Sweet Iron Pelham Long Curb Ported Mullen

Suitable for horses that:

• Have a large tongue and need more control than a snaffle gives

• Remain strong in a short shank Pelham

• Are long in the neck and need the nose bringing in

• Are too strong out hunting or in the show ring

How it works

Mouthpiece.An unjointed mullen bar formed from a single piece of sweet iron, tapering from 14mm at the cheek to 10mm through the centre. The port measures 80mm wide by 10mm high, low and broad rather than tall and narrow, so the tongue is given room across a wide span while the bar stays well clear of the palate. The mouthpiece is swept forward to follow the arch of the tongue. With no joint there is nothing to close on the bars and no nutcracker action, and port relief moves the load off the centre of the tongue and out onto the bars. A ported mullen is the traditional mouthpiece for a Pelham for exactly this reason.

Cheek piece. The Pelham has attachments for two reins, one at the mouthpiece and one at the end of the shank. Ridden on the top rein it acts as a fixed cheek snaffle. When the bottom rein is taken the shank rotates back, the curb chain comes into the curb groove, poll pressure is applied through the bridle and the mouthpiece rolls back onto the tongue and bars. This is the longer of our two shanks, so it engages later and exerts more leverage. The lip strap keeps the curb chain lying flat.

8238

Material. Sweet iron is low carbon steel with no chromium in it, so it is meant to rust. That surface rust is the working part of the bit. It tastes warm and sweet, which draws the horse to mouth the bit and salivate into a softer, wetter mouth. Ours is solid iron right through rather than a coating, and this mouthpiece is formed from a single bar with no joints in it at all. Supplied blue, fading to brown grey as it oxidises in work. Cheeks are stainless steel. Curb chain supplied.

Fit closely, with the lip gently brushing the cheek. An unjointed mouthpiece does not draw up under contact, so the width you measure is the width you need. Adjust the curb chain so it engages as the shank reaches approximately 45 degrees, and run a lip strap through the small rings to keep the chain lying flat.

Size and fit

4.5"

4.75"

5"

5.25"

5.5"

6"

115 mm

120 mm

125 mm

135 mm

140 mm

150 mm

Mouthpiece

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

14 mm

Port

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

80 x 10 mm

Cheek

140 mm

140 mm

140 mm

140 mm

140 mm

140 mm

Wipe dry after use and apply a light food safe oil. Surface oxidation after a period of storage lifts with a damp cloth.