How to Put a Bridle on Your Horse

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Start with your horse--halter on and safely tied. You may have him in cross-ties or tied with a lead rope with a panic snap or quick release knot.​

 

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Secure Your Horse

Undo the halter, slide the noseband down over the horse’s nose and slip the crown back up over the horse’s ears. This will secure him briefly while you put the bridle on. Stand beside his neck, facing forward with the bridle in your left hand. Slip the reins up over the horse’s neck​

 

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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, hold the bit against his mouth, and insert your thumb into the space between the front and back teeth. If he 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.​

 

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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.​

 

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Pull The Crown Over the Right Ear

Switch your grasp of the bridle again to your right hand and with your left gently slip the left ear under the crown. Try not to pull the bridle too high, thus pulling on the horse's mouth.​

 

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Fasten All the Buckles or Snaps

Do up the throatlatch of the bridle. This endurance bridle has a snap at the throatlatch. Most traditional leather bridles will have buckles. So that your horse can flex his neck properly don't do the throatlatch up tightly';leave about 4 inches slack. You should be able to slip your hand, palm flat down, between the strap and your horse’s jaw.

Unless you are using a figure-eight, flash, or grakle noseband, leave about 2 fingers width between the lower jaw and the strap. 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.​

 

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Removing the Bridle

Remove the bridle by slipping the halter (attached to a cross tie or lead rope) back over the horse's ears as in Step 2. Undo the throatlatch, 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 3, 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.​