which pelham?

[reachforthestars]

sorry if this is in the wrong place mods.

so i would like to try my gelding in a pelham. he can be strong but he can be extremly soft as well. at the moment im riding him in a jointed snaffle. what pelham do you think he would be best in?? he is 6 as well.

thanks.

[speedysally]

oooh, have you definitely tried all the allternative snaffles? there's a loop ring snaffle which i think is meant to be the strongest snaffle! everyone has there own opinions on this but i hate pelllams!X

[ilovebuckroox]

Are you deffinately wanting a Pelham, or possibly a Double? It depends what classes you will be doing with him, if you use a Double then you can ride off the snaffle you are using now. I'd suggest trying to borrow a few and see what he finds most comfortable, and what he goes best in.

[Milliesmum]

Are you wanting to move to a pelham for the show ring, i.e. double reins, or purely for brakes?

If it's just for brakes, have you tried a 'stronger' snaffle, e.g. a doctor bristol? or a 3 ring gag which you could ride with two reins, just picking up the lower rein when needed?

It would just be trial and error with a pelham depending on how he takes to the poll/curb action, I would start with a mullen mouth with a leather or elastic curb and then adjust from there. If you could have a lesson and try him in the different bits it would be helpful to have someone on the ground who can see how he is going - it's sometimes difficult from on top to see what's happening. Helpful if someone would video you too so you can see for yourself.

[reachforthestars]

i would prefere it just for the show ring, as he can have brakes when he wants. i would propably doing riding horse or shp with him, as he is 153cm.

[mcw]

Have you tried a rugby pelham or actually known as a 'show pelham?' They are designed to give the illusion of a double bridle.

But I think ILBR idea is good. Use the snaffle you have now as the part of your double. It's a technique my friend uses for her horse. She does a lot of working hunter, so needs a pelham for brakes whilst jumping, and she needed a wilkie to get him to sit up properly whilst doing his flat show.

[sarahp]

I would ideally always go for a double, and only resort to a pelham if the horse has a mouth that won't take one - many Arabs and natives have short mouths and aren't happy with two bits. It sounds from the classes you might be doing as if yours might be more TBish, so would be more likely to have a mouth suitable for a double, which is much more of a "precision instrument" than any pelham. Dependent on the hands at the ends of the reins of course, as ever

As said above, borrowing and trying various options is a good plan.

[fanfarefan]

as above i would always go for a double , but it takes careful handling and alot of practice , possibly take some advice and instruction from someone who has experience with using a double , i used one for many years on my mare for showing , but as she got older , her mouth changed , and became more fleshy and the bits started pinching her , which is something that you would have to look out for on any horse whatever age , but i hope you find a suitable bit sx

[sarahp]

The use of the two reins is the same for a double as for a pelham though - or have I misunderstood what you meant?

[Louise12598]

borrow one before you buy, thats what i did and now i have bought one, you dont want to buy a pelham and he not be comfy in it. my pony is quite soft mouthed and i ride him in a pelham for m&m only, he goes on the bit fine in his snaffle and he's happy in it. in my opinion its not what type of bit it is it's how you ride it with him, i've been told that a snaffle can be just as harsh depending on how you use it

[fanfarefan]

sarahp , in theory you might say that the use of two reins for a double is the same for a pelham , but as double says mastering the use of the two reins is different , if you leave the weymouth rein alone you are only using in sense the bradoon bit , as a normal snaffle , if you then add pressure to the weymouth rein you then have a more severe piece of equipment in your hands , which not only uses poll pressure it is also alot more severe in the horses mouth , if not used correctly , some horses may back offit and not go forward , others will try and evade it by overbending and others may just completely object and just throw their heads, the pelham whilst in a sense seems the same does not use the same pressure in the mouth as it is a single mouth piece , but does use the poll pressure , but is a good step towards a double bridle , for the horse and rider !!!!!!!,but having said that just because a horse goes well in a double doesnt mean to say it will go well pelham , and visa versa , each to their own sx

[sarahp]

Using just the top rein of a pelham gives very little poll pressure as the rein is attached directly to the level of the bit, if that makes sense, which is the fulcrum of the lever system, although of course this will vary with the design of the particular pelham. Using the bottom rein really brings the curb chain and thus poll pressure into play. It isn't a halfway house to a double, but an alternative approximation for horses whose mouth conformation does not suit a double.

[fanfarefan]

my apologies ,missed out the bottem rein use of the pelham, but i cant see why a pelham cant be a stepping stone to a double , it would give the rider a chance to see if they can handle the two sets of reins , and the horse a chance to see what its reaction is to more poll pressure , before spending out on an exspensive double bridle , !!!especially for a young horse .

[Milliesmum]

A young rider could also use split reins on a pelham, if you have the kind with a buckle adjustment rather than stitched it can be adjusted to give the required amount of pressure on the curb without all the 'knitting' for little hands.

[monkeysocks]

I would try a magenis snaffle i had a traditional in for schooling and she had a mouth like steel but using the loose ring magenis has made her much softer in the hand.

[snowflake]

I had a very strong pony which bucked and he needed the double to lift him up and have that strength. However my SHP doesn't find the double too comfortable she seems to open her mouth with it in, so she has a ported Pelham. Her old owners had her in a port as she can be a little strong when she wants to be. However we just ride her on the top rein, applying no pressure on the bottom rein until needed. I would try a double but ride him in a pelham too. See what you both prefer. However at home I would just ride him in a snaffle to keep his mouth nice and supple.

[rubydoo]

my cob was ridden in a hanging snaffle unless showing then i used a mullen mouth pelham with double reins , i did try a jointed but he has a big fat tongue so the straight bar worked better , it depents on the size and shape of your horses mouth as to which would suit best

[tbmare]

Personally i would go for the pelham first.and see how he reacts to the curb rein.. most accept it.. but i have seen afew who will do everything including sticking heads in the ir to locking jaws.. and in all honesty how would youir horse feel if he had 2 bits in applying different pressures??? especially if you have never ridden in 2 reins before
you know your horse better than any of us.. and there are many NS or Sprenger pelhmas that are designed for different shaped mouths too.

[vikki85]

I agree with sarahp that a pelham I can be a good stepping stone between snaffle and double. I'd always get someone to actually come and fit a double to your horses mouth as well as horses have different mouths, and some may not be able to have a double at all as their mouths are too small or too fleshy.

I find there is a common misconception about pelhams. In my experience people hate them and would rather use things like bubble bits thinking they are less 'harsh'. Whilst a pelham can certainly be harsh if used in the wrong hands, they are very useful schooling bits for helping to soften up horses that have been badly ridden in a snaffle - I'm not referring to your horse btw beccaluvsoli, as I can see you've already put your horse is soft in snaffle If you were to try a pelham, you could use an elastic curb chain as they are kinder than a normal chain.

I'd personally rather see a horse ridden nicely and quietly in a 'stronger' pelham than abused in a 'less harsh' snaffle.