| * |
Steps: |
| 1. |
Put your horse
in a halter while you prepare to bridle her. (
Image a.) |
| 2. |
Loop the lead
over your right arm, or tie the horse up loosly to a post or tree.(
Image b.) |
| 3. |
Stand on the
near (left) side of the horse when putting on the bridle. |
| 4. |
Check to make
sure all other tack is adjusted properly. The cinch should be snug and
the back cinch (if you're using one) should be attached. |
| 5. |
Remove halter
from face and replace around neck to prevent horse from wandering off.
Now loop the lead over your left arm, umless the horse is tied up. |
| 6. |
Place your right
hand on top of the horse's head (between the ears). Use a mounting block
if you can't reach. With your wrist between the horse's ears and your fingers
facing the nose, press gently downward to get the horse to drop its head. |
| 7. |
Grab the top
of the headpiece of the bridle (the piece that fits over the horse's head)
with your right hand. Separate the mouthpiece (the piece that actually
goes in the horse's mouth) from the reins and hold it to the horse's lips.
A trained horse should automatically open its mouth. Ask the horse to open
his mouth by gently. tickling his gums with one of your fingers in his
mouth. |
| 8. |
Slip the bit
gently into the horse's mouth. Don't force it or hit the horses' teach
with the metal mouthpiece. Once the bit is in place, slip the top part
of the headstall over the horse's ears with your right hand.(
Image e.) |
| 9. |
Adjust the length
of the face strap so there are one or two wrinkles in the skin at the corner
of the horse's mouth.
( Image f.) |
| 10. |
Adjust the throat
latch (if your bridle has one). You should be able to fit two-four fingers
between the horse's throat and the throat latch when the horse's head is
facing forward. |
| 11. |
Hold both reins
in your left hand while undoing the halter with your right hand. When walking
with the horse, keep the horse on your right side and hold the reins in
your right hand. |
| |
| |
|
|
d.  |
e.  |
|
|
|
| |
| * |
Tips: |
|
|
If you can't
reach the top of your horse's head, either stand on a mounting block or
slip the mouthpiece inside the horse's mouth and then gently lower your
horse's head to fit the headstall. |
|
|
If your horse
fights having the bit put in its mouth, have your horse's teeth checked.
Horses' teeth continually grow; the mouthpiece may be rubbing against a
tooth. |
|
|
If your horse
refuses to open its mouth, hold the mouthpiece in your left hand and slip
the thumb of your right hand into the left side of your horse's mouth,
where the lips meet. There are no teeth back there. Wiggle your thumb in
the horse's mouth; this may coax the animal to open wide. |
|
|
Headstalls come
with or without chin straps. The headstall either will have one or two
ear loops, or will have a brow band that fits across the forehead and a
strap that goes over the head behind the ears. |
|
|
Be careful with
a horse's ears when you are putting on the headstall. Horses' ears are
sensitive and many do not like their ears touched. |
|
|
Make sure the
mouthpiece you use does not pinch the side of the horse's mouth. |
| |
| * |
Warnings: |
|
|
Never force a
mouthpiece into a horse's mouth. Allow the horse a few seconds to position
the mouthpiece in its mouth. |
|
|
Never walk a
horse with the reins in a martingale. |
| |
How
to
Bridle
a Horse
