THE MANDATORY USE OF OF DOUBLE BRIDLES & SPURS AT GRAND PRIX LEVEL

By veterinarian Eva Van Avermaet DVM – Founder of the Collectif pour Les Chevaux

This article is published in Issue 7 of the CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE – the current issue and archived issues are free to download and read online.

Photo by Crispin Parelius Johannessen

The use of the double bridle and spurs should not be mandatory at Grand Prix level given the current state of FEI competitions.

Some horses simply can not be comfortable with a double bridle.

Also, in the current state of the FEI Grand Prix tests, not many riders know how to use a double bridle correctly. Present-day high-level riders frequently use the curb bit to control their horses by strength and to force them into the so-called ‘presentation frame’, rather than giving the fine aids meant to be given with the curb bit in true collection in the classical sense.

Many riders pull hard and constantly, causing the curb bit to act as a tourniquet, making the tongue turn pale or blue.

I do understand that the correct use of the double bridle should be part of what is being scored at Grand Prix level and I do agree that at some point, climbing up the ladder of dressage training, the riders should be judged for their skills in using the double bridle.

The problem is that these days hardly any high-level rider knows how to use it correctly, and the judges do not seem to notice this.

Making correct riding and correct judging mandatory would be a much better idea in the current situation, rather than keeping the use of double bridles mandatory without educating the riders and judges on this matter.

For certain high-level riders, the use of the curb bit should even be forbidden rather than being kept mandatory. Either that, or they should not be able to enter levels where the use of the curb bit is mandatory. This is where the following important FEI rule – rule and not just guideline – comes in :

“Other Reasons for Elimination”

“5.7.1 Horse and Athlete combination not being able to fulfil the requirements of the level.”

“5.7.2 The performance is against the welfare of the Horse and/or shows abusive riding.”

As to the use of spurs, the same logic applies; as long as too many high-level riders do not use the spurs correctly, it is not their use that should be mandatory, but rather the correct use that should be mandatory, and the abuse punished.

When a horse receives hundreds of spur cues in one single test, the rider does not fulfil the requirements of the level and the performance is against the welfare of the horse and therefore, the rider should be systematically eliminated.

This article is published in Issue 7 of the CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE – the current issue and archived issues are free to download and read online.