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Someone put me out of my misery

Back in the '70s the hunter world where I lived went through a phase of “any horse can be ridden in a snaffle.” It might be a thin double twisted wire snaffle, but by God, it was a snaffle.

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The first time I foxhunted Tiger, I put a snaffle on him. After that, we hunted in a pelham.

My stallion hunted in an eggbut French link gag, with 2 sets of reins.

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Buck is riding in a pelham, but using only one set of reins attached to the curb. In the photo it looks like a fairly long shank.

There was a time when a number of UL eventers were going in a double-rein pelham. I was glad to see that.

When I was a teenager our program required all riders who went on ‘adventure rides’ in open country to learn to ride in a pelham and use only that when in open country. It was very do-able and I learned to like that bit, when it was needed. You don’t have to use the curb rein when it isn’t needed.

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I have zero issues with Buck Davidson jumping a horse in that set up.

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ALOT of the UL riders are back to going in pelhams but this time around with the rein converters!

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When I was young and showing, the general rule was to try a horse in a snaffle first and, if it didn’t work,go to a pelham. That always seemed to do the trick, and was what I generally used. I would keep the curb loose but so that I could use it with a quick spread of my fingers. I considered the curb rein to be my “emergency brake” and don’t remember ever having to use it.

I did ride well behaved horses, but with oomph.

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