I think people have more trouble with bridling than with any other thing they do with their horse. I say this because not only is it such a common complaint that I hear from clients, but I see it at horse shows, when I’ve been a bit judge, at 4-H clinics, poker rides, etc….  It’s really amazing to me that so many horses tolerate the way they are bridled. Really, not that many resist being bridled, very few in fact. It is a very common complaint from riders though.

The most common things I hear are “my horse won’t open his mouth” or “my horse doesn’t like his ears touched”. Both of these result in the horse raising its head to heights that make it difficult to bridle.

A person needs to get comfortable handling their horses mouth and ears, as well as the horse needs to get comfortable with the person handling these parts. Once this is accomplished we can move on to bridling.

I hold the top of the bridle in my left hand with the reins draped over my left elbow. I put my right hand between the ears, my wrist is lightly resting on the horses poll.

I  bring the headstall straight up the midline of my horses face and take hold of the top of the bridle with my right hand.

I then move my left hand down to the bit. I bring my hand up between the chin strap and bit. Each of my fingers has a job.

My baby finger and ring finger lightly press against the chin strap to keep it from going in the mouth with the bit. My middle and index finger guide the bit into the mouth. My thumb parts the lips and encourages the horse to open its mouth.

If the horse is hesitant to open its mouth with just the presence of my thumb in there, I will slowly work my thumb around, then wiggle my thumb on the tongue, then press my thumb against the gum if I’m still not getting a response. The thing to remember here is, do as little as you have to and as much as you need to. But give the horse a chance to respond before you ask for more.

This is the point where some folks get impatient. They may even bump the bit against the teeth to encourage the horse to open the mouth. Once a horse has had a metal bit banged against its teeth, it has a genuine reason to dislike being bridled. Resist the temptation to do this and just use your thumb and be patient, wait it out.

When the horse opens its mouth I guide the bit in and lift my right hand which is between the horses ears. I lift my right hand which lifts the bit up into the corners of the horses mouth. I hold onto the headstall with enough pressure to keep the bit lifted in the mouth.

Then I switch hands. I bring my left hand up and take ahold of the top of the headstall, which frees up my right hand. I hold the headstall out away from the horses ear about 4 or 5 inches and gently fold the right ear under the top and between the browband.

I move my left hand over to the left side of the top of the headstall holding it out about 4 or 5 inches away from the ear and fold the left ear forward with my right hand.

I pull the foretop out from under the browband, get the mane straight around the poll, then attach the throat latch. The throat latch does not need to be tight, but you don’t want it so loose that it dangles below the jaw.

When I bridle my horse, I want its eye to be lower than my eye. If my horses eye is above my eye, it’s too high. They can just as easily hold their head a little lower.

I’ve had some horses hold their head down quite low. That’s not a bad problem to have. They eventually will hold it in a more normal position.

If at any time the horse raises its head, I just apply some pressure behind the poll on the neck and suggest they lower their head. I just hang in there until they are comfortable keeping their head down a little bit. If the horse is trying to work with me and raises its head a little, but is willingly taking the bit, I may forgive them for a little mistake and continue bridling. Through experience, you’ll know if you need to correct it or accept it by what their attitude is. If they are trying to work with me I may accept some things that are not perfect. There are some things, that in their mind, they are doing what you’ve asked and you should go with it. As I said, this comes with experience.

Bridling your horse isn’t a win or lose situation, it’s not a competition. It’s about meeting your horses needs and preparing them so that bridling is nothing more than brushing them. It’s just one more thing you do before you ride. Remember to breath, relax, take your time, don’t be in a hurry, this is not a timed event. I tell folks that are having issues to see how long they can take to bridle their horse. Often that thought will slow them down enough to make their horse happy.

Remember that we are working with our horse in a partnership, yet we will be the leader of that partnership. If we act like a good leader the majority of the time, but when we begin bridling our horse we become scared, nervous and easily intimidated, your horse will sense this and respond accordingly.

So take your time, be a good leader and enjoy the ride because there is nothing more fun!