[drivingpairs] Fixed or Loose Cheek Bits



I respect Kathy a lot and always like her thoroughly thought through and 
explained posts. I think this is one of the very rare times were we disagree. I 
think her thoughts  come from riding, where it's fine, but I think in driving 
you don't really lead a horse around the turn by the bit, as the reins always 
come from the terrets to the horses mouth, so you have no hand to influence it 
there.  But - having said that - there is nothing better then something that 
works. So if it works for Brian and Kathy, sure, I wouldn't change it either, 
so 
I agree with her last statement. Plus her suggestions of the bit guards are 
good. For me, the fixed cheeks seem to work better for the reasons previously 
stated, but also to have everything a bit tidier and not so much lose stuff 
flopping around.  When driving a pair or even four, I don't think we still have 
as much direct individual communication with each horse and each side of his 
mouth as when driving single (that's why I don't use snaffles in multiples 
either). Everything in the multiple needs to be a bit more together as a unit, 
and 
for me, the swivel cheeks are too much individual distraction from the unit. 
But, as Kathy  also says, what ever works, works.  Works for me :-).
Hardy

In a message dated 11/21/2006 11:08:09 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> 
> 
> I am a little behind on my posts, but did want to
> comment on bit cheeks.  
> 
> We use the loose sided cheeks for all our Multiples. 
> We feel it gives more "leading" ability to the rein. 
> Driven horses are actually "led around" by the side of
> the mouth for doing corners, circles.
> 
>  Having ridden Western a great many years, I
> discovered that neck reining only worked if the horse
> responded to my leg and weight of rein against his
> neck.  We all used fixed sided bits, like the COWBOYS
> did!  Short or long shanked, port mouthed, they were
> solid, one-piece bits.  If horse ignored me directing
> his neck reining, there was not really any bend in him
> or neck, when I pulled that inside rein on a fixed
> sided bit.  The whole bit would twist in his mouth, or
> pull crookedly because it was a one-unit piece.  No
> give anyplace.  A rein-pull put the whole thing off
> balance.  I could not even FORCE a bend or break in
> his body line, to show him how to correctly turn using
> that fixed side bit.  You can stop a horse with fixed
> sides pretty well, not a whole lot else as well as
> other bits we now use.
> 
> Swivel sided bits where later hailed as a HUGE step in
> increasing communication with the horse.
> 
> Training a young animal then, we started with ring
> snaffles to teach them to follow the rein, bend for
> circles.  Getting the idea of bending into a young
> horse can be frustration defined!  They like going
> straight.  There was a LOT of training between the
> snaffle bit and a finished horse who ACUTUALLY DID
> neck rein in the fixed sided bit!  So many methods,
> tricks, to develop that horse who was fluid,
> responsive to the rider.  Time involved was huge to
> get a responsive animal.  
> 
> Having the swivel sides, bit selection now available,
> a trainer can easily communicate to the horse the idea
> of bend, flex, thru the neck, throatlatch area, to get
> the whole body correctly bent for circles, turns.  It
> shortens training time, frustration for the trainer
> and horse is much diminished because there is not that
> stopping point that fixed bit created.
> 
> I am a big fan of bit guards.  These would be the
> rubber rings that sit inside the bit cheeks.  They
> come in colors as well as black, chestnut.  We added
> the bit rings to the driving bits to prevent any lip
> pinching, curb chain grabbing, from EVER happening.  I
> have seen a lot of riding horses get chin or skin
> pinched between curbstrap and bit sides.  Loosejaw
> bits may grab skin as the horse mouths the bit.  With
> some horses bit rings prevent grabbing bit sides and
> pulling it into the mouth.
>  Bit rings prevent the pinching of lip when swivel
> sided Liverpool bit is used on the ring setting,
> behind the mouthpiece.  When ring pulls out from the
> side, the bit guard pads and protects the front of
> face from front ring pressure.  We find horses
> lighter, more responsive, bendable, with the swivel
> sides.  Pull is changed because the whole bit is not
> moving in mouth like a fixed sided bit.  For us, the
> swivel sides are nicer.
> 
> I actually have the bit guards on all our bits, ridden
> or driven.  No chance of pinches from any part of the
> bit.  I order the bits a fraction larger, 1/4", of
> measured mouth sizes.  Guards are unobtrusive in black
> on bay horses, never a factor in using the horse.  Who
> knows how many pinches have been prevented over the
> years?  Pretty inexpensive insurance.
> 
> Get the guards very warm by soaking before trying to
> put them on bits.  Microwave is not as successful as
> very hot water soaks.
> 
> Horses will work with whatever bit driver/rider wants
> to use.  We have just been much happier with horses
> going in swivel sided bits over the years, ridden or
> driven.  We think the greater finesse possible, with
> moving sides, is the reason.
> 
> Kathy Robertson
> 
> 



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