COMPETITION BRIDLES.
A head FOR PERFORMANCE THE FIT OF THE BRIDLE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE FIT OF THE SADDLE, BUT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. THROUGH SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES WE ARE BECOMING BETTER INFORMED ON THE EFFECT THAT THE BRIDLE HAS ON PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON EQUINE HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE, EXPLAINS SMS QUALIFIED AND CONSULTANT BRIDLE FITTER FOR THE BRITISH EQUESTRIAN WORLD CLASS PROGRAMME DIANA FISHER.
A ADAM FANTHORPE
reas of concern where high pressures can occur are the wing of the atlas, the base of the ears, the midline of the horse’s skull, the Temporomandibular joint (TMJ), lateral ridges of the nasal bone and either side of the ventral aspect of the mandible (base of jaw).
When fitting a bridle, it’s best to start at the top of the head, working your way down observing the interaction with the bridle and these anatomical areas. Headpieces come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, although there is limited evidence on the effect that the headpiece can have on a horse. Too large and it may displace (slip) and cause irritation
FITTING A BRIDLE TO THE HORSE’S SPECIFIC HEAD SHAPE CAN REAP REAL BENEFITS IN TERMS OF COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE to the horse. Too small and it may become tight and create an imprint directly behind the horse’s ears which could lead to discomfort.
SKULL SHAPE If a horse is over-developed in the regions of the wing of the atlas area, this can have a profound
influence as to how a bridle will sit. The conformation from the wing of the atlas to the skull can present quite a narrow channel and if the headpiece is too wide in this area with too much of a cut out around the ears, it can encourage it to slip forward and in extreme cases can even slip off over the ears. With this in mind
ABOVE: RESEARCH HAS HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE PRESSURES ARE UNDER THE BRIDLE AND HOW THESE PRESSURES CAN AFFECT THE MOVEMENT OF THE HORSE. BELOW: THE FIT OF THE BRIDLE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE FIT OF THE SADDLE BUT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED.
