Gag bit on 3 year old?

[horsegirl]

Would you? I overheard someone saying the three year old they are schooling rushes towards the jumps so they are going to put her in a gag to stop it. Should a 3 year old even be jumping a full course of jumps and surely schooling would be a better option than a severe bit?

 

[Soph83]

<span style="colorurple"> I completely agree with you. Plus it (hopefully) has just been backed and you want to try and keep a soft a mouth on a horse as possible! At that age I can't see why they would need anything stronger and it is probably rushing at fences due to lack of education as well as excitement. </span>

 

[icestationzebra]

In a word? NO! It is me, or is it getting really depressing reading about what some people are up to with their young horses? Gags, Pessoas......... it is all going to end in tears

 

[elaineh]

That's awful

 

[Tierra]

Thats terrible

and i agree that the whole idea with using strong bits / gadgets on babies disturbs me!

 

[KatB]

I know. A 3yr old shouldnt even be jumping, any rushing will down to no balance. I did a 4yr old sports horse class, involved jumping a course of fences, and the winner had a gag with a grackle and martingale! Grrr....

 

[Kelly1982]

I definatly would not ride a young horse in a gag let alone a 3yo!! My horse rushes towards her fences (she is 4yo) in the last 2 strides before a jump, she is still in a rubber snaffle and i am using schooling techniques to help with this as i know its just down to excitement and inexperience.

I saw an add for a horse the other day which shocked me, a 3yo that had been hunting, been on sponsered rides, been competing all summer in showing and show jumping and had a pic of someone jumping it well over 3ft. It just shocks me what some people do with their babies.

 

[sillygillyhorse]

Most definitely not. A just broken 3 yr old will not be strong enough or balance enough to canter collectedly to and from a fence. Rather than use stonger bits they should be concentrating on the basic flatwork. With a 3 yr old I would only teach it to stop, go off the leg, canter 20m circles on both reins, possibly have a wander up the road in company then turn it away and bring it back in as 4 yr old when bigger, stronger and more mentally mature.

 

[4whitesocks]

madness....

 

[Tia]

No I wouldn't be jumping a 3 year old but I do know others who do.

A gag - what type of gag? Cheltenham? Dutch? If Dutch what ring are reins on and what mouthpiece is being used? If the rein is on the big ring then basically the horse is in a loose-ring snaffle....nothing wrong with that at all......most youngsters are started in a loose-ring snaffle.

 

[kerrylou123]

i don't like using a gag on my 18 year old, but if he hasn;t stopped his rishing to fences now, he never will! Theres no way it should be used on a horse of such a young age! It will never learn its own balance

 

[GTs]

I use a twisted wire gag on the babies - gives them something to think about!

 

[Soph83]

[ QUOTE ]
I use a twisted wire gag on the babies - gives them something to think about!

[/ QUOTE ]

<span style="colorurple"> Do you have a picture of this? Is it a 'soft' bit? </span>

 

[elaineh]

Looks severe. Why do you use this?

 

[GTs]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I use a twisted wire gag on the babies - gives them something to think about!

[/ QUOTE ]

<span style="colorurple"> Do you have a picture of this? Is it a 'soft' bit? </span>

[/ QUOTE ]

Here is my horse all tacked up ready to go!

I would never ride any horse in that, and would never ride a young horse in a gag.

I do not really want my horses to look like this:

And that does not even show how messed up the horse is after that kind of treatment.