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Horse Care and Comfort

Dually Halter as a Bitless Bridle

By:

Don Johnson

Date:

2019-Jan-29 at 02:44AM

Just wondering since it has been mentioned in the lessons could we have a session ot two on using the Dually Halter as a bitless bridle, Thanks!

mydakota18 2019-Mar-11 at 04:46PM

I would love to see this also! Please someone else chime in! Or atleast help us understand the appropriate way to use a Dually as a bitless bridle. Thanks!

a.rumble 2019-Mar-11 at 11:24PM

First and foremost you must have all your groundwork done,including your longlining off the dually halter. This must all be done ever so gentle.When your horse is listening very well on your longlines then you are ready to move on to your dually halter as a bitless bridle.You need to hook up a good set of reins to the ring on each side of the rope part of the halter much the same as you hooked up the longlines only you wouldn't run the lines through the stirrups of course,. exactly the same as a regular bridle and reins. Done.Hope this helps you out! Angie

JoHewittVINTA 2019-Mar-14 at 10:36AM

Hi. I agree with Angie, every lesson showing long lining is, effectively, a lesson on using the Dually as a bridle. Longlining is an incremental step to teach the horse to listen to instructions through the Dually, to be 'ridden from the ground'. I would add that, especially horses with white faces, need a soft wrap around the ropes of the schooling rings as even gentle pressure over long periods can cause the skin to get sore. You can buy sheepskin, Velcro fastening, purpose made wraps for racehorses - for nosebands & cheek pieces. These can be cut to size. A word of warning though - there are fake fur options also available & as Monty has stressed at length, horses like natural fibres. To make this as easy as possible for your horse use real sheepskin. Using a wrap is also good hygiene as it can be regularly washed. Approach riding with the Dually just like you would teach your horse anything new, be in a safe place, be incremental, have a plan but be ready to adapt to your horses needs in order to gain full understanding on their part & have fun doing it all.
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A thought - as not everyone has ideal riding circumstances. It is commonplace to fit a head collar over a bridle if you want to stop during a ride, so you can safely tie up your horse - a short lead rope is tied around the neck for this purpose. The English double bridle has two sets of reins & the second set of reins ( the curb reins ) are narrower & thinner so the rider can more easily tell them apart. A Dually halter can be fitted over a bridle without a nose band, the reins to the bit can be knotted & laid on the horses neck. You can then ride on the Dually with a second set of reins, confident that, having trained your horse to the Dually, you have a backup in place ( and I'm guessing many parents would like this idea ). After all, a bit properly fitted but with the reins left loose causes no discomfort or pain.
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Cheers, Jo.

Don Johnson 2019-Mar-14 at 01:48PM

Thanks Angie and Jo,
Both of you always have such good advice. Clear, easy to understand answers to follow. I hadn't thought of long lining as a prep for using the Dually as a prep for a bitless bridle but it makes perfect sense. Thanks again to both of you!