Bridles are an important piece of horse tack. There are four different types of bridles: Western, English, bitless bridles, and hackamores. The main portion of the bridle is called the headstall and there are many variances on this piece, depending on your discipline.

Western: Some of the most decorated and diverse headstalls are Western style. They can either be beautifully simple or be covered in bling. It all depends on your preference and choice!

A Western headstall usually does not have a noseband. There are also one-ear headstalls and some Western headstalls don't even have a throat-latch.

Conchos, silver, tooling, and decorations are a big part of the Western riding culture, so the headstalls are usually pretty decked out!

(photo taken from animal-clothing.indian-yellow-pages.com)

(photo taken from Pinterest)

English: English headstalls are usually thinner and usually don't have a lot of fancy decorations. A noseband is normally always seen on an English headstall.

(photo taken from horsegroomingsupplies.com)

Bitless bridle headstalls look very much like an English headstall, but the reins are attached to the nose band instead of to a bit. Bitless bridles have become very popular. They focus more on pressure points to cue the horse instead of using a bit inside the mouth. There are many different kinds of bitless bridle styles. They are a great alternative if your horse has any issues with his mouth, physically or psychologically, or if you just want to try something new.

(photo taken from Millbrook Tack)

Hackamores are similar to bitless bridles as they focus on pressure points. Most hackamores have a bosal, a round piece of rawhide that fits around the horse's nose. The reins connect to the bosal underneath the horse's chin. Mechanical hackamores come with shanks and a curb chain for more leverage.

(photo taken from Twenty Hooves Tack)

(photo taken from handplait.com)

The options may seem overwhelming at first, but don't worry! The most important thing is to find a headstall that you like and that your horse likes! With those two thoughts in mind you can't go wrong! And make sure you have fun too, because picking out your special headstall is always an exciting time!

(photo taken from ehow.com)

“Where the leather is scarred, there is a great story to tell.” --Jimmy Tart

~ Saddle Up