A bridle is a piece of equipment used to control a horse. The bridle fits over a horse's head, and has the purpose of controlling the horse. It holds a bit in the horse's mouth.
Parts of the bridle
Crownpiece: goes over the horse's head just behind the animal's ears, at the poll. It is the main strap that holds the remaining parts of the bridle in place.
Cheekpieces: On most bridles, two cheekpieces attach to either side of the crownpiece and run down the side of the horse's face, along the cheekbone and attach to the bit rings. On some designs, the crownpiece is a longer strap that includes the right cheek and crownpiece as a single unit and only a left side cheekpiece is added.
Throatlatch: the throatlatch is usually part of the same piece of leather as the crownpiece. It runs from the horse's right ear, under the horse's throatlatch, and attaches below the left ear. The main purpose of the throatlatch is to prevent the bridle from coming off over the horse's head, which can occur if the horse rubs its head on an object, or if the bit is low in the horse's mouth and tightened reins raise it up, loosening the cheeks.
Browband: The crownpiece runs through the browband. The browband runs from just under one ear of the horse, across the forehead, to just under the other ear. It prevents the bridle from sliding behind the poll onto the upper neck, and holds multiple headstalls together when a cavesson or second bit is added, and holds the throatlatch in place on designs where it is a separate strap. In certain sports, such as dressage and Saddle seat, decorative browbands are sometimes fashionable.
Noseband: the noseband encircles the nose of the horse. It is often used to keep the animal's mouth closed, or to attach other pieces or equipment, such as martingales. See also Noseband.
Cavesson is a specific type of noseband used on English bridles wherein the noseband is attached to its own headstall, held onto the rest of the bridle by the browband. Because it has a separate headstall (also called sliphead), a cavesson can be adjusted with greater precision; a noseband that is simply attached to the same cheekpieces that hold the bit cannot be raised or lowered. In Saddle seat riding, the cavesson is often brightly colored and matches the browband. Variations on the standard English-style bridle are often named for their style of noseband.
Reins: The reins of a bridle attach to the bit, below the attachment for the cheekpieces. The reins are the rider's link to the horse, and are seen on every bridle. Reins are often laced, braided, have stops, or are made of rubber or some other tacky material to provide extra grip.
Bit: The bit goes into the horse's mouth, resting on the sensitive interdental space between the horse's teeth known as the "bars."
On a double bridle, where the horse carries two bits (a curb and small snaffle, often called a "bit and
bradoon"), a second, smaller headstall, known as a 'bradoon hanger' or ‘slip head’ is used to attach the bradoon. A second set of reins is attached to the bradoon, and hence the rider carries four reins.
The bridle, depending on style, may also contain some of the following elements:
Bit guards: Bit guards are optional fittings used on some bits.
Curb strap or curb chain, used primarily on bridles with a curb bit, a small strap or chain, usually flat, that runs from one side of the bit to the other, and puts pressure on the chin groove when curb reins are tightened.
Lip strap: a small strap used on a few curb bit designs, attaches between the bit shanks of a curb bit at the halfway point, used to keep the curb chain properly positioned and may prevent the horse from grabbing at the shanks with its lips.
Types of bridles
Snaffle bridle: the "English-type" snaffle bridle is most commonly seen in English riding. It is a basic bridle that carries one bit and usually has one set of reins. Despite the name, a snaffle bridle may be used not only with a snaffle bit, but also with almost other types of single rein bits, including kimberwickes, gag bits, and single curb bits. The English bridle is almost always used with some type of cavesson noseband.
Pelham bridle: The Pelham is another English type bridle that carries a single bit, in this case a Pelham bit, but two sets of reins, one for snaffle action and one for curb action.
Double bridle: Also called a Weymouth bridle, double bridles use two bits at once, a small snaffle called a bradoon and a curb or Weymouth bit, and require the use of two sets of reins. Double bridles are usually only seen used in upper level dressage, in Saddle seat riding, and for showing in certain other events that require formal attire and equipment.
Fitting a bridle
A bridle is individually fitted to a horse. Without properly fitting the bridle to the horses’ head, the horse may be uncomfortable, and poor fitting may also result in lack of control while riding or unclear communication.
The length of each piece of the bridle needs to be individually adjusted to fit the horse's head. Other parts of the bridle are adjustable in length, though there are limits to adjustment and thus many manufacturers offer two to six different basic sizes. The sizes may have different names, but in the USA and Canada they are often called "cob" and "horse" for small and large animals, sometimes with "pony", "mini", "warmblood" and "draft" sizes in some designs.
The bit and browband are of set lengths and must be selected in the correct size. A too-narrow bit is uncomfortable and cannot be widened. One that is slightly too wide can be narrowed to some extent by adding a pair of bit guards. A browband that is too short causes the browband or crownpiece to rub the ears. The cheekpieces are adjusted not only so that the bit avoids the extremes of pulling the corners of the horse's mouth or banging the horse's incisors, but also so it hangs properly in the mouth for the specific riding discipline and bit design involved . The adjustment of the noseband depends on the type used, but needs to be snug enough to be effective, yet loose enough to avoid discomfort. The throatlatch is adjusted each time the bridle is put on the horse, loose enough to not interfere as the horse flexes at the poll. A standard throatlatch measurement is that the width of three or four fingers should be able to fit between the throatlatch and the horses’ cheek.
Dangers of tying with a bridle
If a horse must be tied to an object, a halter should be placed under or over the bridle, and the cross-ties should be attached to it rather than the bitIt is unsafe to tie a horse using a bridle for two main reasons. First, if the tied animal pulls back on the bridle, the bit or controlling noseband will cause considerable pain or even injury to the animal, and second, compared to halters most bridles are made of thinner leather and will easily break under pressure.
Despite what is commonly seen in movies, a horse should never be tied with the reins of a bridle to a solid object, as it could pull back and not only break the reins or bridle, but also severely injure its mouth, tongue, jaw or neck. This is also true for cross-tying a horse. Should a rider need to tie a horse, it is best to either remove the bridle and put on a halter, or to put a halter on in addition to the bridle (under or over the bridle), but in either case, tie the horse using the halter only.