Hanging cheek, half cheek ....

[KateWooten]

Is there such thing as a 'half cheek' bit ? If so, does the half a cheek go up or down ?

I have a bit that fits my Pony, but it's a hanging / baucher thingy and she doesn't need the poll pressure, so I was just wondering couldn't I just use it rigged as a regular snaffle with reins and cheekpieces both attached to the snaffle ring, then the little half-shanks would either hang down or up and I could pretend they were meant to be there ? What do you think ? Any problems with this idea ?

<<any major problems, that is, I daresay they'll pale into insignificance actually when compared with the full magnitude of the 'grand plan' ;) >>

[Iron Maiden]

I'm sure I've seen half cheek bits - like a full cheek but only with the top half of the cheek - but haven't seen one for sale for years. I would have thought that you could attach the cheek piece to the main bit ring of a hanging cheek although the hanging cheek widget might get in the way a bit, if it doesn't I'd say it's fine. I've ridden in a Dutch gag with both cheek piece & rein attached to the main bit ring so it acts as a snaffle, seemed fine that way.

[tasha]

Yes there is, we had a bit of a debate a while back, as lots of people didnt agree with my view that it can point up or down!

I wonder if the bit might spin a bit and not sit with it up or down, perhaps pointing forards or something? In the grand scheme of things you're not gonna do any harm giving it a try :)

http://www.miniexpress.com/images/bits/117_lg.jpg

ETA: Also with a hanging cheek there is v little poll action due to the positioning of the rein and mouthpiece, it gives it very little leverage. Could be worth a try, pony might like the lightness of the bit on the tongue :)

[KateWooten]

ok, ta ... yes, it would look like that tasha .. I'll try it with the pointy things downwards. I just need to check that the actual mouthpiece itself doesn't have a right and wrong way up, I guess. It's a french-link.

I'll late you know how it all pans out tomorrow. If I don't let you know then it didn't pan out too good ...... :o

[tasha]

I'll late you know how it all pans out tomorrow. If I don't let you know then it didn't pan out too good ......


How morbid!!! Im sure it'll be much better than that sounds!!

[KateWooten]

Have you met her though ? :eek:

[Est]

LOL KateWooten :D Hope we *do* hear back from you!
Upside down shouldn't be a problem, it will just mimic a half-spoon snaffle (like Tasha posted). It can put pressure against the lower jaw in direct reining. But I guess it would prevent the bit sliding in the mouth if doing a mounted O-R-S!
As said though, a lot of horse really like the feel and action of the hanging cheek so it could be worth experimenting on the ground and seeing what she appears comfortable with? My friend's horse has been ridden in one for a few months and has really settled in his mouth with it :)

[Ms Kitty]

The bit that Tasha posted a picture of is pretty much the most common bit used for trotracing in Finland. It's main duty is to stop the bit from going into the mouth whilst the drivers do their "driving" which more often is just janking the poor horses around.. :( (Can you tell I am not a big fan of trotracing even though we have had several racers and have breed and raced them..? :rolleyes: )

I have never seen anyone wear it with the shanks pointing upwards though.. Can't imagine how it wold affect the steerign or anything for that matter, but I don't think I'd be too willing to try.. :o

Nina x

[LMS]

Yes the 1/2 cheek is very popular in standardbred racing and it comes as a snaffle, straight bar & Dr. Bristol. The first 2 come in a rubber & flexi mouth as well as the regular stainless steel.

The bars hang down. Just like the picture demonstrates.

I'm sure your local tack store should be able to get one for you.

Here's a link to google images; click on enlarge image for the thumbnail at the top, you should see 2 trotters. The one one the left has a 1/2 cheek snaffle on.
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.le-cheval-bleu.com/kesacophedo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.le-cheval-bleu.com/eng/wild.htm&h=283&w=473&sz=34&hl=en&start=49&sig2=HjzPS0enMSJsJ8deAgzz3w&tbnid=l-OkeuvHMzroZM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=129&ei=9CNmRuOsE47ogAK1wYXSCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstandardbred%2Bracing%26start%3D40%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3D N

[jowyles]

The hanging cheek doesnt give poll pressure anyway

[tasha]

Have you tried it, Kate?

[KateWooten]

The hanging cheek doesnt give poll pressure anyway

Yes it does. Any bit where the rein pressure is offset from teh poll connection gives poll pressure.

YAY !! We rode out on Wednesday night, with the bit set up just as a snaffle, with teh half-cheeks hanging down and she did great.

Mind you, I didn't use the reins at all .... too scared to touch them really - mostly I just hung on to the pommel and wished I had a Tiny western saddle to sling on her. If I did, I think I would just get on and ride that Little One through it all because she's really scared of nothing, and nothing is going to happen. She's ok, once she's gone through each scary thing each time ... but for example, if you ride her, and she's good so you stroke her neck she freaks, then realises oh, it was just a stroke and she's fine with it after that for that ride. Then she'll freak about a low branch, or some long grass ... she has to go through a heart attack moment about everything. Now, I know this will all get so much easier for her - but only if I manage to stay on through her heart attacks. At the point where I come off, she really loses her mind - it's like that is the big trigger for her. My guess is that at some time when kids first started falling off herm then some overenthusiastic correction was applied. So now it's got to the point that the fear of throwing her rider off makes her tense up so much that she ends up throwing her rider off. Vicious circle isn't it ? But I can break it as long as I never come off her ... well, you know ... for as long as it takes to break the panic association.

Well, anyway, one ride done, no falling off. I'm going to wait til I can get Buddy1 again, on her own, and repeat the same thing. It will be a really slow thing, cos it will be at least a week ... but that's ok. We're building a whole new set of memories here ... slow but sure.

[Est]

Fantastic! Good for you and TP :)

[Styric]

Yes it does. Any bit where the rein pressure is offset from teh poll connection gives poll pressure.

Common misconception. The baucher actually doesn't give poll pressure. If it did, the ring that attatches to the cheek piece would have to have an oval or elongated shape. Being circular, the cheekpieces and reins simply rotate around instead of moving the bit itself. It is simply stabilized and suspended in the horse's mouth. It doesn't slide side to side or up and down.

To give poll pressure the cheek piece has to be held in one position so the bit itself rotates and draws the cheeks down. IE, kimberwick without the curb chain. The baucher does not.