Long reining

[Joyscarer]

Is it ok to long rein in an unjointed hanging cheek bit?

I ride Joy in a cambridge mouthed pelham but I don't have curb reins atached and just use the snaffle rein and do up the curb as loose as it will go just for show.

I do this because she goes well enough in what equates to a hanging cheek cambridge and doesn't need the curb action but nobody makes a hanging cheek cambridge so I'll continue to do this until I can justify the expense of having one made.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't long rein in an unjointed hanging cheek?

The reason I ask is because I have been advised by someone I respect to go back to using her french link which she didn't get on with and the swap to the unjointed was remarkable.

I don't see how long reining in the bit she didn't get on with could be beneficial so is there any reason why I shouldn't be long reining in the unjointed hanging cheek set up? :confused:

[shandy84]

I can't see it would be a problem, I will admit I have never longreined in such a bit but a normal hanging cheek snaffle I have and that seemed fine :confused: I always believed longreining was to improve schooling and if you have a bit in there she hates that isn't going to happen :confused:

[Joyscarer]

I can't see it would be a problem, I will admit I have never longreined in such a bit but a normal hanging cheek snaffle I have and that seemed fine :confused: I always believed longreining was to improve schooling and if you have a bit in there she hates that isn't going to happen :confused:

Yeah that's what I thought too but then I'm often wrong! :rolleyes:

I'll trust my instincts and continue as I have been. Thanks shandy :)

[posie]

agree with above - from what i've been taought/lead to believe - you use the same bit as you intend to/or do ride them in....
i'd go with your instincts - you know your horse better than anyone. x

[laceyfreckle]

i would agree with whats alreadybeen posted but just to add, if she likes the cambridge mouthpiece have you tried her in a kimblewick? she might like that being cambridge mouthpiece plus you can just have the curb done up loosly on that too:)

lace is the same and prefers a cambridge mouthpiece.

[Iron Maiden]

I'm a bit inclined to unwittingly haul on longlines (probably because Mrs P usually tootles off to have a munch on a tree at some point :o), so I prefer to use something milder to longline in that isn't going to hurt her if I get hamfisted. For this reason I always longline her in a Dually rather than a bit. I see no reason why you shouldn't use the unjointed hanging cheek, it's certainly not a harsh bit & if she is controllable, why should there be a problem?

[gordysgirl]

I don't see why it would be a problem, like Iron Maiden however I find sometimes I can be a little heavier that I would be normally as again Gord will often just ignore my aids & walk straight through them. Whilst I often hack in a continental gag, I only ever longrein & lunge in a snaffle.

[Joyscarer]

Joy is an absolute babe for me on the ground so no control issues :D


...if she likes the cambridge mouthpiece have you tried her in a kimblewick? she might like that being cambridge mouthpiece plus you can just have the curb done up loosly on that too:)



I did think about that as another option but I don't see the point in swapping to something else with a curb we don't need.

The only benefit I would get from swapping to the kimblewick is that I wouldn't look like a numpty that doesn't know how to use a pelham and it would look neater. Tbh that doesn't really bother me, I'm happy to look like a numpty and I can't see her mouth when I'm riding! :p

I will get around to having a hanging check because the impression most people would have from seeing JOy ridden in either the pelham minus curb rein and loose curb chain or the kimblewick with loose chain is that Joy needs extra stopping power - she doesn't and so my pride dictates that a plain old hanging cheek is needed to satisfy my sensitivities and give the right impression of my horse :o

Sad I know! :rolleyes:

[laceyfreckle]

Joy is an absolute babe for me on the ground so no control issues :D




I did think about that as another option but I don't see the point in swapping to something else with a curb we don't need.

The only benefit I would get from swapping to the kimblewick is that I wouldn't look like a numpty that doesn't know how to use a pelham and it would look neater. Tbh that doesn't really bother me, I'm happy to look like a numpty and I can't see her mouth when I'm riding! :p

I will get around to having a hanging check because the impression most people would have from seeing JOy ridden in either the pelham minus curb rein and loose curb chain or the kimblewick with loose chain is that Joy needs extra stopping power - she doesn't and so my pride dictates that a plain old hanging cheek is needed to satisfy my sensitivities and give the right impression of my horse :o

Sad I know! :rolleyes:

no problem, just thought i'd mention it as a option. :) i did find it really hard to find a hanging cheek with a cambridge mouth though which is why i got a kimblewick in the end lol. just thought i'd mention though that Lace is the same as Joy in that she doesn't need a stronger bit either just prefers the cambridge mouthpiece. her kimblewick is one of the non-slotted ones. There is a magic bit as well (cambridge snaffle) which is a cambridge mouthpiece snaffle with no curb. but the bit rings are quite small which would put me off them on a bigger horse. i haven't ever tried Lace in a pelham though admittedly.

i've long reined in a kimblewick as well as various snaffles,

[Joyscarer]

We're definately thinking along the same lines. :cool:

I'll bimble about as I am for the moment until I fancy a change :D