The Question: How do I bridle my Tennessee Walking Horse?

Please advise me on trying to put a bridle on my Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding . He throws his head up high, and I cannot put the bridle over his ears! He will take the bit well but from there on its a losing game. He will rear about 10 inches off the ground and then turn away from me. Once I get the bridle on (if I can), we have a nice ride. He is only 4 years old and a nice horse with this one exception. Your advise is much appreciated.

The Answer

Howdy,

You aren’t alone in having problems bridling your horse – a lot of people have similar problems. Bridling problems have several causes, so the best idea is to rule out physical problems. Have your vet or a qualified equine dentist examine your horse’s teeth to make sure they’re in good shape. Sometimes sharp teeth cut into a horse’s cheek while bridled and he starts to avoid wearing a bridle to avoid the pain. If his teeth are in good shape, have your veterinarian check over your horse’s ears. You’ll want to make sure there’s nothing inside that’s causing your horse pain when bridled. For example, one of my horses got ticks in his ears – when I tried to pull the bridle over his ears, it hurt and he would throw his head. Once we got rid of the ticks, his ears no longer hurt and he went back to being a good boy.

Next, look at how your bit and bridle fit your horse. Is the bit big enough for his mouth and is it a bit he’s used to? Does it have any rough edges that may be causing him pain? Check over your bridle, too. Does it fit well or it is pinching his ears?

Once you’ve ruled out physical problems, look at how you bridle your horse. Do you bang the bit on his teeth or gently slide it into his mouth?

If everything checks out, then it is time to look at retraining your horse. If there’s no physical cause for his behavior, he’s doing something he’s learned to do. The first step is to teach him a cue to lower his head. For my horses, I teach them that my hand on their poll (behind their ears) means to lower their head. I start this by standing by their neck, facing forward. I put one hand on their poll and one hand over their nose. I put gentle pressure on the poll and if they lower their head even a tiny bit, I release and praise them. If they refuse to lower their head, I use my hand on the bridge of their nose to gently wiggle their head side to side until they lower it – even if it is a tiny bit. If you keep practicing this, eventually the horse learns to lower his head with your hand and a tiny bit of pressure on his poll (and without your hand on his nose). Practice this over several days without your bridle. Just work on teaching your horse to lower his head and stay relaxed. After he’s doing that with very little pressure on his poll for several days, then try asking him to lower his head and take the bridle. Stay calm and reward him for good behavior. If he tosses his head, ask him to lower it again and try again. Keep working with him until he’ll stand with his head lowered and take the bridle quietly.

Good luck with your horse!

The Equine Behaviorist

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