English gag - with or without cheeks? Advice pls

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BeckyD

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Hi all, you may remember me posting a week or so ago about the cheltenham gag my trainer has lent me for my chap to cope with issues at shows. Well it's a super bit and he has accepted it well and we've had no problems with it except out hacking - when head goes up with spooks, it now goes even higher and I got a fat lip last week when his head smacked me in the face! So I think I'll pop his running martingale back on for hacks on the snaffle rein, it obviously works in emergencies.

However, I'm about to buy a gag and am not sure whether to get one with full cheeks? His usual bit is an NS training snaffle with full cheeks. The gag we've borrowed is a basic single jointed one with normal eggbut cheeks. I'm tempted to get the full cheeks so I still has as much steering as usual - does this sound sensible?

I don't think I've ever seen a full-cheeked one in action, is the reason I'm asking. Wondered if there's a major drawback that I hadn't considered?!
 
i've not seen a gag with cheeks before....
confused.gif
 
you see something new everyday...

i'd heard of a nelson gag,,but hadn't seen one before...

well, there you go, eh..
 
The lozenged version will be a nicer action than the eggbutt. There wont be much difference other than the improved steering. Are you using the gag with 2 reins?
 
Yes I much prefer lozenge bits and he does have a sensitive mouth (gag nothwithstanding!). I was shying away from the expense of the NS one but ultimately he deserves the best so that's what he'll get
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Yes, two reins! Took a bit of getting used to but am there now. Gag rein is loose/slightly loopy all the time. Will obviously tighten it for the situations it's needed in.

Cheeks purely for the steering. I saw FranA's post about Digby's veering to the left at the wkend and it reminded me that was why I'd kept Ronnie in full cheek normal snaffle. No point departing from that just as it's a new bit action, unless the full cheeks do something else that I didn't know about. I'm a bit of a novice with bitting. Have been lucky enough to only need bog-standard snaffle on all my 5 horses and ponies to date - until now!
 
I've just bought the exact same bit!!! It was delivered today and I'm planning to try it tomorrow. Just a word of warning - I did originally order it on trial from thehorsebitshop.co.uk and waited 2 weeks and still no sign of it despite chasing several times. Gave up waiting in the end and cancelled my order.

I got mine from the ebay shop for this place - http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/. It is brand new and was only £25 including postage!!!! Might be worth giving them a call to see if they have any others as they aren't on the list on their main web page.
 
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