Another Pelham thread...

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Mardy Mare

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Hi. I wanted some peoples opinions on what my horse likes about a pelham and why.

My mare is a 16.1 TB x Cob and 5 1/2yo.

Here's a breif back story:

When I first had her (just turned 4yo), I only rode her in a french link. This is because she dislikes the nut cracker action of a standard snaffle. In the french link, she is OK but is heavy on the forehand (especially in canter) and is constantly mouthing the bit.

This summer (July time), I took her to her first show and for show tack purpouses, tried her in a pelham with 2 reins (no port, straight bar and obviously I tried her in this before taking her to the show!). Well, she went incredibly well in it, was settled in the mouth and was light on the forehand. I did not have any contact at all on the curb rein so technically I was riding her in a straight bar snaffle.

Now then, as she went so well in this, I thought I get her a hanging cheek straight bar snaffle because as she is young, I didn't want to be riding everyday in a pelham.

She goes OK in this, but still mouths the bit and is still heavy on the forehand.

So, my question is, what is it about the pelham she likes? Is it the curb chain?

The only difference I can see between the straight bar snaffle and pelham is obviously the curb chain and the mouth piece on the pelham is slightly curved rather than straight.

I would also ask, although I can ride with 2 reins, would it be very wrong and frowned upon to only use one rain on the snaffle ring to save having a second 'washing line' no contact rein?

Just to add, she has recently had her saddle fitted (this month) and teeth are up to date

Thanks :)
 
Mardy Mare said:
Hi. I wanted some peoples opinions on what my horse likes about a pelham and why.

My mare is a 16.1 TB x Cob and 5 1/2yo.

Here's a breif back story:

When I first had her (just turned 4yo), I only rode her in a french link. This is because she dislikes the nut cracker action of a standard snaffle. In the french link, she is OK but is heavy on the forehand (especially in canter) and is constantly mouthing the bit.

This summer (July time), I took her to her first show and for show tack purpouses, tried her in a pelham with 2 reins (no port, straight bar and obviously I tried her in this before taking her to the show!). Well, she went incredibly well in it, was settled in the mouth and was light on the forehand. I did not have any contact at all on the curb rein so technically I was riding her in a straight bar snaffle.

Now then, as she went so well in this, I thought I get her a hanging cheek straight bar snaffle because as she is young, I didn't want to be riding everyday in a pelham.

She goes OK in this, but still mouths the bit and is still heavy on the forehand.

So, my question is, what is it about the pelham she likes? Is it the curb chain?

The only difference I can see between the straight bar snaffle and pelham is obviously the curb chain and the mouth piece on the pelham is slightly curved rather than straight.

I would also ask, although I can ride with 2 reins, would it be very wrong and frowned upon to only use one rain on the snaffle ring to save having a second 'washing line' no contact rein?

Just to add, she has recently had her saddle fitted (this month) and teeth are up to date

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Just addressing one point, I found it easier not to switch bits and for the times when I do need the extra brakes the pelham give me I used a set of pony length reins on the curb either looped through the breast plate or a rounding between the Ds on the saddle so that they were there if I needed them but not normally in use.
 
Why not ride in a Pelham all the time ?? Whats wrong with that ? As you said there is no pressure on the curb but its there if you need it . You get the clear signal with having 2 reins , roundings blur the signal so pointless. You may never find out why your horse likes the bit you use , but if your horse is happy .... stick with it ! The slight curve on the Pelham maybe what she likes rather than a straight bar .
 
Thanks for the replies.

somethingillremember said:
The slight curve on the Pelham maybe what she likes rather than a straight bar .
Click to expand...

I was thinking this also? Maybe she likes the extra room for her tongue?

I'm still riding her in the straight bar snaffle and have been for a while. However, no matter how many transitions I do, she is still really heavy on the forehand so I have been considering trying the pelham permanently.

I don't have a problem with using it permanently other than I did want to dabble in a bit of dressage (she came 4th out of 17 on her first test :) ) but I could use it short term I suppose.
 
You could also try looking at some of the myler snaffles, they make bits designed to use with one rein that have a curb, they also do lots of shapes for the tongue.
 
There's nothing wrong with using only one rein on the snaffle ring, though it tends IME to lead to the bit not being angled correctly in the mouth for some reason. There's also nothing wrong with having a curb rein attached, holding it as normal but loosely enough that you're not using it, which seems to be more satisfactory (and looks neater).

It could be the shanks making a difference, with a hanging snaffle there's a small cheek but with a pelham there's more pressure on the side of the face, it doesn't really explain the leaning though, would more be a steering thing.

It could be the mouthpiece. You say they're both straight bar but the pelham is curved. So they're not the same at all. Nut-cracker single joints put pressure on the tongue, as does a completely straight bar mouthpiece. French link mouthpiece reduces pressure on the tongue and gives a feeling of movement to the horse. I'm not sure what pelham you have, but unless it has sliding shanks the bit will be held still in the mouth. Is it mullen mouth (ie straight but with a shallow curve through the length if it)? This puts some pressure on the tongue. Or is the pelham ported (ie straight bar with a shallow tongue bump in the middle)? These take pressure off the tongue.

You may also have more luck (and be dressage legal if this is important, you can't do dressage in a pelham) if you use an eggbutt snaffle of the same mouthpiece as the pelham, rather than a hanging snaffle. Hanging snaffles are suspended in the mouth, eggbutt snaffles sit heavier on the bars. Pelhams look suspended like a hanging snaffle, but due to a combination of the heaviness of the shanks and also the curb action meaning the bit is angled in the mouth when ridden, the pelham sits quite heavily in the mouth.

There is meant to be an accupressure point in the curb groove that makes the horses jaw relax when gentle pressure is applied. Simply having the curb rein held with a very light contact, but riding mainly off the snaffle rein, may have made the difference in your horses way of going between the snaffle and the pelham bits.
 
Having said that, loose rings and hanging cheek snaffles are generally better for a horse that leans on the bit, rather than an eggbutt. It's probably the mouthpiece the horse is objecting to, but until you try, you won't know if your horse is the exception to the rule.
 
I have heard the suggestion that the curb chain resting in the chin groove can release endorphins,(as apparently there is a pressure point there) thus making the horse feel more comfortable and relaxed. I certainly find that my mare appears to prefer the pelham, using a myler pelham with pretty much the same mouth piece as the myler snaffle. I ride mainly off the snaffle rein, so I do think there must be some credebility in the chin groove theory. I know another poster on here said that one she knew who hated the curb chain, also hated being twitched and had a paradoxical reaction to twitching, so that too lends a little bit of weight to the theory. I am going to try a hanging cheek for dressage and am wondering if a drop noseband would help, with it also fitting in the chin groove.
 
I also have a 5 year old cob x tb. She too hates single jointed bits and currently in a lozenge full cheek with a drop noseband. She wears a universal lozange for faster work.

She used to chomp on the bit quite alot. I have tried her in a straight bar pelham and she faught me the entire time she was in it.

I'm still trying to find the ideal bit for her. But it soon mounts up trying all these different bits!
 
My mare is permanently in a pelham and it is the only bit she works happily in. My instructor as a rule doesnt like pelhams but he says she is the only horse he has seen work properly in one.
Then if I try her in a snaffle, or any bit dressag legal, she is a complete pain in the bum, she wont try, will do all she can to avoid the work and will simply not cooperate.

So I am unable to do any dressage because the pelham is the only bit I can get her to engage in, and work in, effortlessly too. She is so well schooled and its such a shame as she would do well in dressage but they wont allow a pelham.

She doesnt tolerate the double bridle either.

There is just something about it that she likes, I've no idea what it is but any type of other bit, tried all sorts of mouthpieces too, she just objects to. Everyday she uses a rubber straight bar pelham, for showing she has a single jointed pelham, the change in the mouthpiece doesnt upset her at all, just sometimes makes her a bit lighter in the hand for showing. she can slightly lean onto the rubber straight bar if she is being lazy.

I dont know what it is but clearly some horses just like them, despite many people not agreeing.
 
My cob is another that has worn a pelham and gone very well in it. He was very evasive of the contact, and didn't seem to like the plain single joint snaffle he came with.

The pelham I've ridden in has a small port, and my boy goes very nicely in it - could have cotton instead of reins, and never needed to use the curb rein. In fact I often rode with just the snaffle rein - though I like the idea of curb rein through the breastplate or saddle d-rings - a bit tidier than just knotting it on the neck :rolleyes:

I stopped using the pelham partly because everyone at my yard was constantly tutting about it, and partly because I wanted to do some dressage. I tried a couple of different snaffle bits and nosebands to find a combo that worked. He really liked the Cotswold Sports tongue saver loose ring, but the one I bought was a bit small. He also has an eggbutt with a copper peanut/lozenge that he likes and I use if the steering is poorer, or his pink lips are getting a bit rubbed. His main snaffle is a loose ring myler comfort - thin and slightly ported forward but dressage legal :)

I have found a gag with the same slim lozenge mouthpiece that I use for fast hacks, and am looking for a pelham with the same mouthpiece for showing next year. My conclusion is that he respects the pelham and so is light, and isn't fussy in his mouth as it's stable and has tongue room - he now accepts the contact, and goes nicely in the snaffles.
 
Lego - know exactly what you mean about people tutting at the use of a pelham.

They have a use for some horses, like ours who are better in them and happier in them than anything else.

I also dont get why they cant be dressage legal, at the end of the day a judge should be able to tell if they arent being used correctly and if the horse is unhappy in it, and vice versa.

Sadly it has put a stop to all my dressage attempts.
 
I have a fell pony who is exactly the same, He was driven in a liverpool bit and i think this where it stems from for him, I tried lots of bits, and eventually found that he went really well in the mullen mouth pelham ridden off the snaffle rein,I have recently found a bit he goes equally as well in, its an eggbutt mullen mouth snaffle which seems to be pretty out of fashion (after trying lots and lots of the more popular and super expensive types) and wasn't too easy to find in his size, but fingers crossed he seems very happy in it.
 
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