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6 Steps On Putting Bridle To Your Horse
By Horse Guy | July 5, 2010
Horses need to have a bridle. To help you with this, here are the steps in putting a bridle to your horse.
1. Start first with the halter on the horse and safely tied. You may have the horse in tide with a lead rope or cross-ties with a panic snap or a quick release knot.
2. Undo the halter on the horse, then slide the noseband down over the horse’s nose and then slip the crown back up just over your horse’s ears. In this way, your horse will be secured will putting the bridle on. After which, stand beside the horse’s neck, facing forward with your left hand holding the bridle and then, slip the reins up over your horse’s neck.
3. After slipping the reins up over your horse’s neck, hold the bridle up over your horse’s nose with your right hand. Using your left fingers, you hold the bit against his mouth and then insert your thumb into the space that is between the front and the back teeth. If your horse is a bit resistant, wiggle your thumb to encourage the horse to open his mouth wider. Then, slide the bit in and also lift the bridle higher using your left hand so that your horse can not spit the bit back out. Yet, be careful not to knock the bit on your horse’s teeth.
4. After which, grasp the crown of your horse’s bridle using your left hand and with your right hand gently bend your horse’s right ear forward and then slip it under the crown.
5. Then, switch your grasp of the horse’s bridle again to you right hand and using your left hand; gently slip the left ear under the crown. However, do not try to pull the bride too high, thus pulling on your horse’s mouth.
6. Afterwards, do up the throatlatch of the horse’s bridle. To help your horse flex his neck properly, do not do the throatlatch up tightly; just leave about 4 inches slack. To make sure it is not done tightly, your hands should be able to slip, palm flat down, between the strap and to your horse’s jaws.
However, if you are using a figure-eight, garkle noseband or flash, leave at least 2 fingers width between the lower jaw of your horse and the strap. And if you are using a curb bit for your horse, you will most likely need to do up the curb chain or strap and leave the width of your two fingers between the chain and the lower jaw of your horse. Just remember that leaving the chain too tight or loose can make the action of your horse’s bit or the chain more severe. Also, if you are using a bit that has a port in it, the bit could rotate up and hurt the top of your horse’s mouth. So, be careful on this one.
After doing all of these, slip the halter off your horse, tidy the mane and forelock and you are now ready to go.
Originally posted 2009-03-19 15:21:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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