Hanging cheek snaffles again!

[Primitive Pony]

Further to the discussion recently about hanging cheek snaffles, I decided to try my horse in one. He is very fussy in the mouth and often grinds his teeth and I thought it was worth a try.

I understand from the recent thread that there is no poll pressure? Not disputing that but I got a similar reaction from him that I had when I tried a 3-ring gag. Suffice to say that it didn't go down at all well - he was throwing his head up which he never does with a normal snaffle.

Any thoughts or similar experience? - I'm just trying to figure out if I could have got the fitting a bit wrong or been too harsh with my hands for it? - the only difference was a nylon mouthpiece rather than rubber, which I didn't think should make such a difference, but now wondering if the hanging cheek with same rubber happy mouth as normal is worth a try. Or any other suggestions!?

 

[Barnacle]

There shouldn't be poll pressure... Here's a good article that goes into the science: https://bitbankaustralia.wordpress....ut-the-baucher-snaffle-bit-rattling-the-cage/ Honestly there shouldn't be any other difference between a hanging cheek and an ordinary fixed ring snaffle... But it IS a fixed ring rather than a loose ring. So there is a difference there from an ordinary snaffle and some horses won't like that.

A 3-ring gag may look superficially similar but what matters with leverage is where you attach the reins. If you attach them some distance from the bit, you get leverage. In the case of the hanging cheek, you attach directly to the bit.

 

[wkiwi]

a simple way of checking if it is the nylon rather than the rubber would be to attach the cheekpiece to the same ring as the rein (just leaving the 'cheek' bit hanging out of the way) - hope that makes sense!

 

[Under-the-radar]

I don't believe there is poll pressure from a hanging cheek - but my mare (who is usually incredibly tolerant of different bits) absolutely HATES any hanging cheek bit, and acts like a complete t1t in one! No chance of a nice contact or outline with a hanging cheek

If you have a hanging cheek with a different mouthpiece handy, or can borrow, then it's always worth trying. No two horses are ever going to like the same things xx

 

[PorkChop]

There is no poll pressure with a hanging cheek, I would think that his reaction is just because he does not like that particular bit

 

[Primitive Pony]

Thanks very much for the replies, and yes, good idea - I'll try it attached as a normal bit without it actually hanging and see if it is the mouthpiece, and otherwise just assume that he simply doesn't like it - good to know that it's not just him!!