# Difference between Side & Over Check



## Becky Horat (Jan 7, 2013)

I know this is a very sore subject for a lot of people. But I would like feedback from those that USE checks for breed show driving. I am interested in your opinion between the side check and over check and getting the "most" out of your horse with these checks. What do you prefer? I know it differs from each horse, but what is your reason for using one or another? I drive Classic horses and am experimenting on using the overcheck. I've always used the sidecheck for the most part.

For those that DON"T like checks, please don't debate this subject, as I understand your reasoning. We do a lot of trail driving and do not use checks. I'm only talking breed show driving here, please.


----------



## disneyhorse (Jan 7, 2013)

Here is an old reply that I just copy paste to Save myself time...

Disneyhorse, July 28, 2006:

There is not a lot of difference in the checkrein styles if your horse isn't checked up very high. For every day pleasure driving or for the Country Pleasure classes, the horse shouldn't have a lot of contact with the check for him/her to really feel it and for it to have any adverse effect on how the horse carries his head.

Now, when you get in the classes where your check is rather tight, the style of check may affect the horse.

Consider the placement of the checks:

The side check attaches to the bit below the cheeckpiece, and runs up to the ear. When the horse hits the check, there is a direct pull into the horse's mouth, the bit will pull towards the molars if that makes sense. The horse's nose will freely be able to swing at the throat pivot if that makes any sense.

The over check runs between the ears and down the face and attaches to the bit above the cheeck piece. When the horse hits the bit, there is a slight pull UPWARD in the horse's mouth, not towards the molars quite as much but more towards the roof of the mouth. The horse thusly will be a little less inclined to swing it's nose towards it's chest, unlike the sidecheck which allows for freeer movement.

That said, you will have to consider the individual horse and how it carries it's head and neck, and how it's headset is.

I like the sidecheck for most horses, particularly green ones. It does not impede their headset as their nose is free to swing whereever it likes. It is a fairly comfortable check as horses don't get their heads wrenched up as high with a side check. It helps horses learn to "tuck" their heads because the overcheck sort of works against that. And "just for looks' sake" the sidechecks tend to "look prettier" because you don't have all the leather straps all over their face smile.gif

However, some horses go better in an overcheck. The overcheck helps pull the head up higher than the sidecheck if you are looking to check your horse up very high (as long as the horse is properly built with a high enough neckset!). Some horses tend to get behind the bit (they tuck their nose in too much and the nose goes towards the chest) and an overcheck is more ideal for that situation. You will see overchecks a lot in the draft horse breed, where picking the head up HIGH is more of a priority than setting the head, and in breeds that are BRED to drive like hackneys, where they are BRED to have a super high neckset and an extreme headset where an overcheck doesn't impede the headset due to the horses' natural conformation.

I actually think that conformation plays a big part in check selection, because how they carry their head naturally will depend on how the check will aid or hinder what you are working for.

So there you go, I don't know if that helps you any. It's a minor selection, but you may find a horse goes better in one than another. I have a friend who drove in an overcheck and fought a bit with the horse... they switched to a sidecheck and the horse went happy as a clam.

Those are just some of my opinions that you may want to consider. I'm sure there's more I haven't thought of , I am interested to see what others have to say.

ADDED NOW: It was brought up later in the post to additionally check the show rules for the classes/registry you are showing. Some driving classes require NO checks. In the Shetland Pony classes it specifices which checkrein to use, for instance I think it's overchecks only on the Modern Roadster ponies.

I hope that helps!

Andrea


----------



## Becky Horat (Jan 7, 2013)

Thank you. This is mostly what I see in the obvious differences. I have felt more comfortable with the side check as to not restrict the flexion as much. I see so many use the over check, including the Classic division, and am curious as to why. I hear a lot mentioned on horses like to balance on a check, and I'm still trying to see/feel this and understand it. Of course I understand there is so much more than just the 'check' and a lot on the horse's natural ability to move/carry itself, as well as training and conditioning. Just grasping for more information.

Thanks again.


----------



## ckmini (Jan 7, 2013)

Becky Horat said:


> I hear a lot mentioned on horses like to balance on a check, and I'm still trying to see/feel this and understand it.


Some horses tend to lean into their checks and balance their head and necks on them, personally I think this happens when a horse is started in a check too early. All of my driving horses learn to drive and carry themselves without a check, however, that being said it *can* take a long time to get that correct balance without the check there. All of what Andrea said is great information as far as the differences, which one you choose is determined by your horses conformation and the way they tend to hold themselves while driving (which can be a trial-and-error process).


----------



## hobbyhorse23 (Jan 10, 2013)

Becky Horat said:


> I see so many use the over check, including the Classic division, and am curious as to why. I hear a lot mentioned on horses like to balance on a check, and I'm still trying to see/feel this and understand it.


The overcheck creates a very steady headset as the horses get used to the steady contact and support and learn to trust it. They relax and put their heads where the check tells them to and don't have to do anything but keep it there and walk or trot and turn as directed. If I were a horse, I think I'd find that very soothing! The overcheck is also neater in appearance along the neck than the sidecheck, especially a loose one. My guess would be that's one reason why you see it on Classic horses, and also because it keeps the horse from overflexing as he lengthens that neck and perhaps begins to dive for the ground and run forward rather than keeping his weight on his hindquarters.

You may have trouble seeing/feeling the balance issue as your own horses (from what I've seen of them) do not use the check for balance. When I was younger I saw a lot of horses that were trained with a tight check right from day one and where you'd really see it was when you tried to take the check off. They might look externally the same without the check but they'd lean on your hands like a freight train looking for that support and had no idea how to hold themselves up without leaning. There's also a difference between "holding yourself up" as in maintaining the same superficial outline without the check, which many horses can do, and "holding yourself up" as in maintaining self-carriage and balance without leaning on your driver. People use that phrase different ways and it can cause confusion.

Leia

Edited to add: This last show season I was surprised to find that rather than fitting nicely in Country, my Single Pleasure-bred colt was actually the perfect Classic horse and I was forced to bump Kody back up to Country so I could show them both. Kody has always been fussy with his head and when he gets super-charged in the ring he tends to massively overflex so I pulled out the overcheck that came with his harness years ago and put it back on. I only got to work him in it for a few sessions before other things interferred and we went back to trail driving, but I found as long as I warmed him up thoroughly first so he was using his hindquarters and already elevating his neck he actually worked very well in the overcheck. He didn't _like_ it, mind you, but he steadied up and looked very fancy! LOL. If I put it on him right from the start he immediately hollowed out, trailed his hind end and worked terribly upside down but if I had him already rounding I could put on the check and ask him to work up into it and coil his hind end and he'd do so. I was planning to teach him that when the check went on it was time to snort fire and as soon as it came off it was time to calm down and work nicely, but we didn't get that far.


----------

