Understanding 2 Ring Gag & Curb Strap

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Becki1802

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I'm trying to understand my new bit - my instructor has recommended it and he is going very sweetly in it. It is a 2 ring gag with a curb strap on the top ring. She has told me only to use the curb strap in my lessons with her and I'm trying to understand why. The change in bit was due to my horse getting strong and leaning into my hands & being generally rude in a snaffle. He is much lighter and more responsive in the new bit allowing me to very light with my hands, rather than ruining his mouth with constant pulling on a snaffle.

I found this article: http://www.horsebitbank.com/myler-curb-chains.shtml

"Curb pressure is very effective for asking a horse to relax at the poll. Firstly, a curb strap helps to stabilise the bit in the horse's mouth. With leverage created by the shank or the hooks on a ring cheek, it allows the rider to apply downward pressure in the horse's mouth and then once the horse responds it helps to bring the bit back into position, so offering the horse a release. It is another encouraging pressure area for the horse to respond to.
Also, downward pressure is better at asking a horse to roll his head forward and relax at the poll. Traditional ring bits apply direct backward pressure into the tongue and bars, which many horses resist by pulling into, pushing their weight straight through their shoulders and onto the forehand.
Curb straps or chains also help distribute pressure around the horse's head. For instance, with a traditional ring bit snaffle, 100% of the rein pressure is sent to the horse's mouth. With a leverage bit and curb strap, pressure is distributed to the mouth, the curb area (or back of the jaw) and the poll. Distributed pressure, as a norm, is kinder and gentler than concentrated pressure.
Another benefit of utilising different pressure areas is that it helps the rider to ride with a lighter, gentler hand. For this reason, the Mylers advocate the use of curb pressure with novice riders and children. It allows the rider to learn the 'feel' of riding lightly, allows the horse to have distributed pressure for softer signals, and also helps the beginning rider maintain control without a high degree of rein pressure."


I interrupt this as meaning that my bit with the curb strap can be potentially kinder? What are your thoughts? :confused:
 
Do you mean a leather back strap like you get for the neue schule bits? If so that should make the bit "kinder" so I don't really see why you would only use it in the lessons?
 
Yes Country Chick - it is the neue Schule one I've brought. Reading the article that is what I am thinking & maybe I should ignore the instructor.
I've also read somewhere you should use 2 reins on the gag! Is this true / necessary? I've never ridden with 2 reins but I'm sure I'd learn. My YO uses doubles so I'd learn from her!!! X
 
The article is more referring to a traditional curb strap that sits a little lower.

I would listen to your instructor. I once saw a horse who was ok but strong in a universal. They put a back strap on, horse took violent objection and virtually bolted.

You pay you trainer for their expertise after all!
 
I disagree, both of mine were totally overbitted without the back straps on and I spoke to a bit helpline who said the same thing.
If your instructor wanted you to use it for the first time in her presence fair enough but I don't think it's sensible to keep swapping between the 2. Surely the horse will go better in one and should be kept like that?
Also you could use roundings if you aren't happy riding with 2 sets of reins

Absolutely no disrespect to her instructor but I never think you should follow what someone says without question. I have made this mistake a few times and ended up kicking myself for it. People specialise in different areas and I think she is right to question her instructor
 
Thistle said:
The article is more referring to a traditional curb strap that sits a little lower.

I would listen to your instructor. I once saw a horse who was ok but strong in a universal. They put a back strap on, horse took violent objection and virtually bolted.

You pay you trainer for their expertise after all!
Click to expand...

Agree with this my guy took a severe dislike to the backstrap (which I got as I thought the bit was a little too strong in its action for him) but he hates it and is impossibly strong with it. I now ride him on the big ring with 1 rein for sj and roundings for xc and he's a million miles better. Its more a case of what suits your horse best.
 
The addition of a back strap will change the action of the bit - it doesn't necessarily make it stronger or kinder.

As with any bit it entirely depends on the type of action/pressure your horse prefers (or is willing to accept) as to how it will react.
 
My horse seems unphased by the backstrap so there seems little change of him rejecting it. Although thanks for you comments as it is useful to know some horses hate it - my instructor alluded to this.

My instructor is great and she knows how to get results from a horse but I'm not convinced she understands the physics of the bit and therefore all the different pressures hence I am researching it for myself. I go with her on her decisions 95% of the time!

I know if I constantly yank his mouth in this combination it will cause discomfort in 3 places and possibly bruising on his jaw bone but I am being so light in my hands & I want to be sure a simple steady is as gentle as possible - if 3 gentle pressures work better than one stronger pressure I think I'd prefer that which I think is what the article is saying?!

I was even thinking out hacking today I will just have it on the main ring of the gag outside of my lessons so I can give gentle steadies (like when he is jig jogging to keep up with the bigger horses!)!!

So should a gag have 2 reins to be 100% correct? I'm sure it will do me good to learn to use 2 reins. I've read bad things about roundings as they affect the intended pressure of the bit!!!
 
meardsall_millie said:
The addition of a back strap will change the action of the bit - it doesn't necessarily make it stronger or kinder.

As with any bit it entirely depends on the type of action/pressure your horse prefers (or is willing to accept) as to how it will react.
Click to expand...

This makes sense! My horse seems to accept both, although I feel I have a lighter contact with the strap?! :confused:
 
you wont get true acceptance of the contact in this bit. it encourages them to lift their heads and if they dont like it the stronger feel of it they will just sit behind the contact. if he feels light it's because he's sitting behind your contact, not truely taking it forwards and working into it. He wont want to lean on it as it will hurt compared to a normal snaffle so it may help with your problem, but dont be fooled by the lightness in your hands.

I did use it temporarily on my old very large Welsh Cob who was so unbalanced when I first got him he just leant on my hands. I used 2 reins so I could ride off the snaffle rein if he behaved and if he leant then he got a sharper reminder not to with the bottom rein. Only used it for a couple of months as a temporary problem solver.
 
star said:
I did use it temporarily on my old very large Welsh Cob who was so unbalanced when I first got him he just leant on my hands. I used 2 reins so I could ride off the snaffle rein if he behaved and if he leant then he got a sharper reminder not to with the bottom rein. Only used it for a couple of months as a temporary problem solver.
Click to expand...

I should have said this is intended as a temporary problem solver on a horse with a very strong character and we have a lot of schooling to do on. He is very green and when the work gets hard he tends to come up with evasions such as buggering off with me; he has also tried bucking, running out through his shoulder, refusing to go forward, etc etc. He is improving all the time and I work through every evasion gently. The instructors idea is we will work back to a snaffle as he becomes more educated and matures thus not wanting to evade by doing laps of the school in a fast canter.
 
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