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A bridle is a piece of equipment used to control a horse. The bridle fits over the horse's head, and has the purpose of holding the bit in the horse's mouth (the exception to this is the hackamore, or bitless bridle).
The bitless bridle is NOT, in fact, a hackamore but an English variation of the western hackamore. The correct synonym for a hackamore would be a bosal, not a bitless bridle. There is a significant difference.
Parts of the Bridle
- Crownpiece: The crownpiece or crown goes over the horse's head and rests just behind the animal's ears. It is the main strap that holds the bridle in place and prevents the bit from slipping down. [http://www.bellatoccatags.com/images/mitch1.jpg
- Cheekpieces: Cheekpieces attach to either side of the crownpieces and run down the side of the horse's face, across the cheek. They attach to the bit rings. In a double bridle, two pairs of cheekpieces are used. *
- Throatlatch: the throatlatch or throatlash is usually part of the same piece of leather as the crownpiece. It runs from the horse's right ear, under his throat, and attaches below the left ear. The main purpose of the throatlatch is to prevent the bridle from coming over the horse's head. However, many horsemen agree that the throatlatch is relatively unimportant. It is important, when bridling a horse, not to tighten the throatlatch too much, as it will place pressure on the animal's windpipe and constrict his breathing. *
- Browband: The crownpiece actually runs through the browband. The browband runs from just under one ear of the horse, across his forehead, to just under the other ear. Western bridle often do not have a browband, or have a browband that simply encircles one ear. [http://www.tbark.com/seheadstall.jpg In certain sports, such as dressage, decorative browbands have become 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. [http://www.horse-tack-and-equestrian-clothing.com/assets/product_images/AC_4_13.jpg
- 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 of tacky material to provide extra grip. **
Types of Bridles
- English type or Snaffle bridle: the "English-type" bridle, or "snaffle bridle", is most commonly seen in English-type riding. Despite the name, a snaffle bridle may be used not only with a snaffle bit, but also with almost all other types of bits, including pelhams, kimberwickes, gag bits, and curb bits. The English bridle is almost always used with some type of noseband.
- Western type: used for western riding, this bridle usually does not have a noseband. Many western bridles also lack browbands, or have a browband that only encircles one ear. *
- Double bridles: double bridles use two bits at once, and require the use of two sets of reins. Double bridles are usually only seen used in upper level dressage, and for showing in certain countries. *
- Bridles without a bit: can be used with an Hackamore or even without any other control device*. The Dr Cook or crossover / crossunder bitless bridle is relatively new (2000) and is generally acknowledged to be the only bridle offering pain-free communication. Pressure from the reins is distributed around the whole of the head by means of two straps (crossover straps) to which the reins are attached and which pass through a ring on each side of the noseband, then cross under the jaw and continue up and over the poll.
Tying
Despite what is commonly seen in Western movies, horses should not be tied with the reins of their bridle to a solid object, as they could pull back and severely injure their mouth. This is also true for cross-tying a horse. Should a rider need to tie his horse, it is best to either remove the bridle and put on a halter, or to put a halter on over the bridle and tie the horse using the halter only.
"Bridle"