which bits for double bridle?

[xfarnorthx]

I want to do some more showing this year and fancy trying a double bridle for those classes where we wouldn't look out of place in one. Horse is well schooled in a snaffle and works nicely in an outline and when I've been to shows before to watch, a lot of people do show in a double bridle and they really look the part and because my horse is well schooled and responsive I think it's time we "moved up" to a double bridle. I'm almost sure he's been ridden in a double before somewhere in the past, from something his previous owners said but I'm not now in touch with them and the array of different mouthpieces for weymouth and bradoon is bewildering and I don't know where to start.

So - what are the advantages/disadvantages of fixed/sliding mouthpieces for the weymouths, and what are the differences between port and mullen mouthpieces as far as the horse is concerned - have been looking on the Sustainable Dressage website, which seems to talk a lot of sense about different bits, and she seems to advocate the mullen mouthpiece. Do you usually use an eggbut bradoon with a fixed mouth weymouth and a loose ring bradoon with a sliding weymouth - or have I got that completely wrong? And, again, what are disadvantages/advantages of eggbutt vs. loose ring bradoon?

I would be very grateful for advice/opinions from people who are more familiar with the whole double bridle business than I am.

 

[eml]

In very simple terms sliding cheek weymouth and loose ring bradoon move more in the horses mouth, fixed cheek and eggbut more still. Choose whichever the horses snaffle is.

Mullen or ported really need to be chosen with the horses mouthshape in mind, some horses with a large tongue are more comfortable in a ported bit, some with small mouths in a mullen. unless the port is large there is not a lot of difference in action.

 

[Louki]

I used a loose ring french link bradoon with a sliding cheek ported weymouth with the curb fitted very loosely. My mare was very well schooled & physically able to carry herself into a double, and ultra sensitive in the mouth, so everything was keyed up for gentleness as i never really used my hands for more than a half halt, she was a very well trained seat & leg aid girl.


This might be of interest to you re double bridles.

http://www.stepintodressage.com/double.html

 

[xfarnorthx]

thank you eml and louki - that clarifies the various options nicely. And thank you louki for the weblink - it's a very interesting website.