How To Do Just About Everything
By eHow Pets Editor
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The bridle, which fits over a horse's head and into the mouth, is the tool that allows a rider to communicate with her horse. They can be purchased at a tack or feed store or online, and they cost anywhere from $25 to hundreds of dollars.
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Comments
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Choosing a bit and a bridle is not so cut and dry as one might think. Not all leverage bits have the bump in the middle or a centerpiece (which is called a port). It provides tongue relief and nothing more, unless the port is very high. Lower does not always mean milder, as a low port can trap a horse's tongue and leave them unhappy and fussy. There is no reason to automatically reach for a leverage bit just because a horse is trained, unless it is required by an association (where you attend shows) governed by their rules. Some horses will never need or like leverage bits. Some will never need more than a snaffle bit. Some types of showing will require a specific type of bit. If you are showing, get current on the association's bitting rules, and figure out what bits are legal to use.
Be prepared to try a variety of bits before choosing the one for your horse. Borrow, don't buy. And be prepared for horses to react different ways to different bits. Some horses hate the feel of a single jointed mouthpiece because it pokes the roof of their mouth.
On jointed mouthpiece leverage bits (called tom thumb bits, or sometimes training snaffles):
1) They are not snaffles. Nothing with leverage is a snaffle. They may have a jointed mouthpiece like the most common snaffle bit mouthpiece, but they behave entirely differently.
2) Get rid of them. They are not a good bit for anybody that has less than fantastic hands. They are truly a razor in the hands of a monkey. When you take up on the reins, the shanks cause pressure against the curb chain or strap, and the poll (like a normal curb bit). The mouthpiece breaks and collapses on the horse's bars, and the joint goes up. A slight pull on the reins results in a vise grip on your horse's mouth.
The harshness of a leverage bit can also be increased or decreased by how tightly the curb chain or curb strap is adjusted. In English classes, a plain curb is generally not acceptable (except in gaited breeds where it may be expected). Double bridles (which have both snaffle and curb bits, and have two sets of reins), kimberwicks, and Pelham bits (which look like a curb with an extra ring attached for a snaffle rein to be attached) may be allowed.
A bit isn't the only important thing in buying an English bridle. You want to get a decent quality bridle. Bridles made of cheaper leather are really easy to break, leaving you with no control over your horse. Plus, they can stretch and then you lose the ability to adjust it to fit your horse correctly. A properly fitted bridle will hold the bit comfortably at the corners of the horse's mouth. You should try a different bridle if the brow band is taut against the horse's forehead, the buckles all are in a cluster when properly adjusted, or they are in a spot that rubs against the bony parts of a horse's head. The bridle hangs the bit too low. The throat latch is too short and squeezes on the horse's throat.