Bit help please!

TheresaW

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When I got Mac, he was being ridden in a Dutch Gag on the bottom ring. I moved the reins onto the middle ring and he has been ok. Since I have been on here, I have noticed that lots of people have a very low opinions on gags and I have thought about changing his bit often. Someone on here has kindly lent me a Kimblewick, and I put tried him in it on Wednesday. He seems happy in it so far, using the top hole for the reins.

Is a Kimblewick less severe than a gag? I am hoping that eventually I can try using the bit on the snaffle part, but will wait and see.
 
IMHO any bit can be severe in the wrong hands. However both the Dutch gag and kimblewicks are quite harsh. Kimblewicks act on the poll, chin and bars of the mouth. Gags act on the poll and bars of the mouth.

Personally, I wouldn't use either of them unless I had no brakes and it was the very last resort after many schooling sessions. Is your boy very strong ?

If you can move the rein up on more on the gag, you may as well ride in a hanging cheek snaffle which will have the same action. I like this bit as it has slight poll pressure whilst remaining dressage legal.
 
I think they are less severe than a gag on a lower hole, but they will have more leverage than being on the middle hole of your gag (if that makes sense). Also they work on the curb groove (providing you are using the curb chain). Why don't you try a plain snaffle or a Hanging cheeck? You must also consider what sort of mouth piece the bit has. I was always taught that if you use a gag you should have double reins or at the very least roundings. My daughters was told during her PC C+ training that a gag on the bottom hole with normal reins can break a horses jaw and damage teeth! Would not use one myself.
 
Have got the curb chain but not used it as yet. He is incredibly strong when he wants to be!

I had thought that if he goes well in the kimblewick on the top hole, I can then move the reins onto the actual "D" and see how he goes then. If all went well, I could then think about the hanging snaffle.
 
Hi, I use a Myler Kimblewick for hunting and its fab. I used to use a three ring gag and my horse hated it. I also use a Myler 05 snaffle the rest of the time and my warmblood, who has an aversion to schooling, goes really well. They're expensive, but try gills bit bank.
 
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