Does your horse really need an anatomical bridle?
By Abi Sinclair
The bridle is another item of tack that I feel may have become overcomplicated for horse owners. Fairfax has undertaken thorough research and made substantial claims about the reduction on pressure points when comparing their bridles against others. This is great news for the horse but I was slightly disappointed to see that the claims were made just from comparing readings from the riders own self adjusted bridles and the anatomical bridles fitted by Fairfax.
Now, not wanting to be devils advocate but I rarely see bridles that are fitted properly on horses anyway! Many bridles I see are fitted with nose and brow bands too tight and the bit too high. So, would there have been a clear difference recorded just by fitting the rider’s own bridle better first? I am not disputing that the Fairfax bridles are not what they are claiming but it does lead me to question how independent the research was. Had I not looked into it more closely I would have been unaware of this research and maybe felt more convinced to purchase a very expensive bridle as anything else must be hurting my horse. Although I have little doubt that the Fairfax bridle is a well designed and made piece of equipment and constructed from much better quality leather than most, it is out of my price range and I expect it will be for many riders. Therefore what worries me most are the copycat styles which jump on the back of this research but are not well made or fitted properly, are made from cheap leather and likely to cause more harm than a well fitted ‘normal’ bridle would.
So why am I seeing so many badly fitting bridles and why is there such a lack of knowledge about how bridles should fit?
We know that horses all have different sizes and shapes of heads and the more complicated the bridle design the more likely they will not fit well. I worked at Suffolk Saddles over 20 years ago and at that time we adjusted bridles to fit from good quality leather parts made by an English company. An increase in fancy imported bridles seems to have decreased our care of fit and comfort over the desire for fashion. Why are bridles now often sold in just cob or full size and with browbands that are simply not big enough?
When I learnt to ride (in the dark ages) we were taught to allow a hands breadth for the throat lash and two fingers space for the noseband when fastening a bridle. As far as I can tell this recommendation hasn’t actually changed but is not followed or being taught. I rarely now see a cavesson noseband properly fitted that allows the horse to soften and relax its jaw. Maybe this was lost when flash nosebands became a default option when purchasing a bridle? The main noseband strap often was over tightened to prevent the noseband from being pulled down by a too tight flash strap. How ironic that now the flash nose band has been shown to be the worst culprit for causing pressure, particularly when used with a crank fastening.
The Flash Noseband. In the 1990’s many bridles were sold with the flash noseband as standard. It almost became a safety belt for riders, used as a precaution rather than chosen for a specific purpose, as with a drop or grackle.
Unfortunately, it is not just amateur owners and riders that appear to lack knowledge of correct bridle fitting. Many riders only follow what they see from ‘professionals’ or those that appear to be successful. But are they seeing a horse that is comfortable and happy and in harmony with their rider or just the rosette at the end?
If we look at photographs from 30-40 years ago we see far less leather strapped onto a horse, even those competing at the very highest level. What we really need to consider is why riders are now dependent on so much tack and is it for function or just for fashion and marketing.
So what are the basics of fitting a simple cavesson bridle?
1. The headpiece should sit comfortably behind the horses ears without pushing into the back of them. A shaped headpiece sounds ideal but the shaping needs to be in the right place or could cause more irritation or pressure than a standard straight one. The split of the headpiece should start just below the browband and the throat lash should be fitted with four fingers (sideways) room.
A plain, unshaped headpiece but one that allows enough space for the ears. The browband should be big enough to prevent pulling the headpiece into the base of the ears but without being baggy. Some are shaped to fit slightly lower away from the ears and often appear a little bigger.
A plain headpiece that is pushing into the back of the ear and could cause discomfort. Changing to a bigger browband allowed it to sit more comfortably and give space to the ears from behind and below.
Cheek pieces are of a good length to allow the buckles to lie approximately level with the eyes when the bit is correctly fitted.. This will allow for some adjustment or for a change of bit. They should be on equal holes either side.
The cheek buckles should not be on the top hole, as seen here, as they will push the brow band up against the ear. This bit requires shorter cheek pieces. If you struggle to get the bridle over the ears there is a good chance the bit is too high. Depending on your horses mouth and the bit being used we are looking for one or two wrinkles when the bit is fitted (but they should not be smiling!) Each horse is an individual and has different needs and preferences.
The throat lash stabilises the bridle but there should still be room to fit your hand in sideways. Too tight and it could restrict the horse through the jowl. What we don’t want is the throat lash to be adding pressure onto the poll if the horse flexes their head and neck. Depending on conformation and how your horse carries themselves, this may vary between horses and also day to day if your horse gets ‘grass glands’.
A cavesson noseband should sit a couple of fingers width below the end of the cheek bone and not sit forward onto it. There should be room when the noseband is fastened to allow the horse to move their jaw and swallow. Too tight and it will cause tension in the jaw and through the contact. Unfortunately this tension is seen as resistance and the nose band tightened even further!
Preferably the noseband will attach on both sides and on level holes.
So in essence, it is great that there is research being undertaken and more knowledge gained and shared about how a bridle could cause discomfort or affect performance. However, how much of this is caused by incorrectly fitted tack in the first place or the following of fashion and how much is for the benefit of making sales?
In answer to my first thought of whether your horse needs an anatomical bridle?
Before spending out hundreds of pounds on one or maybe worse, just dismissing the idea because of cost, why not look closely at the bridle you are using at the moment? Does your horse look comfortable? A bigger brow band or shorter cheek pieces would be a fraction of the cost of a new bridle and loosening the noseband a few holes will cost you nothing at all but may make a big difference to your horse!
We are always happy to help if you have any concerns or queries.
