ANSWER:
It's smart not to experiment with certain tools before one has received
the proper introduction to them. But some people take it a step further and
reject the tool or method altogether, just because they themselves neither
understand its purpose nor how to use it, which is not so smart.
As far as the double bridle is concerned, both horse and rider have to
meet certain requirements in order to be able to use it with success,
because it's a "power tool" that was invented to refine the rider's aids and
add more nuances to the communication between horse and rider.
You could say that the rider has to earn the right to use a double bridle,
just as he has to earn his spurs. The rider has to have acquired enough
suppleness and stamina to be able to sit the trot effortlessly for extended
periods of time. A rider who is still stiff and unbalanced will rely on the
reins to steady himself, and the leverage of the curb bit would only amplify
the involuntary rein pressure, which would very quickly make the entire
horse stiff and kill the impulsion. A rider who still has stiff wrists and
fingers should not use a double bridle yet, either, for the same reason.
The horse has to have mastered the requirements of the basic training, and
must be ready for collecting work when you introduce the double bridle.
Seidler gives a brief outline of the standard training succession for the
campagne school horse:
- Riding straight lines (and large circles)
- Introduction to lateral movements (and smaller turns and circles)
- Introduction to the canter under the rider
- Introduction to the double bridle
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, this was a relatively widespread
training progression, and it still works very well today, especially with
horses who are not terribly talented for the canter.
As a rule of thumb, you can say that it usually makes sense to introduce
the double bridle after the horse has learned the lateral movements and the
canter.
As long as there are still major resistances in the poll and neck, it is
usually better to work through them with the snaffle, as the curb bit is
likely to cover them up instead of dissolving them.
The curb bit with its leverage is especially suitable for flexing the
haunches, which is why it should not be used with a horse who is not supple
and strong enough yet for collected work.
The snaffle is better suited for lateral bending work and suppling the
poll and neck.
In the past, the horse was often prepared for the double bridle by riding
with a regular snaffle, plus a bridoon, so that he could get used to the
feeling of having two bits in his mouth. The rider can learn how to manage 2
sets of reins that way, without doing too much damage.
There are a couple of etiquette items the rider should be aware of as
well. In the SRS, the rider is not allowed to post, when he rides with the
double bridle, because at that stage of training, neither horse nor rider
should need the rising trot any more. When riding with a double bridle, the
rider is always required to wear spurs at the SRS, because if you "double
the brakes", you should "triple the gas". Conversely, if someone posts with
a double bridle, or doesn't wear spurs, it shows a certain lack of knowledge
to a classically educated observer.
As a test for whether horse and rider are ready for the double bridle you
can try to ride a figure 8 with a snaffle, with both reins in one hand. If
you can do it without the horse losing balance and coming off the bit, you
are both ready.
All the different ways of holding the reins have their own advantages and
disadvantages. In a way, it depends on what you want to accomplish. When you
are introducing the horse to the double bridle, the Fillis conduct is very
effective, because you can separate the two bits very easily.
The traditional 3:1 conduct helps in framing the shoulders and the base of
the neck. The 2:2 conduct in which the curb and snaffle reins on each side
are separated by one finger, is probably the easiest one to learn for the
rider, but it's not as effective for the horse as the others.
It can be useful to change the way you hold your reins during the ride
sometimes.
-Thomas Ritter
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Last Update: February 19, 2007