Pelham or Kimblewick?

P

Portia

New Member
Oct 16, 2004
2,536
0
0
Visit site
Need some advice please!
Mrs B has alway been ridden in a Neue Schule trans loose ring, in which she schools very well. Brakes are reasonable, she mostly spooks as she's frightened so it's not really been a problem, and out hacking we've tended to mostly go alone with OH on the bike, so not influenced by other horses - and she's mostly fine.

However! One of my goals is to ride in company (canter intended!) which we tried on the stubble, and which B thinks is GREAT fun ...and tanks off.
No Brakes.
At all.
Scared the living daylights out of me :eek:.
And puts other riders at risk too...

Been adviced we need better brakes (I agree - this was naughtiness, not fear), but what? I'd rather something that she responds to than sit there hauling away at the loose ring with no effect.

Haven't used anything above a hanging half-cheek, felt no difference in response to loose ring, am considering either a Pelham or Kimblewick but don't understand how they work and which would be better for her fat-tongued low-palate mouth!

Help would be much appreciated!!
 
I use a pelham for Kia at shows as he is prone to tanking off in the show ring but I used a loop ring snaffle for the rideouts this year and I had fantastic brakes. Now I used to use a Dr Bristol snaffle and he tanked off with this but the loop ring is thin so he cant grab it and it applies poll pressure to help stop and rotates in the mouth as well to help with grabbing. Comes in french link as well I am sure.

This is the loop ring :)

http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/prodshow.asp?id=1905&cat=2&scats=50,15#

I think that Blue Wicked rides in a kimblewick, not sure but I have great brakes with the pelham but i use double reins on it.

Nikki xxxx:D
 
Last edited:
a fat tongue and low pallet have no bearing on your choice pelham or kimblewick - its the mouthpeice you choose which is cruical. Id go for a ported, cambridge mouth , which both bits are available in.

If you go with the pelham, go for double reins. that way you can just pick up the curb rein when you need that little bit extra.

If (like me:rolleyes:) you cant do double reins, then a slotted kimblewick is a good choice. For schooling, solo hacking, I have mine with teh curb chain done up so it has no effect, and the reins not in the slots at all - just through the normal bit ring. Then for hacking in company, jumping, xc etc I can tighten the curb, adjust the setting of the reins into lower slots etc to increase the strength of the bit. How you carry your hands has a bearing on it as well - lowering your hands brings the curb nito effect more.

ETA mine is in the cambridge mouth as he has similar mouth to yours...

hope this helps :)
 
BlueWicked said:
If (like me:rolleyes:) you cant do double reins, then a slotted kimblewick is a good choice. For schooling, solo hacking, I have mine with teh curb chain done up so it has no effect, and the reins not in the slots at all - just through the normal bit ring. Then for hacking in company, jumping, xc etc I can tighten the curb, adjust the setting of the reins into lower slots etc to increase the strength of the bit. How you carry your hands has a bearing on it as well - lowering your hands brings the curb nito effect more.

ETA mine is in the cambridge mouth as he has similar mouth to yours...

hope this helps :)
Click to expand...

Thanks BW, you have a Conne too if I recall?
Can't manage double reins, never done it before and doubt I could cope :eek:.

Does the Pelham apply more poll pressure than the Kimblewick? Poll pressure doesn't really work for her as the hanging cheek would have applied that and made no difference. Whats' a 'cambridge mouth'??? How does the curb chain work? Is there anywhere I can read about this? :eek:

So sorry for all these questions, I feel such a numpty asking like this .
 
Portia, I know this is slightly off the subject but did you buy Mrs B this year? Its just that I nearly went to view a horse with that name - she was a black cob with white blaze :D
 
Portia said:
Thanks BW, you have a Conne too if I recall?
Can't manage double reins, never done it before and doubt I could cope :eek:.

Does the Pelham apply more poll pressure than the Kimblewick? Poll pressure doesn't really work for her as the hanging cheek would have applied that and made no difference. Whats' a 'cambridge mouth'??? How does the curb chain work? Is there anywhere I can read about this? :eek:

So sorry for all these questions, I feel such a numpty asking like this .
Click to expand...

no prob :) yes mine is mainly connie too:D

Blue doesnt like poll pressure - and fought the hanging cheek bits, as in shook/tossed his head about.

You will get 'some' poll pressure from a kimblewick as the cheek pieces are attached to a small ring above the main bit ring, but its minimal and to be honest i feel it more kind of stabalises the bit in the mouth if that makes sense. Certainly, Blue doesnt object to it.

A pelham has the POTENTIAL to have more poll pressure;) Thats why i prefer these types of bit as you can adjust /alter how severe they are. If you are using double reins and only using the top rien then you have the action of a snaffle, with the same slight hanging cheek effect as the kimblewick because of where the cheekpiece attaches. If you bring in the lower rein the shank of the bit is longer and so causes more leverage and poll pressure and more curb action.


If you are thiking of using roundings, then id go wih the kimblewick...

the curb is the chain which sits under the horses chin. As it comes into action it encourages the horse to lower it head as when the horse lifts its head it becomes tighter.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curb_chain


a cambridge mouth is a ported bit that gives room for the tongue.. like these -
http://www.stockleyonline.co.uk/catalog/cambridge-mouth-slotted-ring-kimblewick-p-635.html

here is Blue in his...
beach023a.jpg


rember, mine is the slotted version - you can get one with normal bit rings, but i like how versitle this is. You can see how it is putting some poll pressure on here as we 'ran away' from the waves, lol! I had it in the lower slot for maximum control that day!
 
Last edited:
Thank you very very much :) very helpful and makes sense too!

Blue and B sound similar, certainly their head conformation looks to be so, same slightly dished (gorgeous) face.

Think my YO rides one of hers in that bit, certainly have seen very similar (and wondered what it was), so shall have a chat with all and see if I can borrow!

:eek: Can I ask just one more numpty question? What are 'roundings'?? :eek:

And no FL, not my Mrs B; she's an Irish lassie who came over on the boat about 8 years ago. Nice name though :)
 
Last edited:
if you can't cope with double reins then steer clear of a pelham. roundings are nasty, they totally fuzzy the action of the pelham and instead of riding off the snaffle and only applying the curb when you need it, the curb is brought into play with every movement of the reins.

The curb chain lies in the curb grove and applies pressure there. when you apply pressure to the shank of the bit, it acts a bit like a level and tightens the curb chain, applying the pressure.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back