Long rein

[rabbitsfizz]

Funny, I can see Minimors point about a full cheek in racing- as said I had never considered it's use there but can see it could be dangerous, but in riding, cumbersome??

No, not at all, I have to disagree there on an ordinary riding horse it is no more "cumbersome " than any other bit!!

And of course it has the advantage of applying light pressure to the side of the mouth.

Looking at some recent pictures on this Forum of driving horses I can see it would not be the bit of choice for showing a Mini, but surely by the time you have reached show ring standard- or at least the standard these pictured horses have reached, you no longer need even a half cheek ??

I am only querying as, as I have said, I have not seen one over here except on imported harnesses of course, I have only seen liverpools or straight snaffles- I was just wondering how it became "the " Mini bit- does everyone just automatically use it??

It does seem a neat little bit.

 

[Minimor]

Jane, over here the half cheek is the driving bit of choice for all ponies and light horse breeds. Morgans pretty much all drive in half cheeks, though mouthpieces on the bits vary; other breeds are the same. Some Morgans show in a Liverpool or Buxton, at least in carriage classes; once in awhile you will see a pleasure driving horse in a liverpool or buxton, but only the snaffle rein position is allowed, and those bits would be only on those horses being shown to a wooden wheeled cart with collar style harness.

Many of our local fairs have rules that specify driving horses must be shown in half cheek bits.

As for Miniatures, AMHR rules expressly forbid the use of liverpools--"bits must be snaffle type, no liverpools"

Around here you often hear the half cheek snaffles referred to as "driving bits"; you just don't see anyone driving a horse in anything else. If on the odd occasion someone does drive in an ordinary snaffle, it's around home only; if they come out to a show that way--maybe not a Mini so much, I don't know about that, but if it's a big horse--it would be considered by many to be kind of a hick turnout. It's just not the thing to do.

Tradition maybe?