Suitable for horses that:
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Have a large tongue and need more control than a snaffle gives
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Come above the bit and get high in the neck
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Are strong out hunting or around a course
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Are ridden by someone who cannot manage two reins
How it works
Mouthpiece. An unjointed mullen bar formed from a single piece of sweet iron, tapering from 14mm at the cheek to 10mm through the centre. The port measures 80mm wide by 10mm high, low and broad rather than tall and narrow, so the tongue is given room across a wide span while the bar stays well clear of the palate. The mouthpiece is swept forward to follow the arch of the tongue. With no joint there is nothing to close on the bars and no nutcracker action, and port relief moves the load off the centre of the tongue and out onto the bars.
Cheek piece. The action depends on the position of the rider's hands. The rein slides on the Dee shaped bit ring, so if the hands are lowered before pressure is applied the rein travels about an inch and the bit takes up roughly a 45 degree angle in the mouth, acting downward and backward on the lower jaw with downward pressure on the poll. The result is a lowering action rather than a lifting one. Three rein positions increase or decrease the pressure, so the range of a Pelham is available from a single rein.
Imported
8240