some brakes with that and just plently of schooling for him to get his head around excepting what the bit is meant for.

Hope i helped.
 
thanks that is helpful, its nice to hear that the dutch gag/martingale combo has worked for some people and isnt universally condemned. i just hope it doesnt make our head in the air problem worse!
 
If he is sticking his head in the air the last bit i'd be using is a gag as they have a lifting action. Try a curb bit instead, a kimblewick would be a good one to try as you only need one rein or if you are happy with two reins try a pelham.
 
Rose was terrible for sticking her head in the air and still does to some degree in a snaffle. Just because a dutch gag has a lifting action doesnt mean they cant still go on the contact its all about learning and schooling.
 
I've reschooled all mine in a Fulmer with a drop noseband. At the moment his whole frame is not muscled up to work in the type of outline you are wanting. It will take time and heaps of schooling.

Use your rising trot to slow him down, rise a little higher and sit a little longer as this will help to set the rhythm you are after. It also means that you can put your legs on him and ride him forward.

Even if his head is up get him working on different shapes, so for example a 20m circle at A on returning to A go large and then do a shallow loop on the long side, at C a three loop serpentine, then change the rein across the next diagonal and repeat the exercise on that rein. If you are always changing direction he will have to start concentrating on you.

Make sure that you keep the contact throughout al the movements
 
I have an ex polo pony who was exactly like this.

The dutch gag does indeed raise the head, but it the only thing I can keep hold of him in on a hack. However, for schooling purposes, what really worked, was a snaffle, standing martingale (as I wanted to get away from anything hanging on his mouth) and I did an awful lot of lunging in a snaffle, and a lot of haring round in trot trying not to pick the reins up (soon as you pick the reins up, you go into canter) It did work. A lot of thinking slow slow slow, and rising slowly to prevent the canter happening!
 
I wouldn’t use a gag on a horse with high head carriage, is he strong, and running off or just happy to trot around with his head in the air? (sorry if you’ve already said just glancing over thread) maybe try a hanging cheek with standing martingale? I’m using this on my wb who’s head carriage is far too high and is working nicely. Schooling and education will come over time, and the horse needs to develop the correct muscles and way of going. Or if hes strong id try a kimblewick with curb.
 
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