British Ridden Heavy Horse | Which Bit

[OrangeAndLemon]

I'm tentatively thinking about a bit of British Ridden Heavy Horse Showing. From the rules I'm not sure if I need a double bridle / Pelham or if a regular snaffle is ok.

If I do need to use a Pelham, I currently use a French link hanging cheek snaffle, is the sideways move to a Pelham to use a French link Pelham (i.e. same feel for him until the second rein is used).

Bonus question for anyone who managed the first two questions, do you know where I can buy a 7.25 inch Pelham? Blue Horse Equine and Bit World don't have any so I'd need to get one made for £80.

Don't worry, I will get an instructor to introduce both him and me to the Pelham and I won't be the rider should we compete. And if the French link Pelham isn't a 'like for like' swap, I'll get a bit specialist and see what he likes. I just thought I'd ask you clever lot first.

 

[abbijay]

I guess which bit you choose will be influenced by what you're hoping to get from the outing. Technically yes a snaffle is acceptable but if you are going with the hope of qualifying for HOYS then most judges will expect to see a horse in 2 reins. It is rare these days to see anything except the 4 year olds in snaffles. If however your horse won't go well in a pelham/double do not put one in as the ride judge is looking for feel as much as looks.
Have you considered some of the unaffiliated ridden heavy classes too? There are plenty in the area (assuming your location is correct) we've got Warrington, Nantwich, Poynton, Leek, etc that are decent enough classes but not got people travelling the length and breadth of the country to compete and Cheshire Show has the open class that is slightly smaller than their HOYS. There's good prize and appearance money at a number of these too.
For a 7.25" pelham you will be lucky to find one off the shelf. I have seen 7s and 7 1/2s but not an in between. I have used this website before but they don't have what you're after. https://drafttack.com/page158.html It might be worth a conversation with Phil Goodchild (on facebook, he does lots of harness) who can source bits himself or I have gone direct to the loriners (I used Calcutt & Sons) previously. By all means speak to a bitting specialist but I wouldn't waste your money getting one out as they won't have any bits to fit you but will charge you the same. My horse takes a 6.25/6.5" and they just squeezed us into 6".

 

[be positive]

If he is happy in the bit and going confidently in a correct way I would go into a double rather than pelham which will give a clearer feel for horse and rider, you can ride just on the top rein more easily while you learn and the snaffle he is currently in will probably work as the bradoon and the weymouth may need to be a 7 in rather than larger, double jointed pelhams are not the best bit for most so I would not want to have one made unless I was sure it was the best option.

 

[conniegirl]

I'd go for a proper double bridle.

Fylde saddlery do a huge range of bits but you are best emailing them or phoning for something specialized as they can normally source one for you or they have the contacts to have one made quite cheaply.

I recently had a bradoon made by them, I had the opposite problem to you in that everything was too big for my pony's head. So a normal 5.25" bradoon swamped his face and looked silly. So Fylde made me a 5.25" snaffle with dinky little 1.5" rings on it

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Thanks everyone.

Abbijay - I had no idea about all those extra shows doing HH classes nearby, I had only seen the Cheshire show classes so i was looking at the non HOYS class. I'll start researching dates.

Fylde saddlery made his bridle, I didn't realise they sourced bits as well. I'll give them a call about the extras for a double bridle. I'd assumed a pelham would be simpler for him to deal with and adapt to but happy to try a double.

Might as well start in his snaffle for unaffiliated and see if it's something he enjoys.

Thank you

 

[conniegirl]

I actually prefer to go for a double over a pelham unless the horse has no room in thier mouth.
With a double the signals are less muddied and you can tide solely on the snaffle if needed

 

[abbijay]

Thanks everyone.

Abbijay - I had no idea about all those extra shows doing HH classes nearby, I had only seen the Cheshire show classes so i was looking at the non HOYS class. I'll start researching dates.

It's a while since I've done much in the way of showing (more dressage now) and there are probably quite a few more classes that I can't think of but Warrington was generally a nice early season one to try your hand at.
If you are coming to Cheshire do come and say hi to me. We do demos with Tatton Park so we'll be there and it would be lovely to meet a fellow HHO'er IRL x

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

It's a while since I've done much in the way of showing (more dressage now) and there are probably quite a few more classes that I can't think of but Warrington was generally a nice early season one to try your hand at.
If you are coming to Cheshire do come and say hi to me. We do demos with Tatton Park so we'll be there and it would be lovely to meet a fellow HHO'er IRL x

That would be great, I'll definitely be at the show this year, not sure If I'll take little Ern yet.

Need to see how he does this spring. He's practicing a bit of dressage for his debut next month, followed by going to spectate at a show on the field next to our yard, then see if they'll let him enter some basic classes before we try a proper class with other heavies.