Double Bridle on 3yo - advice on bits please

[zoeshiloh]

My homebred colt is growing up! He will be three this year, and the plan is to lightly back him over the Christmas period at the end of the year. We have brought him in to do some showing in hand over the summer - something he is not a stranger to, as he did a fair bit of travelling about as a yearling.

Anyway, getting to the point, I have noticed that in hunter/in hand classes it is the done thing to show 3yo in a double bridle. I have a couple of doubles at home, but am not entirely sure how to go about bitting him. I have never put a double on something so young, and am wondering whether it would be better to use a pelham (only one piece of metal in mouth) although when I show I only ever lead off the snaffle rein really, and wondered whether a pelham might be too much? I could buy some thinner bits, but although they would sit in the mouth easier, they have a sharper action than a thicker bit. I don't mind buying sweet metal bits (Sprenger/Myler etc) but would these have any extra benefits? I'd just like some advice really. Thanks guys.

 

[Halfstep]

Good grief!!!! I know nothing about showing but I would never dream of putting a double bridle on a 3 yr old, no matter what. No way. Never.

 

[Aredis]

Interesting point, I show a 7 year old brood mare in hunter classes.

She has never had anything but a snaffle in her mouth and last year won 4 hunter championships, 5 breed championships and was second at The Royal and the Great Yorkshire shows in the Cleveland Bay brood mare classes.

I have had judges comment how nice it is to see a horse in a loose ring snaffle.

I would suggest if your horse goes well in a snaffle dont change too soon as it may affect his performance on the day.

 

[Maggie2]

Acccepted thing to do in hunter classes, always has been.

Try a jointed Rugby pelham, use a bridoon strap on the 'snaffle' ring, looks like double but only one mouthpiece. Lead off the top rein and avoid using the curb rein. You can get them with a flat link in the middle too, even better.

 

[zoeshiloh]

I show my mare in hunter broodmare classes, (very successfully) and always in a double bridle - I am very surprise Aredis that a snaffle was never picked up on, as I took my mare out once in a snaffle and got put down the line because of it, how odd!

Most 3yo wear doubles now in the showring, although I am not very happy with the idea. As he is a colt I wonder if I might get away with using a stallion bit?

 

[zoeshiloh]

Thanks maggie, will look into this - was starting to think I had imagined double bridles on 3yo's!

 

[Maggie2]

No, not at all, and personally I wouldn't mark him out differently by using any kind of stallion type bit, make him look as conventional as possible.

 

[SSM]

Yes but you do own the most amazingly beautiful mare with the most breathtaking movement, so she will win wherever she goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! biased - yes!!


Four year old ridden hunter classes allow a snaffle so I cannot imagine the judge marking you down for this.

Buck was not at all happy with a lot of metal in his mouth, and at four and a baby he is now going very happily in a rugby pelham - will be graduating to a double next year.

 

[Maesfen]

[ QUOTE ]
Good grief!!!! I know nothing about showing but I would never dream of putting a double bridle on a 3 yr old, no matter what. No way. Never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just because a 3 yr old has a double on does not mean you have to use both bits of course. Many love the extra jangle and things to play with and as long as the handler is sensible, no harm or detriment will come to the horse at all; it's not as if they're ridden in them after all.

 

[sallyf]

Totally agree with MFH-09 on this one we have often found that the three year olds actually go better in a double as they have something to play with.
One of mine just looked ridiculous in an in hand bridle at three

 

[zoeshiloh]

This colt has quite a big head, and an ok size of mouth (not small but not massive). He wears full size bridle, but my biggest problem with him is he is a bit head shy when putting a bridle on - I bred him myself, an have had him at home since he was born, so know nothing has ever happened to him to cause this, it is just how he is.

I guess the best thing would be t try a few different combinations over the coming weeks and see what he prefers.

 

[Halfstep]

Sorry about my knee-jerk and ignorant reaction! I stand educated and corrected

 

[S_N]

This thread has me wondering about Hector now - he will only do Sport Horse Classes and is now 3. It hadn't even occurred to me that he might need a double of sorts (would use a ported rugby pelham with a slip head if need be) - surely he won't for Sports Horse Classes - will he?

 

[zoeshiloh]

S_N - when I spoke to the Rawdings about this, I was told that sporthorses should always been shown in the continental fashion, which is in a snaffle. However, last year at the county shows I went to, all mares and 3yo's in sporthorse classes were wearing doubles as well.

 

[S_N]

Now see I made a point of watching the 3yo classes last year too and I didn't see one double bridle. On the Broodmares yes - I showed B in one (well rugby pelham) in sportshorse classes.

 

[Aredis]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes but you do own the most amazingly beautiful mare with the most breathtaking movement, so she will win wherever she goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! biased - yes!!


[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for your very kind words. It does help having a show off on the end of the rein !

 

[clair]

Oh now you've done it, hadn't even thought about bitting. My girl will do the hunter classes and is in loose ring snaffle. Should i be looking at changing??

 

[Baydale]

[ QUOTE ]
This thread has me wondering about Hector now - he will only do Sport Horse Classes and is now 3. It hadn't even occurred to me that he might need a double of sorts (would use a ported rugby pelham with a slip head if need be) - surely he won't for Sports Horse Classes - will he?

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh S_N, you've just reminded me that we've not had any Hector photos for a while.

 

[piaffe]

I agree with Halfstep about putting doubles in babies' mouth. I understand about "something to play with" etc but, personal preference and all that!

My 3 year old won her in hand hunter breeding class at county level last year. She wore a rolled leather bridle and a happy mouth eggbutt.

Here she is waiting for the Championship.

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This thread has me wondering about Hector now - he will only do Sport Horse Classes and is now 3. It hadn't even occurred to me that he might need a double of sorts (would use a ported rugby pelham with a slip head if need be) - surely he won't for Sports Horse Classes - will he?

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh S_N, you've just reminded me that we've not had any Hector photos for a while.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gosh, I'm surprised people remember my ponies on here, I so rarely post about them anymore.

I'll send you some. Thank you for asking.

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry about my knee-jerk and ignorant reaction! I stand educated and corrected

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't apologise. It may be conventional and acceptable - or even mandatory. IMHO it doesn't make it right OR necessary! Hell, how many people HUNT in a double bridle?? So why should it be 'required' for in-hand hunter classes! Barmy!

 

[TangoCurly]

To quote the SHB(GB) rules for hunter breeding classes:

"Led hunters should in plain leather headcollars or bridles. 2 and 3 year olds must have bits. Yearlings may have bits but foals should just have leather headcollars. Yearling colts must have bits"

The rules for in-hand sports horses are the same, other than the work 'snaffle' is inserted before bits.

Reading the rules verbatim, it doesn't say that either type of horse needs to have a double bridle, in fact sports horses MUST NOT have a double and must have a snaffle. The fact that the bit for a sports horse is specifically called a snaffle, means that possibly a double could be worn for a hunter class (or indeed any other type of bit as no particular type is specified), but it is certainly not stated in the rules that they MUST be worn.

I'd go with what you feel more comfortable with, at the end of the day I shouldn't imagine that having a snaffle or double would make the difference if your horse is a stunner (which i am sure he is)!

bye!

 

[Amaretto]

[ QUOTE ]
Good grief!!!! I know nothing about showing but I would never dream of putting a double bridle on a 3 yr old, no matter what. No way. Never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed, sorry..

 

[volatis]

We show at county level in sport horse classes and have never seen a double on a 3yo, even with the horses that did the hunter classes that morning. With the 3yo hunters I have seen both, but you'd have no problem showing in a pelham with a slip head as said above, if you wanted to go that route instead of a snaffle

 

[zoeshiloh]

[ QUOTE ]
We show at county level in sport horse classes and have never seen a double on a 3yo,

[/ QUOTE ]

Moggy's horse that won the sporthorse championship at Suffolk last year was wearing a double. I have seen it at other shows too, but agree that they should be in snaffles.

 

[cruiseline]

The thought of a double bridle being put in a 3 year olds mouth makes me shudder

If a horse is marked down solely due to the amount of metal it has or hasn't got in its mouth, then to me it just shows how ridiculous the showing scene really is.

So in other words, showing judges can see the horse, for the bridles.

 

[Violet]

Copied today from the SHB(GB) website;

"NOTES FROM 2009 JUDGES SEMINAR HELD AT DEANWATER HOTEL – 2nd APRIL 2009.

Mr Hobbs went through the rule changes that were effective from 1st Jan 09.

Mr McCusker asked if 2 & 3 year olds could be shown in double bridles. Mr Hobbs replied that Hunters can but Sport Horses must be in snaffle bridles."

 

[zoeshiloh]

So where do Sporthorse broodmares stand then? I showed mine in a snaffle, and got placed down the line, and actually told by the judge that "if the horse had been correctly attired with a double bridle she would have easily won".

 

[cruiseline]

[ QUOTE ]

Mr McCusker asked if 2 & 3 year olds could be shown in double bridles. Mr Hobbs replied that Hunters can but Sport Horses must be in snaffle bridles."

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG so they are putting 2 year olds in double bridles as well, absolutely ridiculous

If a judge can not see a good horse in front of them, regardless of what bit it has in its mouth, then they should not be judging.

 

[Violet]

According to SHB (GB) Members' Handbook 2009;
p.25

IN-HAND SPORT HORSE

54. HORSES
d, Led Sport Horses should be in plain leather head collars or bridles. Two and Three-year -olds must have snaffle bits. Yearlings may have bits but foals should just have leather headcollars. Yearling colts must have snaffle bits. Sport Horse Brood mares must be shown in snaffle bridles.

Last year it doesn't state anything re; sport-horse brood mares only that "Yearlings, two and three year old must be shown in plain leather snaffle bridles. (Rule 53 b)
Hunter classes only states that two and three year-olds must have bits. (Rule 44 d)