The gag or the hanging cheek???!!

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xmonax

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Righhtt... need a bit of advice here! Not a debate though!!

Just sitting ill in bed and just had a think about bits with my 14.1hh connie mare

(dont ask her age cos you will get 6-16 ;))

anyway I have found after two years she is getting stronger and stronger, mostly getting much too much ont he forhand and this is not good coming into a big, solid xc fence!! :p

so I need some advice!

for xc, hunting and sometimes hacking (only if in large group as need more control!)

I used the dutch gag with waterford mouth piece on 'second hole' and it was fab -only problem I felt thaT[/I]I[/I] was holding her back a bit 'too' much! not sure if this is my confidence etc. anyway it did get her to lift up! Did use this for bit of sj aswell

From july onwards have been using hanging cheek with waterford mouth piece for xc, sj (no hunting this year bcos of weather!) and found that even though at somepoints control was eurghhh! but I felt our times were getting quicker!

What do you people think? ;)
What would you choose? :confused:

If this helps:
this is her sj with gag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESW-9I4r0IU
this is her sj with hanging cheek (skip to something like 0:10)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFk2ywzKTZI


thank you so so much :D
 
my horse has a dutch gag on the second ring too, for hacking and jumping. as far as i understand, a hanging cheek is the same as the gag on the first ring. so if she goes ok on the first ring then a hanging cheek would do the same. i was gonna buy a hanging cheek as previous owners said he goes ok in it, but i'd rather hve one bit with the versatility than hve to keep changing bits. i find with mine alot of the time, control depends on what mood he's in anyway!!!!
 
I also thought that the hanging cheek had the same action as the dutch gag on the first ring - therefore the gag gives you a bit more flexibility as you can drop it down a ring without having to change the whole bit.
I think you are supposed to use 2 sets of reins with a gag but I don't and there are many other people that do not either.
I watched your videos - she is a beautiful jumper and she looked like she did a nice round in the gag, I couldn't see any evidence of you holding her back too much but I am no expert! I actually thought she looked like she was going better in that than the hanging cheek.
I guess the best advice is to go with whatever you feel you have control with whilst she also goes well for you! :D
 
I am absolutely no expert either but from the 2 vids she does seems happier and more relaxed in the gag. I must say though, you ride her beautifully :D
 
there is still some rotation and lift in a gag on the first ring that you dont get with a hanging cheek. its all down to what she goes best in at the end of the day, i found both my horses went much better in a kimblewick after thinking a gag was doing the job ok.
 
OK please don't shoot me down but a gag on the first or second ring does not have the same effect as a hanging cheek, the hanging cheek (in a normal mouthpiece, not waterford) is dressage legal) therefore provides no poll pressure as opposed to the gag that does. With regard to which video was the best, she appears tight in the neck on both video's and IMO I'd like to see her stretch through her neck over a fence more. have you considered something like this:
http://www.horse-directory.co.uk/gags.htm look at the universal bit, it comes in the different mouthpieces but you can have the leather curb attachment, for extra power if needed. My friend showjumps her big strong lad in this and XC's in an english gag.

But out of the two I'd say you both look at bit more comfortable in the first video.
 
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