advice on bit please (probably too long)

Dizzy Woo

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2008
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OH purchased Mr Bentley (MW Irish draught) to keep me company 3 or 4 years ago, rode him once or twice and decided it was not for him but that was fine cos I had a good friend who rode him out with me :dance: he was a lovely boy - rode in a snaffle and really well behaved.
Anyhow for one reason or another friend couldnt ride him for about a year and he became a field ornament with an occasional groom of guilt from OH or odd tootle round the field.
OH has now found a young lady who is loaning him but he is still in our field. Young lady has had it explained he hasnt done much work for a good year and will need to be bought back gently - he was only passed for light hacking when we got him - Mr Bentley initially seemed so much happier that he was getting his fare share of attention again and we were really happy with young lady but (finally get on to the bit bit) he has tanked off a couple of times with her, which is not something he ever used to do, he is also napping, have explained he needs time to regain his confidence - he never used to go out alone either - but she has now bought him a 3 link gag - my daughter who knows a lot more than me says it is a really cruel bit unless young lady knows exactly what she is doing.
My gut feeling is its early days, Mr B just needs to get to know young lady and build up a trust and if he used to be ok in a snaffle then he will be again if she is willing to put in a bit of work.
Any thoughts?
I am planning to go out with her once a week for a gentle hack over ground we used to do with my friend as I dont think his 'behaviour' should be steamrollered over by just using a stronger bit - or am I just a soft, thick old whoosy
 
Personally I don't think a 3-ring gag is a really cruel bit... if the reins are on the bit ring then there will be a bit of poll pressure but it's only a rider's hands that make a bit cruel (I will admit that there are bit exceptions to this, of course but in the main.....) If this girl isn't particularly heavy-handed I would let her try Mr Bentley in it as it may just give her the confidence she needs... then she can revert to the snaffle once he's more used to being out and settles down. My old cob mare leaned like fury on a 3-ring snaffle... I had a neck and shoulders like Popeye until I realised what was happening :redface:
 
Agreed, on the normal snaffle ring, it is just like a hanging cheek.

If it were me, I would ride on the snaffle ring, with a second set of reins on a lower ring "just in case".

If it gives her the means to school him safely while out - then let her try it. If it were in a school, I would probably say otherwise unless she was at risk - which she would be if he tanked off on a hack and ran in to a road for example.
 
I too don't see the three ring gag as cruel UNLESS she only has it on the bottom ring and is using a heavy contact at all times, then I would expect any normal sane horse to play a bit of pogo with his rider.

If it's on the snaffle ring then I wouldn't worry. I brought a french link pelham for the same purpose after I got scared on my cob (found out the reason for him being a prat - local crab flies :mad:) but I only use the snaffle ring, in the early days when I wanted the saftey I put roundings on with an elastic curb, however he is a totally different horse anyway in the pelham and goes much nicer and my hands are even lighter as a result than when he was in the egg butt snaffle which I found out from the dentist anwyay due to the conformation of his mouth, the french link is the best suited to him anyway.

Sorry I rambled a bit there :eek:
 
Have you had his teeth checked since he has come back into work? And a 3 ring gag isn't cruel. Especially if you are only riding on the big rings - the lower you go down the more poll pressure you engage, so really nothing much more than a Myler with hooks.
 
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