Hanging cheek snaffles

[lauraandjack]

I think its horses for courses.

Lets face it there aren't many horses that have read the textbook! So often the 'perfect' bit as per the textbook does not suit the horse. Who cares what the action is supposed to be if your horse goes well in it?

My beastie goes very well on the flat in a hanging cheek. I switched to that from a loose ring snaffle because I needed a little extra braking power. It worked. Now he is a lot more schooled he would probably be fine in a plain snaffle, but he seems happy with the hanging cheek, so why change it?

Incidentally this same horse hates a pelham, even with 2 reins, but works happily in a double both on the flat and jumping.

 

[monkeybum13]

[ QUOTE ]

My beastie goes very well on the flat in a hanging cheek. I switched to that from a loose ring snaffle because I needed a little extra braking power. It worked. Now he is a lot more schooled he would probably be fine in a plain snaffle, but he seems happy with the hanging cheek, so why change it?

Incidentally this same horse hates a pelham, even with 2 reins, but works happily in a double both on the flat and jumping.

[/ QUOTE ]

Snap

Our horses must be sperated at birth

 

[suzysparkle]

I have one similar to a hanging cheek which does exert poll pressure but only if you attach your reins to one of the loops designed to do this. It is called a Dalehead cheek. If you attach them to the high loop on the bit ring (basically where your rein would normally attach) it doesn't exert poll pressure.

My Horse dislikes too much tongue pressure and because the hanging cheek suspends the bit in the mouth it takes some of the weight off the tongue and he prefers this. There's a radiographic study online somewhere that shows images of a hanging cheek V a normal cheek and how the action differs in the mouth. Also shows tongue evasions and is very interesting. I'll go and find them:
http://cvm.msu.edu/research/research-cen.../USDF_Dec05.pdf
http://cvm.msu.edu/research/research-cen...y06_Clayton.pdf