Opinions please?

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Hovis_and_SidsMum

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Ok. I have a dilema.
Hovis is doing his first dressage tests on saturday - only intro A and B, nothing fancy, and you can wear any tack.

In the school at home Hovis has gone back into his snaffle that we last wore when I first had him, back when he was small, sweet and innocent and didn't know the power he had!!He now schools nicely in it and doesn't pull my arms out.
Out hacking he is in a Cheltenham gag. This is because he's a different horse, has no brakes, a massive canter and the power of a tractor when he wants to. Any other bit (and I have tried a few!!) results in no control and Mr Tickle length arms.

When I take him showjumping (well raised trotting pole jumping by H&H standards!) he goes in his gag as he gets very excited in the warm up rings and v v excited when we jump. Think tank on speed. My 6ft tall ex-rugby playing hubby cannot hold the Destroyer when he's in full on yyyeeeehhhhhaaaa mode.
Its also worthy of note that I am a nervous wreck at shows of any description.

So what to do on saturday?
Do I:
a) Put him in his Cheltenham where I know I have control and see how he copes even though he won't possibly go as nicely as he does in his snaffle.
b) Put him in his snaffle and risk getting carted into the next county and as a result be even more of a nervous wreck than i normally am.
c) Put him in his gag to warm up and do the first test, see how he goes then put him in his snaffle for the second one.
d) Convince one of you to ride him and I'll watch.
e) Give up this entire silly idea and not go at all?

Answers on a postcard please!
 
I'd ride him if I was there!!!!! :D
Uhm have you tried a hanging cheek? Poll pressure but still technically a snaffle?
Otherwise I would be inclined to bring all of the bits, warm him up in the snaffle and see how he is behaving? Then you can change the snaffle or keep it in depending on his mood? :)
 
D- pick me :D

or C as nothing worse than being out of control in a warmup.
Tis better to have the gag and wish you had the snaffle than have the snaffle and wish you had the gag.
 
Definitely take both bits. Warm up in the gag, and change to the snaffle when (if) he settles - whether it's before or after the first test.

Good luck!
 
Damnation said:
I'd ride him if I was there!!!!! :D
Uhm have you tried a hanging cheek? Poll pressure but still technically a snaffle?
Click to expand...

You're on! Or Juno - you too. Anyone?

Yep tried him in a hanging cheek and he ignored it. Over the last four years I have tried all sorts to try to control the beast.
Its only now as hes getting older I can school him again in a snaffle and if he's in the mood he's great in it. However if he bobs off then even the cheltenham is not brilliant to stop him in. He's just a total power house and a big wuss to boot. He sets that great big neck and good bye world. :S
 
I hope he's not reading this over your shoulder HM as he may come up with a cunning plan himself! :D Sadly no advice to give as I have the opposite problem. I hope you both have a great time though and it goes well but stay safe and enjoy it rather than terrify yourself... so at that point I guess I would vote for good brakes so it would be Option C...so looking forward to his diary post about being poncily plaited if you go that route and the report of the day itself...:)
 
Only thing I'll add, just to warn you...

Dorey hates warmup rings... she will buck, rear, kick and bolt because it is, and I quote (with some translation!) "Not the main ring and no one is looking at me"

However, once in the main ring and the star of the show (well, not always, but in her head she is) she is FINE!

I do hope Hovis either isn't as hugely egotistical as Dorey, or isn't reading this for ideas!!!
 
broke_but_happy said:
I don't think a gag is dressage legal?
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Its not.
But this is a local nervous, novice, numpty thing so they're letting you wear any tack but no training aids (which buggered my plans for strapping the big beast down into an outline with heavy duty gaffer tape).

If i ever decide to be stupid enough to do more than a nervous novice numpty thing I'd have to put him in a dressage legal bit. At which point Hubby will be looking for the life insurance policies and planning his retirement to the playboy mansion.............

For those who have volunteered to ride him - please, be my guest. However that would mean telling you where i'm going, which would result in more of you then i'd ever want witnessing just how horrifically bad my riding is, so I'm kind of torn!!
 
Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
Its not.
For those who have volunteered to ride him - please, be my guest. However that would mean telling you where i'm going, which would result in more of you then i'd ever want witnessing just how horrifically bad my riding is, so I'm kind of torn!!
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Oh don't be so silly, you have no idea of how truly horrific I look ontop of a horse :eek:
Plus I am just South of Gretna Green so I BET you are as far away from me as possible? :D
Honestly you will be fine!!! Bring many bits, arrive early and ride him in them all then go in the test in the bit he went best in :D
 
Take both bits, warm up in whichever one is going to make you feel more comfortable, you wont want any extra nerves worrying about the bit (here speaks the voice of experience!), see how you get on, if he's being a charmer, consider changing bits, otherwise stick with what will make you the most relaxed - relaxed rider will help to create a relaxed gee gee!

Best of luck! I'll look forward to hearing all about it from himself in his friday diary!
 
Damnation said:
Just wanted to say, don't ride him in ALL of the bits AT ONCE... you would have so many reins going everywhere it would be like knitting!
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But maybe i could use the extra reins to strap myself down? My feet have a tendancy to stick out like a duck coming into land so i could strap them to his sides.
*hhuuummmm muses this may be a great idea......*
 
Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
Trust me - you'd end up running screaming back to your very beautiful, well schooled warmbloods vowing never to go near anything with feathers again..........!
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You obviously dont know much about my riding history :p
Now if you pick someone to bestow apon the honour of riding the famous (imfamous?) destroyer then you can happily post where you are going as it wont be you they are watching. :D


Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
And no I haven't tried that. How do they work?
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***has a quick check round to make sure no one is reading this.***
From the outside they look like a snaffle. At a quick glance in the mouth or to the untrained eye they still look like a french link snaffle. ;) I'd bet a pound to a penny there are folks out there using one thinking its a french link. The difference is in the angle the centre joining plate is set at. On a DB it is set at 45 degree angle to the tougue pointing back which will exert a very definite pressure if a strong hold is taken by either horse or rider. Most of the horses I've come across that will work at home in a snaffle can be held fairly easily in a DB when out and about.
 
I have such pictures in my head of the 2 of you - it really is making me chuckle when I shoudl be working - good for you getting out there are doing something - I have been meaning to do a hunter trial for about a year but never seem to get round to it ! we have the same problem - tank of a horse which just ignores bits and pulls arms totally out of sockets so they are hanging helplessly by side !!

Take all bits - use them all at once, ignore rules and use gaffa tape or possibly even some barbed wire in mouth !!

have fun
 
I would take both bits but could you warm up in the cheltnham with 2 reins? then you can try to ride off the snaffle but if you need it you have the breaks in your hands ready and waiting, if he is going nicley then you can put him in the snaffle but if not you have the gag ready and waiting. If not hovis sounds fab I'll do some stressage on him. :D
 
dafthoss said:
I would take both bits but could you warm up in the cheltnham with 2 reins? then you can try to ride off the snaffle but if you need it you have the breaks in your hands ready and waiting, if he is going nicley then you can put him in the snaffle but if not you have the gag ready and waiting. If not hovis sounds fab I'll do some stressage on him. :D
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Unless I'm being utterly thick (and now am trying to find a photo to look again!!) the Cheltenham doesn't have two rings (maybe I'm calling it the wrong name?) otherwise i could do that and it would be a good idea.
Its a single ring with like a leather piece threaded through which attachs to the cheek piece. It is also called an old english gag (i think) and is more common on the hunting field (so i've been told!).

So i'm going to start a list of those of you willing to ride the beast. I shall tell him of this shortly when i go up to bounce arund on his back like a sack of spuds and perhaps suggest i could become an owner only instead of owner / rider!
 
One rein attatches to the piece that goes through the bit and one goes on the bit ring like a normal snaffle rein, I shall find a picture for you.
 
broke_but_happy said:
Put one rein on the main ring, and the other on the leather that threads through.
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Got you.
There aren't two rings but you mean attach one rein to the big ring and the other to the end of the leather "pully" that attachs to the cheek piece.
Dumb blonde question alert but wont the rein attached to the main ring interfer a little with the leather strap attached to the cheek piece?
 
Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
Got you.
There aren't two rings but you mean attach one rein to the big ring and the other to the end of the leather "pully" that attachs to the cheek piece.
Dumb blonde question alert but wont the rein attached to the main ring interfer a little with the leather strap attached to the cheek piece?
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It shouldnt do if it is done like the one in the picture I linked.
 
dafthoss said:
like this:
http://bitbankaustralia.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/cheltenham-gag-on-horselight.jpg
Click to expand...

Got it. Not tried it like that. I just tend to hack him with a very light contact and only call the power of the bit into play when he decides to do a runner from crop sprayers and generally behaves like a tw*t.
Huummm worth an idea although having only once trying "showing" in a pelham with two reins we did end up looking like the love child of Mr Tickle and Mr Bean.
 
I score about the same as you on the confidence scale and have also had an uncontrollable tank (only his excuse was that he was TB and had no brain cells that worked properly). Definitely go for the control option - that way you both get to enjoy yourselves without worrying. You will be fab!
 
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