Bridles

Bridles are probably the trickiest piece of tack to learn to put on a horse - it takes practice to get it right!

Check your bridle first to make sure everything hangs evenly and nothing is twisted or out of place.

Put the reins over your horses head first, to give you some control once the halter comes off. Undo the lead rope to the halter, then undo the halter and take the halter noseband under the horses head, and do the halter up again so it hangs round the horse’s neck. This doesn't give you a lot of control over your horse, but enough usually to fool the horse that she can't get away.

Hold her head still, and pull the bridle up from the top, using your thumb in the corner of your horse’s mouth to open it if necessary. There are no teeth in the corners, so she won't bite. Pull the bridle over the ears, and make sure there is no hair or mane in the way of the bridle. Make sure the bridle fits smoothly with any hair out of the way.

Next, do up the nose band, fairly tightly. There may also be a flash noseband - this doesn't need to be so tight.

The throat lash underneath shouldn't be too tight either. Do this up, and then check that all the ends are tucked in.

Taking the bridle off can be as tricky as putting it on as it also involves the possibility of a horse on the loose!

Undo the noseband and throat lash - these are the only things that need to be undone, so don't worry about any other buckles on the bridle - leave them alone!

Have your halter ready, slip the bridle off slowly so the bit doesn't get caught in your horses teeth, and holding the nose, slip the halter back on again. Some horses struggle when you try to hold their heads. If you are worried about taking the bridle off, it may be easier in the stable rather than in the yard - at least your horse won't go too far. 

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