Double Bridles

Boring Background story: My gelding and I (well, I would He's along for the ride if he lets me.) I'm hoping to work him in dressage because I want to learn and teach him to do more because I know he can do a lot more then what I'm pushing for. Currently I'm moving from a 40horse+ show barn to a quiet 6 horse farm that he and I will be the 6th horse. We haven't worked under a trainer in the last 4-5 months, and I know he can do much more if I have goals in line.

Originally he is a hunter horse, but I would like to make him not quite a 3 day horse but I want to work him into jumping and dressage- So I guess more of a 2 day horse .

On to the Question: With Dressage I would like to eventually work him up into a double bridle. He has has a double bridle for saddleseat in his mouth before and has had the long curbs- but I'm looking to buy a double bridle with a bit "mellower" in the bit department. Right now I ride him in a Roller with a D ring. Of course I wouldn't be putting a double bridle on him every time I ride him and make it a regular thing- just a once and a while for schooling and if I decide to do shows and working my way up, but right now I'm still riding him in a Roller D- I'm just wondering if you all would be able to help me in finding a double bridle "combo" that would be "gentle" on his mouth.

Of course I do know that a bit is only as hard as the hands who control it, I know I have decently soft hands myself, just I will openly admit I'm very very green when it comes to knowing about bits and there severity. Thank you so very much.

Hi there and welcome, good luck with your dressage adventure, I started out last year, great fun and sometimes frustrating.

About the double bridle, you wont need one for a while, the lower level tests are ridden in a plain single bridle with a limited selection of bits allowed, so I don't think there is much point schooling in one untilyou have got close to the levels where they are required.

Your first choice is going to be which of these



Is going to suit your boy best?

WELCOME!!!


If you are fairly new to dressage, you are many years from getting to use one. As Golden Horse showed you, you need to find a legal bit to start your training. Sadly, bits with rollers are not legal.

I hope you enjoy dressage! You will find lots of help on this forum.

Thank you very much. I do own the top left one...Some where in my room, Just not quite sure where- He was blowing through it for awhile and that's when I switched him to a Roller D. He also has had the number 5 in his mouth.. But we put it in where the half cheek is down. Is it only for that picture it is like that or that's how others have used it on there horse?

I used to take basic Dressage lessons from my old barn I did for about 8 years. Then Switched to this one where it was Saddleseat, and only lasted about 2 years here, and i'm just unhappy here which is why I'm moving to a nice quiet one. That I know of the new barn she is having a dressage trainer come out there and with work the owner with her personal horse and I may be asking with the help with my boy.

The thing is that double bridles are not meant to be "harsher type" over a "gentle type".

What they are meant to be is ridden by the experienced rider who in themselves MAKE the bits gentle.

Which as I said- I have ridden my horse in a Double Bridle for Saddleseat, multiple times, but when I shown the Assistant Trainer she went on about how that was an extremely harsh bit to put in his mouth- but He himself didn't put up a fuss or didn't show any signs of discomfort. Which that's where I was mostly confused about the severity of curb/snaffles for a double bridle.

Edit about the harsh bit. She said the Curb itself was harsher and shown me some other curb that would have been less on his mouth.

They make sliding cheek curb bits for the double bridles ( not a twh bit). But if its a dressage bridle and not a saddleseat bridle, your speaking of, go in a snaffle. The double bridle in dressage is probably a long way away for you right now.

As others mentioned, you won't need a double bridle for several years. Double bridles are not permitted until 3rd level, and not required until FEI level (Prix St. George and higher)

You'll have to use something from the diagram Golden Horse posted until you get up there.

Best of luck

If he didn't show any discomfort or fussyness, he obviously doesn't think it was harsh. If he thought so, there would be some head tossing, severe mouthing, mouth gaping etc.
Whatever mouthpieces were on those, he would like then.

And as has been said, you won't need a double bridle in dressage for awhile. Get him working in a simple snaffle, like some on the ones shown above, and then once he stars working up higher, then get him back in the double.

Once he's there-Keep him in the simple snaffle he likes and has been working in, and then maybe a mullen weymouth perhaps...