ridecamp@endurance.net: trail riding in a pelham

trail riding in a pelham

Cyndi Craig (cyndi.craig@chron.com)
Mon, 11 Aug 1997 11:24:56 -0700 (PDT)

I ride my Arab gelding in a pelham on training and endurance rides. He
is 9 and i have owned him since he was a weanling. I showed him in
dressage for years before starting LDs last fall. He had been ridden
only in a snaffle his entire life, but after making the mistake of doing
our first endurance ride in a snaffle :-) i dug out my pelham from my
old saddleseat days and he has been wearing it since. I likd it for the
same reasons. On a ride, I start out heavy on the curb, then gradually
we switch to 50/50, then at some point, i am able to tie up the curb
rein altogether. I really like it, because it give me just the amount of
bit I need, when I need it..not too much when I don;t need it. I do not
mind the double reins, but I come from a show background and am used to
it. One thing -- I keep my horse's mane short (like a hunter) because i
do find that the mane gets in the way...

cyndi craig
donerail farm
alvin, tx
cyndi.craig@chron.com

> Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 08:48:36 -500
> From: "John & Sue Greenall" <greenall@vermontel.com>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: bits
> Message-Id: <199708111235.IAA12786@eureka.vermontel.com>
> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
>
> I have been listening to this issue and find many of you have
> excellent points. However, I have not heard about using a pelham bit
> which incorpoorates both a snaffle and a curb. I see very few trial
> riders using such a bit and many comment on how difficult it must be
> to ride with two reins. Not really, I hardly notice. The beauty is
> that I can balance my Morgan with the snaffle rein while trotting
> down hill, yet have the strength of the curb when he gets really
> strong. I only flick that curb rein to remind him that I am deciding
> the speed. If I rode the entire ride on the curb, he would fight me
> every inch of the way (learned that the hard way). I can also throw
> the reins away if he is willing to be a good boy (not too often). I
> also drive my horses and have come to value the balance of the bit
> in the hand and so have they. I think that is why I have such good
> down hill horses. Riding with two reins is a little more work, but
> it rewards the horse when he is doing it right yet gives the rider
> the "control" he might need to correct the horse.
> John and Sue Greenall
> mailto:greenall@vermontel.com
>
> ------

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