Hello! Who here uses a bradoon as a plain snaffle (without fitted to a double bridle)? I found the exact bit I’m looking for used (hallelujah) but it’s a bradoon. Do the ring sizes have any affect on the action?
4 of the horses in my barn go in a bradoon as the snaffle.
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Excellent! The only difference is the ring size, I just wanted to be sure I’m not changing the action of the bit in any way be using a smaller diameter ring. Thanks for answering!
The larger ring size can give the mouthpiece a bit more freedom to move around in the horse’s mouth. Personally, I think lots of horses prefer the bradoon size, and it looks better on the more refined faces.
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Totally fine to use a bradoon instead of a large-ring snaffle! I’ve stopped buying large-ring snaffle altogether so all my bits can do double-duty 
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This would be acceptable at home, but I’d be double checking rules for the shows you attend. Some have rules about the size of the rings for snaffle bridles.
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I rode in one for year with my last horse, he preferred it.
The horse’s I’ve had that don’t like a lot of “play” in the snaffle I ride in the bridoon. They prefer it, and limits variables when adding the double.
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Yeah, I switched to bradoons for my Arabians a few years ago. The smaller rings fit their faces better and don’t touch the nosebands like the larger rings do. My Arabians aren’t particularly refined, but the smaller rings really fit them better. I also suspect that they prefer the quieter feel (less movement) of the smaller rings. (I have one mare that I had already switched to a baucher ring because she liked a steadier feel than a loose ring or even an eggbutt gave.) Plus the smaller diameter mouthpieces are also a better scale for their mouths. A lot of modern bit mouthpieces are scaled for larger WBs and are thus too thick for horses with less room in their mouths.
Totally USEF DR legal under current rules.
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I appreciate the replies! My very amateur thought about how physics works was that a smaller ring of a bradoon would decrease the “play” of a loose ring snaffle but would not have an effect on a fixed piece like an eggbutt? I accept all corrections if I am wrong!
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You are correct.
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I have used bradoon snaffles in the past at many recognized shows, and currently use one. If you are concerned about “play” in the mouthpiece, you might also consider an eggbutt rather than loose ring.
Made a big difference in my guy.
For bit “play” issues with loose rings, I’ve just switched to eggbutt or baucher rings according to the individual horse’s preference. But my horses that went well in loose rings seem to like the bradoon loose rings better. I can’t fully determine how much that has to do with the slightly smaller diameter mouthpieces and how much is due to a little less play in the smaller rings, but the “feel” I get from them is steadier.
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I ride in a bradoon vs a regular snaffle as I ride a pony and the smaller rings fit her better.
LetItBe
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I can’t find anything in the USEF dressage rules about the diameter of the rings.
Yeah, definitely fine currently for USEF and FEI assuming the bit meets the other requirements. maybe another country has an issue with it?
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I do, I ordered the bit online and it was listed as a regular snaffle but is actually a bradoon. It suits my horses smaller face so I just kept it. At one point remember I remember reading somewhere the minimum ring diameter for it to be show legal and it was plenty large enough.
Just thought I would mention that the bit is correctly spelled BRIDOON, not bradoon in the dictionary. Only horse sites, catalogs, show it spelled with an A in the word.
I just could not scroll by this thread with the incorrect spelling of the bit name one more time! Thank you for reading this, I am done now.
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I did the same for a while with my little mare, who has a refined face and a very fat tongue and low palate. Thicker bits are not always kinder bits, especially for a horse without a lot of room in the mouth. I tried both the loose ring and eggbutt versions of HS KK bridoons. She liked the eggbutt better but it was very heavy. Ultimately I used a regular (and less expensive!) eggbutt but with a thin mouthpiece like a bradoon.
AFAIK, any bit that is USEF legal to be used as a bridoon can be used as a plain snaffle.
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Fortunately, the rule book has it right.
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