Gag bits - one or two reins?

[SirenaXVI]

Two reins without doubt, sadly you very rarely see this bit used correctly and for that reason alone, I hate them.

 

[tallyho!]

I don't think you read my quote at all well, as i said i DON'T JUMP in the double bridle, and school her in a snaffle and double bridle for showing purposes, i ride mainly off the bridoon rein and only use the weymouth when necessary.
I also said i don't jump much, fairly little actually, as she is not ready to jump (in my opinion) although we used to practice a lot.
She is an old hunting horse so when she see's a jump her head raises and she goes, so we have been practicing with pole work.
I agree that people do use stronger bits instead of schooling their horse. Out of the many horses i've had this is the first i have every put anything stronger than a snaffle in. But sometimes it is neccessary, when you want to go out for a quiet hack and have a canter down a little track and all your horse wants to do is gallop and not stop you do need the extra control. I would rather known that i can stop my horse if needs be by using the gag rather than cause an accident in a snaffle.

Sorry if I got it wrong Steph.

A horse will stop in a snaffle. Techniques like rein-bridgeing, one rein stops and jockey-stops and of course the neck-strap - there's a reflex at the base of the neck which makes a horse stop - I don't know why - I was shown this once and have used it many times since! And of course it goes back to teaching them how a bit works in the first place. It's very old fashioned but it works.

I myself hack in a snaffle (mush safer if horse bolts - no jaw breaking risks) with a neck strap.

 

[RunToEarth]

I hate how people have "grouped" gags together in this thread, can I just say that the differences between the dutch, bubble bit and the cheltenham gag are vast.
A DUTCH gag (the popular, fashionable bubble snaffle bit) puts pressure on the poll through the leverage of the bit, resulting in the horse lowering its head.
A cheltenham gag works on the horse's lips and lifts the head, which is why it is great for horses who are heavy in your hands or lean.
The american, as far as I can gather, is fairly similar to the dutch gag in it's action, but with fewer choices on leverage. I believe in any case the only true "gag" with regards to its action is therefore the cheltenham gag for the lifting action it gives.
ideally they should all be used with 2reins IMO, although I have used one rein happily when I feel I need to, and similarly have often hunted out with a martingale on the snaffle rein.
I don't like dutch gags, because I don't agree with how readily available they are, and how, because they are never sold as a curb bit, with a leather curb, people misunderstand the action they were designed for.