Admittedly, I have been away from the horse show scene for a while, so there may be an obvious answer. But in scrolling through photos on FB, I am seeing a lot of horses going in full cheeks without bit keepers on. Is there a reason for this? Or is it a detail that did not make it down the line to a lot of the younger trainers?
Funny, I was just wondering this the other day. I’m anxious to hear what everyone says!
There is a (sort of?) BNT in the PNW who shows at WEF, some indoors, etc who has always had at something in the barn going in a full cheek with no keepers. All other aspects of turnout are always perfect. It always really bothered me (ha!) and I came close to asking WHY? but never did. Made horse with well coached rider shouldn’t need that much extra turning help in a 3’ eq class. Thinking back, Pony Club and H/J trainer drilled in that the bit can get caught much more easily without keepers, and just proper turnout.
Saw this the other day on facebook. … had to fight the urge to ask!
This has been the subject of multiple discussions here in the past. Here are a couple.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?293727-full-cheek-bit-keepers
The bit sits in the horse’s mouth differently and has a different feel (to the horse) without keepers than with. So the choice of with or without depends on what you want the bit to do.
Unless the safety feature of using keepers in your particular situation/environment outweighs the performance factors.
Thank you for the links. The search function and I are not on speaking terms.
I was sure it must be something like that.
I seldom see a full cheek snaffle with keepers, they might have a mild stabilizing effect on the bit. Whereas a full cheek free ring, Austrian, snaffle absolutely requires keepers to keep them upright.
My horse has two bits he goes in, both full cheeks. One has keepers and the other does not for a simple reason:
The one that does not has itty bitty metal full cheek ‘prongs’ and they’re so little they will not fit with a keeper, even if it’s placed on the lowest loop of the cheekpiece. It’s slightly annoying, but not enough to purchase a new bit.
[QUOTE=GypsyQ;8683277]
Thank you for the links. The search function and I are not on speaking terms.
I was sure it must be something like that.[/QUOTE]
I find that I have much better luck with Google than with the COTH search function. For me, a google search for something horse-related typically turns up a list of COTH discussions fairly close to the top of the page.
After being lifted off the ground years ago when by horses bit with no keepers caught on the back of my helmet, I’ve always made sure to have them on. Makes me cringe when I see them without. Hard for me to image that leaving keepers off makes that much of a difference that one would ignore the safety aspect.
A lot of the reason I would think is that often (especially on sales horses or in schooling bridles owned by the barn) bits get changed frequently, and finding a pair of keepers isn’t always an easy task.
The bit sits in the horse’s mouth differently and has a different feel (to the horse) without keepers than with. So the choice of with or without depends on what you want the bit to do.
This. My old horse had a bit he really liked that was a full cheek, but he definitely went better in it if I didn’t put keepers on it. My current horse likes his full cheek waterford, but as long as it has the keepers. It’s TOO wiggly, his opinion, without the keepers.
Years ago, I saw a pony in a full cheek without keepers reach around to itch or something and the bit caught on the stirrup (rider was on) Pony fell. Horrible image that has stayed with me and I cringe when I see full cheek without keepers.
[QUOTE=refresh;8683059]
There is a (sort of?) BNT in the PNW who shows at WEF, some indoors, etc who has always had at something in the barn going in a full cheek with no keepers. All other aspects of turnout are always perfect. It always really bothered me (ha!) and I came close to asking WHY? but never did. Made horse with well coached rider shouldn’t need that much extra turning help in a 3’ eq class. Thinking back, Pony Club and H/J trainer drilled in that the bit can get caught much more easily without keepers, and just proper turnout.[/QUOTE]
As mentioned below, the keepers restrict the action of the bit and cause it to sit differently in the mouth.
Thanks, LovesHorses, I understand that the bit functions differently w/o keepers. A kimberwick or pelham w/converters also functions differently than a pelham with two reins, but most people pick the “conventional” option when “A” showing. It stuck out to me that such a ‘stickler’ would regularly use what I understood was slightly unconventional. I must not be alone, because there’s a thread about it 
Oh well, bigger things to worry about!
GM is ok without using keepers 
