By Nicole Fava
A horse that refuses to accept a bridle can be frustrating . . . and even dangerous. Perhaps your horse clenches its teeth shut as tight as possible as you hopelessly try to pry their mouth open. Perhaps they throw their head up to evade the bridle, even to the point of rearing. Some horses might attempt to run away once the halter is removed and the bridle is presented.
Here are some tips for riders with horses that are hard to bridle!
First, ask yourself: why is my horse difficult to bridle? If you assess all the potential causes of evasive behaviors, you’re one step closer to fixing the problem for good. Here are some possible reasons:
1. Someone has bridled your horse incorrectly, causing discomfort. For example, a lesson horse that is used to having its teeth clanked with the bit might resent a bridle. Make sure you and others that handle your horse are doing so the right way. Be gentle with the hand that you use to open your horse’s mouth. Support the headstall of the bridle and move it slowly over your horse’s ears once they accept the bit. Avoid hitting your horse in the eyes with the cheekpieces of the bridle.
2. Your horse might be in pain. Perhaps they are due for a teeth floating, or are face shy due to a sensitivity or injury.
3. Your horse associates the bridle with work, and resents it. Negative, confusing, or repetitive training methods might cause a horse to resent ridden work. Or perhaps, the horse associates ridden work with pain (caused by kissing spine, lameness, etc).
4. Your equipment does not fit. Your horse could resent the bit because it is too narrow for the width of their mouth, and pinches as a result. They could also be anticipating a headstall that is too tight, or one that is too loose where the bit ends up clanking their teeth.
How to Fix Bad Bridling Behaviors
Once you’ve checked your horse for sources of pain and have properly fitted your bridle and bit, you can start to improve your horse’s acceptance of the bit and solve the problem at hand.
— Make the bit delicious! Try dipping your bit in apple sauce or molasses before presenting it to your horse.
— Remove unnecessary components of your bridle. If you simplify the equipment you’re working with, you might be able to bridle your horse more efficiently. For a horse that is face shy, try ditching the noseband and browband and working with just the headstall component. For a horse that is ear shy, try unbuckling your headstall and fastening it behind their ears instead of pushing their ears down and pulling the headstall over.
— Use a mounting block. This is especially useful if you have a horse that likes to throw its head up to avoid the bridle. If you stand above your horse, they will have a harder time evading it.
— Use a rubber bit. If you know your horse has had its teeth clanked by metal bits in the past, try switching to a rubber bit until they accept the bridle well. Rubber bits will not hurt a horse’s teeth if they happen to bump them on the way in.
— Go slow! Never shove the bit in your horse’s mouth or pry their mouth open aggressively. You want to encourage relaxation while bridling, not fear.
— Use poll pressure. If your horse tends to throw their head up to avoid the bridle, try applying pressure at the poll, and release when your horse lowers their head in response. This is something that can be worked on during a typical groundwork session, even when a bridle is not involved!
A horse that is bad to bridle is fixable with enough consistency and proper bridling techniques. Your number one priority should be ensuring that your horse is not in pain prior to or during the bridling process. If you make bridling a positive experience, your horse will have a positive response!