Thoughts on a Hanging cheek french link snaffle?

I think it's about as mild a bit as you can get. Lots of people are adamant they exert poll pressure but I really, really don't think they do. What I do think they do is suspend the bit in the horse's mouth so that it doesn't roll down onto the tongue when the reins are pulled and being french link there is obviously no nutcracker action either. My horse who was always very fussy into the contact likes it, I think because it is very still in his mouth so he knows where he stands with it.

In action it is pretty much exactly the same as using a full cheek with keepers. The only thing I have found is that my horse can be a bit fixed in the mouth with it. Now that he has grown up a bit I'll be going back to a loose ring to encourage him to take a truer contact :)
 
jesstickle said:
I think it's about as mild a bit as you can get. Lots of people are adamant they exert poll pressure but I really, really don't think they do. What I do think they do is suspend the bit in the horse's mouth so that it doesn't roll down onto the tongue when the reins are pulled and being french link there is obviously no nutcracker action either. My horse who was always very fussy into the contact likes it, I think because it is very still in his mouth so he knows where he stands with it.

In action it is pretty much exactly the same as using a full cheek with keepers. The only thing I have found is that my horse can be a bit fixed in the mouth with it. Now that he has grown up a bit I'll be going back to a loose ring to encourage him to take a truer contact :)
Click to expand...

This, I agree, no poll pressure whatsoever, physically impossible! :) they are good for a fussy mouth though and nice and stable, though when mine got used to it he started leaning a bit on it so I 'upgraded' to a loose ring with the same bit, not as static, less desire to lean (though I suspect that it is partly coz my riding is MUCH better now :) )
 
Really nice soft stable bit :)

My mare hates them though, wont take a contact and acts like you've put wire in her mouth. Loose ring snaffle = fine though!!
 
I bought one for my horse today, and rode him in it this afternoon. He goes in pretty much anything you put in his mouth, but he was particularly happy in this bit.
 
Got my boy in exactly this at the moment, changing from full cheek normal snaffle two weeks ago. In the latter he was constantly putting his head up, and i realised that it could be the nutcracker action causing it :confused:

Anyways, changed to the HCFS, and voila ! I am sure the fact that his head is held normally now is due to the action of the last bit, and not any poll pressure from the new one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top