Dumb novice question of the day. Old english gag?

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Hovis_and_SidsMum

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Hovis is currently in a pelham due to us having some rather serious braking problems.... i.e. we didn't have any!
Most of the time i ride him on the buckle end with no pulling or being stupid but i have the comfort of knowing i can stop him in a pelham if i need to. Hovis has a lovely mouth and i am very light in my hands (probably far far too much so - in fact i was asked if I knew what "contact" was
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New fabby instructor has ridden him and says whilst he goes lovely in the pelham he thinks an old English gag would suit him (at least I'm sure thats what he called it). Worthy of note instructor is also a fully qualified dentist.

Ok so here's the dumb novice question of the day - what the heck is one? What does it looks like? Why is it different to a pelham? Could i show / compete in it?
 
An English gag looks like a large ringed snaffle, except that the cheek straps are integrated in it, running through two holes in the rings. When the reins are used, the rings of the bit rise up inth horse's mouth - hence it is a severe bit. It should have a second rein attached in the normal snaffle fashion so that there is a milder option. The cheek straps can be leather or rope. They're quite expensive but often around second-hand as they're an ols style and have been replaced by three-ring snaffles.
 
did he mean a cheltenham gag? that's a really severe bit. Not what I would resort to for mild braking issues.
I would be a bit concerned tbh.
 
On this type of bit, the cheek pieces attach to rope, which passes through slots on the bit rings, then attach directly on to your rein, so in effect, when you take a pull, there is a pulley effect, which pulls the bit up in the mouth and exerts a lot of poll pressure at the same time,

Whereas the pelham operates differently (do you use two reins or roundings). the snaffle rein acts as a normal snaffle with usual action on the lips/bars etc and the curb rein rotates the bit to exerts poll pressure, the curb stops the bit rotating too much.

 
Nope didn't call it a cheltenham gag definitely called it an english something. I'll ask him again when i next have a lesson but i just wondered if anyone had heard of them / knew what they were.
 
Chetenham gag, English gag all the same. But should be used with 2 reins, then you can use it like a snaffle with a contact, but only use the gag rein when braking issues arise. The gag rein then becomes the"just in case rein" which you will rarely use on a contact. I imagine your instructor wants you to work with a contact, but realises there could be braking issues with a snaffle. Its was really good for my old boy who was a perfect gent nearly all the time but had a sense of humour.
 
I used a cheltenham gag/ mexican grakle combo out hunting with my old boy- only thing that came near to stopping us!
 
Did you ask why this would be better for him than the pelham? A lot of people just have bits that they like to ride in so would rather them than anything else.
If he gives you a good solid reason for it then go for it (i.e. he is resisting the curb, needs to lift his head a little more and extra poll prssure will help etc) but if not then I would stick with what you and your horse are happy with.
Too much messing around with bits can cause so many other problems that it just isn't worth it imho..
 
A cheltenham gag has a very different action to the pelham. The cheltenham gag has a lifting action in the mouth and the pelham has a lowering action. To be honest, if the pelham is working, I would be reluctant to change it. Also, I think pelhams look nicer
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An english gag/cheltnam gag stops horses from leaning and being on the forehand and is not as harsh as has been suggested infact it in kinder than a pelham, I am quite suprised how many people view pelhams as not being very harsh, when i was a kid my jumping pony went in an english gag as she wasn't very strong but if she leant i had no hope of stoping her and pelham's where always the very last resort my instructor used, Both her and her mum where of this view an exceptionally experienced oldschool horsewomen, As PF said the english gag and the pelham have very different actions,
 
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