From: Lorelei
Hi Jessica, I'm so thankful for your help!!! I thought that maybe you could answer a question that popped into my head after reading an article. In a recent(March) issue of Horse Illustrated I read an article called "Seeing Double In Your Future?". It was all about a double or Weymouth bridle. I was just wondering if I could substitute a regular snaffle for the Bradoon and a curb for the actual Weymouth? As I quote the article it says,"...the bradoon, a snaffle but with smaller rings, and the actual Weymouth, which is a curb with long shanks." Would this be too crowded in the horse's mouth?? I understand that a Weymouth bridle is a powerful tool in collection of the horse and it is easy to pull too hard on the curb or Weymouth and over bend the poll and neck. Any input on this subject would be appreciated :)
Yours, Lorelei
Hi Lorelei! It would be a good idea for you to go to a big tack store and look at some of the bits on the "bit wall." There are quite a few differences between the bradoon and Weymouth and a conventional snaffle and curb.
The bradoon is generally thinner (sometimes half the diameter or less) than the normal snaffle that the individual horse would wear, because (you guessed right) a "normal" snaffle plus a curb would put too much metal in the horse's mouth. The rings of the bradoon are smaller than normal snaffle rings -- again, to avoid interfering with the second bit.
A Weymouth will typically have short shanks (usually 4 1/4" - 5 1/8"), a low or medium port, and may also be considerably thinner than a bit designed to be used on its own. The Weymouth should be chosen to fit the horse AND to fit well with the bradoon. There's a KK bit-and-bradoon set from Herm Sprenger that's very cleverly designed; the (curb) bit has a square port that's designed to contain the center link of the KK bradoon. It's expensive, but a lovely option for horses that aren't really comfortable in an ordinary double.
Not all horses can comfortably accommodate the two bits of a double bridle. Some horses have very small, short mouths, and can barely manage to wear ONE bit comfortably. Some horses need a thin snaffle even when it's the only bit they wear, just because they have so little room for it, and it's really unfair to ask such horses to carry two bits.
You're right again about the possible ill effects of adding a curb to the horse's bridle. Riders who reach the upper levels of dressage have to be taught how to choose, adjust, and use a double bridle, and most of them will do 99% of their riding in a snaffle, using the double ONLY for those competitions in which it's required. If you watch the top international riders, you'll see that some of the very best use the double bridle only for competition, and use the snaffle even when they're warming up before their class, changing into the double at the very last minute.
If you've reached this point and are thinking of introducing your horse to the double, his collection should already be confirmed. The double can't create collection -- like sidereins, which can't create collection either, a curb can only CONFIRM whatever is already solidly in place. Get your dressage instructor to help you analyze your horse's mouth and choose just the right bits, and then introduce the curb by allowing your horse to hold it in his mouth while you ride using only the snaffle, letting the curb reins float loose on the horse's neck. It will take him some time to adjust to the feeling.
Jessica
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