Horse trying to catch his pelham... Advice please!

[kit279]

I rode my black horse in a pelham yesterday and he was a very good boy to ride in it - except when we were in halt where he tries to catch and chew the shanks. This is a bit of a colty racehorse thing, I think, as his racing yard warned me that he would hook himself on a regular martingale so to use a bib martingale. He's not unhappy in his mouth, he just wants to grab onto it. He just has a cavesson on at the moment, although I have ridden him in a flash with a snaffle before.

Question is - what do I do about it? I don't want him to get all hooked up by accident but I've never used a flash with a pelham. Am I right in thinking that you're not supposed to use one? Don't especially want to crank his gob shut but he mustn't fiddle incase he gets stuck!!

Any advice?

 

[spacefaer]

I have a horse who does exactly the same thing - he also does it in walk on a hack.

he's very playful and very bright and just does it to amuse himself. Putting a flash on doesn't really help very much - he can still catch it in his teeth if he tries hard enough.

I just make sure I have a contact - and when he tries to do it, I shake the curb rein at him so that it moves the shank of the pelham out and away from the side of his mouth

Not a lot you can do, except keep alert for when he tries to do it - he'll stop eventually when it's not a fun trick anymore

 

[Enfys]

I had a tb that used to do this years ago, we put him in a military reversible and he couldn't get to the shank. A bit clunkier looking than a pelham though.