TeamWazz
Well-Known Member
I've had my current horse for nearing a year now. I've always schooled and hacked him in a snaffle but have been jumping him in a three-ring dutch gag, using the ring underneath the snaffle ring. He is the type to lock onto a fence and charge at it which at 1m10-1m20 track level is not good, but with the gag I have enough control to keep him listening.
However with the help of my instructor and a lot of reschooling to get him chilling out more about fences I feel like I could probably go down a peg with the control. Not jumping in a snaffle, for I feel he'll never be that easy to control over a fence and would prefer not having to haul on his mouth like that would entail (believe me, I tried jumping in a snaffle for a while but for my own safety, and his, we went back to our previous combination), but jumping in something less powerful.
The question is, what? I've been looking at bits but I only really know about a few, not enough to make an educated judgement. He loves the gag and I can afford to be incredibly soft in it, its more I'd feel happier in a milder bit and I'm sure he would too.
However with the help of my instructor and a lot of reschooling to get him chilling out more about fences I feel like I could probably go down a peg with the control. Not jumping in a snaffle, for I feel he'll never be that easy to control over a fence and would prefer not having to haul on his mouth like that would entail (believe me, I tried jumping in a snaffle for a while but for my own safety, and his, we went back to our previous combination), but jumping in something less powerful.
The question is, what? I've been looking at bits but I only really know about a few, not enough to make an educated judgement. He loves the gag and I can afford to be incredibly soft in it, its more I'd feel happier in a milder bit and I'm sure he would too.