Thoughts on Dutch Gag.

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Berkeley

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I have just bought my TB mare a dutch gag. I aquired her about 4 yrs ago with an egg butt snaffle. She is great on the roads and anywhere enclosed. As soon as we get out in an open space she is a maniac! There is no way I can trott her, its like a constant tug of war everytime we go out. I was recommended to use a french link Dutch Gag which has made a remarkable difference.


Does anyone use this? anyone hate/love them?
 
they are like marmite ;)

personally = i like to see them used with two reins

they are not a bit i'd pick to try on a horse but then i've known some horses go really well in them so if it works for you - great :)
 
I think Dutch Gags are good as you can change the ring if the horse is being strong or not strong. The only problem I have with them is most people uses them with just the one rein when its correct to ride with two as you don't have to constantly use the strong ring all the time, the other thing is to use roundings. I use the exact one on my horse though with a french link they work a treat when they are strong.
 
My loan mare is in one, on the second hole down. It's still very hard to hold her in that bit, but the lady who owns her has tried loads of stronger bits that haven't worked either. Her thinking is what is the point in having her in a much stronger bit if it doesnt work, however the gag means you have something more than a snaffle, and I totally agree. (All of her other horses are snaffle mouthed).

My horse is in a french link snaffle, but had a dutch gag for severe situations. I've only had to use it once so far when on a ride with 13 other people where we jogged 80% of the way.

I have no objection if it's a last resort and they're used correctly. At the end of the day, horses are far bigger and more powerful than us, and if a stronger bit is what it takes to make things safer for rider and horse then so be it.
 
I use one on my Sec D - she leans at times and this bit has been the best bit for us.
She can go in a snaffle to hack out in but for schooling, it's a gag for me. Great when used properly.
 
express_75 said:
I use one on my Sec D - she leans at times and this bit has been the best bit for us.
She can go in a snaffle to hack out in but for schooling, it's a gag for me. Great when used properly.
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So how do you use it? 2 reins? loose ring for normal riding, second one down (not last) for when you need that extra control?

I am thinking about 2 reins now as per advice above. My mare usually rides on contact however I have found with this new bit I have been able to drop the contact completely.
 
When i brought my boy he was in a dutch gag but i changed him 2 a snaffle for hacking and schooling but when on fun rides and XC he would go back in to his dutch gag but he wasn't very happy in it so he is now in pelham for funrides and XC. I sold my dutch gag to my friend and it has helped her so much with her pony!! :D x
 
is it a two ring or 3 ring gag?
3 ring put snaffle rein on and either on second or last ring another rein then can be used independantly.

i personally ride in a two ring with just one rein on the bottom ring, the 2 ring isnt as severe as the three ring. also used a lozenge so the bit doesnt upset horse by "nutcracker" action.
 
beetlejuice said:
is it a two ring or 3 ring gag?
3 ring put snaffle rein on and either on second or last ring another rein then can be used independantly.

i personally ride in a two ring with just one rein on the bottom ring, the 2 ring isnt as severe as the three ring. also used a lozenge so the bit doesnt upset horse by "nutcracker" action.
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Its got 4 rings - the loose ring attached to the bit - does that make sense?! Sorry I am not a pro at this!
 
Use one rein on the ring you normally use and have the other rein on the top ring. It is a good idea to have a lesson the first time you try it as it can be hard the first time you ride with two reins and so you know your doing it correctly.

Remember to always have the top reins slightly tighter then the bottom reins so you are not always pulling on the bottom ring. Good luck hope it goes well :)
 
Berkeley said:
I have just bought my TB mare a dutch gag. I aquired her about 4 yrs ago with an egg butt snaffle. She is great on the roads and anywhere enclosed. As soon as we get out in an open space she is a maniac! There is no way I can trott her, its like a constant tug of war everytime we go out. I was recommended to use a french link Dutch Gag which has made a remarkable difference.


Does anyone use this? anyone hate/love them?
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I've never used one but I've seen it recommeded that you use double reins with it. Make sense to me as I use a vulcanite pelham on my old man, just so I've got the breaks if needed, he's 31 but he can still be handful if someone gallops past or something frightens him he gets him self in a tiz. I hold them as you would hold double reins but only have contact with the snaffle rein, the other is loose for when needed. I'm not a lover of couplings as you will always have some poll preasure when it might not be needed.
 
the top ring attaches to your cheekpiece then the largest ring is your snaffle rein, so you can put a thicker rein on this so you know it is the snaffle rein. then it is up to you which other ring you put it on depending on the action and control you need. start with it under the snaffle ring with a thinner rein and see how you get on.

If you cant manage two rein you can buy special attachments that turn it into one rein instead of two
 
Riding with two reins isn't too difficult once you get used to it. Just takes practice. I ride in a pelham and just use the standard double hold - snaffle rein in the usual position and curb rein crosses over it to be held between the middle and ring fingers.


If you struggle at first, lessons will always help. Also, if you are not experienced with how a gag should fit, might be worth asking someone who is/your instructor to have a look over it for you and check your horse is comfy:) They can be unecessarily harsh when used incorrectly.
 
I've no problem with dutch gags where they are required, although lots of people do not understand the action of them and mistakenly believe that they have a head lowering effect. If you want lowering then a pelham is probably a better bet.

To be honest most of the horses I have come across that wear dutch gags are better in something else, often they do not work properly into the contact in them and tend to resist by coming above the hand. But I'm sure that there are horses out there who are very happy in them.

If you are unsure how they work check out the explanation on the sustainable dressage site.

If you are going to use one I do think that it is worth using two reins as you can use the bottom rein only when needed. It really isn't difficult and does make a difference.
 
I use a dutch gag with a french link with my sec D, he goes much better in it that a snaffle. I usually use it on the second ring with just one set of reins. Sometimes I will put it on the snaffle for hacking or flat work.

I am not sure why so many people on here seem to be adverse to it???

I have also been told that I could try a pelham with him, but my thoughts are if he is going well in the gag, why confuse him with another bit?!
 
I used to use a 3 ring dutch gag on my strong(willed) mare. I always used two reins (no roundings), top and middle for general riding, top and bottom for jumping. I think they are good bits but they are only as good as the hands holding the reins. Although they are called gags, I believe they don't have a true gag action.
 
posie_honey said:
they are like marmite ;)

personally = i like to see them used with two reins

they are not a bit i'd pick to try on a horse but then i've known some horses go really well in them so if it works for you - great :)
Click to expand...

I agree with this. They are a bit that was designed to be used with two reins and a curb (leather). Due to their popularity which was originally in the showjumping circles (I believe) they became very popular as a step up from a snaffle instead of the usual waterford, etc. Used with one rein the bit is very severe and I believe only as good as the hands it is in. I think it can be a very good bit, my coloured horse hacks in one nicely, but I would always try a few more snaffle, waterford lines before hitting the dutch gag.
I suppose it is like the flash noseband saga- of course it is a useful piece of kit and works very well where it is needed, but the fashion takes off and everything is in one.
 
Had one for my old pony for out hunting and XC as he was very strong so had it on the second ring... Rode in a snaffle the rest of the time... Was very effective and meant I didn't have to fight with him like I would have had to in a snaffle.
Current pony is fine in a snaffle all the time so not needed anymore :)
 
Use it on second ring for hacking, can always stop and don't have to fight. In a snaffle I have been totally unable to stop. I have tried lots of other bits but he is definately best in this.

I Use the big snaffle ring of the gag for jumping and X country (sometimes the second ring for X Country, if in pairs) and an ordinary snaffle for flat work.

I have used both reins in the past and this was OK. Just use 1 now.
 
QR I can't stand the things. But then I don't use anything that doesn't appear in my 1970s manual of horsemanship either :)

One thing I cannot, cannot abide though, is the one rein on second/bottom ring though, vile behaviour. Such a crude way to communicate with your horse!
 
I personally love it! I have a batty welsh section d and we have tried everything! We tried him in a loose ring snaffle at first then went to the dutch gag for a long time but I wanted to try him in something a little less severe. So we looked about on the internet seeing which bit was coming up best and we found it was the french link hanging cheek piece. We found he dropped his head and looked gorgeous but I just had no brakes! He would tank around the school like there was nothing there, like pulling against a brick wall. We then thought about a kineton noseband but found it was massively expensive and we just couldn't afford it but then found a slightly cheaper alternative the worcester noseband which did the same thing. It said that we had to use it with a straight bar snaffle, so we went and bought the straight bar snaffle and tried him with the new noseband but to no avail. He still dropped his head but tanked around the school with me and I had no control. So then we tried the waterford. What was the point? He eventualy worked his way around it and managed to again tank around the school with doing what he wanted and not what I wanted. I then thought what am I going to do because I can't school him! I then went back to my trusty old dutch gag and he is working in it perfectly doing exactly as I ask him to and its CONTROLLED :D I have now realised what an idiot I was for changing and I will never change again :)
 
I have ridden my sec D in a dutch gag, I always use two reins, ( snaffle ring and bottom ring). Most of the time the bottom rein was quite loose, and i only used it when i really needed to, ( usually when he's set his neck and tries to tank off with me,). At the moment i've got him in a french link loose ring snaffle, but he's becoming quite heavy in the hand when im trying to stop him, so i may put him back in the gag. I don't believe in hauling on a bit for a reaction when a different bit can have the desired response with the slightest touch.
 
We went out on the park today for the first time using the Dutch Gag. I had a loose rein with little contact the whole ride which was extraordinary.

My friend was speechless at the impact this new bit has made. There was no pulling, no fighting, nothing. We had a very pleasant walk YES WALK!! round 1000 acre park, in wide open space.

I cannot believe it. My riding life has changed. Totally.
 
One of my mares came in this...soon had it off! she was fighting it all the time....

A good bit in the right hands as always...my mare goes much better in a straight bar bit, she hates the nutcracker of an ordinary snaffle....as she has a big fat tongue!
 
i had my D in one when i brought him we used Pelham Roundings we worked in this for about 2months until a friend offered to use a hanging cheek and this works just as good and its still got abit of poll action he can get strong but i think theres more bits out there than using the gag .. a friend uses a cherry roller on her ex racehorse and hes great in it :)
 
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