Love the chrome! Cute head for sure! I don’t blame you for wanting to show it off!
[QUOTE=CR Gorge Girl;6367481]
The ear doesn’t make the bridle stay on better. The ear loops are loose and in no way make the bridle harder to take off.[/QUOTE]
While I realize that, I’m talking about the bridles that are SOLELY a piece of leather running from one bit side to the other bit side: no ear loops, no browband, no throatlatch.
[QUOTE=HydroPHILE;6376734]
While I realize that, I’m talking about the bridles that are SOLELY a piece of leather running from one bit side to the other bit side: no ear loops, no browband, no throatlatch.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I know. Otherwise known as bosal hangers, belt headstalls…etc. The only difference between those and a one-ear is the ear loop that does nothing to help the bridle stay on.
[QUOTE=CR Gorge Girl;6376852]
Yes, I know. Otherwise known as bosal hangers, belt headstalls…etc. The only difference between those and a one-ear is the ear loop that does nothing to help the bridle stay on.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, but I’ve seen entirely too many accidents of bridles being pulled off to use one of those (versus one-ears being pulled off so easily.) That was my point.
Y’all made me think. I use a one eared bridle regardless of bit, including on snaffles. True that horses can rub them off more easily or snag them more easily, but the concept that they shouldn’t be used w/snaffles (as opposed to curb bits) because of bit action made me pay attention when working my gelding yesterday (D ring snaffle) and mare today (D ring waterford).
But. On contact or off, collection or not, backing up, turns on forehand and haunches, a little spiraling to combine forehand/haunch work, backing up, whatever. Headstall never budged or developed a whit of slack. So I am having trouble visualizing how that can occur, again, regardless of bit. I am thinking I would have had to haul darned hard on either horse’s mouth, at a really, really awkward angle, to get that one eared headstall to budge.
Not being critical, just reporting my observations. I use both one eared w/o throatlatch and browband/throatlatch bridles randomly, depending on my mood but not depending on the bit (or bosal, it happens that both of those headstalls are browband w/feador which is my preference w/bosal).
I guess it’s a little like the critiques I get from some trainers from time to time about not using a curb strap on my snaffle ‘to prevent the bit from sliding all the way through a horse’s mouth.’ Well, first of all, I’ve observed that those straps are so loose, they aren’t going to stop a snaffle end from going into or through mouth, and second, geez, I have never been in a situation even with horses being started where I’d even be hauling hard enough for a bit to slide that far. Not to mention zillions of miles hunting English in snaffles w/o that sort of thing occurring.
Now, of course, back in my western pleasure show days, folks were not above pulling a one eared bridle off of a competitor’s horse’s head while innocently loping on by. But only if said competitor had committed some equally egregious breach of etiquette like cutting someone off or trying to rattle a stallion with one’s mare. But that’s a whole 'nother story, sorry to digress. And I never personally did that.
I have steadfastly refused to ever use that leather curb strap on a snaffle.
That is a useless piece of extra equipment that just bangs around under there.
Has to be very annoying to horses.
Have never had to haul around on a horse enough to pull the snaffle thru their mouth anyway and, like you say, that loose strap there would not be much help for that either.
Use D ring snaffles if that is a concern.
I grew up with instructors/horsemen that taught us to first question what we do and why, then proceed when what we do makes sense.
It may or not work, but what we do has to make sense up front.
That curb there doesn’t.
I had never seen that in Europe, only found it when I came to the SW.
I inspected it, thought about it and decided it was a regional tradition.
That loose, leather curb strap on a snaffle seems to be utterly superfluous.
The curb on a snaffle  and so I checked the rulebook for clarification. Also stated was that a curb used on a snaffle is optional, but if one is used it must be leather or nylon, and placed below the reins on the bit ring. The know-it-all insisted that the curb be behind/above where the reins are attached to the ring (so if you applied rein, the curb would lift because of the rein action).
This is how they are applied correctly if you so choose to use one:
[IMG]http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff2/agonyaw/Public%20Album/Snaffle.jpg)
[QUOTE=Bluey;6378552]
I have steadfastly refused to ever use that leather curb strap on a snaffle.
That is a useless piece of extra equipment that just bangs around under there.
Has to be very annoying to horses.
Have never had to haul around on a horse enough to pull the snaffle thru their mouth anyway and, like you say, that loose strap there would not be much help for that either.
Use D ring snaffles if that is a concern.
I grew up with instructors/horsemen that taught us to first question what we do and why, then proceed when what we do makes sense.
It may or not work, but what we do has to make sense up front.
That curb there doesn’t.
I had never seen that in Europe, only found it when I came to the SW.
I inspected it, thought about it and decided it was a regional tradition.
That loose, leather curb strap on a snaffle seems to be utterly superfluous.[/QUOTE]
I’m with you on that. I have rode english since I was little and when I started riding western I couldn’t figure out why they felt like they needed the leather strap. The only reason I own one is because I felt like I had to have one to show in if I used a snaffle bit. Very pointless.
I have steadfastly refused to ever use that leather curb strap on a snaffle.
That is a useless piece of extra equipment that just bangs around under there.
Has to be very annoying to horses.
Have never had to haul around on a horse enough to pull the snaffle thru their mouth anyway and, like you say, that loose strap there would not be much help for that either.
Use D ring snaffles if that is a concern.
Bluey, I am quite convinced that you have enough horsemanship skills that you’ve never had to haul on a horse enough to pull the bit through the mouth. 
That has been made obvious through your past posts.
But I HAVE seen it happen, and with a D Ring or Eggbutt snaffle, too, though a loose-ring snaffle is the worst. Having the bit partway through the mouth is a lot more uncomfortable and alarming to a horse than a bit of leather dangling below the chin.
One horse in question had a somewhat troubled past with really pulling/leaning on the bit, and was thinking to start to rear. The rider in question was a Ray Hunt-schooled fellow who got the horse well back in hand, happy and responsive.
We put the hobble strap on the bridle and fixed that particular problem.
Yes, it does do the trick, if it isn’t adjusted really loose. A snaffle bit hobble strap is made not so long as a curb strap, though you can use a curb strap if you need to.
The only snaffle bit I wouldn’t use the hobble strap with, would be a full-cheek.
Yep! I’ve used the nail polish trick ever since I lost a Chicago screw halfway through a day long Alabama Wagon Train ride (years ago). Luckily, the horse I was riding had a good whoa and I had twine with me, too.
I have to say, I usually get so paranoid about Chicago screws that I just use a thin piece of leather to tie it. You couldn’t show that way, of course, but I just generally trail ride.
Yea me! I did order it and it’s exactly the same as the pictured product except it doesn’t have chicago screws - it has leather ties.
[QUOTE=alabama;6380413]
I have to say, I usually get so paranoid about Chicago screws that I just use a thin piece of leather to tie it. You couldn’t show that way, of course, but I just generally trail ride.[/QUOTE]
You can use leather to tie them, I have never seen a rule that says if you’re showing you must have chicago screws holding your bit on.
Well, for the record, I really just meant if you just tied it through the hole for the chicago screw without making a separate hole to make it look nice, it would probably look too messy. I didn’t describe it very well.
