Putting on a bridle

[Hana915]

how do you all get your bridles over your horse/ponys ears without folding them? Whenever i tack up the pony i ride i never know how to get his bridle over his ears without feeling like im hurting him, and i obviously dont want to do that. he doesn't kick up a fuss or anything when im doing it but it doesn't look very comfortable for him, he's so tolerent that he probably wouldnt kick up a fuss anyway. any help would be greatly recieved:)

[chickflick1066]

Stumps has such soft ears that the move easily with the bridle. What i do tend to do i lift the bridle over the ears, doing each side at a time :)

[virtuallyhorses]

Do check that the bridle isn't set too short for him - you should be able to pop the bridle over the top of his head and ears with no real trouble. But if your bridle is set up with the traditional 2-3 wrinkles at the mouth then IMHO it's too short and you can let the headstall out a hole or two. The bridle is to hold the bit comfortably in the horse's mouth - that means not clanking against his teeth. I'm not sure where the wrinkle thing came from but mine has no wrinkles and is happy in his mouth so I'd guess for most horses you don't need wrinkles.

I must admit that I've ridden past a quite BHS-ey instructor and she told me my bridle was way too loose - but my horse is happy so who cares ;) and it does solve the ear thing - my horse puts the bit in himself and then there is sufficient slack in the bridle to lift it onto his poll without fussing with his ears - they just lie flat and then pop up when it's on I don't touch them :)

[PromiseMe]

Horse ears are quite flexible!
I wont tell you to fold them as much as you want just cause theyre flexible, but flattening them a bit for just a second when you bridle them is OK.
I mean think about it, when they pin their ears back its FLAT back against their head, so theyre quite flexible.
With gentleness and care, you won't hurt them.

And I actually have a video of me bridling my pony : (this is how *I* do it) http://www.zippyvideos.com/125699310786885.html
Of course she's REALLY good with the bridle (evident in vid!) And just watch how I do the ears...she doesn't mind it...and believe me, she is a very sensitive horse - when people groom her roughly, she'll bite. So if I was hurting her, she'd tell me for sure!

[Samsky]

Do check that the bridle isn't set too short for him - you should be able to pop the bridle over the top of his head and ears with no real trouble. But if your bridle is set up with the traditional 2-3 wrinkles at the mouth then IMHO it's too short and you can let the headstall out a hole or two. The bridle is to hold the bit comfortably in the horse's mouth - that means not clanking against his teeth. I'm not sure where the wrinkle thing came from but mine has no wrinkles and is happy in his mouth so I'd guess for most horses you don't need wrinkles.

I must admit that I've ridden past a quite BHS-ey instructor and she told me my bridle was way too loose - but my horse is happy so who cares ;) and it does solve the ear thing - my horse puts the bit in himself and then there is sufficient slack in the bridle to lift it onto his poll without fussing with his ears - they just lie flat and then pop up when it's on I don't touch them :)

Sorry but your bit sounds as though it is way too low.That would cause more clanking against the teeth.Remember fitting guidlines are there for a reason.You wouldnt just put any old saddle on and say 'oh well she hasnt bucked so it musnt hurt' would you?

I have always been taught that when adjusting cheek pieces,the horse should be smiling,not grinning.

[Pink's lady]

You should have the bit at whatever height the horse is happy with but I have to agree with Samsky, no wrinkles at all is too low. I definitly don't like my bit to be tight, but I adjust it so it's just causing a slight wrinkle on each side. Much lower than than and it sits on the most sensitive part of the tounge, bangs about when they move and the horse can get it's tounge over the bit.

Conversly, I also think that 3 definite wrinkles is too tight. I know people who rack their bit up to acheive the 'desired' three wrinkles and the poor horse is having lips lips pulled apart :(

I've always found that when I have to bit too low, both Pink and Brodie will try to lift the bit up higher and hold it there.

Oh, yes, getting back to the point of this thread - The horse ears are highly mobile and flexible and are easily and comfertably bent. It's no different from bending the cartilage in our ears. Gentle bending is fine. It only hurts if you try to bend it at a severe angle.

From the horse point of veiw, it's much nicer to have their ears bent than the bit yanked in their mouth whilst you try to haul the head peice over their ears without bending them

[chewitmonster]

My horse is ear shy and its quite difficult to get the bridle over his right ear (the one furthest away) but folding them isn't a bad thing. If you just quickly fold them through the bridle half the horses I know don't even notice. :) Don't worry about it :) xxx

You should have the bit at whatever height the horse is happy with but I have to agree with Samsky, no wrinkles at all is too low.

Conversly, I also think that 3 definite wrinkles is too tight. I know people who rack their bit up to acheive the 'desired' three wrinkles and the poor horse is having lips lips pulled apart :(


What if your horses lips are particularly short for the size mouth they have? I'm saying this because I think Silvers bit is to high in his mouth (can't remember the amount of wrinkles but it doesn't look comfortable to me) but if we lower it, once hes working he pulls the bit into pretty much the same position. Here's a pic of his tiny lip length:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/chewitmonster/silver1.jpg
and here he is with the bit in, but you can't clearly see wrinkles:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/chewitmonster/silver102.jpg
Asked my instructor and he put them down one hole but Silv just pulls the bit higher. Guessing this is okay?

[Hana915]

Hey everyone! thanks for the help, ill check to see if he has the 2-3 wrinkles next time i ride him! chewitmonster and PromiseMe you both have very cute looking horses!

[colouredcrazy]

Foxy starts yawning when he sees the bridle. And sticks his head down too, so I use it to my advantage - in goes the bit while the mouth is open, over the ears goes the bridle while his heads down! His ears are always forwards as I bridle, so I push them forwards a bit and the headpiece goes over and they pop back into position. Not sure if it's correct, but Foxy doesn't seem to mind!

Ellie

[kyanya]

I try to push the ears forward from the base, so I'm not actually bending the ear, but swivelling the whole ear round like the horse can do. I kind of get them forwards and down like this and then slip the headpiece over.

Gypsy doesn't seem to care about her ears, but makes a fuss about the bit guards on her bit. I find them really fiddly and as much as I try to keep them apart so they don't go in her mouth, one always manages to get stuck in her mouth! I had to take the bit out this morning because the bitguard got twisted and she decided that I was being annyoing and took her head away and clenched her teeth together! Poor Gyp - she's had enough of my faffing, I think!

[Pink's lady]

What if your horses lips are particularly short for the size mouth they have? I'm saying this because I think Silvers bit is to high in his mouth (can't remember the amount of wrinkles but it doesn't look comfortable to me)

Young horses have short lips/small mouth and as they age (up to about 8yrs), they're mouth shape changes and their lips get longer. Also, as many people have bits too tight, their lips stretch. From the picture, the bit looks about the height I'd fit it at or maybe a tiny bit higher (definitly not a full hole on each side - it's hard when the cheek-peices holes are not quite in the right place :rolleyes: ). If he's happy at that, then thats the correct height. ;)