Choosing the right bridle for your horse is very important because a badly fitting bridle can cause damage to your horse. In this article, we will discuss what a bridle is, and how to start choosing the correct one. Future articles will discuss the different types of bridles available.
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What Is A Horse Bridle?
The bridle is the headgear you see on a horse’s head consisting of a headstall, cheekpieces, and a set of reins attaching to either a bit or a noseband, and it is very important to make sure it had the right fit for your horse. Most bridles also have a throatlatch to stop the bridle from coming off the horse’s head. Since the bridle is the part of the riding equipment that holds the bit in the horse’s mouth and transports the signals from the rider’s hands correctly to the horse, making it a very important part of riding your horse safely. The bridle is the communication mechanism between the rider and the horse: The bit, bridle, and reins function together to give the rider control. The bit applies pressure to the horse’s mouth as a form of communication with the horse. Along with the bit, the rider communicates via their legs and the weight distribution.
Choosing the Right Bridle For Your Horse
The first thing you need to do is to define the type of discipline the horse is being ridden. If it is a dressage horse, a western pelham bridle or the figure eight snaffle wouldn’t because, in a dressage competition, these types of bridles are not allowed. Whereas using an English snaffle with a flash on a cross-country- or marathon horse wouldn’t be a good idea. Even if the rider doesn’t participate in competitions, it is recommended to use equipment that is suited for the specific discipline.
Once you determine the riding style, it is always a good idea to start with the most basic tack in the beginning. The key when choosing the right bridle is to listen to the horse: With which noseband or bit does he move better, feel relaxed, and is most happy? This means you may need to be patient and try out many different bridle pieces. Finding the right bridle for your horse is a very specific thing and there is not a universal bridle that suits every horse: Does your horse prefer more pressure and or only light contact? Is your horse sensitive in the nose area and needs extra padding under the noseband? There are many different things to consider to best fit your horse.
After determining the needs of your horse, you should then determine what fits best for you. For example: if you have an unsteady hand, you can do your horse a favor and use a flash because the strap can secure the bit in the mouth and prevent it from moving uncomfortably around due to the bumpy rein aids of the rider.
In the following articles, we will discuss different styles of bridles. In the meantime, if you have any comments or questions feel free to contact us. We also ask that you help keep this site going by visiting our sponsor at Little Elm Handyman Services (https://www.thehandymanlittleelm.com)