Pelham bit or draw reins

[tikla]

Draw reins or pelham-bit

Hi Heather

I would like to hear your opinion on this question. I am from Denmark, so if my english sounds at little peculiar somewhere that's why.

I have a very "hot" trakehner/thoroughbred mare. She is bought for dressage 3 years ago, but actually we are still exactly where we were, when I bought her. She is always running too fast, both when ridden, long-lined and longed. Every time I try to slow her down a little or to make downwards transitions, she sticks her head in the air, being very heavy on the bit and is like a plank to sit on. It is then very difficult for me to sit and to ride her correct when she hollows her back like that, and she breaks through all attempts to slow her down, making it impossible to improve.

After having read your wonderful book, I am interested in trying a pelham-bit. Pelhams are rarely used in Denmark, so I haven't found one in the rigth size yet. In all the shops, they told me, that the pelham, that is one long, straight mouthpiece (I guess thats what mullen mouthpiece means, but I am not quite sure) is the most harsh bit, I can get, and they all strongly recommended me the jointed, rubber-covered pelham (NOT the french or the double-jointed pelham, but like a regular jointed snaffle). I have understood that you recommend the mullen mouthpiece to the french (double-jointed?) pelham - but why if it is so harsh and do you also recommend it to the regular jointed one? I think I have to choose between the jointed, rubbercovered one, and the mullen mouth rubbercovered one. Which one should I buy?

I dont like draw reins, but they have shown to be able to settle her down. I have only tried riding with them once, since I didn't get the pelham, and since draw reins were recommended. Actually they helped a lot. I rode with them for only 20 minutes, and as soon as she felt, that she couldn't lift her head and run away, she settled down. When I removed the draw reins and rode another half hour she was much more responsive than usual - she didn't ran faster than I wanted to, and she was actually very easy to sit on, so i could begin practising sitting the way you describe to sit.

Would you recommend, that I continue to use the draw reins and my usual double jointed snaffle or should I find the right pelham? As I see it, the problem is not so much her outline, it is rather, that she doesn't respond to any attempt of slowing her down, even though I really try all that I am able to, not to draw my hands back, and not to make a heavy contact myself. I have tried your advice about stopping her by rising slower than she is going, and It helps to slow down her trot, but I still cant manage to do correct transitions to walk.

What would you recommend? I apologize for the long question, I hope you will take the time to read it and to answer me, thank you in anticipation.

[Wally]

Your tack shops obviously havn't seen many bits! A Pelham is not a severe bit, You ought to see an Icelandic curb bit!

Heather recommends a rubber covered, mullen mouth Pelham. I've recently tried one on our Fjord mare. She loves it, She used to have a snaffle, but is far happier in a rubber Pelham.

[Allie]

I'm afraid I've got to agree with Wally on the severeness of the pelham. Obviously the tack shop has never seen the old Spanish Spade Bits (still used by some people believe it or not). The ports on those bits (curbs) are 2 inches or higher, and the shanks are often 8 inches long. As with any bit, the pelham is only as severe as the hands that are using it. Any bit can be cruel in insensitive hands!

Allie

P.S. Heather, if you woudn't mind, could you explain why you recommend the mullen mouth over a jointed snaffle type mouth? Thanks!

[Edited by Allie on 4th Nov 2000 at 03:07 PM]

[Tammy]

Heather,

I, too, would like to know the reason for recommending a mullen mouth bit over a snaffle. Is it milder? How snug should the curb chain fit? Sorry for the questions but there is absolutely nobody in this area that uses a Pelham.

This is not related, but a few weeks ago Allie and I were wondering why you slightly tip the horse's head to the inside when asking for canter. Allie had been taught to tip to the outside and I had been told to tip inside. Reasoning??

[Heather]

HI folks,

I am back from an exhausting but very successful Equine Event ( met a lovely German Icelandic rider there Jo, didn't catch her name but she is a friend of Sabine's, and is 6'3" tall. I am sure you must know her!).

I reccommend the rubber covered mullen mouth because you are right it is much milder than any jointed bit which of course has a nutcracker action on the tongure and jaw.I have had some horses go better in a jointed Pelham, it depends like anything else, on the horse and as most of you know,. I am not pedantic about trying different bits. Let the horse tell you what he likes or doesn't like!


I really don't like draw reins, ecdept in the most experienced of hands. There was an
interesting article in a magazine recently by a vet who had done some research i to the damage that draw reins can effect, and it was pretty horrifying, and also irrepairable.

In England,Tikla, you would probably have been told the same, that the Pelham is a very seveer bit, but any bit is only as strong as the hands that use it. If you have a problem getting a rubber mullen mouth Pelham, let me know and I can give you the mail order numbers of a couple of saddlery companies here in the UK. Some horses prefer an elastic curb chain, too, rather than a metal one. On most horses it has the required effect to release the reflex point, and with a mullen mouth rubber covered bit and elastic cur, it is a very mild combination, much more so than any snaffle. Tikla try the experiment that I show in the book, putting a snaffle bit around the forearm and getting someone to pull back on it, very gently to start with, and then more strongly. This should convince any sceptics that the snaffle can be anything but mild!


Heather