Jumper/Hunter Question

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Molly's Run Minis

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I was wondering if you are allowed to use a bridal with a smooth snaffle bit when showing in Hunter or Jumper classes.

I saw nothing against it in the AMHA rule book but just wanted to make sure.
 
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Are you talking about AMHA or AMHR?

oops - I reread your post and you are talking about AMHA.

However, I have NEVER seen a miniature wearing a bridle with bit in the hunter/jumper arena in AMHA. Usually they are wearing either a show or performance halter. They can have a chain looped through the halter, but not in the horse's mouth or over their nose. Please note that you may not carry a whip in hunter ***

***These are in the 2011 Rule book
 
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Never seen a mini showing in a bridle at either AMHA or AMHR shows. Most people either use a quarter horse style halter or a nice clean barn halter.
 
Are you talking about AMHA or AMHR?

oops - I reread your post and you are talking about AMHA.

However, I have NEVER seen a miniature wearing a bridle with bit in the hunter/jumper arena in AMHA. Usually they are wearing either a show or performance halter. They can have a chain looped through the halter, but not in the horse's mouth or over their nose. Please note that you may not carry a whip in hunter ***

***These are in the 2011 Rule book
yeah i read the rules, but its talking about a chain, not a bit. thats why i was wondering if it was allowed
 
yeah i read the rules, but its talking about a chain, not a bit. thats why i was wondering if it was allowed
II don't think there's anything in the rules about using that equipment. However, I'm not sure why you would want to use a bridle with bit. How would you control your horse? If you hang onto the reins, you'd be hitting them in the mouth with every jump. I don't even like to use the show halters with the chains. If I find us in a hurry, and I have to use the show halter I clip the lead onto ring on the side of the halter so the chain doesn't smack them on every jump.
 
II don't think there's anything in the rules about using that equipment. However, I'm not sure why you would want to use a bridle with bit. How would you control your horse? If you hang onto the reins, you'd be hitting them in the mouth with every jump. I don't even like to use the show halters with the chains. If I find us in a hurry, and I have to use the show halter I clip the lead onto ring on the side of the halter so the chain doesn't smack them on every jump.

i've been practicing with her, what i do is i let the reins go completely loose and once she's over the jump i tighten them again. its just alot easier because she's very excitable whilst jumping
 
I, too, would be concerned about hitting the horse in the mouth as she went over the jump. What I use (and see at many shows) is a chain UNDER the chin and attached to the upper halter ring just as you would do for showmanship. I find this gives a bit more control but cannot hurt the mouth. You do need to be careful, however, as too much pressure under the chin can cause a horse to rear.

What we do with our gelding that is pretty excitable, is trot him around the course - not over the jumps but around the outside - until he is calmly trotting. His "reward" for trotting calmly is letting him jump! We keep repeating this as needed. I would suggest that you work on something like that to tone her down a bit and reward her if she goes calmly over the jumps.

We train some of ours for both hunter and jumper so we use slightly different cues depending on the class. For a hunter course, where I want a nice steady trot, I will remind them to "trot" between the jumps, saying the word on entering the ring and on landing each jump. For jumper, I will move faster (as fast as my old body can go) and cluck to indicate they are to go faster. I am sure there are other training methods out there, but that works pretty well for me.
 
Well l'm thinking any mini jumped in a bridle with a bit could be a hazzard..like in what if your mini decided to come to a dead stop at a fence and you kept going..it happens you know seen it many times where a person had to make a sudden stop at the end of the lead and sometimes even loose the lead and the mini ran of. Or what if your mini jumps and you the handler trip or fall with a halter and lead it's not as bad as if the mini was wearing a bridle and bit..
 
I wouldn't use a bridle. Right now I use a plain black leather halter I got from starlake a few years back. It is very adjustable, to get a perfect fit. (Both sides of poll, both sides of chin, and length under the chin) I then use a chain under the chin. I have MUCH more control using this that just a plain leather halter without the adjustments and no chain. The difference is night and day. If you want the look of a bridle, there are some halters that look like bridles, but instead of a bit they have a chain under the chin. I actually have one, but its a bit too small on D.
 
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i've been working with her with a bit and she goes best in it. i cant even use a chain on her show halter anymore, never mind when i'm jumping. she seems alot more happier with a bit so thats what i'm going to use. Thanks for answering my question!
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Sounds like a bad idea to me... an accident waiting to happen. Plus, how can you really effectively and evenly use a bit with the reins clutched in one hand while standing / walking / jogging to the side of your horse? I can't think of any good reasons to do it, but I can think of many reasons not to.
 
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i've been working with her with a bit and she goes best in it. i cant even use a chain on her show halter anymore, never mind when i'm jumping. she seems alot more happier with a bit so thats what i'm going to use. Thanks for answering my question!
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also, i have a really long lead on her bridal for the exact reason that she could stop.
 
When is your show? If it is a month away then you should have time to work with your mare so that she does not need a bit in her mouth. Even if it is not in the rule book I would think it would be frowned upon by the judges. Why don't you call AMHA and ask the show dept.
 
Molly, please take this in the kind manner it is meant to be: Jumping with a bit is the same principle as the "double mane" question. Maybe it's not necessarily in the rule book, but you will be the ONLY one to be doing it at a show. There's something to be said for individuality, but if you want to be taken seriously as a knowledgeable horsewoman, I would conform with the more obvious differences. No, I don't do everything like some of the rest of the show people (for example I don't razor my horses), but if you insist on the "double mane" or the jumping with a bit, you will stick out like a sore thumb. And not in a good way. My advice, take it or leave it, is: by all means have fun with your horses in the show ring and out, but when you do bring them out in public to be judged (compared) with other horses, try to abide by the "unwritten" rules of the show ring. It will immensely cut down on any critisism about you or your horses.
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On another note: my son has Tourettes Syndrome and I completely understand about the aspergers you suffer with as stated in your info. Don't let these comments make you "bull up" and say, "I'm gonna do it my way no matter what!" It is your decision of course, but try to take to heart the well-meaning comments.
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MR - if you are jumping her with a snaffle bit (as I have seen her wearing in photos) and two reins as you suggest, that is hard on her mouth. The sideways jerking on the bit will cause it to dig into the roof of her mouth at times and pull on the corners... the ONLY way you could use a bit would be with a bit lead that snaps to both rings - with a strap under the chin connecting the snaps that has a ring on it for the lead shank to attach to.... but it would be far SAFER to use a halter.
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And easier on Misty, too....
 
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I would hope that a bit would be against the rules. It is hard enough to keep you hands steady when riding horses over jumps, never mind steady contact while running next to them.
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sounds unfair to me.
 
alright, fine i'll look for something else! geeze, why do yall care so much about what i do with MY horse anyway?
 
Because you ask for advice on what is right or what you can do. All these wonderful people on this board want to guide you and help you succeed at horsemanship. No one is attacking you.

Sincerely they want to help!
 
You asked a question. People are trying to help you. They are trying to tell you that what you want to do is not the norm in the show ring. Most people new to showing want to fit in,so they ask questions and get answers from people who have been showing a while. Most people don't want to get to a show and stick out as a newbie,they want to fit in. You have plenty of time to get your horses either groomed or trained unless your show is this weekend. Good Luck
 
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