Showing a 3yr old in a pelham?

[Allie5]

Tommy and I were soundly thrashed last night (5th out of 7 including being beaten by a colt that kicked another horse and only one place higher than a mare who broke her owners nose in the ring! but that's another thread!) the horse that won the class was being shown in a pelham and double reins (3yr old sports horse qualifier class) and Im wondering what other people thought of this? Now before anyone cries sour grapes the mare thoroughly deserved to win, she was beautifully put together, impeccably turned out (Tommy is still patchy from winter and the skills of quarter marks escapes me!) and behaved perfectly. However the details for the class says suitable snaffle bridle, surely a pelham and double reins isn't a suitable snaffle bridle? Plus would anyone ride a 3yr old in a pelham? Im genuinely curious as this might be some magic showing trick Im missing!

 

[Erin]

Pelhams/Doubles are not allowed on youngstock.

I am sure there are people who ride their 3yos in pelhams. Lots of people use them as a shortcut to an outline.

 

[Allie5]

So if pelhams/doubles are not allowed on babies how did this horse win the class? Its not even that they were allowed to compete but they actually won! I would hope than any judge and/or steward would be aware of the rules of the society they are judging under!

 

[Gamebird]

Tbh I've never come across a 3yo ridden class before! In my day (yeah, I know) anything uder 4 was shown in-hand. Most of the 3yos had been backed/sat on but still came out in-hand in the ring.

I'd be happy to see a pelham/double in a 4yo, toward the back end of the year and in the right hands, but don't think that anything bar a snaffle is appropriate for a 3yo, especially if the rules dictate it!

 

[Erin]

Yep, you would hope so. Horse shouldn't have even been allowed in the ring.
And even if judge/steward wasn't au fait with the rules then you'd think they'd question why a 3yo was in a pelham.

 

[Allie5]

Just to clarify this was an in hand class. One of a qualifying series for the final at Blair in august. The SSHS website and show schedule all say "suitable snaffle bridle" Am I being naive to expect a better standard from an affiliated class?

 

[mrogers]

if it was written in the rules then it should be applied to. If it was a qualifier i am assuming the judge was on the societies panel? in which case she should no rules inside out. However, i have seen several 3yr old classes with pelhams/doubles in. My mare won the shp at pembs as a 3yr old in a pelham with her owners,I personally wouldnt want to do it but each to their own

 

[Allie5]

mrogers. Im not questioning their choice to put the horse in a pelham. Its not mine and not my place to question. I think I was just confused as to why at an affiliated show there was such blatant disregard for the rules. Its really not fair for the rest who follow the letter of the law so to speak! Who knows if this horse would have been an absolute nightmare in a snaffle but it didn't matter as no one questioned the bit.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Pelhams/Doubles are not allowed on youngstock.

I am sure there are people who ride their 3yos in pelhams. Lots of people use them as a shortcut to an outline.

Sorry you are wrong. In an 3 yr old led hunter class a double bridle is perfectly correct, as is a pelham, although I would use a rugby pelham.

 

[Emz99]

Yep you quite regularly see 3yr old in pelhams/doubles, although under SH(GB) rules all entrants in all in-hand sports horse classes (incl broodmares) have to be in snaffles.

 

[TarrSteps]

I'm confused, why would you show a horse in hand in a pelham? Something to do with the 'look'?

Anyway it's moot for a Sport Horse class, as discussed.

Did you ask on the day? I don't mean make a fuss, I mean genuinely ask if you understood correctly (even if just to be passive aggressive ). Obviously no one here can guess why they did what they did but it would have been interesting to know. It's not ratting people out to ask a simple question if things are not as they should be.

 

[Allie5]

i didn't ask on the day as I spent 40 mins trying to persuade baby horse back on the trailer! It didn't really occur to me until we were half way home. I have emailed SSH for clarification though. Again not to "tell" on anyone Im just curious!

 

[TarrSteps]

Exactly. I think often stuff like thar just gets overlooked because no one thinks anyone is going to do something that obvious and the perpetrators simply don't think.

I'm still confused though, what would be the advantage in hand? Actually, I was taught always to lead a horse wearing double reins by the snaffle only, with the curb rein tied up on the withers, because of the way the curb rotates and the risk of actually hurting the horse if it does pull back. Old style, I guess.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Exactly. I think often stuff like thar just gets overlooked because no one thinks anyone is going to do something that obvious and the perpetrators simply don't think.

I'm still confused though, what would be the advantage in hand? Actually, I was taught always to lead a horse wearing double reins by the snaffle only, with the curb rein tied up on the withers, because of the way the curb rotates and the risk of actually hurting the horse if it does pull back. Old style, I guess.

There is no advantage. I don't show sport horses, only hunters and in the hunter ring it is correct turnout for a 3 yr old to wear a double bridle with both reins over the head, my horse would be handled on the bradoon only, the curb would not come in play at all. It is also worth considering the level of showing would be County. I would not expect to see a youngster being towed around in a double at the local riding club show.

The horse must be schooled to be mannerly, trot on properly and stand up for the judge.

Pelhams will be seen but a knowledgable or professional handler will use a rugby pelham which has the appearance of a double.

 

[Allie5]

This wasn't a local or riding club show but an affiliated qualifying round at a large equestrian centre. I didn't see the point know a pelham myself, maybe the horse was a nightmare in a snaffle but if everyone else *just about* coped in a snaffle why couldn't they? I'll say again the horse behaved beautifully and did a cracking show its just not a level playing field if people ignore the rules!

 

[Erin]

Sorry you are wrong. In an 3 yr old led hunter class a double bridle is perfectly correct, as is a pelham, although I would use a rugby pelham.

The SHB(GB) rule book states:

'Led Hunters should be in plain leather bridles. Yearlings, two and three-year-olds must have
snaffle bits. Foals should just have leather headcollars.'

 

[Maesfen]

The SHB(GB) rule book states:

'Led Hunters should be in plain leather bridles. Yearlings, two and three-year-olds must have
snaffle bits. Foals should just have leather headcollars.'

That's a new one then surely? 3 year old In hand hunters were usually in doubles or pelhams from the year dot, used exactly as Alice described. I can understand the rule if it was a sport horse class but not an In Hand Hunter class.

 

[AdorableAlice]

That's a new one then surely? 3 year old In hand hunters were usually in doubles or pelhams from the year dot, used exactly as Alice described. I can understand the rule if it was a sport horse class but not an In Hand Hunter class.

I have not registered my yearling, so I don't have the new rule book, but it sounds like there have been changes. Disappointing in my view, a 3 year old 17.2h heavyweight is going to look rather silly wearing an in hand bridle.

That is a personal view and unlikely to be agreeable to many.

 

[TarrSteps]

That said, it is then in line with showing horses in hand/on the line pretty much anywhere else. There are some pretty massive warmblood horses, particularly stallions, and hunters in America are always shown in snaffles in hand. I know that doesn't address the issue of tradition but I'm sure, as you say, anyone with a well trained and presented horse won't be too adversely affected.

I can certainly see why Sport Horses have to wear snaffles, since it is, in effect, an international standard. You'll be showing on the triangle next.

 

[MagicMelon]

If the class says snaffle bridle only then it should have been in a snaffle IMO. I would have questioned this afterwards...

Young / novice classes, you generally show in-hand in a snaffle but anything more than that its usually a pelham/double. For example when my Welsh D was a 3 & 4yo he was in a snaffle doing in-hand and novice ridden classes, then once in open classes he was in a pelham.

 

[Maesfen]

I have not registered my yearling, so I don't have the new rule book, but it sounds like there have been changes. Disappointing in my view, a 3 year old 17.2h heavyweight is going to look rather silly wearing an in hand bridle.

That is a personal view and unlikely to be agreeable to many.

It's the end of tradition as we know it Alice, very sad as big upstanding hunters just do not look good in in hand bridles although there's nothing to stop you using a good heavyweight plain bridle. In hand bridles look ludicrous on hunters but sport horses with their lighter build might just get away with them speaking of which, I wish they had banned flash nosebands on in hand horses as well, they look awful and are totally unnecessary when the horse is trained properly.
Rules for SHBGB here, No.49 is the offending one.
http://www.sporthorsegb.co.uk/forms/Show Regulations.pdf

 

[TarrSteps]

There is always the problem with tradition though - flashes, while not traditional in the strict sense are now almost standard for showing sport horses. I actually have issues but will say I've been happy enough to have them on a stallion or two over the years!

I'm fascinated by the amount of showing in hand here. In my experience elsewhere isn't almost always confined to youngstock or breeding animals outside of traditionally western based breeds like QHs, and even then, a lot of the emphasis outside of breeding classes is Showmanship. Interesting.

 

[Allie5]

Well this was a 3 yr old class and everything was shown in a normal riding bridle and snaffles (except the winner obviously!) Tommy would now look ridiculous in an in hand bridle! I also searched for blooming ages for a plain cavesson noseband as I didn't want a flash. I can't quote on my phone but someone mentioned it earlier, this class was on the triangle and handlers in whites! Not fun when your a good doer like me!!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Well this was a 3 yr old class and everything was shown in a normal riding bridle and snaffles (except the winner obviously!) Tommy would now look ridiculous in an in hand bridle! I also searched for blooming ages for a plain cavesson noseband as I didn't want a flash. I can't quote on my phone but someone mentioned it earlier, this class was on the triangle and handlers in whites! Not fun when your a good doer like me!!

Google Issaacs Saddlery, Worcestershire, Melanie will make you the best hunter bridle possible with a proper noseband, all hand stitched and I promise you they last forever.

The only triangle I have heard of is made by DairyLee and white is a colour that my underwear never stays.

 

[TarrSteps]

Is the horse actually a Hunter, OP? Obviously show in whatever suits you and the horse best and if he will bring contesting Hunter classes, then he needs a suitable bridle for that. But surely if he's only doing Sport classes it's not necessary to have a Hunter bridle. Are the Sport classes here judged by showing judges? That must be tricky if they're done on the triangle as it's not really supposed to be the same game. They've had the same problem in Canada, with the added problem that by far the biggest market for young horses is Show Hunters.

 

[Gamebird]

Sorry, misunderstood the OP and thought it was a ridden class (even though I'd never heard of one for 3yos!).

I have no issues with pelhams/doubles in-hand - used to show hunters like this in a previous incarnation. However if the rules say snaffle then snaffle it should be!

 

[Allie5]

It was a 3 yr old sports horse class. Affiliated to the Scottish Sports Horse society. According to the rules they are looking for "young horses suited to the Olympic disciplines of Evening, Dressage and Showjumping" My boy is definitely an eventer. He's small, compact and workmanlike. I show him in a slightly padded cavesson riding bridle. The horse in question was wearing a hunter bridle with pelham and double reins. Not presented as a "sports horse" yet still won the class.

 

[TarrSteps]

Then that's just bad judging/stewarding. Will be interested to see the answer to your email.