Female Jockeys

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Yet the problem is that a lot of people don't have good hands or even know what they are using when putting such bits in. You must have seen lads yanking their mouths around tetley, it's constant. The vast majority of lads wouldn't have the first idea about bitting; they just stick on the bridle they're given and merrily hang on their mouth or pull them around, jab them in the mouth, and so on. So the bits are used more often for purposes of laziness - nevermind trying to get it settled, or trying to ride it properly, let's just whack more metal in its gob. Job done.
 
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Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying ring bits shouldn't be used. I do despair though at how widespread their use is since nowadays it seems to be a case of whacking one in anything that might be a little strong rather than trying to settle it or changing riders to someone who can hold it. They are also often used by people who have no idea of the severity of the bit they have on the end of the reins they are merrily yanking away on.

Ten years ago they weren't seen very often - many people didn't know what they were! - and you'd not often see bits other than snaffles on horses, especially at home.
 
I always understood that if you want to stop a horse from pulling use the mildest bit possible as they do not then have anything to lean and pull, on enabling you to work them into the correct outline with your seat and leg.
 
That's all well and good, but on the gallops or on a racecourse you're not using your seat and leg in the same way, nor are you going for an outline! It depends on the type of puller a horse is; some pullers go better in a rubber bit however that doesn't always work. Don't forget riding racehorses is very different to schooling a riding horse.
 
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I don't agree most of the racehorses I have seen improve do so when going in a better outline and they don't appear to get so many injuries. A lot of trainers now have people to re school animals with bad habits etc. because of these factors. I understood that the difference in training a horse to gallop (as oppose to say a showing hunter class, where the horse still has to gallop to show that pace,) is about stamina and maintaining speed in that gait, the TB has been bred to achieve the best at it.
 
There's a difference between having a well schooled animal and using your seat and legs to obtain an outline when galloping, Toobe. For starters, your seat is nowhere near the saddle when galloping and you're riding short so the legs aren't used in the same way as when riding long. WHy would you want them in an outline for galloping? You want them to stretch out, not be collected and with their hindlegs underneath them!

I'd agree that when riding at walk and trot it is preferable to have them come down into some kind of outline but I'm not sure quite what you're saying about racehorses 'improving' for going in a better outline - improving how? They're not going to be in an outline when cantering or galloping either - it's not the object of the game to look pretty.
 
I can liken Toobe's comments to when I give a horse a nice steady canter and I do mean steady, get their heads down and get their hocks underneath them, preferably uphill, their breathing is very rythmical with a little snort everytime they breath out.
 
When galloping short, weight ratio and distribution become your seat and legs and has the same effect if utilised correctly as riding long, the riders weight whether short or long is still directly connected to the horses back and having influence through the horses spinal column, which is its central nervous system, hence the reason dressage riders can influence their mounts by simply dropping seat bones etc.. Jocks would not go down into driving the horse if this were not the case. When a horse gallops the engine is still from behind, the horse does not pull itself along and still propels itself from the hind quarters. Its how they get the kick of speed.
 
Toobe I don't follow what you're saying, we've gone from going in an outline to galloping, I'm talking racing pace here, two very different propositions. Your weight ratio distribution sounds over egging the pudding to me. (I'm polite arn't I) But as has been pointed out before I know bugger all and am always willing to learn.
 
Tetly all gaits of the equine have a specific outline, the horses engine is at the back of the animal ie hind propulsion, extra pace can only come from the back to the front of the horse. They push as oppose to pull themselves. I hope this helps make things a little clearer
 
Toobe said:
When galloping short, weight ratio and distribution become your seat and legs and has the same effect if utilised correctly as riding long, the riders weight whether short or long is still directly connected to the horses back and having influence through the horses spinal column, which is its central nervous system, hence the reason dressage riders can influence their mounts by simply dropping seat bones etc.. Jocks would not go down into driving the horse if this were not the case. When a horse gallops the engine is still from behind, the horse does not pull itself along and still propels itself from the hind quarters. Its how they get the kick of speed.
Click to expand...

I don't know where you get your ideas from Toobe; do you actually ride? Do you ride racehorses? No offence, but this post of yours above is rubbish.
 
Agree with Shadow Leader that ring bits are far too quick to be shoved on a fair amount of animals, which doesn't really address the underlying problem.

I would never advocate the use of a rubber bit. Tend to make hounds out of horses in my experience.
 
That's an interesting point actually; I may not have thought about it in such ways but now that you mention it the horses I remember that had rubber bits were wooden headed bastards but also utter hounds.
 
Interesting that you mention that actually as well; I've long held the view that rubber bits lead to stargazers (can't imagine it's a particularly pleasant feeling). Can't think of any examples though, given that if I so much as suggested the use of a rubber bit at any of the places I've ever worked in, I'd have been looked at as I had two heads!

edit: Worth pointing that horses that are seen to need rubber bits are clearly not the most straight-forward types (to say the least). I wasn't meaning to suggest that rubber bits were solely to blame, merely that I feel they often accentuate the problem and are never of any real benefit.
 
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People don't tend to use the rubber variety anymore and now seem to use the "happy mouth" I personally find the rubber ones too thick.
 
Strange that - I've not seen a happy mouth anywhere near a racing yard but I've seen plenty of rubber bits.

Methinks some people know only what google tells them....
 
I guess then different disciplines also have their own preferences. For example you dont see many loose ring bits used in say showjumping.
 
No shit, Sherlock! :lol: Since different disciplines involve requiring completely different things from the horse, it pretty much follows that the types of equipment used are not likely to be the same in all disciplines. For example pretty much the last thing you want on a racehorse is a gag yet you own't see a polo pony in anything else. In a similar fashion pelhams, kimblewicks, double bridles and the likes with a curb action are also not wanted on racehorses but you often don't see many showjumpers or dressage horses without one of the above - or a gag - in their mouth.

Incidentally dexter ring bits were originally used for steering purposes more to keep horses straight if they had a tendency to hang or lean, were difficult to steer or used on unpredictable types for similar reasons. Nowadays they tend to be used for pullers more than anything else. The only two horses I've had dealings with who were ridden in ring bits had them as the first one could hang and was strong as well; the second one had a very bad habit of charging off the side of the gallops or whipping around whilst cantering.
 
How many people outside of racing are aware of Hayley Turner's achievement?
How many people outside of racing are aware of Lady Godiva's achievement?
 
SL but a horses outline is a horses outline whatever you shove in their gob. It's why horses with good conformation are generally the ones who can maintain that outline far easier(it's a balance perspective). No bit in the world can change that only help to counteract bad confomation and bad hands which are akin to someone scratching away on a violin with no tempo and rhythm.
 
SL forgot to ask, is the hollow ring bit used to counteract bad hands or to take more weight from the horse.
 
Toobe, do you know what you are asking? You are the only person who is bringing outline into a conversation about over-bitting/under-bitting racehorses. As you've been told, racehorses when galloping aren't brought into an outline so your assertions are surplus to requirements.

I'm not quite sure what your question about the hollow ring serves - unless you are trying to make out that you obtain your opinions from somewhere other than google. A hollow ring is more sympathetic to a horse and is my bit of choice since it is larger in their mouth so doesn't carve them up. Many yards use traditional loose rings but I use the hollow mouth since it is kinder on the mouth; the narrow loose rings can be quite harsh.
 
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