Double Bridle - Double Bits

A double bridle.

As any other written instruction on how to use the double bridle, I will begin to say that the double bridle is not a means to increase the effect on the horse. It is not an instrument of reinforcement, although it surely can be used as such! I have heard all kinds of reasons for the double bridle, usually coming from a school of horsemanship where lightness is not openly revered, and who prefer muscular power before harmony. Here I have heard it said that horses in upper levels "need to be in a double bridle because they have developed such impulsion that they can''''t be ridden in a snaffle". This reminds me of an english book on the subject of bits, where it says that "the pelham is a sharp bit, so it is necessary to maintain plenty of leg." It said nothing about gentler hands, smaller aids or a better schooled horse, only that the stopping effect of the bit must be equalized with more drive! This implies just the same thing as the first quote, that there is so much impulsion that one needs an extra brake in front to control it. Force on one end must be countered by force on the other. And then we demand that the horse be relaxed?

I wish I could say that these riders never reach Grand Prix Level, but unfortunately that is not true. Many horses in international GP can''''t be ridden in a snaffle, without draw reins or something else holding them down. This is truly sad.

On Swedish TV, Malin Baryard has a show called "Bareback" and in the episode called "Dressage Special" I heard, or rather read, the strangest thing stated about the double bridle. "The double bridle is an auxillary rein" a small note said at the bottom of the screen. I can''''t even comment on it...

The intentions of using the double bridle should be, that the horse is thus schooled, that it moves in balance on the bit in all gaits, bends and transitions in the snaffle. The horse must listen to light aids so that the rider can employ very small movements for giving the aids. Up ''''til this, the snaffle has been used to teach the horse to bend and stretch for the bit to come to the bit in balance! How?

The snaffle is a jointed bit. This enables the rider to move the bit in the mouth of the horse on one or both sides. As when giving a bending rein aid.

On a circle, the horse is bent to the inside to align with the bend of the circle. This does not only mean ''''shorten the inside'''' but it particularly means ''''stretch and elongate the outside''''. This is how the key to ''''on the bit'''' lies in moving forward and bending. Bending to the inside stretches the outside, which can be seen as "half-body longitudal flexion". When the horse does this to both sides it is close at hand to stretch both sides simultaneously, to stretch the topline and come to the bit. Thus, all this limbering up to stretch the topline should be made on the snaffle, so that the rider can bend and correct the crookedness and stiffness in an effective and gentle way in a bit that can be used one-sidedly.

When the horse goes well in the snaffle, and only small corrections are needed, the regular bridle can be extended with a curb bit. (Well, the curb bit takes the place of the snaffle bit on the bridle, and the thinner snaffle bit, called the bridoon, is added on an extra strap. But the function is that of the curb being added.)

So let''''s get into how the curb works.

The Weymouth Curb Bit

The curb bit, also called a weymouth, is an unjointed mouthpiece with shanks, that can be used to assert lever action. The unjointed mouth bar is essential, since without it, it simply isn''''t a curb. This bit is totally different from the snaffle in that it works in mono - you cannot use it one-sidedly. It is used to get the horse to lower its poll, give the neck and arch the neck forward, down and out. It is supposed to do this more or less automatically, but can also be used with specific aids to achieve this.

Lever Action

The curb has an unjointed mouth bar and shanks that work by lever action. The lower shanks take leverage against the part of the upper shanks where the bridle fixes the bit to the head. It also takes lever action against the chin chain which fixes the upper shank in relation to the lower jaw. A pull on the rein causes the upper shank to move forward, but since it is hindered by the side piece of the bridle and the chin chain, the mouth piece puts pressure on the tongue and lower jaw.

So it actually puts an even pressure across the tongue, that is only relieved by the horse moving the lower jaw closer to the hand that pulls the rein. And since the neck has its given length, this is easiest done by relaxing the poll to let the head drop to the vertical, or opening the mouth. And opening the mouth is hindered by the noseband, and to be honest, not something most horses will do gladly given an option. And this option is to relax the poll. This relaxation of the poll causes the topline to stretch some, and the base of the neck to lift and the neck to telescope, if the horse knows how to do this and is able to. This he must have been taught on the snaffle so that this is easy to do when the curb asks for it.

Now, the curb is normally adjusted so that the horse is expected to have a more or less vertical head from the start, and so that necessitates that the horse is well schooled and trained to have his head vertical, but not only that. A vertical head never made a horse well schooled. All the things that comes with it - the telescoped neck and lifted base of the neck must be more or less automatic. And it only comes with a relaxed swinging back and the beginnings of collection.

The curb thus adjusts the angle of the head, by relaxing the jaw and tongue to get the poll to relax and drop the nose to close to vertical.
It also puts pressure on the poll, and asks the horse to lower the poll (head) and thus telescope the neck and lift the base of the neck.
The positioning, bending, lifting and "neck reining" that might still have to be done, is done with the bradoon hand/reins. Onesided action cannot be made with the curb - it has to be done with the bradoon.

So how to use the curb bit? Well, first, I''''d like to go into how not to use it, that is, how to avoid using it while using the bradoon. This is really quite simple, as long as you''''ve got your basic equitation right. Thumbs up and wrists supple, knuckles pointing towards each other. From this position, the hand can be turned so that the fingers rotate in and up. In such a rotation, the bridoon rein''''s point of entry into the hand moves further away from the horses mouth, while the curb rein''''s point of entry is the pivotal point where there is no distance change. Thus the bradoon goes into action and the curb does not.

This is also why your horse must be sufficiently educated, because you cannot whisk around with big arm movements giving rein aids. The horse must answer to your rotating hand only.

So, if one is only to use the bradoon, why the curb? Well, of course you can use the curb too, if it doesn''''t do all the work by itself. And by that I mean, the effect that the curb has on the horse if he decides to poke his nose. You see, that would automatically poke the curb lever further from the hand of the rider, and the curb would come into play automatically.

But a horse can stiffen without poking his nose, and need some poll and tongue pressure to relax the poll and stretch. And how does a rider accomplish that? Easy. The best way to further the point of entry of the curb rein away from its attachment on the bridle is to lift the hand. If you lift the hand upwards or even a little forwards, the bradoon rein will not shorten, because your hand moves a tad on a circle around the bradoon ring in the mouth. But the curb rein has its insertion lower down, so lifting the hand moves it away from the curb shank. The curb shank is moved and the bit affects the horse.

The 3+1 holding of the reins illustrates this very well. Hardly anyone rides with both curb reins in the left hand anymore. That''''s a pity, because the role of the curb becomes very clear in that position. A curb bit cannot be used one-sidedly. A pull on the left rein is felt as an equal pressure around the lower jaw, unless it is so harsh that it actually pulls the head to one side. But that''''s out of the question, in good dressage.

Having both curb reins in the left hand disables the rider from

* moving the left hand more than just a tad
* having his left hand far away from the centerline of the horse (riding with wide hands) and
* hiding that his horse goes crooked by adjusting the reins with differing pressure.

The curb rein is adjusted so that it sets in when the horse lifts his head above the bit. The use of the bridoon, by turning the knuckles inward, has very little effect on such a loosely adjusted curb rein, so this rein aid, signalling bend or position can be done without influencing the curb. But bigger hand movements, such as needed for sawing, cannot be made without it influencing the horse negatively, blocking the head, poll and neck.

To ride holding the reins 3+1 can tell you alot about the crookedness still left in the horse, since the rider cannot adjust for it unknowingly or inadvertantly.