Bit For Hunting...

[loginn]

Hello,
I may be taking my mare hunting soon, and she is a brilliant little pony, but can get strong jumping and im thinking now that she'd be a bit of a terror out hunting! - I was thinking pelham, with 1 rein?
What is the next strongest from the plain snaffle?
Thanks!

 

[joe_carby]

what bout a dutch gag u can alter it if you need to then on the hunting field.

 

[loginn]

joe_carby
Thanks for post!
a dutch gag...thats not very strong is it... I just dont want to ruin her mouth!

 

[spacefaer]

better to have a strong bit you can be light with than a mild one and make her mouth sore by having to pull

 

[loginn]

^^Thanks!.....I didnt think of that! Do you know if that bit is very strong?

 

[chester1234]

Using a pelham on one rein IMHO is incorrect - it was designed to be ridden in on two reins, a snaffle and a curb, with the majority of the tension running down the snaffle rein. That way you had an option of using the curb rein if you needed more poll action [ie more air brakes!]. By using it on roundings it destroys the point of having that option, and I for one would not use a pelham with just one rein on the curb - it is entirely incorrect and is actually against the rules under all affiliated competition bodies.

I would suggest a dutch gag with a french link mouth piece if possible, and put a leather curb on the ring that the cheekpieces attach to, which gives you a little more leverage. If this isn't an option, a cheltenham gag has a similar action, with leverage on the poll. A kimblewick is a good old fashion bit with a curb chain that is halfway between a snaffle and a pelham, and it's often forgotten about. This may be a good option.

You won't ruin your mare's mouth if your kind with your hands.

 

[SpottedCat]

Using a pelham on one rein IMHO is incorrect - it was designed to be ridden in on two reins, a snaffle and a curb, with the majority of the tension running down the snaffle rein. That way you had an option of using the curb rein if you needed more poll action [ie more air brakes!]. By using it on roundings it destroys the point of having that option, and I for one would not use a pelham with just one rein on the curb - it is entirely incorrect and is actually against the rules under all affiliated competition bodies.

Don't talk nonsense! You can BSJA in one with just the curb rein, they could not care less. I also can't find anything in BE rules saying that you can't SJ or XC in a pelham with the rein on the curb ring only. Ok so it isn't 'correct' but some horses go well in that setup, and as a last resort why not try it (which is clearly not relevant to the OP here!).

I find the way people get so upset about using roundings on pelhams hilarious - you say it's because you need to differentiate between the curb and snaffle rein, but have you ever stopped to think about what you are saying?

Roundings dull the action of the curb - fine. Using two reins on a pelham does NOT give you independent curb and snaffle action - how can it when there is only one mouthpiece? If you are using a pelham with two reins, I don't see why you'd rather do that than use a double bridle, which gives the real level of refinement which a pelham can't do in quite the same way, because you don't have a loose ring jointed bradoon action and a curb action, you have a fixed hanging cheek straight bar (or whatever the pelham mouthpiece is) and a curb action, but the curb action on a pelham, even in two reins can't be independent of the supposed 'snaffle' action of the top rein, so you simply cannot achieve the same level of refinement of the aids, if that's what you are after by using two reins. All you can do is moderate the curb action, so why are roundings, which dull (or moderate!!) the curb action, so bad?! If you want to have an independent curb action, then the only way to do it is through a double IMO.

Back to the OP: If your pony has a high head action, the dutch gag won't help and the pelham will, and vice versa - the dutch gag has a head raising action, the pelham a head lowering action. So the bit you choose will depend on what you think your horse is most likely to do and how best to counteract that.

 

[chester1234]

I didn't suggest a double because not all horses will take two bits in their mouths - P hates it.

 

[SpottedCat]

That's fine, but don't kid yourself that you are getting a real refinement of the curb/snaffle by using two reins on a pelham - you aren't because whichever rein you use causes the mouthpiece to move and because the curb and 'snaffle' are linked by the mouthpiece, you get some movement in both and a bit of both types of action. And I am not knocking people wanting to use two reins, what I get fed up with is the constant implication (not nec from your post) that using roundings makes you a bad rider and really pelhams should only be used with two reins and if you were a good rider you would do that.

 

[macadoodle]

I use cheltenham gag with 2 reins! gag rein knotted on neck for when i need it and snaffle rein for rest of time! Couple of kids i go out with do this 2 so they not using the bottom rein by mistake when they dont need it but it is there when they do!