Is it possible to ADD a side check/over check?

[Stumbleine]

Hey everyone!

This is my first post and hopefully I'll soon have time to actually introduce myself. I have been riding horses for a long while, but about two years ago the farm I work at aquired some minis, and I have fallen in love! LOVE I tell you

With the minis, I learned to drive, to continue working at the farm which has turned into very much a driving facility with both miniatures and larger horses. So while I have been riding since I was a child, I have only been driving for a little less than two years.

Today I ran across a question that I think only miniature horse people can answer, mostly because it seems to be very difficult to find any driving tack in this area, let alone ANY mini horse tack - whereas with the regular sized riding horses, I can walk into three different shops within a half hour and have a large selection of everything I need.

We just purchased two very nice new driving sets for our minis. Today was the first day I used them, and I realized that, unlike the old bridle, the new bridles did not have side checks. This did not bother me because the side checks used before were very loose and I did not believe they "did anything at all."

Well, wrong. Both minis figured out in about 5 min. that their head was free to eat grass. I laughed at this, BUT, I need some sort of check rein. I can deal with this and will quickly train the minis out of trying to eat *with me,* but I am the trainer/exercise driver/rider at the farm. Sometimes beginners or family who just want to have fun, will be driving these minis and no matter how good natured they are, with a beginner or a family member taking a driving lesson in the cart, I do believe they will take advantage and I'd rather not have to worry about it.

But only knowing enough about driving to know the equiptment I've already run into... is it possible to purchase some sort of check rein that can be attached to a bridle that *does not* have a side check attachment? As in, the little metal loopers on the side...These are very nice, handmade driving bridles and the owners like a neat presentation so I would rather not miguiver something up...

Thank you!

 

[candycar]

You may be able to buy a new crown piece from one of the mini tack places listed on LB. Ozark and KayJay come to mind. They also have nice sidechecks available. Look under the mini tack sites listed at the top of the page.

Or you have to McGuiver it up by attaching some sort of key ring loop to the crown piece where the brow band and cheek straps/throatlatch come together. If you have a tack maker in your area, they could attach a sidecheck strap/w/loops to the existing crownpiece. Good Luck!

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Or you could just do what I have always done and teach your horses not to eat when they are driving!

 

[jeanniecogan]

Hi, i could not afford to buy a side check when i first started , so i went to the hardware store and bought 2 tiny pulleys and some tiny S hooks. i attached them to the bridle rosettes where they fit onto the bridle. got a nice looking strong piece of rope 1/4 inch or a little smaller. usually available at hardware stores also. i tied one end to the bit and ran it through the pulley and left enough to tie to the saddle, ran it backwards through the pulley and tied the other end to the bit. i then adjuste the middle of it to the correct length and attached it to the center piece on the back saddle. it is light, it looks better than most side checks, in fact you can barely see it. hope this helps