(photo taken from miniexpress.com)

Your horse will thank you for making sure his or her bridle fits properly and is as comfortable as possible. This will allow the horse to perform to his or her maximum potential and remain comfy and happy... so will you! Making sure a headstall fits is a fairly easy process. Here's 5 steps on how to do it!

1. Determine what size your horse's head is. An easy way to do this is to measure your horse's head from the top of the skull to the corner of the mouth. Take that measurement with you when you go headstall shopping and it will make the whole process way easier! The common headstall sizes are pony, cob, horse, Arabian, and draft.

(photo from yknotropetack.com)

2. Once you have your headstall in hand with your chosen bit attached to the headstall, it's time to try it on your horse. Make sure you follow all safety procedures while bridling your horse such as bridling in a safe, enclosed area, making sure either the reins, halter, or lead rope is over your horse's neck. If you are new to bridling make sure you have an experienced supervisor helping you.

3. Once the bridle is on your horse the first thing to check is where the bit is sitting in the horse's mouth. Ideally you want 1-2 gentle wrinkles in the corner of the horse's mouth. If you have no wrinkles, adjust the cheek-pieces on either side until you see 1-2 wrinkles. If there are more then 2 winkles, loosen the cheek-pieces. There's a good chance the headstall is not the right fit if you can't adjust it to accommodate your horse.

4. Next step is to do the throat latch and curb chain (if your bridle has a curb chain) Basic rule of thumb for a throat latch is to be able to put a fist/your hand vertically between the throat latch and the horse's throat. Better to go looser on this one if you are unsure since it's underneath your horse's throat. The curb chain should not be tight, but not too loose. You should be able to fit at least a finger between the curb chain and your horse's chin. If either of these are too loose or too tight no matter how you adjust it, the headstall is not the right fit for your horse.

5. Check all the straps in contact with your horse. They shouldn't be loose, but they shouldn't be tight. You should be able to slide your finger between the leather and the horse without too much resistance. Also watch how your horse responds. They will tell you if the bridle is not fitting with ears back, stiffening, shaking of the head, and similar signs.

(photo taken from countrybase.co.uk)

"A true horseman does not look at the horse with his eyes, he looks at his horse with his heart." --Author Unknown

~ Saddle Up