Horses who go better in a double bridle

Yep :). I school a Lippizaner who is very content, settled and light in a db. She has no respect for a snaffle and uses her power to pull against it. Despite trying to persist with snaffles for some time I decided to try her in a double and she is like a changed horse. Curb is relaxed, bits aren't harsh and she mouths them like she never did with any snaffles I tried.

I was always taught that you should not move on to a db unless your horse can perform the movements you require in a snaffle (in other words, it is not a shortcut to acheive an outline). But I guess some neddies break alll the old rules ;).
 
This time last year my instructor stuck my TB in a double and flippin 'eck what a transformation. Can't tell you what bits were on it as she just appeared with it.
She was very light and very moveable (?) and had she not broken I'd of bought one for myself.
 
Mine does. He's soo much better, we're hoping to compete in it by the end of the year. He's much lighter in front and softer overall, gets a bit lazier but a flick or two fixes that.

I don't know what brand they are as they're second hand, but he's in a thin loose ring bradoon and a thicker sliding cheek curb as he does show hunter classes in it as well.
 
agree to disagree then Cptrayes but in the end the judge has the final say and i dont know of a single horse that supposedly could not be ridden in a snaffle due to pulling/being heavy, that supposedly went SO much better in a double that actually got consistantly good marks.............

the proof is in the pudding and if the marks are rubbish, you can bet that although light in the hand the horse was not over the back, supple, accepting the contact or uphill, more likely behind the contact but still plowing downhill from a tight back.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
agree to disagree then Cptrayes but in the end the judge has the final say and i dont know of a single horse that supposedly could not be ridden in a snaffle due to pulling/being heavy, that supposedly went SO much better in a double that actually got consistantly good marks.............
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I know that you are extremely competition focussed PS, but I am not, and my posting was from the point of view of schooling rather than in a competition ring. I see that for a number of people posting it was their trainers telling them to move the horse to a double, and happy with the results.

But, irrespective of the marks he got when he was in there, I can tell you that the one horse I put in a double to compete would not have stayed in the ring at all without it on. So you can make him your first horse that you are aware of that scored consistently better in a double, disparaging as you have been on another thread about the actual marks he received when he did. We enjoyed ourselves, which was all I felt mattered :)


The proof is in the pudding and if the marks are rubbish, you can bet that although light in the hand the horse was not over the back, supple, accepting the contact or uphill, more likely behind the contact but still plowing downhill from a tight back.
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1. I did not say that my horse was light in the hand in a double, he was not. He was impossible in a snaffle and strong but manageable in a double.

2. Big moving athletic warmbloods bred for dressage do not necessarily pull downhill, mine pulled up and out.

3. Do you not think there is a single horse who pulls like billy-oh in a snaffle who produces great marks with good reason in a double? Have you not seen Laura B's horse Alf pull even in a double? How about Parzival? I'll bet neither of those are competable without a double bridle on, myself.




PS if you have ever ridden a heavily muscled big-moving and extremely opinionated warmblood of the kind sometimes found in KWPN breeding in particular, who would simply take you off an arena if he did not want to stay there in a snaffle, can you tell us what you did to resolve those issues if you did not put it into a double bridle?



I'm interested too that you think it is a good solution for your own lightweight TB, but not for a big pulling warmblood. I don't understand why you think a double can only be effective on a horse which does not pull in a snaffle. My Grand Prix trainer did not agree, and advised a double for my horse that was the making of him. Can you explain a bit more why you think it can't work?


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Why does everything have to be a fight?

Leverage bits work by increasing strength. End of. If a horse that is normally very light goes better in one then that's not the issue at hand. I see the point about having more and a more stable bit in the horse's mouth - that is the point of the Mikmar bits, after all - but then that begs the question why do people seem to automatically assume now that all horses will be happier in a double jointed, loose ring snaffle.

My question - and sorry if I started this - was predicated by the fact that I have had a few horses that have been ridden almost exclusively in leverage bits because they were too strong in a simple snaffle to reschool because someone wanted to do lower level dressage with them. My PERSONAL experience is this often does not go well so I am VERY reluctant to suggest a leverage bit as the be all and end all to "fix" a horse that is strong on the flat. I hate going down roads I can't get back from. But if the horse is already unridable, hey ho. Then it needs to do a suitable job and be bitted accordingly. But don't kid yourself its not about strength.

I have seen at least two horses that looked very strong in the ring - one a tank, the other very hot - ride in snaffles at home and in schooling. I would not dream of saying what other people do at home, although I have always been told by good people that you have a problem if you cannot ride your horse in a snaffle for light work. I assume there are very good horses that always work in doubles but that does not mean it's a good choice for most. Every rule has exceptions.
 
TarrSteps said:
My question - and sorry if I started this - was predicated by the fact that I have had a few horses that have been ridden almost exclusively in leverage bits because they were too strong in a simple snaffle to reschool because someone wanted to do lower level dressage with them. My PERSONAL experience is this often does not go well so I am VERY reluctant to suggest a leverage bit as the be all and end all to "fix" a horse that is strong on the flat. I hate going down roads I can't get back from.
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I think that would be my worry as well as I've been taught to think that if you meet a strong horse with a strong bit you may have trouble going back and you may find that things escalate. However horses are individuals so what suits one may well not suit others.

Slightly different but I have managed to 'wean' a strong horse off a gag and into a snaffle, but it was a matter of more schooling to make it easier for him to carry himself and not need to lean on the bit as much. He didn't have a tendency to stick his head and go, rather he would load the shoulder, stay straight and become really heavy in front.
 
TarrSteps said:
Why does everything have to be a fight?
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I can't see a fight anywhere? Just a discussion with people with different points of view.

I agree completely with yours when you suggest that most horses and their riders should be steering well clear of double bridles. But for some horses, the addition or substitution of a curb bit is the making of the partnership.
 
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TarrSteps said:
Leverage bits work by increasing strength. End of.
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This isn't the whole story. It certainly doesn't end with increased strength.

Curbed bits act on the chin groove and the poll. On many horses you can put a piece of elastic on as a curb and they react as if it is some kind of reflex point and give to the bit much more easily because of it. Many people use them, elastic curbs are freely available.

Likewise, many horses are very accepting of extremely light poll pressure as an aid.

So for some horses, using a leveraged curb bit can often be done very, very lightly, with far less mouth pressure than would be required in a snaffle.

Increased strength is only part of the mix, and with many horses not even the largest part.
 
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My boy definitely goes better in a double, but I didn't introduce it until he was totally confident in the contact in the snaffle. Quite a few people suggested that I put him in a double sooner, but I'm glad I waited until he was absolutely ready, as the transition has been really easy as a result. I use a verbindend bridoon (same as his snaffle) and an Aachen curb. I alternate between snaffle and double when schooling, and his work has improved in the snaffle as a result.
 
cptrayes said:
I know that you are extremely competition focussed PS, but I am not, and my posting was from the point of view of schooling rather than in a competition ring. I see that for a number of people posting it was their trainers telling them to move the horse to a double, and happy with the results.

But, irrespective of the marks he got when he was in there, I can tell you that the one horse I put in a double to compete would not have stayed in the ring at all without it on. So you can make him your first horse that you are aware of that scored consistently better in a double, disparaging as you have been on another thread about the actual marks he received when he did. We enjoyed ourselves, which was all I felt mattered :)




1. I did not say that my horse was light in the hand in a double, he was not. He was impossible in a snaffle and strong but manageable in a double.

2. Big moving athletic warmbloods bred for dressage do not necessarily pull downhill, mine pulled up and out.

3. Do you not think there is a single horse who pulls like billy-oh in a snaffle who produces great marks with good reason in a double? Have you not seen Laura B's horse Alf pull even in a double? How about Parzival? I'll bet neither of those are competable without a double bridle on, myself.




PS if you have ever ridden a heavily muscled big-moving and extremely opinionated warmblood of the kind sometimes found in KWPN breeding in particular, who would simply take you off an arena if he did not want to stay there in a snaffle, can you tell us what you did to resolve those issues if you did not put it into a double bridle?



I'm interested too that you think it is a good solution for your own lightweight TB, but not for a big pulling warmblood. I don't understand why you think a double can only be effective on a horse which does not pull in a snaffle. My Grand Prix trainer did not agree, and advised a double for my horse that was the making of him. Can you explain a bit more why you think it can't work?


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racing home so quickly.

Laura B rides alf in a snaffle all the time, hundreds of pics documenting this at shows and at home.
Parzival i would go as far as to say is the epitome of everything i DONT want my horses to be and i think he looks unhappy in the contact 99% of the time. Succesful but unhappy.....

i ride plenty of big moving horses and ironically my horse 2 previous to CS was a 17.3hh KWPN. I never felt the need to use the double to force the braking issue. But then he was trained to go nicely in a snaffle so.....

as someone else has already said, using it to encourage MORE contact in a light mouthed horse is different to using it for brute force braking power in a heavy horse, which is basically what you have said you used it for, to keep him in the arena/to prevent him running out the arena, ergo, brakes.
That i dont agree with and would rather work on why the horse was so upset being in the arena.

marks are marks and good bad, or mediocre, they tell the story of the training.

again, agree to disagree.

off to ride in a blizzard, byyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
 
I have certainly used leverage bits to 'impress' big strong horses into being willing to have a conversation about changing their way of going. And I do but believe every horse can and should go in a non-leverage bit in every situation, either temporarily or permanently. My point was only that I have met more than one horse that was put in a leverage bit to make it 'look' like a dressage horse, only for said horses to become almost unridable in a snaffle,.which seems to defeat the point.

Re leverage. It is what it is. Most standard pelhams and curbs work on a ratio between 2:1 and 3:1 (easily found by measuring) which is no small amount of force and makes even quite a light aid pretty significant. It also allows the rider to keep up the force more consistently as it does not take as much muscle power. This does not make them bad or good, it simply is. Knowing what a piece of equipment does is essential to knowing when and how to use it, surely?

Draw reins to the girth are something like 7:1. I wonder what a Pessoa aid is . . .?
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
i ride plenty of big moving horses and ironically my horse 2 previous to CS was a 17.3hh KWPN. I never felt the need to use the double to force the braking issue. But then he was trained to go nicely in a snaffle so.....

as someone else has already said, using it to encourage MORE contact in a light mouthed horse is different to using it for brute force braking power in a heavy horse, which is basically what you have said you used it for, to keep him in the arena/to prevent him running out the arena, ergo, brakes.
That i dont agree with and would rather work on why the horse was so upset being in the arena.
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So if you bought one, as I did, that the male rider who broke him in could not hold in any place where he did not want to be (more fool me but I fell in love at first sight and thought I could fix him as I have every other horse I've bought that behaved badly) can you tell me what you would have done with him to make him safe to ride?

There is always a possibility that my trainer and I missed something and I would appreciate the benefit of your experience.

I tried to manage him in a snaffle for two years before I gave up and he seemed a much happier horse when I had more control. "Brute force" is one way to describe it, but it does not encapsulate how much more mentally balanced he was when he was in a double than a snaffle or how much "happier" he felt. He had 3 time tempi changes before his wobblers exploded one day, the pinnacle of the improvements that started as soon as I put him in the double.

I know you have previously posted that your horse will not hack out in a snaffle. Neither would mine but he would go in a pelham or a double, though I would not ever say it was his number one choice of activity :) Out of interest, will yours hack in a double?

I also have another big moving warmblood who I ride in a snaffle all the time and he is a piece of cake since I fixed his cold back. He needs a double as much as he needs another leg, but the other horse really seemed to me to need it, and I'm still puzzled why you disagree with me so strongly about that when you never met him? Surely there really are some horses that genuinely go better in a double? There seem to be about ten people on this thread alone who say they have one?


I hope you get home safe in this snow.
 
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TarrSteps said:
And I do but believe every horse can and should go in a non-leverage bit in every situation, either temporarily or permanently. My point was only that I have met more than one horse that was put in a leverage bit to make it 'look' like a dressage horse, only for said horses to become almost unridable in a snaffle,.which seems to defeat the point.
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edited out, saw your "not"
 
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TarrSteps said:
My point was only that I have met more than one horse that was put in a leverage bit to make it 'look' like a dressage horse, only for said horses to become almost unridable in a snaffle,.which seems to defeat the point.
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Edited after seeing your "not" post :D

Totally agree with you that using one as a shortcut to "outline" is not sensible.

But this thread has a number of posters who put their horses in doubles on the advice of their trainers, as I did, who are all reporting that the horse genuinely goes better in a double than a snaffle. As mine did.

There is no problem with those horses being in doubles, if you accept what the posters are saying about genuine improvement, if the rider never wants to compete at Intro, Prelim or Novice?

If they were difficult to ride in snaffles and put into a double, then the rider has lost nothing if they cannot return to a snaffle. And gained everything if they and their horses are happier people because of it.
 
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If you do not accept that there are horses which will never school happily in a snaffle, then of course your argument is correct.
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Is not what I said.

I said that I have had horses to retrain as lower level dressage horses because, for instance, they have a physical issue that precludes jumping, who were almost impossible to ride without a leverage bit. No problem, unless you are concerned about shutting that door for the horse. I would say the same about hackamores. I have ridden horses that were much happier and easier in non leverage hackamores but, alas, not suitable for dressage. If the hackamore cannot be used as a bridge to get the horse back into a traditional bitting arrangement then that door - which is quite a common one for older horses to he expected to do - is shut to it. Again, no problem. But for people who have not had that experience, surely this is information to consider prior to making a decision? I quite often meet people who really do believe that they could switch back anytime and then when they do, they find out they have gone down a slippery track. No harm in letting people know.

I must say I have never met a horse that strong during the breaking process, bar a few that turned out to have actual problems or have been worked in hand in ways that I, personally, don't really subscribe to. (Even Western horses start in non-leverage snaffles and their competition rules don't allow young horses to show in curbs.) Live and learn. Perhaps it's a function of my different background.

Anyway, as you say, your horse was happier and did the job for you without difficulty in the double so there was no problem. :)

It is a pet peeve of mine, I'll freely admit, that so many people deny leverage increases strength. That is the point! Give me a lever and a place to stand and I could move the world. There is nothing WRONG with that and if it's needed, so be it. But why deny it?
 
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The curb part of the double bridle has a leverage element but is not supposed to be used with a constant pressure (as the snaffle is), it is supposed to be released as soon as the communication has been sent. If used correctly the double bridle, and also the curb alone, CANNOT be used for its intended purpose (to refine the aid) with a horse which leans on the bit, so anyone attempting to use a full bridle as "brakes" is totally misunderstanding the principle. Perhaps the reason many horses prefer the curb action to the snaffle is the relief from the constant pressure and dead pull of the snaffle.
 
My problem ex driving horse who was backed at ten was greatly improved when my trainer coaxed me into a double .
The horse does not take contact easily and if he goes BTV very easily he's built so it's easy to do it .
The double has helped so much I can ride forward more easily and I don't need to use the curb very much .
He built very uphill and finds working long and low very very hard.
He's still difficult in the snaffle schooling but he's good to hack and I use the snaffle for that.
It seemed illogical to me to put a difficult in the hand horse into a double but it's helped a lot.
 
TarrSteps said:
Anyway, as you say, your horse was happier and did the job for you without difficulty in the double so there was no problem. :)
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Oh heavens no! I couldn't go that far, he was always a monster :D He was a most peculiar horse, mentally very challenged in all sorts of behaviours right from before he was imported (I found out later!). I loved him for his quirkiness, his neediness, and the power of his movement but I could never find anyone else who was prepared to even get on his back in a snaffle. The double made him controllable, just about, it never made him "easy", though he had days of complete brilliance when his mind was in the right place. As you can see from his scores, that was never in a competition arena, sadly.

He was put down at 10 because of late onset wobblers, and in his last week he went to a rehab yard while I was away on holiday. I warned them not to leave him in a box without bars, and although they put bars up they looked at me as if I was nuts - how would a horse paralysed in the back legs climb out of a box??? By the time I picked him up, they understood, NOTHING stopped that horse from being where he wanted but a chifney or a curb, and even the curb did not work if there was a large port (Neue Schule warmblood) in it.

I will always feel that I failed with him, and I would genuinely like to know if PS would have done anything else that my trainer and I did not try between us to keep him in a snaffle. I do doubt it though :(

It is a pet peeve of mine, I'll freely admit, that so many people deny leverage increases strength. That is the point! Give me a lever and a place to stand and I could move the world. There is nothing WRONG with that and if it's needed, so be it. But why deny it?
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I absolutely agree with you about leverage, it's basic physics. I'd also be very annoyed if anyone denied that's what they were doing.
 
My current dressage wonderboy is still spooking big time at arena letters after two whole seasons (ex winter) of competition. Can anyone help with that? I have so far tried:

- ignoring him
- punishing him (the dressage judge commented that I was absolutely right to do so, from what she saw of his demeanour)
- letters at home
- letters on a big white feed bucket, fed just before he goes into the arena
- at home, weaving back and forwards closer until he ignores them - if this works today, it won't stop him starting exactly the same way tomorrow (actually he rarely spooks at the letters at home, but he is wild about some blue plastic barrels I have)
- a double bridle - and boy what a mistake that was even though he goes forwards beautifully to a snaffle !!!

More ideas, please, if he just does his natural paces without spooking he scores 70% and over because he's such a nice mover, but he's only done it twice in the whole two seasons. On the ground he's a puppy dog to manage, sweet and willing.

Maybe I should start a new thread with this one?
 
I'm going to show my ignorance here as being a 'latecomer' to the world of Double Bridles but I just assumed that people used them as they were correct for the level of training i.e Elementary and above Dressage and correct for the type of class i.e Showing ?

My instructor gets to HOYS etc every year with at least one pupil (and sometimes herself) so when she put one on my horse it was because that's what she had planned as my goal for last year with the Search for a star Racehorse to Riding horse (God love her optimism) and also because we were working to start competing Elementary in the summer. I normally showed her in a NS jointed pelham purely because I had no experience of Doubles. I have hunted my horse several times, each time in a snaffle so she's not strong in the slightest.

So how would a Double compare to say a Pelham in terms of keeping hold of a strong horse ? As a poster before says the leverage will 'give the horse a break from the constant pull on a snaffle' I'm not talking for competition purposes but general day to day.

I had lessons in my Pelham so was aware of using the different reins as and when needed and very rarely needed the curb rein.

I hope this question makes sense as I'm that clever about explaining things in writing :o
 
QR to carefreegirl- when Reg did his RoR, he was complimented by all the judges for the fact he was still in a snaffle as they felt they rathered him be forwards and comfortable and happy in a snaffle than in a double for the sake of being in a double. It was such a point that the comment was repeated in H&H that week (cue lots of smiles from Al, as although Reg wasn't mentioned he was the only snaffle-wearing horse in the class). I can't help you with any of your questions, but you don't *need* to move into a double if you don't want to for RoR...
 
Lolo said:
QR to carefreegirl- when Reg did his RoR, he was complimented by all the judges for the fact he was still in a snaffle as they felt they rathered him be forwards and comfortable and happy in a snaffle than in a double for the sake of being in a double. It was such a point that the comment was repeated in H&H that week (cue lots of smiles from Al, as although Reg wasn't mentioned he was the only snaffle-wearing horse in the class). I can't help you with any of your questions, but you don't *need* to move into a double if you don't want to for RoR...
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Hi Lolo. I started off the ROR in her snaffle (hanging cheek NS) but as I got more into it I liked the look of a Double with two sets of reins but having no experience with Doubles I went for the pelham which was the most similar bit mouth piece wise to the snaffle. Tbh I didn't think she had a big enough mouth for a Double but having changed instructor who had more experience in showing it appeared she did have a big enough gob :) She goes well in the snaffle and the pelham but even better in the Double.
I am the original 'All the gear - no idea' :D
 
Carefreegirl said:
I'm going to show my ignorance here as being a 'latecomer' to the world of Double Bridles but I just assumed that people used them as they were correct for the level of training i.e Elementary and above Dressage and correct for the type of class i.e Showing ?

My instructor gets to HOYS etc every year with at least one pupil (and sometimes herself) so when she put one on my horse it was because that's what she had planned as my goal for last year with the Search for a star Racehorse to Riding horse (God love her optimism) and also because we were working to start competing Elementary in the summer. I normally showed her in a NS jointed pelham purely because I had no experience of Doubles. I have hunted my horse several times, each time in a snaffle so she's not strong in the slightest.

So how would a Double compare to say a Pelham in terms of keeping hold of a strong horse ? As a poster before says the leverage will 'give the horse a break from the constant pull on a snaffle' I'm not talking for competition purposes but general day to day.

I had lessons in my Pelham so was aware of using the different reins as and when needed and very rarely needed the curb rein.

I hope this question makes sense as I'm that clever about explaining things in writing :o
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A pelham, or specifically a double bridle, is only a "severe" bit if the person on the other end of the reins makes it so, either intentionally or through lack of education. They are NOT intended to "control" a strong horse; the double bridle is an advanced system of communication to a horse at a suitable level of understanding / training. And the "giving a break from pulling" on the snaffle only occurs when the rider actually lets go, something that not many people have really grasped if the reaction of many horses is anything to go by.
 
Cortez said:
A pelham, or specifically a double bridle, is only a "severe" bit if the person on the other end of the reins makes it so, either intentionally or through lack of education. They are NOT intended to "control" a strong horse; the double bridle is an advanced system of communication to a horse at a suitable level of understanding / training. And the "giving a break from pulling" on the snaffle only occurs when the rider actually lets go, something that not many people have really grasped if the reaction of many horses is anything to go by.
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So you wouldn't put a strong horse in a Double for brakes, more just as an aid to refine the riders signals ? Which is what I felt.

Never had anything to do with Doubles before so all a learning curve for me :) When my horse was put in one I literally just thought about what I wanted to do pace, transition, direction wise and she did it. I only rode in it for a few lessons as she lent to someone else. However, it could just be that I have owned her for 7 years so I think she knows me quite well by now and just preepmts me !
 
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Goldenstar said:
My problem ex driving horse who was backed at ten was greatly improved when my trainer coaxed me into a double .
The horse does not take contact easily and if he goes BTV very easily he's built so it's easy to do it .
The double has helped so much I can ride forward more easily and I don't need to use the curb very much .
He built very uphill and finds working long and low very very hard.
He's still difficult in the snaffle schooling but he's good to hack and I use the snaffle for that.
It seemed illogical to me to put a difficult in the hand horse into a double but it's helped a lot.
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I think driving horses are a bit of a special case though. The few proper combined driving horses I've sat on have been nice on the flat - they are often ridden as well to help with their dressage or simply because they are multi-use - but some of the ones that have been driven exclusively, especially if they've been raced, have a way of stiffening and leaning on the bit that I've never experienced in a riding horse! As I said, leverage bits can be TOOLS to help a horse understand why things need to be different and for a horse that's been taught to pull I can see why you might have more success reasoning with him in something other than a straight pull snaffle. It also may have helped him to have a mullen mouth bit if that's what he'd been driven in.

As in the case of cptrayes horses, you weren't dealing with a horses from a traditional training system and had little to lose by going another way.

A very good event rider I knew (placed at Badminton, multiple Olympic appearances) took on a very athletic, good jumping, but pathologically strong horse to event. He was a big guy and a strong rider and could not hold it. So his solution was to move it up to Intermediate so he could do his dressage in a double!! It did the trick and, I have to say, the horse went later for a woman in a snaffle when it dropped down so obviously it did the trick. However I knew a small girl who bought an ex P2P horse that, if I remember, Mark Todd had ridden before it was sold to N America and then on to her. Her solution was to put it in a double and frankly, it was a disaster. I stood at the end of the long side during one of her tests and when she came down in extended canter I feared for my life!!:eek:

Interesting, cpt, about your strong horse which turned out to have a neurological issue. One of the most inexplicably strong horses I have ever ridden - he went best in a vulcanite pelham with a cushioned curd strap, although "best" was a relative term - turned out in the end to have extensive damage to his neck. He was a fantastic athlete and *should* have gone better, looking at his conformation, but when I met him he was actually jumping competitively, despite being extremely difficult to ride. In his case we knew his history and were able to trace to the accident that likely started the problem, although there was also a degenerative aspect as well. I did actually manage to rehab him to some extent, with veterinary intervention, and he was then easily ridable in a snaffle, although I was also careful not to put him into situations where I might have really needed to take a pull. Unfortunately he was sold on without provenance (through a good trainer so presumably did not go in a way that was obviously broken) and a while later someone tried to jump him in drawreins to address his "stiffness" and there was a bad accident. :( I have no idea what happened after that - I kind of hope he was pts. :(
 
TarrSteps said:
Interesting, cpt, about your strong horse which turned out to have a neurological issue. One of the most inexplicably strong horses I have ever ridden - he went best in a vulcanite pelham with a cushioned curd strap, although "best" was a relative term - turned out in the end to have extensive damage to his neck. He was a fantastic athlete and *should* have gone better, looking at his conformation, but when I met him he was actually jumping competitively, despite being extremely difficult to ride. In his case we knew his history and were able to trace to the accident that likely started the problem, although there was also a degenerative aspect as well. I did actually manage to rehab him to some extent, with veterinary intervention, and he was then easily ridable in a snaffle, although I was also careful not to put him into situations where I might have really needed to take a pull. Unfortunately he was sold on without provenance (through a good trainer so presumably did not go in a way that was obviously broken) and a while later someone tried to jump him in drawreins to address his "stiffness" and there was a bad accident. :( I have no idea what happened after that - I kind of hope he was pts. :(
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The question as to how much his congenital neck deformity caused his behaviour will never leave me :( The comparison with this case of yours is strong and it has to have been part of the story. But some of his quirks were also shared by at least one full brother and his father, neither of which I ever met. The condition is not known to be hereditary and the father was a GP showjumper. So we will never know. All I know is that the double made him safe (even then a relative term out hacking :) ) and definitely happier, and that was enough for me.

I can only guess that at some stage of his upbringing in Holland, where he was until 4 years old, he learnt that his power allowed him to escape from any situation that he did not like, and the people who broke him "allowed" him to continue in that belief. Until I had him I would never have accepted that anyone could have so little control over a horse (and I have plenty of experience of taking on bad ones!). After owning Vulgaus Majistralis, I am more open minded that some horses just have to be ridden in at least a pelham to hack and school at home and therefore a double bridle to compete.

Not many, but definitely some.


ps I'm off out to school my latest rehab now (feet rehab, not behaviour rehab). He has completely the reverse problem - he has such a sensitive mouth that he reacts to the bit far too much. I'm in the middle of desensitising him and we have recently had a promotion into a metal lozenge bit (via nathe, then plastic) which is going very well :)
 
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