How many of you ride in a 3 ring gag on the top ring and why?

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Stacie_and_Jed

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As the title say's really.
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It does make me chuckle when you see horses in 3 ring gags but they never move from the top hole which acts as a snaffle anyway right?!

So i thought maybe there is answer to my question i didnt think of.
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OH was riding in his, on a gag ring, and horse was being very good, so I just moved his reins up rather than fetching his other bridle, getting OH off, changing bridle....etc...
 
I was looking for a copper lozenge snaffle but I couldn't find one in the right size and didn't want to buy one unless I knew it worked

I borrowed a bit from a friend which was a copper lozenge gag and used it on the snaffle ring so it acted like a snaffle.

The only thing I could get hold of at the time!!
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!
 
Our pony usually wears her reins on the top ring, but if we are out & I feel my child needs more control we can pop it down a ring.

There is still a touch of poll pressure when using only the top ring, but its more like a hanging snaffle than an ordinary snaffle in that it is holding the bit up in the horse's mouth.
 
Again, like lots of people, I don't do it all the time. I normally ride in a loose ring snaffle, but if I am going somewhere new I will put him in his 3 ring gag on the top hole because then if he needs something stronger I can just get off and put the reins down a hole.
 
If the horse has previously been very strong / is still very strong in certain situations perhaps they just haven't changed the bit yet?...I don't see the point in going and buying another snaffle when the one they are using is fine (and perhaps even better as they can move down a ring or 2 if they need it)
 
I do because ..... my daughter has pinched my ned's wilkie to use on her new horse and I haven't got round to buying a new one yet and the gag is the only other bit I possess that fits him other than pelhams and doubles!
In defence of people using them on the top ring though it does still give you a smidgeon more leverage than a plain snaffle as the cheekpiece is attached to the smaller ring rather than the bit ring itself, though why they don't just buy a neater bit rather than riding round with all that extra useless steel is beyond me too!
 
If I'm hacking out somewhere exciting in a group I put his gag on with two reins - one on the top and one on the bottom. I ride mostly with one rein on the top ring and the bottom tied in a knot on his neck. When we're about to canter in a wide open space I pick up the bottom rein. I get more control when I need it without resorting to a stronger action when I don't. It works for us.

Even the top ring has a bit more leverage than a normal snaffle though, so I can understand why people do use it, I suppose it's like a loose ring hanging cheek!
 
I do that, because its a 3 in one bit, so when im at home hacking, il put it on the snaffle hole, when im going across country or if she gets a bit strong i put it down one hole, then when out hunting i put it on the third, its great to have 2 extra rings if you need them.
 
I ride my horse in one but with two reins as most of the time he is an angel but with the two reins I have control when I need them.
 
It's not exactly the same as a snaffle at all as still applies poll pressure when used on the main ring so it is more of a hanging snaffle.

I can used mine on the main ring for hacking, although I don't I use it on the 2nd ring all the time as saves my arms and my horse's mouth. I used to have it on the bottom ring when my horse used to be very strong but I don't need that now.

Not really sure why it's funny or there's an issue - if it suits that person then surely that's their choice, leave them to it! I often wonder why I see people riding only in a plain, eggbutt snaffle but spend the time wrenching their horses mouth to death cos they have no control.

What makes me chuckle more though are the amount of people who insist on wearing 5 point breastplates and yet rarely go any faster than a trot and who have never ventured near a cross country course!!
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As has been said above; the action is not exactly the same as a snaffle as the bit is attached to the bridle at a different point so offers some poll pressure as well.

I'll put mine in a gag if I'm going hacking & know that we'll be cantering or galloping as she can get very strong & it helps to prevent her running away with me.

It's also great because you have the option of it being a slightly stronger version of a snaffle or using the middle or bottom rings if you need that extra control. So really, it is three bits in one & saves all the faffing around with changing bits all the time.
I would much rather use a gag on the middle or bottom ring & only have to use light rein pressure than riding in a snaffle but having to wrench the reins for the bit to have any effect.

People riding in snaffles & using them heavy handedly under the assumption that because they are a mild bit, it doesn't have any negative effect on the horse's mouth, rather than using a slightly stronger bit & needing to give only light contact & pressure on the horse's mouth are a huge bugbear of mine.
 
[ QUOTE ]
As the title say's really.
smile.gif


It does make me chuckle when you see horses in 3 ring gags but they never move from the top hole which acts as a snaffle anyway right?!

So i thought maybe there is answer to my question i didnt think of.
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Errm no it acts more like a hanging cheek than a snaffle (has poll pressure due to the extra ring attaching the bit to the bridle).
 
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