Double bridle / bits

Sol

Sol

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Seeing as everyone gets so worked up over the whole pelham thing... I wondered what you'd think to this :p


I'm sure everyone knows by now that Dan can be a bit of a fruit loop at times, admittedly less often now but he has his moments.
I DO jump (and hack) him in a pelham - just a straight bar with reasonably short shanks, 2 reins because roundings make him go loopy too. We were fighting a losing battle in the snaffle resulting in wasting a lot of time, though we tied hard for a long time. I was using it for comps prior to asking instructor, she asked to see him in it for a lesson and agreed that it was better than constantly fighting him in the snaffle.
I do hope to see the day when he grows up enough to jump in a snaffle again! :D

However, she has also told me to school in the pelham a little on the flat. Various reasons really, iincluding just to sit him back and get him listening. I am NOT using it as a short cut - he's required to do dressage in a snaffle anyway therefore we do the majority of our flatwork in the snaffle.

But, his pelham is a straight bar, his snaffle is a double jointed full cheek. Sometimes I feel that there is more resistance to the straight bar and with the pelham I feel I use a little too much curb still as the aid isn't as clear as with a double (I'm quite used to using double bridles). Using a double would also allow me to use a lozenge snaffle as he's use to and even almost abandon the curb rein for a while whereas with the straigh bar pelham this just feels odd and doesn't work!
Obviously, I indent to discuss it with my instructor anyway at some stage.
And also, obviously whenever I do introduce him to one, it will be done slowly and patiently. (He has actually had one ON before, but merely so I could see how it looked just stood in his stable - he didn't object.)

Anyway, something for you to potentially rant about this Friday afternoon! :D

Sol x.
 
I think, Sol, that a double would be worth a try... you don't sound like you're using it as a short cut, you're obviousl capable of riding with two reins, you've carefully considered why you use the pelham and how the double would differ.

I hunt Ron in a double, he is a dope on a rope at this time of year, but between November and Jan he's a fool as he just gets so full of himself. Once we get to Jan he settles down and can often go into a snaffle for the last couple of months of the season. The double lets me be nice when he is and have more control when he's not. He's 16 and I don't suppose I'll ever be able to hunt all season in a snaffle, but at least that way I can react more appropriately to his behaviour. Not hauling on his mouth in a snaffle or using too much curb the whole time either.
 
I would have thought that the double would be better than the pelham. It allows you to me more gentle pretty much always riding off the snaffle rein, with the curb as a back up. With the pelham, even with two reins, you are always going to get slightly more of a 'wooly' signal. If your horse has space in his mouth for a double then I would certainly give it a try.
 
Yours sounds a bit like mine - mainly in a snaffle, hacked/jumped/hunted in a pelham, but has a double sometimes for schooling too.

Different tools for different jobs is the way I look at it!
 
Thanks everyone, just nice to have my thought reassured - they CAN get a little crazy at times ;)

I'm not a fan of over using the curb anyway, otherwise I've found that the horse learns to just lean & ignore it - one of my issues with the pelham. Can't remember when I started using a double, just after I started high school? (At a riding school, so well supervised) so definitely used to them :)

Will have a word with instructor next week.

In the mean time, anyone got any advice about what bits to use? Seems like a whole load of potential disasters...! I like the look of the weymouths with the low/wide ports, appear to offer more tongue room? And would prefer to go for a double jointed bradoon as this is what he's used to. Does this sound reasonable??
Still not rushing - will see what instructor says and then ebay for bits!!
 
I have a sliding cheek weymouth with a low port (more like a bit of tongue space really), and a loose ring, single jointed bradoon. It works for me, but I think that I should really have gone for a fixed mouth weymouth as it can pinch, so I cover it with latex bandage at the corners!

I'm not sure about using a double jointed bradoon, but that's possibly just me.
 
If he is used to a french link then I would try and get a bridoon as similar to that as poss as you know he is comfortable in it. Must admit that I don't like single joints full stop. What sort of mouth piece do you have on your pelham? If he is happy with that, then again I would try and get a similar mouth piece. Does your instructor or anyone have some you could borrow as the two together might alter what your horse prefers? Saves you a whole stack of money too! If no-one has some to borrow, then I would try a bit bank. I'm so glad I haven't had to buy all the bits (and tiny variations on a theme!) that I have tried on my girl as I would be beyond broke! Some charge, others only charge if you don't buy the bit from them, so just a case of shopping around for the one that would offer you the best deal.
 
I know someone who might have the bits I could borrow, i'd have to ask. I do have a cheap weymouth set that I've used before (on another horse) that's just a plain stainless steel low ported weymouth & eggbutt style bradoon that I might give a go first (:
I've never really been a fan of single jointed bits & Dan can be a bit funny at times about it anyway, so would prefer something a little more 'comfortable' but may see if I can hire one first!

What difference to sliding cheek weymouths make?

Thanks again everyone! :D
 
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