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A bridle is not just a bridle. The many different types fulfill their own purpose and are intended for different horses and maybe used within certain disciplines. For most riders, it's probably not too far-fetched to sometimes fall in love with a bridle because it looks nice, without weighing the function of it as highly.
But shouldn't it indeed be the horse's needs that are most important – regardless of the bridle's appearance and which discipline one practices? Even though it is common to use certain bridles when, for example, riding dressage, show jumping or Icelandic horses, it's far from certain that the models that are most popular are also good for all horses.
Therefore, we now move into the bridle jungle and adopt the horse's perspective. And then, of course, we explain to you what the different types mean for your horse's well-being and its ability to perform.
Without a bridle, it would be difficult for most riders to ride their horses. Apart from the saddle, the bridle is for most people the most important aid in communication with the horse. This is explained by veterinarian and five-star dressage judge Hans Christian Matthiesen:
“The bridle affects how the horse listens to the rider and has with its various parts the ability to give multiple aids at once. For example, it should have a restraining function while being able to turn the horse”.
Hans Christian Matthiesen
Hans Christian Matthiesen also explains that the bridle is there to create safety in riding, as it ensures that you can stop and control your horse.
It is a long, historical process that has helped shape the types of bridles we use today. Over many years, we have found out how a bridle best and most comfortably sits on a horse's head, and how it can be designed so that we as “pilots” get the most benefit from it. Over time, this has resulted in many different bridles.
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The most used parts of a bridle are a noseband, cheekpieces, a throatlash, a headpiece, and a browband – and of course the bit, but that's a whole topic in itself. All parts are important for how the bridle fits on the horse.
When talking about the differences in bridles, it's often the noseband one refers to. Its main function is to ensure that the horse cannot open its mouth completely – among other things, so it doesn't get the tongue over the bit. The most common types of nosebands are the English, the Hanoverian, the combined, and the cross noseband. In recent years, there has been further development of these. For example, the Rambo Micklem bridle and the Dyon X-fit bridle have become very popular, and they mostly resemble a cross between the combined noseband and the cross noseband. Dyon has also developed a so-called double noseband, which is a combination of the Hanoverian and the English. Additionally, some, especially Icelandic and western riders, do not use nosebands – and maybe not browbands and throatlashes either. Some horses just function best with the least possible pressing on the sensitive nerve pathways.
The English noseband is characterized by going across the horse's nose about halfway up. For many, it's probably the most classic noseband. For it to fit correctly, it should be placed 1.5-2 cm under the horse's cheekbone and not tightened too much. Usually, the noseband is seen on double bridles, as it allows space for two bits in the horse's mouth. It comes in thin and thick versions and with and without various paddings. Some riders, for example, ride with an English noseband made of rope, because they believe that its sharpness further prevents the horse from opening its mouth. The downside of an English noseband is otherwise that the horse can open its mouth more easily, as it sits relatively high up. It also means that if it is tightened too much, it can create tension in the horse's cranium, as the teeth are pressed against each other and the jaws cannot work freely.
The Hanoverian noseband sits low down on the horse's nose and is tightened, unlike the English, over the bit. Some believe it is gentle because it does not press the cheek teeth against each other. This makes it, for example, ideal for young horses that are changing their milk teeth and can therefore be very tender in the upper part of the mouth.
Some also feel that the Hanoverian noseband supports the bit better and thus provides more peace. Because it sits around the opening of the horse's mouth, it should not be tightened much before it still prevents it from opening too much. However, this also means that if it is tightened hard, it can really damage the horse's mouth corners and be the cause of very unfortunate mouth lesions. Finally, it can also – at least in theory – damage the lower and very thin part of the horse's nose.
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As the name suggests, the combined noseband is a composition where the English noseband has been supplemented with an extra strap that goes down around the mouth. Therefore, the noseband should sit like the English, that is about 2 cm below the cheekbone, and the extra strap is placed over the bit, like the Hanoverian. Because there are two straps, this type of noseband can create even more discomfort and havoc than the two types of nosebands can each by themselves – and that is certainly not the intention. Therefore, it cannot be stressed enough that both straps must not be tightened very much.
The combined noseband is probably the most popular – it has at least been for many years. It has been – and still is – especially popular in the dressage arenas, because it combines the classic noseband with the Hanoverian noseband's supporting effect on the bit. And this is despite the fact that opinions about the combined noseband are divided. Because it has two straps, one might think that it 'holds onto the horse better'. But actually, it is not necessarily good for the individual horse to have two nose straps.
Many combined and English nosebands are made with a pullback. The idea with this is to create a softer and more even pressure under the horse's jaw. Whether it has any effect is probably up to the individual rider to assess.
A Mexican noseband or a cross noseband are the names for the noseband type, which crosses two straps over the horse's nose bridge and meets in the middle. Like the Hanoverian, it is fastened around the horse's mouth outside the bit. Additionally, a strap is also fastened just under the horse's jaws. The purpose of the bridle is to create better conditions for the horse's breathing because the straps do not cross the airways. The noseband also does not press on the teeth in the same way as the English and combined noseband can, and therefore like the Hanoverian, it can be good for young horses with changing teeth. Otherwise, the cross noseband is especially used within show jumping and eventing, as it gives the horse a better opportunity to inhale oxygen for the muscles in hard work.
Where the Hanoverian noseband is good for horses with a restless mouth, the English is better for the horse that just needs light support and maybe needs space for several bits in the mouth. The Hanoverian noseband and cross noseband can easily come to chafe the horse, as it sits in a more sensitive area of the horse's head. Horses with a short head, on the other hand, may be bothered by an English or combined noseband, as they take up relatively much space – especially if they are of the wider type.
Still, it's not uncommon to hear that a bridle is chosen according to what suits the horse best. According to Hans Christian Matthiesen, it's not just important, but also performance-enhancing to think of the horse before anything else:
“What one as a rider must keep in mind, is that it is incredibly individual what the particular horse needs, and what works for just that one. Some horses are more sensitive than others, and they are like us humans not alike. It also depends a lot on what one will use the horse for. Those who race across the fields on their horses do not need the same as the dressage rider who is going to ride the World Cup final”.
Hans Christian Matthiesen
Thus, you do not need to jump with a cross noseband or ride dressage with a combined bridle, just because many others do it – or because it looks nicest. If your horse jumps best with an English noseband – or maybe without at all – then by all means do that. If it performs best in dressage with a cross bridle, then you should not be afraid to use one. All the types of bridles we have mentioned here in the article are indeed allowed in both dressage, show jumping, and eventing competitions. The only thing you can gain from listening to your horse is a happier horse – which might even perform better.
Also, be careful with uncritically falling in love with the so-called anatomical bridles. For sure, the idea of using a bridle that does not press on sensitive nerve paths, bone pieces, or blood vessels is really good. But what is anatomically correct for one horse is not necessarily for another. This means that you are not necessarily doing your horse any good if you buy a bridle that brands itself as being anatomical or ergonomic. Choose the bridle that makes your horse and your riding feel the best – regardless of whether it is anatomical, old-fashioned, ultra-modern, or maybe without a noseband at all.
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It is important to remember that a noseband is never better for the horse than its tightness. And just tightening it too much is the biggest mistake, but unfortunately also the most normal. Most often it happens in an attempt to gain more control over the horse. But unfortunately, the result becomes the opposite. A too tight noseband only causes the horse to tense up more because the teeth press together, nerve pathways are affected, and blood vessels are closed – and that is of course very uncomfortable. In fact, a too tight noseband can cause great pain in the horse and be the cause of serious mouth lesions – even if you think that it doesn't happen to your own horse.
For many years, it has been an unwritten rule – and an important point in various riding and rider badge books – to leave the noseband loose enough so that there can be two fingers upright between the horse's nose bridge and the noseband. To ensure that the guideline is actually followed out on the Danish riding tracks, the Danish Equestrian Federation took action in 2018 and made the official “noseband rule”. This prescribes that “there must be space for a certified measuring unit corresponding to at least 1.5 cm in diameter between the horse's noseband and the horse's nose bridge”. To ensure good horse welfare, checks are carried out at selected competitions. In fact, a study conducted by the riding federation shows that the horses that walk with a properly tightened noseband have between one and two-thirds fewer registrations of mouth sores at competitions.
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However, the noseband can also be tightened too loosely. For example, it can come to chafe the horse because it slides around, or it can lose its effect, so the horse still gets the tongue over the bit. Therefore, the rule of 1.5 cm or two fingers upright is not so bad after all, and one should neither tighten the noseband much more nor much less than that.
If you are in doubt whether your horse is bothered by its bridle, then you can quickly find out. Besides the bridle must not chafe and thereby rub off the fur or create sores, there are other signs you can look for. You know that your horse may be bothered by its bridle if it…
If your horse shows any of these signs, then it's just about doing something about it. Before you resolutely go out to acquire a completely new bridle, remember to check if it might be due to the bit, or that you have tightened some of the straps too hard. If that's not the case, then a new noseband is probably the way forward. And then we better round off by emphasizing that many horses actually function fine with almost all bridles, as long as they are tightened properly.
Source:
DRF / Dyrlæge Hans Christian Matthiesen.
