Double Bridle Bits
Finding the right set of bits for your horse is critical, so you can communicate effectively and humanely with him and he can relax into his work, allowing the horse to swallow freely and to be comfortable and responsive as he progresses with his training.
The right Double Bridle Bits promote: Refinement, Communication, Definition, Elegance, Collection, while following the Scales of Training
Before purchasing any double bridle bits we would highly recommend a private consultation sessions with Hilary Vernon.
In each session we will discuss:
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How to assess your horse's mouth and conformation
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​Bit designs and how they work
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How to understand resistance
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How to select the right bits for your horse.
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How to transition your horse into the new bits successfully
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How to trial your new bits
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How to progress with your new bits
We will look at each horse individually and assess its bitting needs based on information from the Rider/Trainer and visual equine reference. Then re fit, re bit and transition according to the horses personality and level of training.
Each consultation takes approximately an hour to an hour and a half.
Hilary carries a full range of Dressage Weymouths, Bradoons and Snaffles. There is a charge of £65 for the Bitting Consultation and Bits can be purchased on the day. The Bit designs feature curved and contoured mouthpieces, a variety of ports and comfortable fittings. All made in stainless steel.
To book your Dressage Bitting Consultation please email hilaryinformedbittingvernon@gmail.com - persevere if you do not get an immediate response
WEYMOUTHS
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Despite the fact that lots of things are written about Double Bridles and the fact they should not be used.
​Think of it this way you are trying to use two well made comfortable bits [the same applies to Weymouth mouthpieces as all others it should complement the shape inside the mouth not squash the tongue severely into the lower jaw] that give you much better signals and your Horse more release and reward than can be achieved from just a snaffle alone
And on the tongue in cheek side of this well written about subject when you research who people are that are so anti Double Bridles not many of them appear to have a large powerful 17hh warmblood that they are riding down spooky competition arenas !!
The Weymouth Cheek if designed correctly works on three balanced pressures as the reins are used and the cheek turns the Horse feels downward mouth pressure poll pressure and then these two pressures are balanced out by the chain or jaw strap moving onto the jaw to stop the first two pressures from overriding each other. It is crucial that the curb chain is set well so that the shank of the Weymouth only turns to about 45% and then the chain snugly tucks onto the jaw.
Too tight and the Horse gets no release or reward and too loose and the pressures are unbalanced and the Horse will have to resist to escape. The correct mouthpiece should encourage the Horse forward into the contact and the three pressures control head frame, weight transferral and are your brakes! It is really important that the cheeks are the right length if they have been constructed poorly and not in balance then the bit simply does not work
The Weymouth sends the Horse to the end of the rein is your way of tipping the face into the frame is your way of transferring weight back and is your braking system So very important to get this part of the set right.
Accent Weymouth
The Accent is built on a 5" Shank and has a definite feel to the underside of the port to ask for a yield and allows the Horse a little more tongue room in the centre of the bit and the forward curve to the bar of the mouthpiece allows for jaw and tongue room behind the bit. As the Weymouth reins are used together the whole mouthpiece rotates onto the tongue pressing the tongue down into the lower jaw until it reaches the bars of the mouth, with this mouthpiece the tongue has plenty of room to move up and fill the space created by the port and the forward curve of the mouthpiece.
Very useful for Horses that are:
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Have a still mouth and at times heavy feel on the rein
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That need tongue room but with a little extra in the centre
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That have gone heavily in a very thick mouthpiece with a low port and you are changing for more room and less bit and more yield
The Accent Weymouth works best if the horse is not too strong with the Harmony Loose Ring or Contour Loose Ring Or if the Horse is more enthusiastic with the Precision Loose ring or if stronger but with a still mouth the Response Loose Ring
The Japanese Finesse Weymouth
The Japan Finesse: is built on a 5" Shank and has a slightly different Shank sizing than the other Finesse Weymouth’s it has a thicker diameter mouth and has my biggest upward sweep to allow for lots of jaw and tongue room when activated this is one of the mouthpieces in the range that does not have a visible forward curve when static but allows a little overall tongue room when ridden at the optimum working angle. It has a very definite action and a real lift to the Horses frame
Very useful for horses that need:
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a lift to the frame
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a lift to the base frame
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a more confident feel onto the curb bit
The Japan Finesse Weymouth works best with
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The Harmony Loose Ring to make a good starter set or to make a set for a Horse that has been restrictively bitted in a Double and needs to go forward into the frame
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The Contour Loose Ring for the above reasons but you need a little more lift
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The Precision Loose Ring if you need more frame and more lift
The Finesse 5
The Finesse 5: is built on a 5" Shank you and has an upwards sweep to the mouthpiece to allow for more overall jaw and tongue room when ridden at the correctly this is one of the mouthpieces in the range that does not have a forward curve when static but allows a little overall tongue room when ridden at the optimum working angle. It has a very definite action and a real lift to the Horses frame
Very useful for Horses that need -
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a lift to the frame
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a lift to the shoulder
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to transfer weight backwards
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be lighter into good hands
The Finesse Weymouth works best with the
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Harmony Loose Ring you need more from the Weymouth and less from the Bradoon
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Precision Loose Ring if you want a little more from the Bradoon
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Response Loose Ring if you need to have a real lift from both elements
The Mini Finesse
The Mini Finesse: sits well on a smaller face or when you still want balanced leverage but with a shorter shank 4.75 in total
It has a generous upwards sweep to the mouthpiece and really encourages a Horse with a small elegant frame or a short smile to take the rein forward
​Very useful for Horses that need -
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a neater looking Weymouth
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a lift to the frame
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a lift to the base frame
Aimed at small framed Horses and Ponies does not balance on larger Horses and Horses with a long smile
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The Mini Finesse Weymouth comes with a 4 3/4" overall shank and works best
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Harmony Loose Ring for encouraging a sensitive small faced Horse forward
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Precision Loose Ring for a small horse with a still mouth that powers up
The Allowance Weymouth
The Allowance carries the largest of my ports. Remember people tend to think that the bottom sits on the top of the tongue and the top sticks into the roof of the horse’s mouth But in situ the port allows the tongue to move into the space. As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece rotates and moves the port forward the tongue then has plenty of room to move up and fill the space created by the port and the forward curve of the mouthpiece
Very useful for Horses that are:
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inclined to put the tongue over the bit
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inclined to put the tongue out of the mouth
Not for any small faced and small mouthed horses
The Allowance Weymouth works best with -
Harmony Loose Ring
Precision Loose Ring
Finesse Weymouth
The Shallow Finesse : is built on a 5" Shank you and has less if an upwards sweep to the mouthpiece to allow for more overall jaw and tongue room when ridden at the correctly this is one of the mouthpieces in the range that does not have a forward curve when static but allows a little overall tongue room when ridden at the optimum working angle. It has a very definite action and a real lift to the Horses frame
Very useful for horses that need -
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a lift to the frame
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a lift to the shoulder
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to transfer weight backwards
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be lighter into good hands
The Finesse Weymouth works best with the
Harmony Loose Ring you need more from the Weymouth and less from the Bradoon
Precision Loose Ring if you want a little more from the Bradoon
Response Loose Ring if you need to have a real lift from both elements
BRADOONS
When matching a Bradoon with a Weymouth you are trying to create the perfect set of signals.
Despite what has been written by people who clearly do not ride regularly in Double Bridles [if at all] the Bradoon has a slight head raising effect and is your most efficient turning and flexing signal ~In a nutshell with the right set of bits if your horse is a little too round you drop out a little Weymouth pressure and pick up a little more Bradoon and so on.
Remember it is important to be able to individualise your reins so you can use one or the other in equal or inequal measure to help your horse understand the signals and be comfortable in its frame. Horses are individuals and you need a variety of options to allow each Horse to respond well to your signals.
Key things to think of when choosing your double bits - One Mouthpiece does not fit all, does not mean the same to all and does not get the same response from all.
Try to choose a Bradoon that matches a Weymouth in terms of what you need to improve about the way your horse goes or what you need to move onto next.
For instance with a horse who is a little tentative and needs encouragement to go forward you might choose the Harmony Bradoon but when it gets into the rein it can be a little solid in your hands you could match this Bradoon with an Accent Weymouth to have the best of all signals, or a strong horse that needs to be a little higher and lighter in the bridle you might choose the Response Loose ring Bradoon and the Finesse 5 or a Finesse Shallow
Harmony Loose Ring
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The Harmony mouthpiece creates a smooth even curve around the Horses tongue and the roof of the mouth it actively encourages a horse to take the rein forward but as the curve it shallow it sets a parameter for the frame.
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As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece wraps around the tongue and lower jaw, evenly taking in the whole of the tongue, the sides of the bars and the sides of the lips in a perfect hoop. As the Round Lozenge is the correct length and the joints are neat and non-invasive the Horse should move forward into the contact. Both branches of the bit are curved forward to accommodate the shape of the Horse’s mouth conformation.
Very useful for Horses or Ponies that are uncomfortable with
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A large joint or joints
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Large long plates or lozenges
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Or are very busy in the mouth
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Or do not draw the contact forward
Makes a lovely Bradoon for a horse that has been restrictively bitted in the past
Response Loose Ring ​​
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The Response mouthpiece was one of my first mouthpieces and still one of the most popular with Dressage Riders on Horses moving to the higher levels of training it encourages a horse to move towards the bit but because of the structure of the Oblong lozenge and the positioning of the joints it discourages the Horse from getting too strong or set on the mouthpiece.
As the reins are used together the whole mouthpiece wraps around the tongue and lower jaw with a really comfortable no pinch wrap effect , the mouthpiece has a structured feel in the centre of the tongue to dissuade the horse from leaning on the bit. The Lozenge is small neat and stays in the centre of the tongue and does not interfere with the edge of the tongue or the bars of the mouth This is a Oblong lozenge and not a plate a plate would have to be flat on both sides.
Your hands must be stable and be able to yield with this mouthpiece
Very useful for Horses or Ponies that need to
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Pay more heed to the mouthpiece
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Are a little strong and too forward into the bit
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That block on one side as you flex or turn
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That are a little heavy in the hands
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Precision Loose Ring
The Precision mouthpiece is a combination of a generous forward curve to the branches of the mouthpiece, small non-invasive turned joints and an Oval Lozenge that is rounded on the roof of the mouth and Oval on the tongue side
The feel for the Horse and into the Riders hand is one of encouraging the Horse forward into the bit but when it gets there they should lighten up and yield and flex to the Riders signals ​
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​Very useful for Horses that need
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To go forward into the action of the Bit but yield when they get there
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Need clear signals from a mouthpiece without any restriction or Pinch
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Likes the slight delay of a mouthpiece that is on a Loose Ring Cheek
​Can be a bit inflexible when they reach the end of the rein
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Contour Loose Ring
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The Contour mouthpiece was an experiment in 2019 to see if I could get a different feel from another curved lozenge mouthpiece. I lengthened the lozenge a little and plumped it up in the centre and curved the mouthpiece in a slightly different place thinking it would make another starter bit or a long and low mouthpiece. But it did not turn out like that, it is a generously curved longer Oval Lozenge covering more area inside the mouth designed to encourage the Horse forward into a higher contact. It went into the range in 2020
Very good for
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Horses that like the slightly thicker mouthpiece
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Horses that are reluctant to take the contact forward and lower the neck to avoid Encouraging the Horse forward into a higher contact
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Horses that have been in restrictive mouthpieces and have tongue issues
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Horses that you want to create a more consistent contact with in a slightly higher frame
