Double Bridle Bits

What is a double bridle?

In a double bridle set-up, two bits sit in the mouth. The bradoon works like an ordinary snaffle: one to one, directly on the bars and the corners of the mouth. The Weymouth curb has shanks and works as a lever, with pressure on the tongue, the curb groove and the poll. Together they let you separate and refine your aids: you ride on the bradoon and add the final nuance with the curb rein.

That is precisely what this set-up is for. Not more force, but more distinction. Anyone reaching for a double bridle to gain control over a horse is using it for the wrong reason.

From which level is a double bridle allowed?

Dutch competition (KNHS)

Since 1 April 2024, the double bridle is no longer permitted in class Z1. It is allowed from Z2 upwards, and remains optional there: in Z2 and every higher class you may still compete in a snaffle bridle. The KNHS reasoning is that collection is asked for the first time in Z1, and riders should learn it correctly in a snaffle before adding a curb — a line of thinking we happen to agree with.

International (FEI)

Since 1 January 2026 you may ride Grand Prix in a snaffle bridle at international level, up to and including CDI3* and CDIO3*. Above that level the double bridle is still required.

Showjumping

There is no level threshold for double bridles in showjumping, and in practice you rarely see one — jumping riders tend to choose a pelham instead. What does matter there: certain bit and noseband combinations are prohibited, and from 1.10m for ponies and 1.30m for horses the FEI rules apply.

Always check the current KNHS Harnachementsgids, or the FEI rulebook, for your discipline and level before you compete — they are revised regularly. Not sure? Ask us and we will look it up for you.

Who is this set-up for?

For riders who can handle two reins. And that is a genuine skill: four reins between your fingers, holding the curb rein loose without forgetting it, and taking it up without pulling on the bradoon. If you cannot do that independently, the two bits work against each other, and an ordinary snaffle is both kinder and clearer for your horse.

It also asks for a horse that is balanced and understands the aids. Two bits need room, so have the teeth checked and pay attention to tongue space.

Have your instructor take a look before you make the change — both when choosing and during the first rides. Someone who sees you and your horse in motion notices things you can never read on a product page. And as with every bit: it is the last aid, not the first. If the real question lies in balance, training or comfort, that is where to begin. See our snaffles if a softer contact is your goal.

Choosing the right sizes

The bradoon is usually half a centimetre to a centimetre wider than the curb, so it can sit comfortably above it. It is thinner and has smaller rings than an ordinary snaffle, precisely to leave room. Note that a standard loose ring snaffle is therefore not a bradoon.

On the curb, shank length determines the strength of the leverage: a longer lower shank gives more effect. Maximum dimensions and permitted mouthpieces apply, set out in the rulebook and revised as recently as 2024. The curb chain limits how far the bit can rotate — as a guide, it should make contact at about a quarter turn. Lay the links flat and use a curb chain guard. Curb chains, guards and curb reins are with our bit accessories.

The double bridle itself

This set-up needs a purpose-made bridle. A double bridle has two cheekpieces — one for the curb and a thin additional one for the bradoon — and two reins, with the curb rein narrower than the bradoon rein. An ordinary snaffle bridle cannot be used. Have a look at our double bridles for the complete set-up.

Advice from people who ride

Putting a double bridle together is not something you do from a list: the curb, the bradoon and the bridle all have to match each other, and your horse. In our 400 m² showroom in Lemelerveld — on the N48 between Raalte and Ommen — you can lay sizes and mouthpieces side by side and see the whole combination together. Rather talk it over first? Send us a WhatsApp message. You will get a personal reply, and if we think it is still too early for this step, we will say so.