WildHeather
Member
Posts: 1
(10/13/04 12:23 am)
Reply
|
Which Bit
My TWH/SSH filly is 3 1/2 years old and is doing amazingly well with less than 6 months under saddle. Her trainer has had her for a month, now she's coming home. Her trainer (who does great work!) uses a half-circle training gag snaffle with rubber guards and a rope headstall/rein. She goes great in this setup!
I have a full-cheek Myler comfort snaffle with copper roller and sweet iron stripes, as well as a medium eggbutt and a smooth low-port grazing bit. I don't think she really needs a shanked bit, but the eggbutt is ineffective at stopping her when she really takes off (happens rarely, but she's still a baby, after all). The full-cheek worked quite well the one time I used it, but her trainer advised against it because she holds a bit nicely and he doesn't want her to start mouthing the it. He says all the flavors and moving pieces are to occupy horses who have busy mouths, and if she uses this bit, she'll get chompy too.
How do you all feel about training gags? I wouldn't be hauling on her just to set her poll, but it does seem to be more effective than the eggbutt. It could be the extra two weeks of training she's had, but when I rode with the gag she was slowing, stopping, and backing with a much lighter hand.
Her head is just naturally high, even at liberty. I'm not trying to stop that.
I maintain light rein contact and moderate leg pressure during our workouts, and gaiting is not a problem. I think she was born doing a racky running walk! The issue here is: what's the simplest, mildest bit I can use without giving her bad habits?
The gag he uses seems to be a very mild snaffle (single joint mouthpiece, C-shaped cheeks, no curb), and the rope is bigger than my thumb. Should I pick one up, or keep looking for something better?
|
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies 
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies