Horse Bits with a curb chain often have a shank for added poll pressure as well. Bits that have a shank and a curb are often some type of pelham horse bit, which is classed as a fairly strong bit. The pelham family of bits work mainly on the curb groove and utilize poll pressure to gain control of the horse, particularly in exciting situations such as in company.
Rugby pelhams are often used as an alternative to a double bridle in the show ring for horses that do not have a mouth big enough to comfortably use the combination of a Weymouth and bradoon at once. The rugby pelham has the addition of a loose ring attached, which gives the appearance of a double and work slightly less directly on the mouth than the traditional pelham.
Common mouthpieces in either the rugby pelham or plain pelham are mullen or rubber covered mullen which are considered the mildest, Cambridge mouth or port mouth which are ideal for horses that need a little extra space for the tongue, and jointed or French link.
A jointed pelham or French link pelham work well on some horses, but less so on others as their action is somewhat of a compromise with the action of the curb being lessened by the broken mouthpiece of the bit. The shank provides quite a strong poll pressure in all cases, and all pehams should ideally be used with double reins to allow the rider to control the signal to the horse more precisely. If the rider cannot manage double reins, pelham roundings should be used to gain a half way effect, but the disadvantage is that the curb will always come into effect whether needed or not.
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