Two reins on a dutch gag/bubble bit

One rein or two?

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Megibo

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Just wondering if you ride with one rein or two?

I've always had mine on the main ring for everything and then put it on the second ring for jumping.
Put on two reins the other day as practicing (horse i ride at work has them) and my girl went like a dream!
no leaning or tucking her nose into her chest...VERY soft in the mouth. might make it a permanent change! :D


ETA i put roundings on it once and she HATED it
 
Have ticked 2 reins.. one on the bit ring and one on either of the lower rings.. Historic tho as neither I nor the horse I was riding at the time got on with it... we ended up in a pelham ... with 2 reins..
 
I bought my mare with a French link Dutch gag with one rein, which I really dislike. The single rein was on the 2nd ring. I put it on to the snaffle ring but she leant on it.
We are somewhat limited to what we can use as she needs a 61/2" bit.
I bought a NS Universal, use 2 reins and she goes really well in it. I took her on a hack in a NS Tranz (snaffle) a few weeks ago and wished I hadn't!
 
It isn't a true gag... i dislike them as i think it is a harsh bit... if you must use it, then two reins.
 
I used to ride my old pony with two rings, esp XC andn hunting as she would fluctuate between being the dream ride and a strong little moo-bag and i could ride on both reins and then drop the bottom one accordingly as to whether she was about to tank off or not!
 
Two reins.

Its a pet hate is seeing the bit used with one rein, unless the rein is on the top ring, especially one rein on the very bottom ring.

It makes the action of the bit SO severe, as having some pull on the main ring at the same time as the bottom stops the bit rotating around like it can do.

Technically it should also be used with a back strap for the same reason.
 
Reading this, maybe Ned would benefit from 2 reins. He's a star out to ride, but gets extremely strong to jump.

How does one 'do' two reins? Do you simply just attach a second?
If someone could outline the basics, that'd be ace :)
 
Annielusian said:
Think it means edited to add...but I could be mistaken :P

Sorry OP for taking over your thread! I'm afraid I can't really comment ^^
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yes that's right :p

Jackson said:
Haven't ticked either, as I would generally ride him with two, but at the moment I am only using one for some reason, actually, I was going to put my other set on tomorrow. Thanks for reminding me! :p
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welcome! ;)

tallyhohoho said:
It isn't a true gag... i dislike them as i think it is a harsh bit... if you must use it, then two reins.
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not as harsh as some, but that is just my opinion. :)
i would rather have her in that and half halt to slow and have control jumping than have to use my hands strongly with a snaffle bit in her mouth.

Cheiro1 said:
Two reins.

Its a pet hate is seeing the bit used with one rein, unless the rein is on the top ring, especially one rein on the very bottom ring.

It makes the action of the bit SO severe, as having some pull on the main ring at the same time as the bottom stops the bit rotating around like it can do.

Technically it should also be used with a back strap for the same reason.
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99 percent of the time i had rein on top ring. i never knew you were meant to use two before, but as i said she went really well in the double reins and if she continues to do so i will keep her in the double reins. :)
should i put a back strap on then? seemed fine to me without.


I was doing some reading up on here actually and it surprised me the amount of people that were ranting about only having one rein on a dutch gag! there are a few at my college with gags and one rein, notably a strong little cob, one rein on the bottom ring..that makes me cringe especially as he has many novice riders on the lower courses on him.
 
Would always ride double on a gag but hate the bit personally and hate riding in them i ride in a pelham with 2 reins, although saying that the fact that so many have ticked 2 is laughable as how often have you seen ANYONE riding double in a gag at a show? Definitly not over 50% ride double in a gag i think i may have seen one this year during the show season :O
 
Annielusian said:
Reading this, maybe Ned would benefit from 2 reins. He's a star out to ride, but gets extremely strong to jump.

How does one 'do' two reins? Do you simply just attach a second?
If someone could outline the basics, that'd be ace :)
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he may do, mine was very soft in the mouth and respectful!

yes you have one set on the main ring 'snaffle rein' and then attach another set on the second or third ring down. that's called the 'curb rein' unless it's different for a gag i'm not sure. then you just have to hold two sets, and the curb rein is thin leather or something so different to your snaffle rein so you can differentiate. i'm getting used to holding them. just to double check with other people that use two, i hold the snaffle rein normally between third and fourth finger and curb between second and third. however my boss told me to do this the other way round. can anyone confirm either way?
 
fornema said:
Would always ride double on a gag but hate the bit personally and hate riding in them i ride in a pelham with 2 reins, although saying that the fact that so many have ticked 2 is laughable as how often have you seen ANYONE riding double in a gag at a show? Definitly not over 50% ride double in a gag i think i may have seen one this year during the show season :O
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i think they are whacked on at shows for fashion and people don't know you are meant to have double reins. i didn't until researching but i only ever used main ring and second for jumping never the third one
 
Tazhazzareindeer said:
he may do, mine was very soft in the mouth and respectful!

yes you have one set on the main ring 'snaffle rein' and then attach another set on the second or third ring down. that's called the 'curb rein' unless it's different for a gag i'm not sure. then you just have to hold two sets, and the curb rein is thin leather or something so different to your snaffle rein so you can differentiate. i'm getting used to holding them. just to double check with other people that use two, i hold the snaffle rein normally between third and fourth finger and curb between second and third. however my boss told me to do this the other way round. can anyone confirm either way?
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Thanks! Very informative :D
I'll have a hard time finding a matching set of reins though :P We have a black/red webbing set!
 
Tazhazzareindeer said:
get one that goes with red or black, you need to be able to tell the difference :) maybe plain black or something ? :p:p
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Haha, good point! Will have a shop around :) It's my birthday soon, so maybe I could ask then.

Also, can they be used in the show ring? For showjumping? It might be just what we need for the Championships next year!
 
I use two as he has a hissy fit if I use one. Although he has recently swapped to a snaffle to jump as the gag with two reins made it easier to school him out of needing a stronger bit as you can reduce the action of the gag without dropping the contact.

As for what way round you have the reins its mainly personal preferance and what way you find easier to change the ammount of gag action you use.

ETA I competed with two sets of reins and often get questioned as to why I have both.
 
fornema said:
Would always ride double on a gag but hate the bit personally and hate riding in them i ride in a pelham with 2 reins, although saying that the fact that so many have ticked 2 is laughable as how often have you seen ANYONE riding double in a gag at a show? Definitly not over 50% ride double in a gag i think i may have seen one this year during the show season :O
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I don't think I have ever seen anyone ride a dutch gag with 2 reins, even in college they were only ever used with 1 rein.
 
Annielusian said:
Haha, good point! Will have a shop around :) It's my birthday soon, so maybe I could ask then.

Also, can they be used in the show ring? For showjumping? It might be just what we need for the Championships next year!
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i know nothing about showing sorry, but don't think there is anything that says you can't jump with two reins. :) i plan to try her jumping with them!
 
For those that say people dont compete with two reins
showjumping when eventing
SANY0667-1.jpg

and showjumping (was this time last year and he was very green :o)
6fe722f4-1.jpg


and in my siggy you can see the double reins in the middle picture going xc
Sorry they are massive but you cant really see if I make them smaller

Annilucian - your absloutley fine to use them showjumping, but technicaly you shouldnt use a gag at all for showing unless workers but you can get away with it at local level depending on the judge and the level of the other competitiors.
 
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dafthoss said:
Annilucian - your absloutley fine to use them showjumping, but technicaly you shouldnt use a gag at all for showing unless workers but you can get away with it at local level depending on the judge and the level of the other competitiors.
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Ah, thank you :)
It will be fine at mine then, the judge is the one who put it on him in the first place!
(Runs the shows, owns the land and all the horses I compete on! She's great though, no favouritism and in fact, I think we get a harder time if we don't place :P since we've obviously not been paying attention in lessons haha!)
 
Tazhazzareindeer said:
just to double check with other people that use two, i hold the snaffle rein normally between third and fourth finger and curb between second and third. however my boss told me to do this the other way round. can anyone confirm either way?
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You're doing it the right way round.:)
The curb rein should enter your hand above the snaffle rein (so they cross over between the bit and your hand) so that when you rotate your wrist, the snaffle rein comes into action first, before the curb rein.
If you hold them the other way round your aids on the curb rein will be too strong.:)
 
Sorry Tazhazzareindeer I didnt mean to make you think I was having a jab at you, it was just a comment as aposed to a moan :o :o
Sorry! :o

I shoulnt worry about a back strap, I find them fine without too, that was just another observation ;)
 
faerie666 said:
You're doing it the right way round.:)
The curb rein should enter your hand above the snaffle rein (so they cross over between the bit and your hand) so that when you rotate your wrist, the snaffle rein comes into action first, before the curb rein.
If you hold them the other way round your aids on the curb rein will be too strong.:)
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yes someone gave me this piccie which was helpful, it gives me the impression that if you rotate your thumbs towards your stomach you bring the curb into action? i am sure i'll get the hang!
doublerein.jpg

ah right, boss told me opposite but that is probably because her tb is strong (i should know the bugger took off with me round and round the school!) :p:p

Cheiro1 said:
Sorry Tazhazzareindeer I didnt mean to make you think I was having a jab at you, it was just a comment as aposed to a moan :o :o
Sorry! :o

I shoulnt worry about a back strap, I find them fine without too, that was just another observation ;)
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i didn't think that at all! :p
so sorry for being dumb here but what is the purpose of the back strap? i can't find a picture...:confused:
:)
 
For jumping I use two reins, one on snaffle ring and one on the bottom ring along with a curb strap. I do get some strange looks but it seems to work for my horse. I did try him in a v pelham for a while but that just did not suit him (again with 2 reins).
 
tallyhohoho said:
It isn't a true gag... i dislike them as i think it is a harsh bit... if you must use it, then two reins.
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Any bit is harsh in the wrong hands. In the right hands a 'harsh' bit can be the most suitable for some horses.
I have successfully used a PeeWee bit on more than one horse, yet often people on her condemn that as being harsh. I don't actually think that it is, if your horse has a fat tongue.
When I hacked my mare in the Tranz recently, to stop her tanking off with me, I had to make my hands into fists, for the 1st time ever, that I can remember, on any horse.
That IMO made the Tranz, which is a snaffle, much more severe than the Universal which only needs a tweak on the lower rein but which technically would be considered the more severe bit.
 
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