Is a pelham a suitable bit for a youngster?

[Tia]

I have been reading Heathers book, and recently put my older mare into a pelham (just with one rein at the mo, but I will school in two), and she has been a lot better in it, and I am quite impressed.

Thing is, my youngster is just about to outgrow her bit, and I am looking to replace it. At the moment she is in a kk sprenger training snaffle, which she is ok in, but not great (we've tried loads, and this is the best so far!). I've recently begun to back her (I've been on five times!) and she's going really well, but already, she has both softened on the bit and leant on it! So, I will need to get her a new bit shortly, but although I'm impressed with the pelham in the older mare, would it be a suitable bit for a youngster?

Any suggestions gratefully received!!!

[ros]

Sorry Tia - I'm confused! What exactly have you been doing with your youngster if, as you say, you've been through a number of bits before you've even backed her? I'd expect lungeing and perhaps some long-reining, but I'd use something like a simple rubber bar snaffle myself initially, so why the need for the KK, and what else have you been using?

I've no idea what Heather would say, but I'd keep the bit very soft and simple (and not chop and change) until she's properly backed and begins to be able to balance herself under this strange weight. She's bound to be a bit wobbly and inconsistent at first, and until she's found her feet you won't really get a true impression of how she responds to this or that bit.

[Tia]

Sorry if I was a bit unclear.

My youngster was bitted as a two year old. She is now four. I have mainly done in-hand work with her in a bit. She does lunge (she learnt that this year), but I don't use a bit, but a cavesson. I'm not a great fan of lungeing young horses much tho, so we don't do a lot of it. We have just begun to long rein. It has just been my goal to introduce things to her as she's grown up, so that it hasn't all hit her in one go this year. She walks out in hand, goes round obstacle courses (like a handy pony!) in hand, walks & trots over poles on the surface, etc. Not every day, but now and then. I like to handle youngsters well and introduce them to things, without straining muscles, bones or attention spans!!!

I have had her checked by a dentist since she was a yearling to make sure that a bit wouldn't cause a problem, but although she has taken a bit, she has never really settled in one until I bought the kk sprenger. We've tried straight bar rubber, happy mouth, sweet iron, etc. The sprenger she has settled in, but has now begun to lean on it, both in-hand and ridden. As far as ridden work goes, obviously she's still inconsistent (she is a baby after all), but as youngsters go she's fairly balanced. She is the most balanced youngster I have ever worked with, not the least wobbly, just learning to adjust for the weight. In fact, as youngsters go, she is the most remarkable I have ever known. It isn't like teaching a youngster at all, it is like she has done it all her life. She is almost scary, she is so good!

My reason for changing the sprenger, is because a) she is outgrowing it size-wise, and b) she is leaning on it heavily. So, do I stick with it while she is still learning, or do I change it for something else. I merely enquired about the pelham as my older mare is going so well in it, and I know the EE philosophy is very pro, but is it the same for youngsters?

[ros]

Hi Tia - much clearer picture. Just out of interest while we're waiting for Heather to reply ('cos I'm interested in this too!) when you say she "hasn't settled" in the various bits you've tried, what is she doing that indicates she isn't settled? Also, how exactly do you gauge that she's leaning on the KK? When does she do it? And is she the same on the occasions when you've ridden her?

(Sorry for all the questions.)

[Tia]

I knew that she hadn't settled in the bits, as she never relaxed when she was in them, had a very fixed jaw, and used to get very tense when in them, and got distressed if I left her alone with one in. Once I put the KK Sprenger in, she began to relax and play with it. I know my fillys moods really well, as we have a very close bond, I can tell if she's not happy - even when no-one else notices a difference. I've owned her since she was a yearling, and she would do anything for me, and vice versa!

She is generally very light in hand when led, so it is obvious when she begins to lean! In hand, I could almost normally not have a rope attached, as she just follows along, or keeps a very light contact, but recently she has begun to lean against my hand whilst in the bit. She also began to lean on my hands last time I rode her (only her fifth time ridden). We were in the arena for the first time, and after she relaxed which took a couple of minutes, she walked out really well, softened to the bit, and then leant hard against my hands and tried to stay there! I used leg (which thankfully she is learning to accept), and she came off the contact a bit and softened again, but she kept having a go at it.

I know it's really early days for us, and I'm only riding her for about 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a week, but I don't want her starting on habits like this!

Incidentally, I know there is no problem with her teeth, as the dentist was out only 2 weeks ago, and did a bit of work, but said her teeth were in a good way. I am very lucky, he is an excellent dentist.

[Dizzy]

Personally I don't think a pelham is suitable for a youngster, the pelham is a corrective bit, your youngster is just learning.

I'm only guessing here, but are you possibly asking you're horse forward onto maybe too firm a contact?

They can only lean if you provide a prop. I wouldn't be looking for your youngster to soften to the bit just yet. I would concentrate on forward into a soft giving rein, use weighting your stirrup, and a soft open rein for direction change, your voice/seat aids and squeeze/release on the rein for halt, working on the basis they halt on your release of the rein.

Horses are interpressure animals, if your rien is pulling or ungiving they will lean and prop themselves up, especially youngsters as even without a rider on board they are very much on the forehand put a rider up top and their balance is questioned. If you allow her forward into a soft, elastic contact, you'll allow her to learn to balance herself without leaning on your hands.

If she's happy in the bit you are using, but growing out of it, why not buy her a larger one. I started my horse in an eggbut snaffle, she wasn't particularly happy with it, she didn't mouth on it and seemed to suck it back over, I changed to a loose ring french link and we've never looked back.

One thing I didn't understand from your previous post is why would you leave her alone with a bit in her mouth? Or have I misunderstood something?

Lesley

[Tia]

You could be right about me allowing her to lean on my hands. I have always been told by instructors (and felt myself) that while I don't actively hold a horse back, I don't always allow as much as I should with my hands, particularly if slightly tense. I'll try to put your advice into practice and see how we go.

With regards to leaving my youngster alone with a bit in, in the past I worked in a yard which 'broke' youngsters in, and that was a common practice with introducing a youngster to a bit. I was taught to put a bit and bridle on, and leave the youngster with it in for a short time (which increased over a couple of weeks) to allow them time to get used to it and think about it. But I have found that this just didn't work with my girl. She takes confidence from my presence, and got very stressed if I left her alone. Interestingly enough tho, I can leave her in this bit, and even tacked up, although I never leave her fully tacked up and untied. Thankfully, she now saddles up like she's done it all her life!

Bless her, she's a joy to own, handle and ride.

[ros]

It used to be common practice (and probably still is) to stand a youngster in bit and side-reins for anything up to an hour, ostensibly to "make its mouth". George Bowman always did it with his youngsters. The theory is that the horse "makes" his own mouth, finds his own contact, whatever you like to call it: in practice, however, I think all it really achieves is to give him a stiff neck!

Doesn't sound as though that's what you were doing, Tia - just mentioned it out of interest. I don't have a problem leaving a horse in a bit for a short while to let him get used to the feel of it, but I would expect him to settle fairly quickly if he was going to.