I know a lot of people don’t use lip straps on their curb chains anymore - but I like them, and oddly my new Nathe type Mullen mouth short shank Pelham bit doesn’t have the tiny little rings to attach the strap to. Are these a thing of the past? Could I attach the lip strap without the rings but instead just attach it in the space between the snaffle ring and the curb ring - or would there be too much slipping up and down?
You could put on a ring yourself?
Thanks, Cardboardoux, on normal pelhams, the ring is soldered on between the snaffle and curb rings and so is a solid piece. I’m thinking if I tried to attach my own rings, they would wiggle around as much as just attaching the leather lip strap to the bar between the two rings…?
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How would you do that?
The Op is talking about the extra hole on the pelham shanks. It would slide down…
Ooohh, I thought she mentioned on the chain. Language, I am so sorry. Thanks for clearing that up
Why do you want a lip strap for a pelham? Pelhams are not dressage-legal bits. What level are you riding?
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People don’t always ride in an arena or drill for tests. Maybe she wants to go for a trail ride or jump cross rails.
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Lip straps were the norm for pelhams until recently. There’s no reason not to use one.
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A lip strap is correct with a pelham, but I don’t really know that it matters. I have one on the bridle I use for sidesaddle appointments (where turnout counts, and a pelham or double is required), and don’t have one on the pelham I usually jump in and have noticed zero difference in my chestnut TB mare’s response to either the presence or absence of the lip strap.
Part of the reason they’ve gone a bit by the wayside may be that many people are wrapping or using a neoprene curb chain guard anyway, so they can be a bit redundant.
Ok, so I’m mainly looking at field hunting and hacking out (in my dressage saddle). I’ve always thought the main point of the lip strap was first to keep the curb chain from sliding backward up the jaw (as well as stopping the chain from coming forward, and inadvertently becoming a chew toy to silly horses that seem to be able to get them into their mouths!) and secondly to stop the darn chains from getting lost on the tack room floor. I was planning on using both a chain guard (to quieten the jingling and movement) as well as the lip strap…over kill?? Should I just look for another bit that has the rings or should I experiment with attaching the strap to the bar between the snaffle and curb rings? Has anybody else had a Pelham without the tiny middle rings - perhaps that is the next generation of Pelhams?
Then why post this question in the Dressage forum?
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You totally missed my point. :sigh: Try going back and reading my post again.
You literally wrote “Why do you want a lip strap for a pelham?” so I assumed that’s what you were asking. There’s no reason you can’t ride a dressage horse in a non- dressage legal bit at home, either to school dressage or to hack or jump so I’m not sure why you find this so upsetting.
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If you’re going to use a chain guard anyway, I’d just give it a try without the lip strap. The chain shouldn’t be loose enough that the horse can get it into their mouths, that would be ridiculously and uselessly long, so really, the guard is going to accomplish most of what the lip strap would, other than keeping it from getting lost, but that should make it more noticeable if it does come off anyway. I’ve been using a pelham for jumping for years and have never just had the chain come off, lip strap or no, so would not be overly worried about that happening, and even if it does, the bit will still work and it’s easily replaced.
The lip strap serve also agains’t the horse nibbling the shanks and prevent the bit from turning.
It’s not just about the curb chain.
But it seems that some of the shorter shanked bits (pelhams and weymouth) have lost that feature in different brands; KK, Trust, Poponcini, Bombers, Beris too.
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OK, I’ll go without…thanks for the input!
