How To Bridle Up A Horse

How To Bridle Up Your Horse

Using a well fitting headcollar and secure lead rope, tie your horse up to a piece of string which is attached to a tie ring.
Thoroughly groom your horse paying particular attention to where the saddle and bridle will be as any mud and dirt left can cause rubbing and sores to occur.
Ensure thet you have the correct bridle for the discipline you are about to do, and check that the leather work is all secure, and bit fitted to sit the correct way round.
Unclip the leadrope and reattach it to the tie ring allowing it to be tidy and easily accessable.
Place the reins over the horses neck, this way you will still have some control should your horse move.
Unclip the headcollar and fasten it around the horses neck, so that it will be readily available once you have the bridle on.
Place the bridle into your right hand holding it at the headpiece (if your horse lifts his head preventing you from putting the bridle on, then hold the bridle slightly further down, as this will allow you to apply some nose pressure with the right hand and thereby prevent the horse from lifting up his head), put you right arm underneath the horses head bringing your arm around to the front of the face.
Place the bit onto the palm of your left hand and gently bring it up to the horses mouth. Many horses will open up their moths straight away, but if not, keep the bit across your left hand and with your left thumb gently press against the bars of the mouth.
When the horse opens his mouth use your right arm to gently lift up the bridle to hold the bit place.
Ease the horses right ear in first then the left ear.
Now that the bridle is on, smooth out the forelock so that the bridle is sitting smoothly on top and lift the forelock over the brow band ensuring that the browband is going straight across the forehead and is not too high pinching the horses ears.

Check the throatlatch is not twisted and then pass it under the jaw fastening it up so that a hand span distance can be fitted between the strap and the side of the horses face.
Check the noseband is fitted to go under the cheek pieces and if it is a cavesson or drop that it goes straight across the face and not angled and that a distance of two fingers width should be able to be fitted between the noseband and side of the horses face and also below the cheek bones..If it is a grackle then the pad in the grackle should sit in the centre of the front nasal bone with the straps that form the figure of eight equal on both sides.Any noseband straps that pass below the bit should not interfere with the horses breathing process.

If You Are Riding Immediatly
If you are riding immediately and there is no need to tie the horse back up then you will need to undo the headcollar from around their neck and fasten it to a tie ring, that way it keeps the headcollar clean, off the floor and from being tripped up over and the yard tidy.

If You Are Not Riding Straight Away
If you are not riding immediately then you will need to secure the reins so that they cannot become accidently undone and broken.To secure your reins you undo the throatlatch and twist the reins over one another,then thread the throatlatch through one of the twists preventing it from unravelling itself and do up the throatlatch still allowing a handspan distance.Then undo the headcollar and reposition over the horses head then clip the leadrope back onto the headcollar and tie the horse up.

Safety Check
Before riding you should double check that the bridle is fitted correctly all the buckles are secure and all the straps of the cheek pieces,noseband and throatlatch are being held in place by keepers this prevents them flapping on the side of the face and becoming undone.