hi,

i am after trying a monty roberts dually on my lot, BUT i am not sure which size to try, i would like to buy/borrow 1 to see if it suits and if it does & i need another well so be it.

i have :-
Gerry 14.2hh breton, a rescue - still spooky and not yet backed, he has a normal head size for a cob.
Chance, about 15hh breton, another rescue but heavier in general to gerry, much bigger head, i have a western rope halter for him as normal ones are too tight around the jaw, he takes an extra full size libbys bridle and the throat lash and brow band are tight, the nose band won't fasten so i leave it off, chance is not nervous and has been backed.
& lastly Saltie, she is a 26y old trotter, not as fizzy as she was, we now just go out for occasional plods about & she was teaching my son to ride before the latest problem.
recently she has had *mouth problems, eventually once its over i want to see if she could go in the dually as a bitless bridle, some other bitless fasten quite tight around the jaw, i don't want this for her.

* massive abcesses, evacuating in the lower jaw area due to tooth infection, the vet is confident the problem will cure but we both think the area will be tender.

SO THE BIG QUESTION?? which 1? is the small red going to fit gerry and maybe saltie since it says 13hh to about 15hh? or would chance old big head need the blue - fit a small elephant size which would swamp the others? or could the black med size fit all...just!

decisions ....Decisions!!!

has anyone tried the dually? either just as a halter or as a bridle too? whaddy fink orf it? bye

I know you want to try one, but I have experienced these head collars, and to be honest if you really need to use the head collar for what it is supposed to be used for, it's not up to the job. The rope nose band just breaks.

Go buy your self some climbing rope, a couple of clips and put that on your own head collars and save yourself £40!

Hi Salee, If no-one here has one you could borrow perhaps you could find one on e-bay, if you Google I'm sure you would be able to find out how to "size".Maybe start on the Intelligent Horsemanship site. Good Luck, let us know how you get on.
Pen

Hello Salee, I've got a blue dually that I bought about 6 years ago and find absolutely invaluable. I use it equally on my heavies (Breton, Percheron x. and Comptois x) as well as my more blood types.
My Percheron x(the avatar one) is so laid back I hack him out in the dually and he's only just been backed! I think bitting heavies is quite tricky because they have such big tongues and fleshy mouths.
It actually saved my Breton's life when he fell into my very deep slurry pit and I held him up with the dually so he could breathe while the pompiers saved him, whereas another halter would have snapped. The pit did have a fence around it in case you're wondering but the pit is long gone now of course.
I don't know where you are but if you're anywhere near you're more than welcome to try my blue one to see which one might be good for you.
How nice to talk to another heavy fan . Your lot sound lovely. I just love them

I too swear by my duallys, I have two of each size but cannot spare them I am afraid. I too ride in them I have found my 16 year old anglo arab responds so much better in a dually... BUT my young stallion will only really respond in a rope halter!
My Breton rising 3 is perfectly trained in ground manners now with her Blue Dually.