Weymouth and Bradoon Combination Nightmare! Need Advice Please

[islandspirit]

I have a rather tricky to bit horse who loves to put his tongue over the bit, stick it out and generally flap about. I managed to resolve most of his issues with a Bomber Happy Tongue and now hack in the Pelham version of this and school in a Sprenger KK ultra. We are showing at county level this year and need to move from the Pelham to a double and I am really struggling with getting this right. The problem is that the lozenge from the bradoon hangs over the Weymouth when placed in his mouth. So far I have tried a Neue Schule Slimma and a revolver with my ordinary snaffle and a Neue Schule Team up Bradoon and couldn’t get the lozenge to not touch the Weymouth at all. I have now got an Informed Design medium high port Weymouth with a forward port that he seems to really like but I still can’t get a space between the bits in his mouth. It’s driving me crazy! Am I doing something wrong?? Can anyone offer advice as to how to resolve the problem? Has anyone else come across a similar issue?

 

[humblepie]

Be interested to read replies but you are fine to show county level in a pelham.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

normally, when just stitting static in the mouth the lozenge will touch the curb, as you take up a contact and the curb cheeks revolve a bit, a gap appears.
none of mine have a big gap at rest,its degrees of a MM at most, otherwise the snaffle would be impossibly high.

 

[dianchi]

No need to swap out of a Pelham to show!

 

[islandspirit]

Thank you for the replies. I know the Pelham is ok for County level I showed him in it last year but he's just a little wooden in it, tends to be a little downhill and relies too much on your hands, leaning to a degree. In the double the lift from the shoulder is in a whole new ball park compared with the Pelham, I can be much stiller in the hand with him only having to make minor adjustments and he wants to carry himself rather than rely on me to hold him up. The problem is that its not a case of the bits just touching, the losenge is completely over the weymouth when you don't have a contact on the reins.

 

[Mavis007]

My horse is very over active in his mouth and sticks his tongue out a lot. He will also put his tongue over the bit if he can. It's a nightmare and I have a serious bit collection! After trying a LOT I have decided he needs bits that stay further back in his mouth and as still as possible (he also has a "short smile"). My best result so far is using a NS Pacifier Weymouth and a hanging cheek single jointed snaffle.

 

[Cortez]

Thank you for the replies. I know the Pelham is ok for County level I showed him in it last year but he's just a little wooden in it, tends to be a little downhill and relies too much on your hands, leaning to a degree. In the double the lift from the shoulder is in a whole new ball park compared with the Pelham, I can be much stiller in the hand with him only having to make minor adjustments and he wants to carry himself rather than rely on me to hold him up. The problem is that its not a case of the bits just touching, the losenge is completely over the weymouth when you don't have a contact on the reins.

Erm, the snaffle is supposed to sit "over" the curb. How does the horse respond in the double? Is he happy with it?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I don't know whether you'd be able to show in it or not; but have you thought about a French Link Rugby Pelham? My trad cob goes like silk in it. You've got an extra ring which gives a nice play to the bit, which actually not only looks like a double bridle but it has a lot of the same function & movement of a double, but with only one bit in the horse's mouth.

I just throw this in for good measure as I haven't seen a lot of other horses in this bit. Might solve your problem?

 

[islandspirit]

My horse is very over active in his mouth and sticks his tongue out a lot. He will also put his tongue over the bit if he can. It's a nightmare and I have a serious bit collection! After trying a LOT I have decided he needs bits that stay further back in his mouth and as still as possible (he also has a "short smile"). My best result so far is using a NS Pacifier Weymouth and a hanging cheek single jointed snaffle.

Have you got my horses twin I too, have rather too May bits for a single horse owner, maybe we could start our own bit bank. The most hilarious bit we tried was a rubber straight bar snaffle, he rolled it back in his mouth and turned the bridle inside out! He seems to like the informed design Weymouth, I just nth to find a snaffle that works with it and he doesn't like single jointed bits, hates tongue pressure.

Erm, the snaffle is supposed to sit "over" the curb. How does the horse respond in the double? Is he happy with it?

The snaffle isn't sitting behind/above the Weymouth, it's sitting on top of it. The lozenge drops too far forwards and the bradoon and Weymouth cross over each other in the middle. It's hard to say if he is happy with it, I've only tired it once so far but guess he has been in a double before I owned him. We had a mixture of beautiful work, self carriage, working over the back with some curling up and bouncing rather than taking the energy forwards and a few moments of lots of chomping and mouth opening. The good bits were wonderful and the bad bits awful, any advice gratefully received.

I don't know whether you'd be able to show in it or not; but have you thought about a French Link Rugby Pelham? My trad cob goes like silk in it. You've got an extra ring which gives a nice play to the bit, which actually not only looks like a double bridle but it has a lot of the same function & movement of a double, but with only one bit in the horse's mouth.
I just throw this in for good measure as I haven't seen a lot of other horses in this bit. Might solve your problem?

I have got a rugby Pelham from a friend to try but it's single jointed which I know he doesn't like so I was holding off giving it a go. No one told me when I bought him that I'd need a second mortgage just for bits!

 

[Tnavas]

First check the width of the Bridoon, though you fit the Bridoon in exactly the same manner as your normal snaffle if the bit is a little wider than usual you'll find the centre drops lower.
Try fitting each separately then combine.

Bridoon two wrinkles
Curb just touching the corners of the mouth.

Personally I prefer a single joint for the Bridoon.