Bridles

The main function of the bridle is to hold the bit in the horse's mouth.

The most common bridle you will see is the basic snaffle bridle shown in the picture below. It has one bit and one set of reins. A true double bridle has two bits and two sets of reins and can offer a finer degree of control of the horse, though it does require cafefull hands to use it. A pelham has two sets of reins but only one bit - the second rein controls the curb chain which lies under the horse's jaw and acts on a reflex point encouraging the horse to flex his head.

There are variations on this basic design which are mostly modifications to the noseband; called flash, drop and grankle nosebands. They all aim to stop the horse evading the bit by providing extra control on his jaw movements, and to some extent have become a fashion item and are often used where not needed.

Bridle Picture

The bridle is made up from 6 parts

Headpiece - which passes over the horse's head and ears and supports the bit in the mouth. It is cut from the same piece of leather as the...
Throatlash - fastens around the gullet of the horse to prevent the bridle slipping forwards. Must not be fitted too tight or will restrict the horse's throat when he bends his head. In reality plays no useful part except for keeping the bridle on should the rider fall off over the front of the horse still holding the reins.
Browband - a loop across the forehead which stops the bridle slipping back. Should not be too tight or loose as this can be a cause of head shaking in horses.
Cheek Pieces - one on each side, attach to the bit and to the headpiece. These are adjustable in length with buckles and are adjusted to hold the bit in the correct position. Many people advocate adjusting the bit until you can see several wrinkles in the horse's lips. We believe this is too much. Just being able to see the bit contacting on the edge of the lips will be much more comfortable for the horse. A bit adjusted too long could bang on the horse's teeth.
Noseband - not essential for holding the bit in place but can be used to help stop the horse evading the bit.
Reins - attach to the bit rings beneath the cheek pieces. They should not be so short that you are caused to lean forward to hold them or too long that there is danger of the excess getting caught up in your feet or the saddle.

Martingales

You might also commonly see this bridle used with a martingale. This is used to prevent the horse from raising its head too high. It is essentially a 'Y' shaped attachment where the bottom of the Y has a loop which slides over the girth strap (before it is fitted) and is hence held in position at the horse's chest. In a standing martingale the two arms of the Y attach to the noseband.

A running martingale has rings on the two arms of the Y which the reins pass through. This allows a greater degree of freedom whilst still dissuading a high head position and is more suitable for jumping. A neck strap attached to the split point of the Y holds the two arms safely away from the front legs.

The highlighted blue in the picture below shows a running martingale fitted to Marmalade.

Martingale

The How To section shows how a bridle is fitted.

Next - bits.

Comments

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We are unable to answer individual questions through the comments system. The New Rider Message Board is a better place to post specific questions.

dana 18th Jun 01

I was wondering if a snaffle bit is used when you get a first horse ?

Qwerty 24th Jun 01

I often have to tack up a horse which tries to bite when you put the bridle on. As soon as the bit is in their mouth, she is fine. Does anyone have any advice?

Kara 16th Sep 01

hi, i was wondering how to take off a bridle?

Marion Keefe 18th Sep 01

Dana,
Although a horse should ideally go in a snaffle bit it depends on the horse and its way of going.
Normally when I buy a horse I find out what bit it has been ridden in. My TB mare came to me with a Dutch gag but now rides nicely in a snaffle after some work.
Marion

Marion Keefe 18th Sep 01

Kara,
Undo the throatlash and nose band at the buckles. Lift the riens up to the headband and then take hold of the headband and gently pull it and the riens over the horses ears. Make sure the bit comes slowly out of the horses mouth without hitting the teeth. If you haven't put a headcollar on round the neck first then leave the riens around the neck until the headcollar is on or your horse may walk away as soon as the bridle is off...!!!

If you have a martingale on the bridle don't forget to take off the neckstrap with the riens or you'll get all in a tangle.
Have you had lessons at a riding school or do you know a friend who has experience and could show you..??
Marion

Nancy 23rd Sep 01

Thank you for the wonderful resources on your website.

I would like to know how to determine what kind of bit to buy for a new horse. Also, I would appreciate any recommendations on websites to purchase appropriate supplies that we will need; ie: saddles, reins, bridles, brushes...

Thanks again!

elijah 25th Dec 01

how do you properly fit a hackamore bridle? should the nose piece be in the same position as a snaffle bit

sara 1st Feb 02

I was given a hackamore bit for my horse and I can't figure out how t put it on can you help?
Thank you Sara

Sue 10th Mar 02

I am about to start riding again for the 1st time in 25 years and am feeling a little apprehensive but very excited. The one thing I can't remember how to do or seem to find mention of on your excellent site is how to hold the reins - can someone kindly remind me.

amanda 24th Mar 02

I have a three year old Quarter horse filly. She is a very ecellent horse, but I have a few problems first when I would try to put the bridle on she would fight and she took out three fences in the process. So to fix this I started riding with a hackamore, now she doesn't fight. Was it right to do this? The other problem is now I am teaching her to neck rein, but I read that your not suppose to neck rein with a hackamore. Is this true?

Dorothy 27th Apr 02

I was wondering if the flash noseband on a bridle also gives you more stopping power along with helping to keep the mouth closed?

Lizz 14th Jun 02

Amanda,
It may not have been the best idea to just use a hackamore instead of a regular bridle. If she goes alright in the hackamore, then her riding with it would be fine. But by not patiently teaching her to stand to be bridled, she has learnd that she can avoid things she doesn't like. This is a problem especially if she learns that she can be violent about it. In a sense you've given her permission to be bad when she's afraid of something or just doesn't like it.

My guess would be that she was given a rather severe bit to be trained in and has very painful memories of bits. (Or if she'd never had one before, she could be fearful of it.) Since she lets you put the hackamore on, I don't think the bridle is the problem, I think the bit was her big issue. Try taking the bit off the bridle and see if she allows you to bridle her. Do this many times. Then try getting a very gentle bit, possibly a rubber one, and, without attatching it to the bridle, try to get her to allow you to put it in her mouth. Once you can do that, put the bit on the bridle and put it in her mouth while on the bridle, but don't put the rest of the bridle on. Just work slowly and do a little bit more each time she becomes comfortable with the previous step. Work in baby steps. You need to teach her not to be afraid of it. And if you eventually ride her with a bridle instead of the hackamore, be careful to be very gentle with your hands. She doesn't have good memories of being ridden with a bit, you just need to patiently teach her that you won't hurt her with it. It will take a lot of time and loving patience on your part. If she gets too over anxious, back off for the day. She sounds like a very sweet, but frightened horse. In my experience, Quarter horses tend to be much less sensitive about things than many other breeds, so for her to be that bad with the bridle, she must have had some very bad experiences.

Also, have her teeth checked to make sure they aren't hurting her and interfering with the bit. One of the horses at our barn was fine suddenly one week the moment the bit was in his mouth, he became very anxious, and when his owner tried to ride him, he threw her the moment she barely touched the reins. We had his teeth checked and found out he was having problems that made his mouth hurt, and the bit made it worse. If this is the case, and her teeth are fixed, it still may take a while to get her to accept a bit, because she will still remember it hurting. It will take a while for her to realize that it won't hurt her.

And about neck reining in a hackamore, I don't know. I'm an English rider, so I don't really know much about neck reining.

Wishing you the best of luck with your horse,
Lizz

Natalie 18th Jun 02

I have lots of trouble putting on the bridal. Can you give me some helpful tips?

Rebecca 7th Aug 02

Natalie,

When putting on the bridle stand at the side of the horse. This makes it easier as you have more control.

If the horse won't let you put the bit in, gentally squeeze the corners or his mouth.

Randi 8th Aug 02

Natalie, When your putting on the bridle, stand closely to the left side of the horse. Put the reins a over the horses head, and grab the bridle with your right hand around maybe 7 inches or so away from the bit, and rest your right hand on the horses nose, so the bit is just below his mouth. Now, your right arm should be on the other side of the horse ( underneath his jaw kinda), but you sould still facing the same way as your horse. With your free left hand, gently lift the bit into the horses mouth by putting the bit on your flat palm. If he doesn't open his mouth, use your thumb to stick in his mouth and apply pressure to his botton gum. When he opens, slip the bit in, and use your right hand to lift the bridle up onto his head, then put his ears through and your all set! (i hope this isn't confusing!)

Tina 28th Apr 03

As a general rule of thumb the hackamore should be fitted well above the soft tissue on the nose. Ensure it sits nicely on the bone and not on the airway or the breathing will be cut off when a stronger contact is taken.

Tina..

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