Myler Combo Vs American Gag and Waterford Vs Cherry Roller

E

Eventerchick

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 September 2008
Messages
94
Visit site
Thoughts and ideas please?
Am having a bitting rethink at the end of the season for my very strong but very talented 2* horse. He has been in a myler combo with a long shank all season and it has worked well after we has spectacular pelham failure at the beginning of the year.
I think it is bruising him somewhere though as if I run him two weeks back to back the second week he starts setting and pulling right badly.
I wondered what people thought about a myler compared to an American gag as I think this is my next port of call , experioences pros and cons etc...
Also what experiences people have had with waterfords and cherry rollers and why one would work over the other. I have another horse who manages to set on a waterford dutch gag and wondered whether a cherry roller equivalent would be easier or harder to grab?
Any ideas or suggestions appreciated or alternatives?
 
Humm. I dont think a waterford would be strong enough for you. My horse is pretty damn strong x-c. I have tried the following:
French link dutch gag - might as well have had headcoller on.
Short shank meyler combo - good for a long time
Cheltenham gag - the best, but got scared after the cheek piece broke with no warning.
Waterford dutch gag -- kind of ok so long as I was happy to go fairly fast.
Waterford 'jumper' bit for NS - not really any different to above & failed spectacularly at Blair.

I would give the American gag I try if I were you.......
 
thanks, why did you stop using the short shank myler out of interest? and why did you use that rather than the long shank?
waterford question more for the other horse to be honest, just haven't used a cherry roller and wondered waht the comparison is like.
So frustrating, thought I had it cracked, so near but yet so far! What do you use now?
 
I stopped using the Meyler as didnt always have the best control, turning etc. Horse tended to open his mouth alot and I found it really tricky getting the grackle noseband on around the noseband of the Meyler combo. I got a short shank because that was what was leant to me to try and it appeared to work. As he has got older and I have allowed him to go faster XC he has got gradually stronger & stronger. I think a long shank is probably now exactly what I need! I am afraid I dont have experience of a cherry roller.
 
Waterford worked for Ellie, who was very good at going very fast whilst fooling you she was't. I have my nutter in a copper roller, but no one else seems to have found this to work, but out hunting he's in a cheltenham gag which was really good...
 
which Myler Combo were you using (which mouthpiece i mean) if it was the 02 (comfort snaffle) then it's not a lot stronger than a snaffle imho, but if it was one of the ported ones it does a bit more.
umm, i'd suggest a waterford if he leans on your hands.
what kind of pelham did you have in, again the mouthpiece makes a huge difference to the effect.
 
I have a very strong xc horse, have been through: french link dutch gag (useless), waterford dutch gag (slightly better but only for a couple of month), and now I'm on a myler short shank combo which I used for nearly all this season with great results.

My instructor has been through every bit under the sun with her homebred eventer who was even stronger than mine, and finally had great sucess with an american gag - might be worth a try?
 
im pretty sure I had one of the strongest horses in the world a few years ago, scared the poop out of me sometimes!!
crazy.gif
Only think he went in was a tight grackle noseband (mexican) and a long shank, largely ported myler combo
smile.gif
and the myler noseband went over the grackle if that makes sense
 
the Myler I have been using only has a comfort outh piece so maybe this is the weak link. Miight be being daft but can't find any online with long shanks and ported mouth pieces ... H_J where did you find yours?
I have a short shank with a mullen triple barrel that may be worth a try.
Does anyone use sheepskin on the nose piece? Wondering whether this is where he is bruising and then pulling away from it a week later because his mouth isn't marking so I don't think it's that. Using a curb chain rather than the leather strap made a huge difference to him.
This is a horse that will sj happily in a vulcanite pelham but will refuse point blank to go in a metal pelham and behaves like a rodeo bull. He's sensitive and weird and unbelievebly bold all rolled into one!
 
I had two strong horses, both running Advanced. One graduated from a long-shank Myler ported combo to an American gag combination bit, with the sheepskin removed from the noseband
crazy.gif
He also had a pricker as he was hard to turn one way. I know it sounds cruel but he was incredibly strong, not headstrong or gassy in front of a fence, more like a Sherman tank - completely unstoppable in a relentless sort of way
shocked.gif
Gorgeous to ride, actually, but you did just need to be able to get his attention from time to time
tongue.gif
Funnily enough, he had 2 years off with a leg injury and he came back a lot more controllable, and I ended up in a Tom Thumb gag (still with pricker)...

The other was trickier in a way, in that he used to grab the bit and run in front of a fence (Horrible
mad.gif
), and would hollow and resist if you over-bitted him. He ended up in a waterford American gag with Controller noseband done up incredibly tightly - it was a combo recommended by Mary King when she had seen him cart me at an event one day, she had used it on Star Appeal to great effect. He could still be tricky but it worked better than anything else I found...
 
eventerchick, i've got a long-shank ported myler combi you are welcome to borrow if you want, it's sitting here waiting for me to get around to putting it on ebay, it's one of the many things i tried on Katy that didn't work!
 
I used a Cheltenham gag on an incredibly strong part-bred Suffolk punch for hunting and XC, to great effect. He actually learnt to pull less in it, to the extent that I could use a hanging cheek and grackle noseband for WH.
They are really best with 2 reins if you can bear it for XC, use the snaffle rein most of the time and turn your hand over to bring the gag into action when needed.
I have seen these with Waterford mouth pieces too....
 
Cherry roller Cheltham gag - brilliant - horses respond well but make sure you have good quality leather chhek pieces or you run the risk of 1 breaking.

Would also suggest a emergency rein..........!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top