I have recently switched to a pelham bit and am entering my first hunter show with it. Does anyone know if the reins are supposed to match? I was going to use braided reins on the snaffle bit and a simple leather rein on the curb bit.
The setup you have is perfectly fine.
It’s traditional for the snaffle rein to be laced, and the curb rein to be thinner, and smooth. That’s what I prefer, too.
Braided or laced reins for the snaffle, of greater thickness than your curb rein, which is always plain. To be truly correct, your curb rein should be sewn in the middle rather than having a buckle. Curb rein should always be thinner than snaffle.
I managed to find a thinner braided rein than normal, as I found that a regular braided rein was too much in my hand with a (smooth) curb rein, when first starting to ride with a Pelham. Looking at pictures, it is tough to see if they are a different size or not, just because of where the braiding starts on the curb rein, as the front half of the rein is still thick.
It is very possible now that it would be easier to have a regular sized braided rein now that it is more comfortable to ride with two reins.
I could not stand holding curb reins that were anything but skinny/flat/plain. That’s what’s traditional.
I just started riding my mare in a pelham as well (she is sooo happy in it!), and when I initially picked it up, just tossed a spare set of reins on the curb ring, until I figured out what she thought of it. That happened to be a pair of laced reins, and I had my usual rubber reins on the snaffle ring. I found it super confusing trying to keep track of which was what rein, since both of those to my feel were “primary” type reins. After two rides in in, when we decided it was working for her, I got plain, thin reins for the curb. It’s so much easier.
And it’s what’s correct 
Always had laced on the snaffle; curb rein thin, plain, and sewn.
Although it is correct to have the curb rein sewn together, I prefer a buckle, for safety. If you fall and your horse runs off and puts a leg through the reins, it is a lot easier and safer to quietly unbuckle it, rather than try to get an upset horse to lift a leg (and when the rein is pulled taut behind the foreleg and already pressing on the tendon, unbuckling it is the way to go).
Thank you guys for all the advise! My other question is, in english eq and pleasure, should the double reins be crossed or parallel? I have heard both answers and am curious.
The curb rein should always cross the snaffle rein, on the inside. Like this:
http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/images/general/Kyra-Kyrkland-how-to-hold-the-reins?size=4
[QUOTE=Preposterous Ponies!;7968397]
The curb rein should always cross the snaffle rein, on the inside. Like this:
http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/images/general/Kyra-Kyrkland-how-to-hold-the-reins?size=4[/QUOTE]
Yup.
I’ve always been told that you only hold the reins parallel (I feel like there’s an actual term for this?) when there’s a specific training need.
Yes, and that picture above shows the traditional set-up for double reins: the snaffle rein is plain but a bit wider, with a buckle. The curb rein is thin with no buckle.
These days, as others have said, people use a laced or braided rein on top, and that is perfectly fine. A curb rein with a buckle is also fine as long as it is plain and narrow enough to hold easily in your hand.
