CHOOSING
the
CORRECT
BRIDLE
for your HORSE
Story and Photos Provided By
Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CSE
©2020 Saddlefit 4 Life® All Rights Reserved
www.saddlefit4life.com
www.saddlesforwomen.com
Obviously there are
many considerations...
When looking at the popular variations of bridles available on the
market. For all of the different designs, remember that nosebands
which are too restrictive can cause the horse to focus on the tension
and pressure in and on his head, limiting the ability to focus
and respond with proper muscle movement in the rest of his body.
The horse’s biology does not change from discipline to discipline in
riding, even though the ‘head-restraining devices’ do – all of which
are designed to control and communicate to the horse what
the rider wants. The horse will learn what to do to relieve pressure
and discomfort, which can have further ramifications at the distal
end of the body as he attempts to avoid pain. Give the horse the
freedom to communicate using its mouth – comfort will result in a
quiet, relaxed jaw and mouth.
COMBINATION Bridle or SNAFFLE WITH
A FLASH NOSEBAND
(rolled reins, throatlatch, cheekpieces, and noseband)
SWEDISH
Bridle or
SNAFFLE
WITH
A FLASH
NOSEBAND
Extra padding under the noseband buckle makes
this more comfortable than the English style bridle.
Other than that, it is very similar to the combination
bridle, with the extra flash. Care must be taken that
the anatomy of the head allows enough room to
buckle both the noseband and the flash properly.
Horses with relatively smaller heads do well with this
type. This bridle is often buckled too tightly, given
the false sense of ‘comfort’ the extra padding at
the noseband provides.
This commonly used type has an additional flash to assist in keeping
the horse’s mouth shut (and the tongue in). The noseband
should be buckled high enough to avoid interfering with the
(generally) snaffle bit. (above)
ENGLISH Bridle or SNAFFLE Bridle
The noseband on this bridle should lie 1-2 fingers below
the zygomatic arch. It is popular for thoroughbreds, who
prefer more freedom in their mouths. If your horse likes to
put his tongue over the bit, this is not a style for you. Using
a rolled noseband puts more pressure on the nose as well.
TRAINING & Showing
58 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
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/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com