I appreciated your insight last time I asked a mundane question regarding the color of a particular horse, so I’m back with another one.
Where do you attach your full cheek keepers on the cheek piece? I’ve always been taught that position 2 (as attached in the photo) is correct, but I’ve seen a fair amount of photos of them attached in different positions.
#2 as pictured.
You are not wrong.
#2 is the right spot.
I don’t understand how keepers could function as intended if attached in the #1 or #3 position.
#2 except for one full check myler I have where the full cheek shanks are not long enough (and are very skinny) to stay in the keeper in position #2.
For that bit I had to rig something up in position #1 using a replacement rubber keeper underneath the bit keeper to get it in a good position. Drives me nuts but the horse likes the bit. If I could find bit keepers with a very small loop for the shank it might work in position #2, but no luck so far.
You could find someone to make a pair. Shouldn’t be that hard. And the silly things are rather expensive for what they are (*) so how much more can it be?
(*) paid $15 at Dover bc we needed a pair to send a horse to a show. There are doubtless cheaper options.
That’s true! I guess it shows that while it annoys me, apparently it doesn’t annoy me enough to take the time to have someone modify a set. 
#2 is the only correct answer. 
The other one that makes me crazy is the little rubber donut for the standing martingale.
I have not bought one for quite a while, so I don’t even know what the price is these days. But I always felt like if you were buying a $300 martingale, they should throw in the freaking rubber donut for it. Lol.
Not to mention put the stupid thing on. That should be worth $50 of the martingale price.
Just out of curiosity, I looked on one of the tack shop websites. The rubber martingale donuts are now up to two dollars. But the straight plastic combs are still at one dollar. Yay.
I recently bought a martingale that has a leather center piece where the parts attach instead of needing the rubber stopper. It was more expensive than a normal martingale but worth every freaking penny to not have to finagle the stopper on.
Also the last time I had to buy full cheek keepers the first set I ordered were so massive the loops wouldn’t stay on any bit known to man. Then the second set I got had loops so tiny I couldn’t jam them over the ends of my bit at all. I could not win!
I once put one on while creeping up one of those traffic light-controlled freeway onramps.
The Goldilocks bit loops.
Link? Or pic?
Seriously this was the best $100 I’ve spent on tack ever. It also has a clip for the girth so taking it off for a hack class is easy.
Interesting, thanks!
Also, I just saw the rubber donuts listed for only fifty cents on a website. So apparently there’s a price range, even for that item.
I am way behind on this thread, but the answer is typically as you say, in position 2. But really, it all depends on the tack you are using. The correct place is where it fits best so the keeper is horizontal while in that correct place on the bit end.
#2, but I’ve seen #3 a lot recently.
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