Full cheek bit with french link

[wes]

Hi,

My lovely wife bought me a 5 yr old gelding Irish Draught to ride.

As he is young, and I am relearning my horsemanship after somewhat of a long break, it was recommended that a full cheek bit with a french link would be a good choice.

A friend was worried that a french link would be too hard for a young horse, but on reading up the link seems to be softer then the traditional nutcracker.
However, with the bit sitting in the mouth I am worried that the link is sitting side on to his tongue, rather than flat.

On my reading yesterday, I see that keepers can be used with a full cheek bit, and it also looks like this would hold the bit such that the flat part of the link rested on the tongue.

I therefore intend to get some keepers soonest.

Am I correct in my assumptions, and is this a good bit for a young Irish Draught?

Thanks in advance

 

[ThePony]

I think they are good baby bits. The french link is a much better choice for most horses mouth conformations thank single joints, and the cheeks help give more of a clear aid for directions. If you have a loose ring full cheek then keepers are a v good idea. When the horse is working his head will be at a different angle than at rest so the link shouldn't be digging in. Assuming you don't mistakenly have a Dr. Bristol (the link on this is longer than a normal french link and can be worn both ways round. One way will give less tongue pressure, the otherway has the link pressing into the tongue - not a good baby choice!), sure that isn't the case for you but thought I would cover all bases just incase!

My part bred ID has a v large tongue so we actually found that a french link didn't suit her, she is 100% better in a french link lozenge with a shaped mouthpiece (we have the verbindend loose ring by Neue Shule). What you have is a fab starting point so I would try it and see how you both get on with it. You may well find that as your abilities grow that you make small changes to his bitting.

Good luck with your new horse!

 

[jsr]

I agree with The Pony, I rode my cob in a french link full cheek for years and he went nicely in it but when brakes were needed it was very ineffective. I tried all sorts of bits and finally came across the Neue Schule range and the settled on the Universal Trans-Angled lozange mouthpiece, my lad absolutely loves it and it's been a relelation to me how a simple thing like the shape of the bit can change the whole horses movement. He is so much softer in it and accepts the bit more readily. Typically for me the bit I ended up with was over £100 but it's been well worth the money and I doubt I'll need to change again as I've been using it for well over a year now and it suits all our disaplines.

 

[Bug2007]

I have this bit on my young TB and she goes lovely in it.
Brilliant for steering and stops the bit going through the mouth on a young horse moment!!!

I use mine without the keepers as I don't need the extra poll pressure this gives. I have the eggbutt version on the loose ring.

I love this bit but ever horse is an individual, try it and if you find it good keep it if not try something else.

have fun with your new horse.

 

[rosie-ellie]

I bought my cob as a 5yr old broken but not backed porperly, she was sold with the eggbutt snaffle. I found this made her lift her head high therefore i change to a D ring french link snaffle. I found she worked better in the french link. Shes now bitlesss, but i do use the french link or Dr bristol for XC.

 

[wes]

Thanks for the comments so far.

My main concern is how the bit can sit in the mouth when used with and without keepers.
At the moment without keepers, the bars of the bit run at 90degrees to the head, which I can see as being good for steering, as you have a good effective area against the cheek, but as the link lays in the same plane as the full cheek bars, then the link will have the edge on the tongue, giving the effect of a Dr Bristol.
With keepers, the bit will be more on the same plane as the bit strap running down the head, and therefore would force the link flatter on the tongue.
I also understand this will increase poll pressure, but do not have enough of an idea is this is good or not.

Just concerned that this is never mentioned in any sales or other blurb I have read so far on full cheek bits.

 

[ThePony]

The poll pressure will be minimal so I wouldn't worry too much about it. If he is naturally heavy in the hand then it can increase this, but that can just be a baby lack of strength and level of training. If it is a loose ring full cheek then I would always use keepers myself, but if you have a fixed ring full cheek then it isn't essential. I would just try both ways and see what your horse says.

It is important to understand the theory so that you can have a good guess at what might be comfortable for your horse, but at the end of the day when all is said and done, the horses haven't always read the same books so I would pay most attention to what he says when you trial bits and acessories! Straight from the horses mouth as it were!!