Gag Bit Question

[CorazonLock]

Okay, I’m curious - can you use a Cheltenham gag as a regular snaffle, not using gag cheek pieces?

I ordered the gag bit separate from the cheek pieces and got the bit first. I rode in it like it was a snaffle last night, but I didn’t know if that was correct. Obviously, I will be riding with two sets of reins once the cheekpieces come in - horse goes very well in it, and I have a lot more torque between fences to get him to come back to me and off of his face. He’s built a little long and is hard to package. He will use this to his advantage when he gets excited jumping and will pull down and be difficult to adjust between fences.

[beowulf]

I guess you could and it would function like an eggbutt meaning no gag action… but… you wouldn’t be able to thread the hook/stud enclosure (or buckle end) of the bridle’s cheek-piece through the hole that the gag cheek pieces are designed to go through… meaning that it probably would not be the best idea because you would have to wrap the buckle end/hook stud end around the actual bit ring and at that point A. the notches from the gag hole would interfere with the sliding of the reins/cheek piece and B. at that point why not just get an eggbutt?

Or unless you were able to thread the leather through those holes? I’d be surprised, they’re very narrow and I imagine you’d have a hard time unless you had narrow leather bridle or very big bit… If you managed to do that, it’d function more like the Wonderbit. which is IMHO a very baby version of a gag.

If he is pulling down on you, why not try a waterford? It makes it harder for them to pull you out of the tack.

[CorazonLock]

@beowulf

I guess you could and it would function like an eggbutt meaning no gag action… but… you wouldn’t be able to thread the hook/stud enclosure (or buckle end) of the bridle’s cheek-piece through the hole that the gag cheek pieces are designed to go through… meaning that it probably would not be the best idea because you would have to wrap the buckle end/hook stud end around the actual bit ring and at that point A. the notches from the gag hole would interfere with the sliding of the reins/cheek piece and B. at that point why not just get an eggbutt?

Or unless you were able to thread the leather through those holes? I’d be surprised, they’re very narrow and I imagine you’d have a hard time unless you had narrow leather bridle or very big bit… If you managed to do that, it’d function more like the Wonderbit. which is IMHO a very baby version of a gag.

If he is pulling down on you, why not try a waterford? It makes it harder for them to pull you out of the tack.

I am going to use it as it’s intended use…the cheek pieces are just shipping out and I already have the bit so I was just curious because I am a lazy person and hate reattaching bits to bridles (and I tried it on my bridle to try it on my horse and configure). I guess I’ll have to reattach it anyway because of the cheek pieces lol…

My trainer just recommended a gag and had a few other bits down the line to try, but the gag worked great. I’ve ridden with two sets of reins in the past, and my horse respected the bit without being overly bitted. What kind of effect would the Waterford have as opposed to the gag? I trust my trainer implicitly so I just went with the gag because it worked out well, but I’ve considered the Waterford in the past. Is it dressage legal?

[BigMick]

Try the Stuuben Golden Wings Gag. This is a “4 in 1” bit that you can use with Rath gag cheeks or attach the rein directly to the bit in a number of ways.

https://shop.doversaddlery.com/stubben-golden-gag-horse-bit/p/X1-010474/

[beowulf]

if it’s just a holdover until you get the gag pieces, i can’t see the fault in using it the way you have… it just wont have the same effect, which i think you know.

the waterford isn’t dressage legal (the cheltenham isn’t either, even if you have it fixed the snaffle way), but it’s good for strong horses who want to pull you out of the tack or run away with you. i think it’s a good corrective measure without getting into poll pressure/leverage fights with the horse. it’s a little less strong than a cheltenham IME. you don’t get the same leverage/poll action.

my personal opinion, i think when you involve gags on horses that haul on you that it can backfire because then they just raise their head, fight the poll pressure and get hard-mouthed before the fence which IMHO is almost worse sometimes, especially over the bigger XC efforts that you need to take at a good clip. plenty of people do fine in the cheltenham, though. in most cases i go to gags as a last ditch effort. i’m not a huge fan of them because i find they make the horses even more resistant to contact/rein aids before the fence when the riders are trying to half-halt or slow them down… which… boils down to a flat-work problem.