In This Chapter
Acrucial piece of equipment when
you’re riding — in addition to saddles, which I cover in Chapter Dressing
Up Horses with Saddles — is the
bridle. This horse headgear serves as an important line of communication
between you and the horse. With the bridle, you can give instructions that
would otherwise be hard to get across.
In this chapter, I go over the
basic makeup of a bridle. I also show you Western and English bridles and bits.
(For info on how to put a bridle on a horse, see Chapter Working
from the Ground, Saddling, and Bridling.)
Breaking Down the Basic Parts of a Bridle
A bridle is the headgear
you use on the horse during riding. Each riding discipline has its own style of
bridle, and styles vary within those. Figure 9-1 shows basic Western and
English bridles.
Your riding instructor can tell
you which bridle to use on your lesson horse. The training level and
disposition of the horse you’re riding determine what kind of bridle he should
wear. Your skill level also has something to do with the choice of bridle,
because beginning riders need styles that are easier to handle. A
standard-sized bridle can fit most horses; ponies and draft horses need bridles
sized especially for them.
Remember
A bridle consists of the following basic parts:
- A bit (or bit substitute): The piece that goes inside the horse’s mouth (or a substitute for a bit, such as a hackamore, which puts pressure on the horse’s nose; see “Nosing around hackamores,” later in this chapter)
- A headstall: The part that goes over the ears and connects to the bit; the headstall includes the crownpiece and cheekpiece (which, naturally, go over the horse’s crown and cheeks); the straps have buckles on them and are adjustable
- Reins: The leather straps that the rider holds, connecting to the bit One of the most overwhelming and confusing aspects of the horse world is the subject of bits. Go into any tack store and you’ll see so many bits, your head will spin. Over the centuries, horse people seem to have tried to invent a bit for every riding problem ever imagined.
Remember
The purpose of a bit (which is usually metal but can also be rubber or another synthetic material) is to apply pressure to the horse’s mouth and thus send the message to stop, slow down, turn, and so on. The shape of the mouthpiece determines how you apply that pressure. Some bits are mild, meaning that they apply minimal pressure. Others are harsh, demanding the horse’s undivided attention by stricter means.
Figure 9-1: The parts of the
bridle vary only slightly in the Western and English disciplines.
Remember
Bitting a horse (choosing the right bit for a given horse) is a very complex process that should be left to professionals. Using the wrong bit, or one you aren’t skilled enough to use, can harm a horse. Should the time come when you need to choose a bit for your horse, consult a professional trainer for advice on which bit to use.
Gearing Up with Western Bridles and Bits
You can see all kinds of Western
bridles in the tack store: leather bridles, synthetic bridles, black bridles,
brown bridles, purple bridles. Despite all the differences in color and
material, the basic designs are the same. In the following sections, I describe
several popular Western headstalls, bits, and hackamores.
Looking at Western headstalls
Western bridles consist of a
headstall and reins. If the bit you use has a curb shank (a long, curved
piece between the bit and the part where the reins attach; see the next
section), then a curb chain or strap under the chin is included.
Facing up to hard mouths
If you’ve ever ridden a horse who pulls back when
you try to slow him down or completely ignores your rein cues, you have a
horse with a hard mouth. The term hard mouth conjures up images of horses
with concrete jaws and steel gums, bracing themselves against a skinny little
bit that has no hope of making an impression. In reality, hard mouth is less
of a physical issue and more of a training problem. Horses with hard mouths
have simply learned to resist the bit instead of giving in to it.
Riders who overuse their hands and don’t know how
to use their legs when riding tend to cause this problem to start. Hard mouth can even develop
in well-trained horses who are constantly exposed to riders who rely too much
on their hands for control instead of using their legs and seat. This problem
is most common in beginning riders because using the hands, arms, and upper body
for control offers a greater feeling of security in controlling the horse.
However, don’t feel guilty if you’re a beginner; even experienced riders can put
their horses at risk for developing a hard mouth. These riders sometimes have
a habit of locking the reins in their hands (holding them tight and not
providing any give as the horse moves his head), causing the horse to stiffen
against the bit.
A horse with a hard mouth needs to be retrained to
be responsive to the bit. If you find yourself riding a horse with a hard mouth, talk to your instructor
about how you can help the horse take a different attitude about the bit. The
instructor may suggest switching to a different bit and make suggestions on
how to teach the horse to respond differently.
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The traditional Western bridle consists of a split-ear,
double-ear, or browband headstall design with a bit attached. Here are the
headstalls (see Figure 9-2):
- Split ear: This bridle is so-called because a strap on the headpiece allows one ear to fit through it. The other ear stays in front of the crownpiece.
- Double ear: Double-ear headstalls have individual straps on the headpiece for each ear.
- Browband: This bridle has a strap that goes across the horse’s forehead, through which the ears protrude.
Figure 9-2: Western headstalls come in three styles: split
ear, double ear, and browband.
Gaining leverage with Western bits
The most common bits in Western riding are the curb bit and
variations on it. Read the following descriptions and refer to Figure 9-3 to
see what these three common Western curb bits look like:
- Curb bit: Curb bits have shanks (curved pieces between the bit and reins) and a curb chain, and they work by putting leverage on the horse’s mouth. This leverage means the rider has to use a much lighter touch on the reins than he or she would with a non-leverage bit. The leverage of the curb bit pulls the horse’s muzzle down when the rider applies pressure to the reins.
- Curb bit with roller: Some curb bits have rollers attached, which are spinning barrels in the center of the bit. These barrels encourage the horse to salivate and relax the mouth.
- Tom Thumb bit: Tom Thumb bits look like snaffle bits (see the upcoming section titled “Directing attention to English bits”), but they have shanks attached to them. They provide the rider with leverage while exerting a bit less pressure on the horse’s tongue than the curb bit.
Figure 9-3: Three common Western
bits are the curb, curb with roller, and the Tom Thumb.
Nosing around hackamores
Hackamores, which are used with
Western headstalls, are substitutes for bits. The hackamore is
essentially a nosepiece that allows the rider to control the horse without
placing a bit in the horse’s mouth.
Warning!
A hackamore in untrained hands can be harsh on the horse. Consult a professional trainer before switching to a hackamore — different theories exist about when using a hackamore is appropriate and when it isn’t.
Hackamore bridles come in two
types (see Figure 9-4):
- Bosal: This hackamore is a rolled leather or braided rawhide training device used to school young horses. Attached to a headstall, the bosal goes over the bridge of the horse’s nose. Reins are attached underneath.
- Mechanical: Used for both training and regular riding, the mechanical hackamore consists of metal shanks attached to a rolled leather noseband. The reins attach to the bottom of the shanks, allowing the rider to control the horse by putting pressure on the nose, chin, and poll (the area on the horse’s neck just behind the ears). The entire hackamore piece is attached to a Western headstall.
Figure 9-4: Hackamores work
by putting pressure on the horse’s nose.
Examining English Bridles and Bits
English bridles haven’t changed
much over the centuries. They’re almost always leather, and they come in black,
dark brown, and light brown. The bridles vary slightly from one English
subdiscipline to the next (see Chapter Dressing
Up Horses with Saddles for general info on English riding). I
describe a few common English headstalls and bits in the following sections.
Warning!
Some levels of dressage don’t allow competitors to use certain bits and nosebands. If you intend to show in dressage, contact the ruling dressage federation in your country to find out the latest rules.
Discovering English headstalls
English bridles consist of a
headstall and reins. The headstall always has a browband (which goes
across the forehead), throatlatch (which attaches under the horse’s
jowl), and noseband (which goes across the nose and under the jaw). Some
English bridles come with special attachments such as a drop noseband or a
flash noseband; these two attachments keep the horse from opening his mouth and
evading the action of the bit.
Two popular English headstalls
are dressage and single-rein (see Figure 9-5):
- Dressage (double bridle): Riders at the upper levels of dressage use a double bridle, which is similar to a snaffle bridle except the headstall has an additional cheekpiece to hold another bit (see the next section for info on the snaffle bit). This bridle has two sets of reins, which the rider must use individually because each set corresponds to a different bit.
- Single-rein: This headstall consists of a single headstall strap, browband, throatlatch, and noseband. The bridle uses only one rein that attaches on one side of the bit, goes over the horse’s neck, and attaches to the other side of the bit. Hunt seat riders — and many dressage riders, especially at the lower levels of the sport — use these bridles, often with a snaffle bit.
Figure 9-5: English bridles
come in dressage and single-rein varieties.
Directing attention to English bits
The snaffle bit and variations on
it are the most common bits in English riding. Snaffles come in different
thicknesses and with varying cheekpieces, each with a specific effect on the
horse’s mouth (see Figure 9-6 to see what three common English curb bits look
like):
- Snaffle: This bit, which has a ring on either side, consists of two pieces attached to each other in the middle at a joint. The snaffle bit comes in a variety of widths and mouthpiece styles.
- Weymouth: This bit is used on double bridles, usually with a separate snaffle bit. The Weymouth features a curb-type mouthpiece (see “Gaining leverage with Western bits”) with long shanks and a curb chain.
- Full-cheek snaffle: This type of bit has large cheekpieces that help keep the mouthpiece in place.
Figure 9-6: Three bits in English
riding are the popular snaffle, the Weymouth, and the harsher twisted-wire full-cheek
snaffle.
Shopping around for bridles and bits
When you’re taking riding lessons, your
instructor provides the bridle and bit that your lesson horse wears. However,
that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go bit and bridle shopping — or at least go
window shopping for bits and bridles. Who knows? If you get your own horse
someday, you’ll have to go bit and bridle shopping for real. Use the
following sources to get an idea of what different bridles and bits look
like:
- Tack and feed stores: Most communities that have horses also have at least one tack and feed store. These places sell not only food for horses but equipment, too. Take a stroll through the bit and bridle departments and see what’s out there. Don’t be afraid to touch or pick up the equipment. If you hold it in your hand, you can get a better sense of the effect it must have on the horse (imagine having that in your mouth!). Also, if the bit or bridle isn’t labeled, ask the sales staff to tell you what the piece of equipment is. Employees in tack stores often enjoy talking about this stuff — most of them are horse people themselves. - Mail-order catalogs: The horse world has been blessed with a number of quality mail-order companies that deal exclusively in equine equipment. These catalogs are a great way to study and find out about bits and bridles without salespeople hovering around. See the Appendix for a list of equine mail-order catalogs. - Consignment shops: Less common than regular tack and feed stores, equine consignment shops deal almost exclusively in used tack. They often have a great selection of bits because horse owners tend to change bits frequently. - Other horse owners: Ask your friends to show you the bits and bridles they use on their horses. Have them explain the equipment to you and why they chose a particular combination. You can discover a lot just by asking other horse people questions. In fact, that’s how most horse people learn about tack and equipment. |
by Audrey Pavia with Shannon Sand
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