Gagavator

Does that not sound like the perfect name for this thing? Mikmar's new invention looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. The mouthpiece, though substantial and somewhat overkill, does not appear THAT severe, but dang, if that sucker goes in the horse's mouth like I think it does, can we say jawbreaker? 

Here is a copy of their description...

A "BEST SELLER" for Barrels and Gymkhana. The Mikmar Short Shank Gagavator is a quicker activating bit that allows the rider a quick pick up and release ride. It is excellent for lifting the shoulders and lightening. Works well for developing bend and flexibility. It encourages flexion, collection and good control. It discourages the horse from leaning and pulling, with excellent rate or half halt. A nice tool for helping the horse transfer weight to the hind quarters, and getting underneath himself for better turns. The Sweet Iron mouthpiece pacifies a busy -mouthed horse and keeps the mouth moist and soft.

The Short Shank Gagavator offers more poll pressure and stop than the Two and Three Ring styles. Works well for all level horses. We recommend using a leather curb strap for bit stability.

Oh wait, I just noticed they sell a LONG shanked one too... 

The Mikmar Long Shank Gagavator offers stronger Poll pressure and more control for those needing it. Works well for stronger level horses. We recommend using a leather curb strap for bit stability.

Yikes. Forget teaching your horse to stop, or carry themselves, or collect. Just slap one of these on and problem solved!!  Click http://www.mikmar.com/bit-pages/gagavators-PS.html to see a video of how they fit/work. And yep, they do go on like I thought. Add curb strap and holy cow. 

This shit ought to be illegal...

Found this website linked from FHOTD, they show a couple of pics of the bits on the blog, but I thought I would post some of them here too. These are some real pieces of work here.

The website raves about how wonderful these things are for starting horses. Starting what? Ruining them? The links on the chain mouth ones have the links welded together in three sections. Are you kidding? This would lacerate the bars of the mouth and the tongue if used too roughly, oh and lets add a gag action and a curb chain too, just to make it a bit better. And ooh! What if we made GAG bridles with them? Then we could tear up their lips too!

You know, it IS possible to...

...train your horse to do what you require without the use of bits like this. Really, it is. You could cut a tongue OFF with this sucker, look how thin that mouthpiece is. You should NEVER use something like this on a horse that is not finished, and even then, I would ask why. A finished horse shouldn't need this anyway. I shudder at the thought of how many speed horses out there have relatively inexperienced owners, little training, and less control have these shoved in their mouth, their heads tied down and the rider holding onto the reins for dear life.

No substitute.

I know this is an old topic, but some readers sent me some pics that have me riled up again.

I am so sick of seeing crap like this for sale. There is absolutely NO NEED for this. None. For crying out loud, just TRAIN YOUR DAMN HORSE! Stop shoving these beartraps on their faces and using them in a futile effort to "fix" your horse's issues. Sure, it will stop him, for a little while. Then what? Move on to a bigger bit? What happens when you run out of bigger bits? You going to throw him away and get another horse to screw up? You should need a license to purchase shit like this, or preferably, it shouldn't even be sold.

This next one is a gag bit, on top of the long shanks and twisted wire mouthpiece, it can use a gag action as well as the massive leverage the shanks can already exert.

I am not anti-bit, I am anti-cruelty and anti-stupid. I know bits are tools for training, and aids in communication. Different horses need different bits, some don't need any at all. It just depends. But no horse really needs to have it's face ripped up by some ignorant dolt with some contraption that someone at the feed store told them would "sure stop that horse, yes sir". I just wish that more people could be educated on this topic, and that more people could understand the need for proper training and patience with their horses.

What the hell?

Has anyone ever seen one of these before? What the hell kind of snaffle bit is this supposed to be? I have seen double mouthpieces, but never triple, and never spaced out like this. I cannot imagine actually using this on a horse, and how effective would it be? For that matter, what kind of effect are you going for?

Torture Device Tuesday

Wow, check out this bear trap. Geesh folks, really? WHY would you even contemplate putting this on your horse? If it needs this much hardware on its face to control it, perhaps you should reconsider this whole thing and TRAIN YOUR HORSE. *shakes head in amazement* I just do not understand how anyone can look at this and think, "Hey, that would work great on Ol' Dobbin! I am gonna get me one of those!" This looks kind of like a home made jobbie to me, I have never seen anything like this in a catalog or store.

Torture Device Thursday

OMGWTF!!?? You have got to be kidding. Not available in the US? I should hope not. This is a Charro Scissors Training bit that a reader sent me the eBay auction for. Here is the ad text.

"This is a one of a kind charro tijera (scissors) training bit that you can not get in the US.
The bit is absolutly great for those of you who want to train their horse for driving jumping reining ecc....ecc..
No limits to this one.
For long time even here in Mexico forgotten but we found one family who still makes them. This is as well a piece of art
You invest now a little bit more money in this training bit but you will have 75 % less training costs thats for sure.
You will be suprised how your horse gets trained with this bit in no time.
Forget about your snaffle bits, colt bits , ring and shank snaffel bits.
This Mexican bit beats them all and you will never find anything better."

We can see that English is not our first language. I like how they say that you can forget about regular training bits. So, you just tack up your greenie for the first ride and shove this thing in their mouth and 75% of your training is done? Wow, really? And you get the broken jaw for free!

Can you imagine the amount of leverage this thing applies?

Another "Miracle Cure" for your horse...

Yet another magic gadget to instantly train your horse to be calm and manageable. Sold for a small fortune, and just as easily made from some clothesline and some pulleys. It is a war bridle folks, no matter how you dress it up or how you advertise it. They have been in use for centuries, which by the way, does not make them the best solution. I don't understand why something like this is necessary, why not, *gasp* actually TRAIN your horse to behave on a lead line? Noooo, we can't do THAT, that might require us to actually spend some time working with him, and we just don't have time. We want an instant fix. Do you know how much damage something like this can do in the wrong hands?

Torture Device Tuesday

A reader sent me this photo, apparently it was found on a sale ad advertising this horse as a kid's lesson horse. I am not sure I would want a child to ride a horse that needed this contraption in order to control it. It looks to me like Duct-Tape wrapped wire or cable and a rusty old chain mouth gag bit. Surely we could have found something a bit less, well, jury-rigged to put on the creature for a sale photo.



Just, damn. Really?

Screwed Up

Today I have a couple of bits sent to me by readers. The first one is a bit someone found in a tack shop that she rescued the local horses from. It looks homemade, but alas, it turns out that you can buy a shiny new one from Reinsman bits. Rod's even sells it with a warning label on their site "use with extreme care". Snort, really?









And, in case the snaffle isn't sufficently horrible, you can buy a curb version.





It makes me sad for the horses of the world.

Cranky

Crank nosebands and Rollkur. Two words that will send dressage aficionados at each others throats in record time. However, no matter how you look at it this IS NOT GOOD FOR THE HORSE! Look at this fellow, see the nice pad under the buckle of his noseband? That should not be necessary. A properly adjusted cavesson should still be loose enough for the horse to relax his jaw. This fellow cannot, its a wonder he can even FEEL his nose with that thing cranked that tight. The whole point in the crank is to render the horse unable to resist the extreme pull on the reins, flexing his neck into this unnatural position. Now, I have NO ISSUE with a full double bridle, heck I use one myself on my old mare, but this is just not acceptable. They have these horses so hyperflexed their noses are nearly on their chests. Oh, and check out the angle of the shanks on the curb of the second one, that's not right. Also notice his eye, you can see the conjunctiva he is so strained. This causes a myriad of issues, both for the horse and for the sport itself. There is a very interesting site called Sustainable Dressage, the author very concisely explains and illustrates the effects of various pieces of tack, how they work, and how Rollkur affects the horse's body.

Torture Device Tuesday

A reader sent me this photo, I was appalled at the amount of headgear on this horse. He is wearing a drop noseband with a rope nosepiece, a gag, draw reins, a standing martingale, and check out the blood on his mouth! Geesh, overkill much? I understand Polo ponies are hot, but do you really need to bloody their mouth to control them? Also, that noseband looks perilously close to cutting off his air.

TDT Guest Blog

Today we have a guest blog! This is an email I recieved from Kelsey, a reader who saw something odd about the horse on the cover of her Dover saddlery catalog. Here is what she has to say...

I got the new 'Elite Hunter/Jumper Edition' of the Dover Catalog today. There is a nice looking hunter on the front cover, but when you look closer, his gear is a bit much, even for a cross country type hunt on a large horse.The horse is in a pelham and breastplate, which is very common hunt gear. However, someone has added not only a running martingale but also a puller type noseband (a new version of the Kineton, I can't remember what they're called). A pelham and a Kineton, PLUS a mart? WTF? Just the idea of a curb type bit and anything like a Kineton is nuts.I ride my large draft X mare XC in a basic dee ring and standard noseband, and she is QUITE fresh in open country. This bay looks a lot like her other than color.I have attached a couple scans of the cover. I know they want to sell tack, but that much on one horse? Yikes!(the Dressage cover was just as bad (Steffen Peters & Ravel), but people seem to think its ok for a curb bit to be at nearly a right angle to the horse's lip line, ugh)



Here is a scan of the whole cover...








Here is a closeup of the horse's head...

Torture Device Tuesday

For today's edition, I am turning once again to the TWH world. This particular bit has 10 inch shanks and a gag mouthpiece. It comes in a variety of mouthpieces as well, you can choose from; small twisted wire, tiny sweet iron twisted wire, twisted wire, chain or small smooth mouth. Depending on how badly you want to cut your horse's tongue up. Again, I am amazed at the variety of ways people can invent torture your horse. I am sure these feel great with some great huge lump of a person hanging on to the shanks for dear life.

Torture Device Tuesday

Today I have a bit that I had thought extinct, a relic of a more barbaric practice of "controlling" horses. The bit that I speak of is commonly known as a "Spanish" ring bit. Now, this is not a ring snaffle we are talking about here, this is a style of bit that was used from the middle ages up through Spanish Colonial times and into the 20th Century. Here is an illustration of a 16th century piece.





Here is an extant piece from the Spanish colonial era...







Bits like this were created to control war stallions, they exert huge amounts of leverage and can literally crush a horse's jaw if used with a heavy hand. For those who are unfamiliar with the way one of these functions, let me explain. The bit is placed in the horses mouth with ring encircling the lower jaw in place of a curb chain. I always thought them a relic of a bygone age, but alas, as with so many things in the horse world, I found that these things are still being made and used. These photos were sent to me by a reader, the bit pictured was (currently SOLD OUT, is that not disturbing?) available for purchase and can be ordered custom made to your specs.













Not only is it not a particularly well made piece, but it lacks the graceful lines and the tongue relief (however small) that the antique pieces offer. It is an ugly piece of work no matter how you look at it. It makes me sad because I KNOW that there are yahoos out there using this thing improperly.

Stupid, Cruel Training Device

This is the "No Buck Trainer", it is meant to prevent a horse from putting its head down to buck. It features a thin steel cable system that encircles the horse's ears and runs down to a pair of pulleys on the noseband. The instructions say to put it on the horse, attach reins to the cables, and tie the reins to the saddle horn while the horse's head is at a desirable level. Supposedly, when the horse puts its head down to buck, the cables tighten on the ears and poll, discouraging the horse from bucking. Here is a photo of the contraption.



Now, when I put pressure on my horse's poll and ears they LOWER their heads. How does this prevent them from doing so? I should think this would actually encourage the head to lower. I would think that if you just HAVE to use some kind of artificial device to prevent bucking, a simple overcheck would be more effective. But, what do I know? This device is recommended for beginners (WHAT?!), the elderly, and children. My question is, what the hell are you doing putting one of the aforementioned individuals on a horse that bucks in the first place?

Another "training" gadget for the instant results sector of the horse market, all for the low price of $219. Wow, don't you want to run out and get one?

Here is another torture device for "training"

Did a quick Google search for "horse training bridle" the first thing it coughed up was this lovely invention. Well, not a new invention, just a new and improved version of an old fashioned war bridle.

They want $65 fot this! If you really must torture your horse in this manner, you can make one for FREE out of some rope. See...

It claims that it can fix "Horses that are mean or bad to mount - does your horse move away or try to fight you when you go to mount? Yeah, I had one, but I fixed that through patience and TRAINING. Horses that rear - does you horse rear on you when handling him or riding him? Getting thrown is extremely dangerous! No, really? I can teach a horse not to do this without a "training bridle" that causes pain, thus encouraging the horse to try to evade it, possibly compounding the issue. Bad to Shoe - can't pick up his feet or can't clean his hooves? Your farrier will love you for this alone! Um, my horses are taught from foalhood to cooperate, perhaps you should try WORKING WITH THEM some. Bad to Groom - your horse won't stand for you when grooming, washing or cleaning him? Ever heard of cross ties? And a good sharp swat and a NO! every time he squirms will NEVER work (sarcasm).
Bad to Bridle or Harness - won't take the bridle or won't allow you to put on or adjust his harness? Gosh, and using this thing on him will make him want to be bridled?
Bad to Lead - your horse won't let you lead him or keeps invading your space? Um, again, hello, how will this thing on his head will make him want to go with you?

It has a guarantee too, "Jesse Beery says you can"control any horse in 3 minutes"with the Pulley Bridle. We have the testimonials to prove it!" Gee, you think? Here is the webpage, go have a look at it.

One farrier has this to say... "Tried it out on Miniature Horses that 8 weeks before had to throw them on the ground to trim, after 4 pulls on the bridle I was able to pick up all 4 feet no problem. 1 week later did a mammoth jack never been done before, tried to work with him a while, ran out of time, put bridle on couple of pulls stood there willing to be handled. "

Gosh, let's not TRAIN YOUR HORSE or anything. Let's just skip right to training devices that have been proven to subdue your horse through pain instead. The site claims that it does the horse no harm and is not painful, which anyone who actually KNOWS anything about horses will tell you is utter bullshit. It is a WAR BRIDLE, with a fancy name.

Another torturous "training" device

Torturous, that is the only word I can use to describe this thing. I like sidepulls, I think they are an excellent training aid. It allows you to teach a young horse to respond to direct rein signals while saving their sensitive mouths. This thing, however, takes things too far. Instead of the traditional lariat rope noseband, it has a STEEL bar wrapped in copper wire. Sure to make them very responsive to pressure on their noses. Never mind that big raw spot with blood running down their noses, they will listen to this thing.



Stuff like this makes me sick. For heaven's sake people, WHY? Is the usual lariat rope noseband (which CAN rub a nose raw by itself if used too roughly and incorrectly) not enough? Now we have to purposely invent something more immediately capable of inflicting pain?

Scary "training" device

A reader sent me this, it is supposedly a showmanship training halter.








I think it is some sort of medieval torture device.





WHY for Pete's sake would you need this? A twisted wire crownpiece, a lariat noseband and a stud chain under the chin to complete the picture. That's great, just rip at their head from all directions. I can just picture this on some delicate little Arab's head. *shakes head and walks away*

What the heck?

I found this "training" headstall online, and cannot figure out how excatly it functions (or fits for that matter) on the horse's head. It looks like some kind of freakish mechanical hackamore/sidepull combo thing. It is called a "Pro Stop", here is the ad text...

If you have ever used a traditional fast stop on a young colt and found it turned sideways, you will appreciate the additional rigging on this Pro Stop. It will stay in place! The wider curb piece distributes the pressure evenly across the nose and chin. The pro Stop is fully adjustable and gives a very fast release. Ideal to teach a collected stop.