Putting a bridle on a horse takes practice. Even once you become familiar with the process, ask your riding instructor to help you the first few times you try it yourself. An improper tack may hurt the horse which can result in rearing or bucking. For the purpose of this post, we will focus only on an English tack.
The bridle is a tack that goes on last. After you bridle your horse, you can’t tie him up again until you finish your ride. To put a bridle on a horse, start with putting a halter on first. You may have your horse in crossties or tied to a post with a lead rope with a panic snap or quick release knot. You’ll also want to brush away any dirt or grit on the horse’s face.
Follow the steps below to safely put on a bridle on a horse:
Secure Your Horse
Undo the halter, slide the nose band of the halter down over the horse’s nose, and slip the crown back up over the horse’s ears. This will secure your horse briefly while you put on the bridle. Stand beside his neck facing forward with the bridle in your left hand. Slip the reins up over the horse’s neck. You now have both reins and halter around the horse’s neck should it try to get away.
Slide the Bit in the Horse’s Mouth
Hold the bridle up over the horse’s nose with your right hand. Using your left-hand fingers move the bit against the horse’s lips and insert your thumb into the space between the front and back teeth which are called the bars of the mouth. If the horse is resistant to taking the bit, wiggling your thumb may encourage him to open his mouth wider. Slide the bit in and lift the bridle higher with your left hand, so the horse can’t spit the bit back out. Be careful not to knock the bit on the horse’s teeth.
Pull the Crown Over the Left Ear
Grasp the crown of the bridle with your left hand, and with your right hand gently bend the horse’s right ear forward to slip it under the crown.
Pull the Crown Over the Right Ear
Switch your grasp of the crown of the bridle again to your right hand, and with your left hand gently slip the left ear under the crown. Try not to pull the bridle too high thus pulling on the horse’s mouth. Be careful not to bend your horse’s ears uncomfortably.
Fasten All the Buckles or Snaps
Most traditional leather bridles will have buckles. So that your horse can flex his neck properly, don’t do the throat latch-up tightly; leave about 4 inches slack. You should be able to slip the width of your hand between the strap and your horse’s jaw.
Unless you are using a special noseband, such as a figure-eight, flash, or noseband, leave about two fingers width between the lower jaw and the strap when you do up the noseband or cavesson. If you are using a curb bit, you’ll need to do up the curb chain or strap. Leave the width of two fingers between the chain and the lower jaw. Leaving the chain too loose or tight can make the action of the bit or the chain more severe. If the bit has a port, it could rotate up and hurt the top of the horse’s mouth.
Slip the halter off, tidy your horse’s mane and forelock, and you are ready to go. If you plan to mount where you are, leave the reins over your horse’s neck. If you want to lead your horse to another area for mounting, remove the reins from over your horse’s neck and lead the horse by the reins.
Removing the Bridle
Remove the bridle by slipping the halter (attached to a cross tie or lead rope) back over the horse’s ears. Undo the throat latch, curb chain, and noseband. With your left-hand reach under the horse’s neck and slide the crown over the horse’s ears. Holding it as you did in step three, gently lower the bit out of the horse’s mouth. Be careful not to knock his teeth. With your right hand slip the halter on properly and take the reins up over the horse’s neck to completely remove the bridle. After use, you may wish to clean your bridle, or at least, wipe the bit to tidy it up before hanging it away.
Here is a quick video demonstrating how to put a bridle on a horse.
