Waterford Snaffle

[Gemma R]

Is there anyone out there that uses a waterford snaffle?

If you do - why did you get it and how useful do you find it for your horse?

My friend is thinking of getting one for her thoroughbred mare.

Could any one offer any other options to this bit?

[larri]

the Waterford is a very harsh bit - a chain link snaffle. If the horse is running from the contact or taking off a stronger bit may make her worse - can you be a bit more specific about the problems?

[Janice Corbett]

That's strange - I was told it was a very mild bit. I used one for my mare for a while because she used to take hold of a snaffle, and she had a dry mouth - the waterford stopped both of these problems. I now ride her in a Myler comfort snaffle - she is BRILLIANT in it!
Jx

[liz--y]

i agree with larri warterford snaffle is not a mid bit.
but it does encorage the horse to mouth and they cant grab hold of it to lean

[ros]

Yes, I agree - can be a good bit for SOME horses in the right hands; bad bit in the wrong hands. I've ridden in one in the past and it was fine, but nowadays I would always try a Pelham first before resorting to more unusual bits like the Waterford. Yes, it's supposed to be good for horses that lean on the bit, but I don't believe the bit itself is the solution to that particular problem.

[Gemma R]

My friends mare is NOT strong - we want something that encourages her into a nicer out line and stops her from leaning on the bit which she does quite heavily. there is NO WAY we would entertain putting a curb chain on her or something to over bit her!!

[Gemma R]

P.S ANY bit in the wrong hands can be a painful and uncomfortable experiance for any horses - don't you agree!!

[Gemma R]

Janice - what made you try the waterford then move on to the Myler???

You can e-mail me if you like my details are on here somewhere!!!!!

[Catherine]

I've just changed to a Waterford snaffle and am finding it a real boon. My horse is a 17 year old ex-racehorse who never actually hears the word "ex", and for whom no amount of schooling has stopped him from bu**ering off with me when doing faster fitness work.

He is 17.1hh, and has always been a leaner on any bit whatsoever, and can be extremely strong and very tantrummy; in an attempt to keep him in order, I tried three different types of pelham, as well as Dutch/three-ring gags but all to no avail, as he found the flexion action very difficult. He had tie-back surgery 9 years ago (pre-me)and has apparently quite a lot of scarring which inhibits him from bending and his airflow is not all it could be. So, I tried a cherry roller, which was a step in the right direction, and we've gone on to the waterford as he's got fitter. We can actually canter now, as opposed to walk, trot, leap and flat-out war-cry CHAAAAAAAARGE. And we don't have as bad a leaning problem, as he simply can't get the bit in the right place to use it as a prop for his forehand.

I must admit, with regard to needing to use it with caution, I did wait for my instructress to tell me I should try it as she felt I rode well enough. Yes, it looks like a lovely soft roundy knobbly thing, but it wraps round a bottom jaw far worse than anything else I can imagine! My general feeling is that a bit is only as mild or severe as the hands that are on the other end of the reins.

[Janice Corbett]

Hi Gemma - I have sent you an email - it's a bit long!
Janice

[Sarah]

hello!

Just to back up what Cahterine said.

Any bit can only be as strong or as nasty as the hands that use it. There are thousands of people who would say that using anythign but a standard snaffle is cruel to the horse, but every horse (and rider) is different in both their ability to ride (or be ridden) and their ability to hold their temper!

Catherine has done a lot of very good work with her horse Bally and is a very experienced rider, yet it is interesting to see that she still asked her teacher if she should change Bally's bit. Gemma, do you have a teacher (or other rider you trust) who would be able to suggest if the waterford may help your friend?

Also, a curb bit (or a bit with a curb such as a pelham used with two reins) may help if your horse has been deadened to the action of the snaffle. You may find that using the curb (with care) will ask the horse to relax and then soften so that you can then ride on the snaffle part of the pelham.

If your fried does not have a fully independent seat (ie is not relying on using her hands for balance) then I don't think either a waterford snaffle or a pelham is the answer here.

bye!

[Gemma R]

My friend and I have quite a lot of experiance between us but no one we know has ever used a waterford hence the reason for this string!!!

We where unsure exactly how it worked.

The reason she was thinking about changing her mares bit was because at the moment she is ridden in a loose ring snaffle and market harborough - she seems o.k in both items most of the time until being asked to slow or steady then she becomes VERY heavy on Emmas hands and shakes her head sideways to try to evade the marker harborough - this doesn't happen all the time - only when Crack gets over excited for some reason - if she is being left behind.

She seems to respond to the snaffle quite well - doesn't try to evade the bit at all - but she does lean VERY heavily. We thought the waterford (from what we read) was mild only encouraging the horse to not lean. Which is the effect we are after - if this is not the case then obviously we wouldn't just shove it in her mouth!!

Does any one know of a mild bit that does encourage the horse not to lean!! which is our goal :)

Hope this makes sense!!!!!!! ;)

[Gemma R]

We are hoping to remove the market harborough as well :)

[Maria]

If she's leaning then your friend must be giving her something to lean against. Does your friend have regular lessons with someone - perhaps this is something that she can work on with her instructor?

Try this link for more information about the Waterford snaffle:

www.kangaroobits.com/snaffle.htm

But to be quite honest - if it was me, I'd tackle the problem by having some lessons with a good instructor and sticking to a simple jointed snaffle.

Maria

[larri]

I would suggest a cherry roller - the rollers should prevent her fixing her mouth on the bit and it's a lot milder that the waterford.

Is there a local bit bank that you can hire from?

This might sound odd but have you tried doing in hand work to engage her hocks and lighten her forehand? exercises like rein back and turn on the quarters really help the horse with this.

[cvb]

I tried a Waterford with my veteran with no brakes - after reading an excellant book on bits and how they work. (called something like "Bit of Magic"... ?)

This book breaks down how each bit acts, so you can really understand what part of each bit is 'good' or 'bad'.

The Waterford is 'mild' in that it has many joints so acts a bit like a rubber bit in fitting round the tongue etc. The 'harsh' bit is the fact that it has lumps on it, so has pressure points.

A normal snaffle can have quite a strong nutcracker effect, which some horses really dislike.

What was the result ? This is a pony that when I first bought him had a gag snaffle (lifted his head), a running martingle (to keep his head down), and a drop noseband (to stop him arguing about it). Added to that the gag was being ridden on one rein only. He is extremely strong and figures that life should be lived at high speed.

He seemed quite happy in the Waterford, didn't lean, did stop. But I confess I didn't use it often because I was worried how the lumpy bits might affect the corners of his mouth.

I'm trying to find that book on web so will post later if I succedd.

[ros]

Gemma - curb chains are not painful to the horse if used correctly, which applies to any bit. It's only the hands that use them that cause pain. Some of the old masters suggest that the curb "prepares the horse for the snaffle".

If your friend is having the problems you describe but the mare is "not strong" then it sounds as though it's more a question of changing her schooling than changing her bit. But that's just my opinion and it's very difficult to say without actually seeing what's going on.

[larri]

You could also try looking on www.bitbank.co.uk
they have just about every bit available and will give advice over the phone during office hours - they run a trial system where you pay for the bit and then trial it for two weeks - if it's not right they take it back and send you a different one until you get the right bit for your horse.
Never tried it but it sounds like a good deal.

[Maria]

I've used the Bit Bank. Heather is an excellent source of advice and she changed a KK training snaffle for me because the first one didn't fit. So you can actually try the bit in your horse's mouth - ride in it for 7 days - and still exchange it if it isn't right.

Maria

[cvb]

"A Bit of Magic" by Alixe Etherington was a book available from Your Horse some time ago. There's no ISBN so it does not seem to have been "published" as such.

Alixe defines the Waterford as 'strong' rather than severe.

The risk with a cherry roller type bit is that it is very difficult to manufacture the rollers so that there is only rotation, and no sideways movement between the pieces. If there is sideways movement, there is a risk they will pinch the horse's tongue - a risk which increases as the bit wears and the lateral movement gets bigger.

[Sue Carnell]

Most of the horses that I've known who were ridden in a Market Harborough have ended up leaning. It's usually a combination of the riding that meant the market was used in the first place and the action of this martingale which does encourage leaning. Chances are your friend's horse will lean less if she takes off the Market Harborough and it's nothing to do with the bit. Why did she use the Market Harborough originally? Why does her horse get left behind? Is she trying to hold her back to play galloping catch up? If she uses a waterford and either pulls or saws on it she could damage her horse's mouth. As has already been said, it depends on the hands as to how mild or severe the bit is, she may want to try other alternatives as suggested, rather than trying a waterford and maybe try something to solve the problem that caused your friend to use the market harborough instead. Hope this helps.

Sue Carnell
sue@eclipse.co.uk

[LindaAd]

I think the book comes from Kangaroo bits.... Alix E is a director of Kangaroo. But I can't find anything on their website that tells you how to get it. Perhaps you should email them?