Hanging cheek snaffle, help!?

[Brambridge04]

I am looking at getting one... ideally copper or sweet iron, with some kind of lozenge/link.

Do they have poll pressure? Ive heard a few people say yes, some say no etc...

Also if anyone has one for sale, do PM me! lol xx

 

[muff747]

Yes they do have slight leverage and so act on the poll. Not as severe as a pelham or dutch gag. I liked the french link double jointed.

 

[Chestnut mare]

I also have a French link hanging cheek and they are supposed to give poll pressure. I got mine to prevent my horse getting her head up and tanking off in canter....it didn't work for that but she works very well in it in the school.

 

[*hic*]

NO there is no leverage and they do NOT act on the poll. Think back to your physics lessons and/or read here:sustainable dressage

 

[wildflower]

My daughter rides her forward pony in one ...it gives a little poll pressure, not as good as a pelham which she uses for jumping as it gives more brakes.The ones with the link in are best....

 

[*hic*]

Now you see a pelham DOES have poll pressure because it DOES have reins attached to a lever that acts on the fulcrum of the mouthpiece, in a hanging cheek the lever does not exist.

 

[martlin]

Hanging cheek does not have any more poll pressure than an ordinary snaffle.

 

[Brambridge04]

If there is no poll pressure, why not just use an eggbutt? is it the pulling through mouth aspect?

Just a though, a wilkie/beval would have poll pressure wouldnt it?

 

[*hic*]

Read the link given above

 

[unbalanced]

The advantage of the hanging cheek over another snaffle like the eggbutt or the loose ring snaffle is that it keeps the bit stiller in the horse's mouth. As DOD said, there is NO poll pressure and you can check this by looking at what happens to your cheekpieces as you take up a rein contact - you will often notice them loosening slightly as you start to carry the bit. Have a look through the sustainable dressage link - it is really informative.
Chestnut mare - your horse probably works really well in the school in this bit because she appreciates the steady contact.

 

[Brambridge04]

Interesting site, especially the part about the different types of mouthpeice. Still not sure what kind of mouthpeice they would recommend though, so going to read again! lol

 

[Anglebracket]

I ride my mare in a hanging cheek snaffle with a revolver in the middle (I think they are made by Jeffries). The main advantage is that they sit relatively still in the mouth.

 

[Brambridge04]

Im still undecided between hanging cheek and wilkie.....

 

[Dizzle]

Sent my tb loopy, I was told they just stabilise the bit in the mouth and would be perfect for him as he's fussy in the mouth, I bought exactly the same mouth piece as my snaffle. As soon as I got on stopped him to tighten girth and he went into reverse, went out for a hack and he jogged, flung his head about and when I tried to open a gate he threw a total and utter strop, I couldn't take up any contact what so ever, it was horrendous!

Not at all the response I expected but it implies to me that they're much stronger than the snaffle, not something at all I expected.

 

[muff747]

I studied the diagram on the action of the hanging cheek and the red arrows show the direction of pull by the reins and as this happens, the ring that is attached to the cheek pieces rotates forwards and downwards, which surely must create some downward pressure on the headpiece?

 

[saffytessa]

They don't have a way of attatching reins below the mouth piece so can't have any more poll pressure than an eggbutt or loose ring. If there were slots for the rein like on a kimblewick or the wilkie then fair enough but without slots or shanks it's just not happening. The bit stays steadier in the mouth and lifts off the tongue slightly (obviously depending on how you fit it)

I bought the eggbutt and hanging cheek (both french link) at the same time to see which would be best for my mare who messed with a loose ring. She hated the eggbutt but was quite happy in the hanging cheek. I now alternate between that and her cambridge mouth pelham depending on what is needed.

 

[Puzzles]

I studied the diagram on the action of the hanging cheek and the red arrows show the direction of pull by the reins and as this happens, the ring that is attached to the cheek pieces rotates forwards and downwards, which surely must create some downward pressure on the headpiece?

That occurred to me, too.

What about a 3-ring/dutch gag? Technically for argument's sake it has 4 rings, so does the 1st (smaller) ring attached to the bridle create poll pressure if the rein is attached to the snaffle (2nd) ring? Even if the other rings aren't being used (increasing the leverage) there is still a small amount of leverage. In this way, it would have almost exactly the same action as the hanging cheek snaffle.

Do 'ordinary' snaffles not use some poll pressure as they are almost directly attached to the head piece of the bridle? I was always taught that loose-ring snaffles use some poll pressure too, as they are very mobile. Hence the production of bridles that reduce/distribute poll pressure, because most if not all bits use a slight amount of poll pressure, no/yes?

When I think about the action of a hanging cheek in my head when rein pressure is applied, I see the snaffle ring being pulled back in the horse's mouth which naturally tilts the smaller ring (attached to the bridle) in the opposite direction towards where the horse is facing. This would therefore pull the cheek piece forward with it, thus resulting in poll pressure surely? I don't recall seeing it work in another way.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I studied the diagram on the action of the hanging cheek and the red arrows show the direction of pull by the reins and as this happens, the ring that is attached to the cheek pieces rotates forwards and downwards, which surely must create some downward pressure on the headpiece?

My filly has a hanging cheek snaffle/baucher. When you pull on the reins - the cheekpieces go loose and bulge out, so there is no poll pressure.

 

[Jesstickle]

As pretty much everyone has said, no they don't create poll pressure.

What they do give you is a very still mouth piece which is suspended and therefore puts very little pressure on the bars of the mouth and also doesn't roll down on to the tongue when you pull the reins. The other thing you can achieve this with (if that is what you are after in a bit) is a full cheek with keepers.

 

[Brambridge04]

It sounds such a mild gentle bit. i wonder why theyre not more commonly seen in first bitting and riding on?

 

[*hic*]

Because as Jess says you can get the same mouthpieces with the same "still" effect AND the added steering and pull-through prevention by using a fullcheek snaffle or a fulmer both with keepers.

 

[indie999]

I had a D ring snaffle but mine was strong in mouth (had been driven)and I needed full cheek to help stop the bit coming through his mouth if I needed to turn. French link. I did use the little leather (figure of 8..cant remember what they are called) to support the bit top cheek to the bridle ie stop it tipping forward??


Much better and full cheek was only if I needed to turn ie if he tanked off. Most of the time no problems.

 

[JenJ]

As pretty much everyone has said, no they don't create poll pressure.

What they do give you is a very still mouth piece which is suspended and therefore puts very little pressure on the bars of the mouth and also doesn't roll down on to the tongue when you pull the reins. The other thing you can achieve this with (if that is what you are after in a bit) is a full cheek with keepers.

And so would a gag snaffle on the big ring do exactly the same as this too?

 

[Jesstickle]

And so would a gag snaffle on the big ring do exactly the same as this too?

I've never played with a three ring gag but I would imagine so. I don't have one so I can't go and shove it on my horse and play with one though to double check. Obviously as soon as you move it down you get real leverage but if you use it with two reins the top one would be the snaffle rein and I reckon it would be pretty much exactly like a hanging cheek. Please correct me if I'm wrong though!

And I did start Nits in a hanging cheek, you can just about see that from the picture of her lunging. Only because I couldn't find my full cheek at the time though. She's gone into a loose ring now though as she is actually very quiet and settled in her mouth and I prefer a french link loose ring to pretty much anything on earth (which is just my own personal preference and is based, I'm afraid to say, mostly on aesthetics)