More on the Pelham

Yes, I am certain that your cob would go much more happily in a Pelham. Be careful though in the interpretation of the idea of riding the horse up from behind to a contact. This is a very subtle thing, and not about riding the horse into a fixed contact, something which I think you are already aware of, as you obviously do not like the way your horse is leaning into the bit. Some would positively encourage it!

The Pelham is used chiefly to relax the lower jaw, so that the head lowers of it's own accord. The hindlegs are then free to move under and the back to raise and round. The contact should feel much lighter, as the horse will be carrying himself provided you are activating his hindlegs and he is stepping under with impulsion (but, I hasten to add, this does not mean speed).

I explain the use of the Pelham in depth in my book. It works so well, with no force, and you can often put the horse back in the snaffle with a much lighter result once the horse has learnt to carry himself, and the meaning of the relaxation of the lower jaw, in the Pelham.

The Pelham acts on the curb groove, which contains a reflex point. When activated by gently squeezing the rein so that the curb chain (and I often use an elastic one instead of metal) just momentarily applies light pressure to the curb reflex, which causes the horse to relax his lower jaw. The rider then opens the fingers to release and reward the horse who learns to go with a very light contact. The riders' leg always backs this action, and encouraging the hindlegs to step further under the body, the back to raise and the head and neck to lower, the relaxation of the jaw, being maintained if necessary, by a repetition of the alternate light squeezing of the fingers.

If your horse goes perfectly well in the snaffle, staying perfectly on the bit with very light contact, then you don't need the Pelham. I use it mostly as a remedial bit to show the horse what is wanted, and can often put the horse back in the snaffle after a few weeks or sooner if he accepts it willingly. If not, he stays in the Pelham until ready for the double bridle and is up to elementary level dressage so that he can be competed in the double.

The hard rubber Pelham that I use has a mullen mouthpiece, and combined with an elastic curb chain, you have a very mild combination, always use with two reins by the way, with no nutcracker action, unlike even the French link which has lots. Get a friend to place your bit with a paier of reins attached, around your forearm. Raise your forearm upright so tht the bit doesn't slip off. Now get the friend to pull back gently, resist slightly with your arm the way the horse resists the pressure of the bit - now get the friend to pull back harder, then a bit harder still, then saw the bit from left to right a bit as many dressage riders and show jumpers do.

Does it hurt? I have never found anyone yet that didn't yell for mercy after about ten seconds of this treatment when I have done it to volunteer 'victims' at lecture demos. As you remove the bit from your arm, look at the white ring where the blood has drained out, and the pinching of the skin. That is your mild snaffle bit for you.

I have used it on probably several hundred horses over the years, who had been damn near impossible to get on the bit in a snaffle, resisting and evading to the point of rearing with their riders. Theses horses are different animals once the bit is changed.

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Teaching a horse leg yield

Try just applying intermittent pressure with your hand just where your leg would be applied slightly behind the girth. Horses will lean into pressure so if you apply a solid constant pressure, he will not move. Press firmly/release, firmly/release, until he understands. If he still does not move, stand at his head, and tap him lightly on the quarters, just above his hip, with a long dressage whip. He should move around, as if performing a turn on the forehand.

When you try it first under saddle, if he still does not want to move away from your leg, as long as he is not a kicker, get an assistant to apply pressure to his hind quarters, in time with when you apply your leg, which should also be applied with the same press/release, as you used your hand when on the ground.

I have trained many horses to go sideways using this method to start them. Always reward as soon as you get the first sideways response.

Don't worry too much about keeping your heels down. The only time your heel needs to be more than half an inch lower than toes is when jumping, and in the forward seat, when the muscles in your lower leg need to be a bit more closed, as the lower leg acts as a 'stabliser'.

For flatwork, to ram your heels down will cause your lower leg to tense up, your foot is likely to shoot forwards so that your toe is not underneath your knee, and this will pull you out of the correct balance, when your ear/shoulder/hip/heel should be in line. It really shouldn't matter that your foot is level, as long as the heel is never drawn up, which will weaken the leg position and the ability to apply the aids.

A good Western seat is very similar to the Classical dressage seat, so you should be able to adapt easily! So much so-called English riding is a hotchpotch of several styles, and not at all what used to be taught by the best English Cavalry instructors. So much good riding has been lost here in Britain.

I have sent several pupils who live in his area, to Bob Mayhew, one of our best Western trainers here in the UK, because I know that they will be taught far better than at so many riding schools that are British Horse Society approved. Your Western experience will stand you in good stead, whatever type of riding you decide to concentrate on in the end!

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Are Arabs any good for dressage?

Arabs are good for all levels of dressage- if only people had the tact to train them! They are highly intelligent, and don't suffer fools gladly. If they are trained in the Classical way, with the lightness and finesse that they respond to so well, they can, and do reach Grand Prix. One Grand Prix pure-bred mare was US Dressage Federation Horse of the Year, four years in a row!

My own stallion does all the lateral work, and is starting piaffe, my other gelding also being trained up to all the lateral movements. Contrary to popular belief that Arabs don't jump, I had a 15 hand gelding a few years ago that was jumping affiliated Foxhunter classes here in England, and represented the county in the Schools National Jumping Championship at Hickstead.

Don't limit yourself to thinking 'lower levels' with an Arabian- think as big as you want!

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Position in rising trot?

Tilting forward in rising trot is not nearly so bad as trying to sit up too straight, when you will get behind the horse's movement, in other words slightly out of sync, which will slow the horse down, and make you have to use a) more effort to get the horse going, and b) pull yourself up against the horse's movement instead of letting the horse move you.

The most important thing in rising trot is never, ever , let your toe come in front of your knee, it must remain in line, or you will immediately be out of balance. Now most saddles, as I have explained, make this very difficult to achieve, but do concentrate on keeping the lower leg so that the toe is under your knee. Then, make very sure that you are allowing your hips to swing forward towards the pommel, and then back, touching down very lightly in the saddle, with the top of your pelvis, i.e. your hip bones slightly forward.

Try this standing. With legs about two feet apart, hollow you back very slightly, so that you pelvis tilts forwards, bend your knees slightly, as if in the riding position in the saddle, now move your hips forward, and then back, but making sure that as you bring the hips back again, that there is a slight hollow in your back, so that the pelvis remains tilted slightly forward. Now repeat the exercise several a times as if rising to the trot, forward, when your upper body will come more upright, and then back, when the uper body will remain slightly forward. In this way, you would, if in the saddle, be allowing the horse's movement to take your hips forward and back, so that the movement is very little effort for either of you. These stupid instructors who teach to stay too upright, are causing you to be out of balance, and biomechanically making it difficult for the horse to trot.

Again, as I have also mentioned in the Kinder Way to Ride pages, fix a strap between the saddle D's, and use that to help keep your balance, until you find that you can rise easily, using this forward and back, not up and down movement of the hips. Hope this helps.