Wednesday 17 October 2012

How To Put A Bridle On A Pony

By Heather Toms


Most people underestimate the degree of difficulty involved in bridling horses. Wrong bridling could be a distressing experience for the horse, and if the horse reacts badly, it might also become unpleasant for the rider.

A little knowledge can at times be a beneficial thing. You ought to be familiar with the area called 'interdental space' in the horse's mouth. This area is distinguished by the lack of teeth on both lower and upper jaws, and appears between the molars at the back and the incisors in the front. When bridling is done correctly , the bit lies on the horse's interdental space; also called 'bar' by pony folk.

Pony folk insert their thumb into the interdental space when they need their horse to open its mouth and receive the bridle's bit.

Tips on bridling

1. If you are new at this then tie your horse's halter to a safe post employing a quick release knot in the event your horse has a habit of pulling back when frightened. Once you have confidence in the procedure refrain from tying him up.

2. Situate yourself on the horse's near side, the horse's left side.

3. Put the rains over your horses head ensure the bridle is free of tangles and set on its loosest setting to guarantee there'll be no difficulty with fitting it on to your horses head. You can tighten to fit correctly once it is in place. Obviously if you know the settings then stick with them.

4. Move the halter from being fastened over his head to just round his neck to keep him restrained.

5. Hold the headstall, the top of the bridle, in your right hand with the bit in the palm of your left hand. Lift the bridle over your horses head, use your left hand's thumb on your horse's bar to prompt him to open his mouth and gently slide the bit into his mouth. If he doesn't lower his head so you can reach your right hand above his crown then utilize a mounting block.

6. Make sure the bit slides into his mouth smoothly. There ought to be no need to use force in any way. Once the bit is slotted into its place on the bar, slide the headstall over your horse's ears.

7. Adjust the length of the cheek straps. A correct fit will cause a tiny wrinkle to appear at the mouth's corners.

8. Pull his forelock out from under the headstall and adjust the chin strap if the bridle has a drop nose band.

9. Undo the halter from around his neck, and enjoy your ride.

10. Never tie your pony with the reins.




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