How to Put a Bridle on a Horse

Sooner than inserting a bridle on a horse, start collectively along with your horse haltered and safely tied. You might need the horse in cross-ties or tied with a lead rope with a panic snap or quick-release knot. Some of us wish to go away their horses untied, nonetheless that could be a difficulty in public stables the place random of us may distract or doubtlessly spook the horse. It’s best to steer clear of your horse getting free amongst totally different horses and different folks when throughout the safe; this may lead to accidents. Make sure to use a safety knot in case you aren’t using crossties. You might also must brush away any mud or grit on the horse’s face. Sooner than driving, always groom the horse. 

Secure Your Horse

Undo the halter, slide the halter’s noseband down over the horse’s nostril, and slip the crown once more up over the horse’s ears. This movement will protected your horse briefly whenever you put the bridle on. Stand beside the horse’s neck, coping with forward with the bridle in your left hand. Slip the reins up over the neck. Every the reins and halter in the intervening time are throughout the horse’s neck, should it try and get away.

Slide the Bit throughout the Horse’s Mouth

Preserve the bridle up over the horse’s nostril collectively along with your correct hand. Using your left-hand fingers, switch the bit in opposition to his lips and insert your thumb into the home between the front and back tooth—the bars of the mouth. If the horse resists taking the bit, wiggling your thumb may encourage the horse to open its mouth wider. Slide the bit in and lift the bridle elevated collectively along with your left hand so the horse can’t spit the bit once more out. Be careful throughout the horse’s tooth; you do not want the bit knocking into them carelessly. Lastly, you will do this in a single clear motion.

Pull the Crown Over the Left Ear

Grasp the crown of the bridle collectively along with your left hand, and collectively along with your correct hand, gently bend the horse’s correct ear forward to slip it beneath the crown.

Pull the Crown Over the Correct Ear

Swap your grasp of the crown of the bridle to your correct hand, and collectively along with your left, gently slip the left ear beneath the crown. Do not pull the bridle too extreme; this movement pulls on the horse’s mouth. Be careful to not bend your horse’s ears uncomfortably.

Fasten The entire Buckles or Snaps

Fasten the throat latch of the bridle. An endurance bridle has a snap on the throat latch. Most typical leather-based bridles can have buckles. Do not fasten the throat latch too tightly; you want your horse to have the flexibility to flex its neck. Depart about 4 inches of slack. You should be able to slip the width of your hand between the strap and your horse’s jaw.

Till you make the most of a specific noseband, akin to a figure-eight, flash, or grackle noseband, depart about two fingers width between the lower jaw and the strap when you join the noseband or cavesson. For those who’re using a curb bit, you’ll wish to lock the curb chain or strap. Depart the width of two fingers between the chain and the lower jaw. Leaving the chain too free or tight might make the movement of the bit or the chain additional excessive. If the bit has a port, it might rotate up and hurt the best of the horse’s mouth.

Slip the halter off, tidy your horse’s mane and forelock, and also you’re capable of go. Some of us similar to the forelock beneath the browband; some depart it extreme. 

Eradicating the Bridle

Take away the bridle by slipping the halter (linked to a crosstie or lead rope) once more over the horse’s ears. Undo the throat latch, curb chain, and noseband. Alongside along with your left hand, attain beneath the horse’s neck and slide the crown over the horse’s ears. Preserve it as you in all probability did when you had been inserting it on. Gently lower the bit out of the horse’s mouth. Be careful to not knock the horse’s tooth. Alongside along with your correct hand, slip the halter on and pull the reins up over the horse’s neck to completely take away the bridle. If you take away it, you may wish to clear your bridle or wipe the bit sooner than hanging it away.