Horse bridle: how to do it yourself, how to put it on correctly

The bridle belongs to the main horse ammunition, which is necessary for riding. In operation, it is simple, and it is not difficult to do it yourself if you know the principle of operation and the sequence of actions. This will be discussed below.

What is a horse’s bridle?

The bridle consists of many small elements, is worn on the horse’s head and is necessary in order to give the horse an exact motion vector, to give movement and stop commands.

This is a mandatory part of the harness, thanks to which the bit in the mouth of the horse is placed correctly and does not cause pain. The horse does not wear a bridle constantly - put it on just before the specimen is taken out of the stable for grazing, training, and cleaning.

Why do you need a halter?

Halter - a kind of output tool. It also serves to control the animal, ammunition, with the help of which it is easy to fix an individual in a pasture or in a stall. At its core, a halter is a bridle in which there is no fishing rod. It can be leather or rope, depending on the sensitivity of the pet.

Important! The pet will not experience pain if the ammunition is convenient, and the rider will not sharply pull the reins.

The structure of the bridle

What the rein consists of:

  • occipital belt - needed to hold the harness on the head, passes behind the horse's ears;
  • cheek straps - one on each side, their role in the management of the bit, placed from the back of the neck to the snaffle rings;
  • chin strap - covers the jaw from below and is also attached to the occipital strap;
  • forehead - performs a decorative role;
  • capsule - limits the pressure of the rod and is located on the bow;
  • bit, they are a snaffle - the metal part of the harness, attached to the toothless part of the horse's mouth;
  • occasion - a long belt, fixed to the snaffle on both sides.

The horse harness has changed more than once, and today there are several types of it in accordance with the needs.

Does the horse hurt?

Classical reins have a direct effect on the animal:

  • The greatest pressure is exerted by the snaffle, mouthpiece (metal parts) in the mouth of an individual, pressing on the corners of the horse lips;
  • all the bits are somehow pressed on the tongue;
  • a harness with a portal bite presses on the palate;
  • mouthpiece ammunition focuses on the chin fossa;
  • the capsule squeezes the muzzle;
  • rings on the sides rub against the cheeks;
  • the occipital belt gives slight pressure to the head.
The owner's task is to choose the most convenient harness device in accordance with the size of the horse and the structure of its head. With the correct selection of the bridle, the animal experiences slight unpleasant sensations, which it gets used to over time.

Did you know? Horse units operate in different countries today. The most famous are the " red uniforms " and " riders of the rule of law . "

Types of Bridle

Choosing a rein, you should not rely on personal preferences, but refer to the functional purpose of the harness, take into account the size of the head and breed of the horse, its temperament. Novice riders can choose the classic trenzelny ammunition, with which it is easier to understand the habits and movement of the horse, learning to manage it.

Trenzelnaya

Vintage design in the English style. Such bridles are considered one of the most convenient and bought. They are suitable for sports and horse riding. They are equipped with a metal snaffle, an occipital belt and a forehead, cheek and chin straps, a leash. The capsule may be present or absent.

Mouthpiece

More stringent bridle, widely used by mounted police units. This is a type of snaffle harness, but the design is complemented by a capsule and mouthpiece - the latter serves as auxiliary fishing rods. A mouthpiece is made in the form of a curved plate with an arc in the center.

Length selection is critical, as each horse is sensitive in its own way. A long mouthpiece slides sideways and hurts the animal, especially for breeds like the American miniature horse.

Cowboy

Suitable for lovers of Western disciplines, for example, engaged in reining. The cowboy bridle is designed so that the horse does not get tangled in the reins when falling and can get up quickly. Belts of such harness are always thin and made of leather. Divided into two subspecies:

  1. Slotted - has one occipital belt on which there are slots for the ears.
  2. One-ear - two straps on each ear.

Another distinguishing feature of a cowboy bridle is that it often does not have a mouthpiece and a capsule, only belts. But individual models still imply metal elements.

Hakamor

There is no snaffle in the hakamor; instead, there is a nasal strap. He also acts as a transmitter of commands from the owner of the horse, acting on the chin and snoring (nose of the muzzle). Rawhide is used to make such a bridle.

Like a cowboy harness, a hakamor has two subspecies:

  1. German - sheepskin lining, long cheek elements, metal nose with rubber coating and mouthpiece chain.
  2. English - under-belt, cheek iron parts, portable lined belt.

Hakamor can rub the face of the animal, so you should regularly inspect the nose.

Side pool

Unlike hakamor, side pools have some advantage - cheek straps, and the reins are attached separately. This makes it possible to quickly harness the horse. This bridle is ideal for long distance runs, long trips.

There is no capsule and snaffle in such a harness, the rider controls the animal only by means of belts, which press against the nose.

Other species

There are several not so widely used types:

  • the Cossack bridle has 8 elements: an occasion, cheek straps, a tensel, a chin, forehead, and an occipital strap; this species differs from the rest of a similar harness in a cross-shaped capsule crossed on the forehead;

  • Cook bridle - without iron, developed by the English veterinarian Robert Cook, who investigated the harm of metal to horses;

  • closed - created so that the horse is not distracted by what is happening behind and on the sides, obstructs the view, directing his eyes only to move forward.

How to make a halter for a horse with your own hands?

Buying a horse harness is always a big financial cost, but as for the halter, everyone can do it with their own hands, spending about 2 hours on work. The procedure includes only three stages:

  1. Take measurements.
  2. Search for materials.
  3. Manufacturing process.

Important! You cannot use side pool if you do not have enough rider experience. Inadequate use of this model can lead to a horse nose bridge fracture.

Sizing

To determine the size of the halter on your horse, you need to take measurements of her head. How to measure your head:

  • chin - width + 3 cm;
  • forehead - width + 10 cm;
  • from the ear to the corner of the mouth, from the back of the head to the corner of the mouth and along the cheek + 10 cm;
  • reins length at your discretion.

For measurements, a conventional tailor centimeter is suitable. Begin the line of measurement from the mouth upward through the back of the head and down the cheek, then along the second cheek and down to the opposite corner of the mouth.

Materials and tools for work

All you need:

  • rope (for the size of the cob - 6.7 m, for the size of the full - 7.3 m);
  • scissors;
  • ruler or tailor centimeter;
  • a marker that will be visible on the rope of your color;
  • lighter to scorch the edges of the rope on the slices.

The choice of material depends on you, as well as the color of the rope, even black, even blue or rainbow.

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Manufacturing procedure

Stages of creating a rope halter:

  1. Measure the desired length on the rope - for the size of the cob - 90 cm, for full - 1 m. Do not cut, put a marker in this place with a marker.
  2. Tie the first knot at the marked point - take the long part of the rope in your right hand and throw it over your left hand, threading the edge into the formed loop towards you, stretching the entire rope to the end. All subsequent nodes will be identical to this.
  3. Mark the next segment from the node with a marker - for cob - 22.5 cm, for full - 25 cm and make the second node. The mark should appear to the left of the formed node.
  4. The next segment for coba is 25 cm, for full - 27.5 cm, make the third knot.
  5. Further for coba - 82 cm, for full - 87.5 cm and the fourth knot.
  6. Further for cob - 25 cm, for full - 27.5 cm, but the node will be different. From the measuring point, fold the rope in half and tie a not very large loop, 5 cm to the knot. This loop will be used to tie the back of your neck.
  7. Measure the length for the cob - 25 cm, for the full - 27.5 cm. Find the longest segment from the previous ones, take its end and attach it to the new mark.
  8. Find the end of the rope and through the slightly loose knot, pull to the end all the rope that remains. Throw it through the knot, pass it back and through the loop of the new one, stretching the entire rope until a new knot is formed.
  9. Pull the extreme marks so that they align with the last knot (on both sides). Tighten areas without marks.
  10. Attach a rope for the strap to the previous section. Dissolve the knot slightly, thread the end of the rope into the lower hole in the middle of the knot towards you, pull through this hole all the rope that remains, pull it over, throw it over, moving the rope through the top of the knot and put the tip under the bottom in both loops at the same time as pulling.
  11. Move the marks on the rope to the knot in the same way as the previous point and tighten the knot.
  12. The next segment is 82.5 cm for the coba and 87.5 cm for the full. Fold the resulting halter on the left hand, hanging so that the two long segments with the nodes are parallel and at the same level.
  13. Take the knot, attaching the rope to the mark, and do the same as in paragraphs 8–11.
  14. The next knot at a distance for a coba is 25 cm, for a full - 27.5 cm. Perform actions similar to paragraph 13.
  15. The last segment for the coba is 80 cm, for the full - 85 cm. Cut the ends of the rope and burn the excess with a lighter. At the end, it is not necessary to tie a knot, you can glue it by heating it with a lighter and squeezing it.
  16. Pull the long neck strap into the loop at the top. Bring the soldered end of the rope under the loop from the side of the horse’s cheek and pass through the loop formed, tightening upward.
  17. Adjust the size of the halter with the long ends of the rope, making a loop for the drill. Tie a simple knot.

Video: how to make a bridle for a horse with your own hands

How to wear a bridle on a horse?

When working with a horse for the first time, do not make sudden, frightening animal movements when throwing a bridle or halter. Horses perfectly feel human fear, therefore, if you are not sure, it is better to move away, giving time to calm yourself and your pet. If a nervous individual does not want to put on a harness, it can cause injury to you while you are rampaging.

Step-by-step instruction

In order not to cause the horse pain and inconvenience, properly accustom her to wearing ammunition. Take your time, go up and calmly talk, pet. The sequence of actions is as follows:

  1. Make sure that the harness is working, unfasten the chin and capsule belt.
  2. Put on the bridle to the left of the animal.
  3. With your right hand, hold the bow of the pet, throwing the halter around the neck and holding the back of the head with your hand.
  4. Place the bit on the toothless edge of the jaw. If the horse is restless, offer her something tasty.
  5. Lift the reins up, put on an occipital belt, having thrown it behind ears.
  6. Make sure that no elements are twisted during the process.
  7. Fasten the chin strap so that the distance between it and the head is the size of a fist.
  8. Two fingers should pass freely between the skin of the horse and the capsule.

Video: how to put a bridle on a horse

Precautionary measures

Putting a bridle on the horse, the pet should be controlled. If he hooks on a harness for something, it can result in injury or even death. Follow simple rules:

  • for safety, halters with leather inserts on top are good, which the animal can tear if necessary;
  • choose replacement parts with fasteners that burst when exposed to a strong impact;
  • do not put on a rein while resting in the stall, games, grazing, and also when the animal is tied;
  • be careful, do not make sudden movements unnecessarily, so as not to harm the health of the animal.

Did you know? According to numerous observations, if a horse wants to leave the leash, it does not gnaw a rope, but tries to unravel the knot.

How to care?

The harness rules for owners are as follows:

  • wash all metal parts after each removal;
  • wipe leather belts with a rag;
  • carry out general cleaning weekly;
  • lubricate leather harness with glycerin soap to maintain elasticity and strength for a long time;
  • clean the braid in water;
  • keep the ammunition in a ventilated area with hanging hooks.

Since there are a lot of species and subspecies of bridles, approach the choice consciously, having weighed all the pros and cons so that you do not inadvertently harm the horse. In self-production, it is important to correctly measure the head and comply with the assembly technology.

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