Pelham without a lip strap -- is this a problem in the Eq?

[lintesia]

I just got a new bit – a titanium Fager single jointed pelham . I rode my horse with it today and he appears to like it. (He’s got a nice mouth and rarely fusses. He’s also happiest when I mix things up and don’t use the same bit day in and day out. I was curious about this bit because he flats very nicely in another titanium Fager bit I have, but that one is a somewhat unconventional eggbut.)

This particular pelham doesn’t have the little rings where you’d normally attach a lip strap and I’m wondering if that will be frowned upon by the judges in equitation classes. The last thing I need is to have points against me for an avoidable faux pas!

I will, of course, be checking with my trainer but I thought it would be useful to have COTH guidance as well. TIA!

[Mander]

To be entirely honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually seen a pelham ridden with a lip strap, so I can’t imagine a judge will notice if the little rings aren’t there, especially from as far away as they sit.

[JenEM]

The only time I used a lip strap on my pelham was for sidesaddle appointments classes. I never used one with the pelham I used for regular eq or hunter classes.

Honestly, unless someone is right up next to the horse looking at what’s going on with your tack like the do in an appointments class, you can’t even tell whether there’s a lip strap or not.

[OnDeck]

My first trainer insisted I had a lip strap in the equitation. I moved onto the big circuits with another trainer where absolutely no one had a lip strap. I ended up removing mine because it didn’t sit right and tended to twist. Zero issues without it.

[PonyPenny]

I always use a lip strap as it keeps the chain from bouncing if it is loose.

[lintesia]

Thank you all! I have a lip strap on my other pelham (which I don’t even use that often) and, like OnDeck, I find it twists and never sits centered.

[Montanas_Girl]

@PonyPenny

it keeps the chain from bouncing if it is loose

As does properly adjusting the chain so that it is not loose.

[PonyPenny]

Some horses perform better with a loose chain. There is a reason a lip strap is used and there is a place for it on a Pelham. They are not hard to install and serve a purpose, so why not use one.

[Montanas_Girl]

I’m not saying don’t use a lip strap. I am, however, saying that the lip strap is not designed to solve a problem caused by improper adjustment of the curb chain.

[Peggy]

I was taught ideally to adjust the curb chain so that it engages only when you pull on the curb rein. That will put enough slack in the chain to annoy some horses (and some riders?).

I’ve also seen it adjusted so that it’s pretty loose and unlikely to engage even if you pull pretty hard on the curb rein. I assume the people who did that had their reasons. This was in both dressage and HJ barns.

[Synthesis]

@Peggy The reason is what the horse responds better to, lip corner/poll pressure (gag effect) or tongue/jaw pressure.

A loose curb chain allows more rotation of the curb arm and therefore more poll pressure before the chain contacts under the chin to squeeze the tongue/chin groove. Conversely, a more snug curb chain limits lip corner/poll pressure by engaging with the tongue/chin groove earlier in the rotation. An elevator bit is effectively a long shank, no chain pelham.