Shortening the curb rein on a double bridle

[Balmonty]

I am guilty! When I ride in the double, I keep shortening the curb rein. I totally don’t intend to, I try and start with a loose curb rein but somehow I manage to keep shortening the curb rein until it is firm in my hand the same as the bradoon.

Is there a stopper I can put on the curb rein to stop me doing it or is there curb reins with stoppers? I have stoppers on my bradoon rein but the curb rein is smooth. I get so frustrated when I ride past the mirror and the curb rein in straight, or my coach says “less curb”.

[Highflyer1]

You can absolutely buy curb reins with rein stops.

[blue_heron]

My curb reins have stoppers on them as well, but I have the opposite problem! Mine tend to slip and then they are flopping around-- not so nice either when they are so slack they give an aid all on their own! If you’re really in a pinch, a few braiding elastics around where you need to remember to hold your curb should work too.

[eightpondfarm]

could you maybe put a few winds around of that blue tape that comes off without leaving a sticky mess …like the kind you use for painting.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have difficulties with the curb rein on the double bridle feeling way too short IF both the bradoon rein and the curb rein are the same lengths.

With my MS I developed difficulties keeping the double bridle reins at the proper lengths. I found some bradoon web reins with colored stops. I then searched on the web and found some Warm Blood length notched reins (1/2" wide). With the different length reins I can hold the reins at the same place without affecting the curb bit, with same length reins my curb reins usually ends up being too short.

With a glance I can now tell if I have my hands in the right place on the bradoon rein (those colored stops really help with that.)

The curb rein takes a longer look since it does not have the colored markers, but my fingers can FEEL when the horse takes the curb rein, and the notches help me keep my hands still on the reins. The notches also help me shorten/lengthen the curb reins so they are both at the same length.

It may also help me that I put the curb rein below my little fingers and I have the bradoon reins going between my little and ring fingers.

I am riding two different horses in a double bridle with this set up.

[SuzieQNutter]

You can also use hair ties.

[lorilu]

You can also hold the reins in an UNCROSSED fashion. CUrb under pinky. Snaffle between pinky and ring, or between ring and middle (that’s what I do). Releasing the curb is easy just open your pinky.

[Dbliron]

I do the same thing as Lorilu. I can really finesse the connection on the reins, using my strongest finger (the middle one) for the bradoon and my weakest (the pinky) for the curb. It’s easy to release the curb from the pinky finger and soften that connection without losing or changing the bradoon connection.