Do you consider a dutch gag to be a harsh bit?

I use a dutch gag on my mare, and I can understand people saying its harsh. However, whenever possible, I try to use it like a snaffle (on the first ring) and if I have to use any of the other rings, then I use pehlam roundings to soften it out a bit. My gag is a french link, which is alot nicer than other styles, so it just depends on how you use it and why (: