
04/17/2025
RUGBY PELHAM
Named after a town in Warwickshire, England, this is a type of Pelham bit (a curb bit with a snaffle ring), designed with a metal piece connecting the snaffle ring slot to a loose ring.
These are not a common bit but can be sometimes be seen in saddleseat or even showjumping. It may be referred to as a “Weymouth lookalike” because on a horse at first glance it does look like a double bridle setup!
What makes this different from a traditional Pelham design:
1️⃣ Incorporates the benefits of a loose ring (pre-signal, can help prevent leaning, more sensitive/dynamic contact) without the risks of a loose ring (lip pinching, sliding through mouth) 👍🏻
2️⃣ a smaller snaffle ring on the Pelham allows for a more appropriately designed curb. 📏
What do I mean by this❓
A curb bit operates on the principles of levers. The ideal ratio of the purchase (part above the mouthpiece) and the shank (part below the mouthpiece) is 1:2. Commonly 1.75” for purchase and 3.5” for shank.
Because the snaffle ring on a traditional Pelham takes up more space, the purchase is typically longer than what it would be on a curb bit, which both affects the leverage ratio AND places the curb chain too high (see my recent post about lip straps for more info ℹ️)
All in all it was a good design idea, But the old school rugby Pelham design does have its drawbacks:
🔺 Metal connector + loose ring is a lot of metal-on-metal and will create a lot of “noise” which can be irritating to the horse and also delay rein signals (or confuse pre-signaling)
🔺 Needs to be used with a double bridle headstall - the loose ring will need a Bradoon hanger so it isn’t dangling about.
Fortunately the modern rendition of the Rugby Pelham (see second photo) negates these concerns and I think is quite an improvement! 🌟
Think your horse may benefit from this setup? Have more questions? Reach out for more info! 🙋🏼♀️