Competition bridles

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.

Areas 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 fi tting 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 eff ect that the headpiece can have on a horse. Too large and it may displace (slip) and cause irritation 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 infl uence 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.

a narrower, straighter headpiece with a smaller cut out around the ears and the wing of the atlas may be a suitable option. However, the cut out around the ears is most important for the comfort of the horse – no matter how big or small it will help to distribute the pressure in that region.

When considering the browband, the TMJ area, which is involved in movement of the horse’s head including chewing and swallowing, needs to be kept as clear as possible. The horse needs to feel unrestricted and comfortable in this area and a tight browband can create excessive pressure. Conversely, a browband that is too large can encourage more movement from the headpiece, which may irritate a horse over time.

The main criteria in fitting the cheek pieces is to ensure that the buckles are away from the TMJ area, preferably in line with the upper corners of the eye. However, it is important that there is su cient distance between the buckle and the eye itself. Positioning the buckles on the middle cheek strap hole allows for future adjustment if required.

ON THE NOSE

Irrespective of the type of noseband used, there are several factors which need to be considered in correct fitting as there is a complex network of veins, nerves and arteries travelling in all directions down the nose and under the jaw areas of the horse’s head. t is important to fit a cavesson so it is not touching the lower edges of the cheekbone: some horses don’t have a lot of space between the top of the lips and the bottom of the cheekbones and this should be taken into consideration, ensuring that the width of noseband does not interfere with the bit. The style of noseband is also significant it may be useful to have one that is cut back to give more room in this area.

LEFT: AREAS OF CONCERN WHERE HIGH PRESSURES CAN OCCUR.

The noseband should be lined with soft padding ensuring there are no hard edges, especially in the medial margins of the nasal bone and underside of the mandible. f fitting a drop noseband, it is important to ensure that it is not too low. When fitting a grackle noseband, the rings should be positioned on the fleshy area of the head and the straps which

Research has helped us to understand where the pressures are under the bridle and how the pressure can affect the movement of the horse, but more studies are needed to further our understanding. We are currently seeking to quantify the structural asymmetries of the horse’s head and how this may affect the static and dynamic fit of a bridle.

run over the cheekbones should be padded.

Purchasing a full, cob or pony si e bridle off the shelf can have its limitations, the way forward for bridle fitters is to be able to fit with component parts and many more bridle manufacturers are now offering this.

BIT AND BRIDLE

We also have to consider the relationship between the bridle and bit. Often trainers are asked if a change of bit would help the rider due to the horse resisting the rider’s aids but in some cases a different noseband can produce a positive change in the horse. Sometimes it is about marrying the bit to the noseband and not just changing the bit.

Discussions between bridle makers, bridle fitters, biomechanists, veterinarians and physiotherapists are a key part of understanding the interaction between the bridle and the horse and the connection between horse and rider.

The future is very exciting for bridle fitting. The Society of Master Saddlers has a new City Guilds ualified bridle fitting course up and running and there are currently eight S S ualified bridle fitters in the world.

The advances in research and the introduction of qualifications specific to bridle fit highlights how important bridle fitting is for the welfare of the horse and for the enhancement of performance for the rider. This is hugely positive for equine welfare and performance.

LEFT: HORSES’ HEAD SHAPES CAN VARY WIDELY – THIS HORSE IS VERY BROAD ACROSS THE BROW AND DEEP THROUGH THE JOWL, WITH A NARROW NOSE AND NOT A LOT OF ROOM FOR A NOSEBAND.

RIGHT: THE DESIGN OF THE NARROW VERSION OF FAIRFAX SADDLES’ PERFORMANCE CAVESSON ALLOWS IT TO BE FITTED WELL BELOW THE FACIAL CREST AND AWAY FROM THE CORNERS OF THE MOUTH, EVEN WHEN THE HORSE HAS A SHORT DISTANCE BETWEEN THESE POINTS.

RESEARCH IN ACTION

Fairfax Saddles has been conducting in-depth scientifi c research using pressure mapping and gait analysis into the eff ect of both the fi t and design of bridles. The fi ndings, along with the benefi ts of the resulting erformance ridle, have been published in a veterinary journal.

“Our research focussed attention on the conformation of the horse’s head – something that hadn’t really been considered before,” says anessa airfa . “The head is no diff erent to the rest of the body in that there’s a huge variety of shapes, si es and asymmetries out there. Taking the time to e amine each individual horse’s face, then fi tting a bridle to his specifi c head shape can reap real benefi ts in terms of comfort and performance.”

Take a look at your horse’s head from side on. Is his nose wider across the front than round the back? ot many horses have e ual noses and chins, but a traditional cavesson does not have the

adjustability to accommodate these diff erences.

A horse who is large across the top of the nose will need a longer front section of noseband. cavesson that is too short across the top can drag the cheek straps and buckles towards the eyes or potentially rub the facial crest. bigger chin (deeper jaw) will need a longer back strap. This can only be achieved when the front and back section of the noseband are separate and interchangeable.

The Fairfax Performance Cavesson is designed with diff erent si ed front and back sections that can be selected to balance the noseband whatever the shape of the horse’s head. The noseband is correctly balanced when the rings sit half-way across the face viewed sideways on. ressure mapping identifi ed a pressure one on the bony processes at the back of the jaw bone, so the airfa erformance Cavesson features a rolite-lined jowl pad in diff erent si es so that it can sit centrally over the jaw bones, with an interchangeable jowl strap that can be si ed so the buckle carefully aligns in the middle. cavesson should always be fi tted well below the facial crest and away from the corners of the horse’s mouth, but when a horse has a short distance between these two points, a wide cavesson can be a challenge. Fairfax Saddles off ers two depths of erformance Cavesson with a narrow option that can be useful for this anatomy,

that can be si ed so the buckle particularly in a double bridle, and particularly in a double bridle, and also for horses with a fi ne head. Both the narrow and standard erformance Cavessons fi t in same way and both off er clearance either side of the nasal bone which is another area where Fairfax’s pressure testing identifi ed a peak pressure one in commonly used cavessons. ■

BELOW: Headpiece looks bulky and tight against the base of the ears and the wing of the Atlas. Buckles at the top of the head cause an increase in pressure underneath them. Also rolled leather reduces the contact area as it is narrower when running over the head and shows increased pressure. The cheek of the curb is very close to the cheek bone, TMJ and base of the ear. The noseband looks close to the bottom of the cheek bone, but it does have plenty of room from the cheek piece of the noseband to the cheek bones. The back of the noseband lacks padding, and the strap tucked in at the back will be uncomfortable over the jaw bones. The bits are working correctly.

RIGHT: Headpiece too big, the splits are too low sitting against the TMJ, throat lash is too long. The cutout for the ears is sitting too low, not at the base of the ear. The browband is sitting above the splits, which you should not be able to see. The noseband has no padding, looks quite bulky and hard, and in trials fl ash nosebands showed the most pressure of all the nosebands from pressure at the bottom edge of the band, so it would benefi t from soft padding. The buckle on the cheek of the noseband is sitting close to the cheek bone.

PRODUCT WATCH

THE PHILOSOPHY SADDLE has a unisex saddle tree, revolutionary and structurally innovative, featuring the CPS concept (Coccyx-protection-system), a new injected-membrane geometry with differentiated capacity to absorb all stress and movement. This concept was conceived to protect the ischium bones, the coccyx and the back and it is visible through the soft Plexiglas inspection window that is on the lower part of the saddle.

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GIRTH with a detachable lambskin cover is designed for horses with a well-defi ned girth groove. The girth is contoured a little at the front and back around the elbow area and the tough outer material and the highly functional lambskin are available in more than 30 different colours, with a choice of almost 50 shades for the decorative trim.

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BRANTFORD is a brand-new anatomical dressage bridle from Schockemöhle Sports, with a headpiece based on the well-known Equitus models. Due to its anatomical shape, the headpiece offers a lot of freedom for the ears and relieves the neck band. The noseband is softly padded, tapered to the sides and also has lined D-rings and buckles.

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designed for 'round' horses with a short back and broad ribcage or narrow chest. The special shape works with the ribs so that the girth cannot slip forwards. The tough outer material and the highly functional lambskin are available in more than 30 different colours, with a choice of almost 50 shades for the decorative trim.

is designed for horses with an athletic, wedge-shaped physique. The design of the girth prevents the saddle and girth from sliding girth prevents the saddle and girth from sliding back and the tough outer material and highly functional lambskin are available in more than 30 colours, with a choice of almost 50 shades for the decorative trim.

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with detachable lambskin cover is designed for horses whose girth groove is closer to the elbows or less well-defi ned, where the girth tends to sit further forward. The girth is signifi cantly contoured at the front around the elbow area. The tough outer material and highly functional lambskin are available in more than 30 different colours, with a choice of almost 50 shades for the decorative trim.

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GIRTH is based on scientifi c research and it is proven to improve your horse’s performance by reducing pressure and signifi cantly increasing range of movement and eliminating gait asymmetry. The girth’s patented design avoids the areas where peak pressure is commonly located. The combination of this contoured shaping plus the Prolite cushioning creates a unique buffer zone and prevents a ‘hard' edge that can block movement. Available in black or brown in standard gauge 22"-34" and in narrow gauge 20"-32".

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