The Right Way to Put a Snaffle Bit Into the Headstall

A headstall combined with a bit is what is known as a bridle. A bridle is an essential piece of horse tack which, in concert with the saddle, provides the means to effectively control a horse when riding. Therefore, the proper placement of a snaffle bit in the headstall is a vital component in the proper equipage of your horse.

  1. Headstall Parts

    • Familiarize yourself with the following parts: 1. Brow band - the strap connected to the crown piece which goes in front of the horse's ears, across its forehead. 2. Throat latch - a strap which extends from the top of the horse's head, behind its ears, down beneath its chin. 3. Crown piece - the strap at the top of the headstall, and parallel to the throat latch, which fits behind the horse's ears and extends to the sides of its head, beside its eyes. 4. Cheek pieces - two straps which buckle to each end of the crown piece and extend along the horse's cheeks to the corners of its mouth.

    Bit Types

    • Prior to adding a snaffle to your headstall, determine whether this is the appropriate bit for your application. A snaffle bit is not any bit that is "broken" or jointed in the middle. Many snaffles are jointed, but the main characteristic of a snaffle bit is that is has no shank where the reins are attached. A snaffle bit allows the rider to apply direct pressure to the horse's mouth with reins that are attached directly to the ends of the bit. Most commonly, you would use a snaffle when you are training a young horse to respond to direct reining. A bit with a shank where the reins are attached allows you to apply leverage to the horse's mouth when you are riding, giving you better control of the well-trained animal.

    Assemble the Bridle

    • Once you have verified the snaffle as the bit you will use, attach it to the headstall. The connectors at the ends of the cheek pieces should be buckled onto the rings at the ends of the snaffle bit, at the 12 o'clock position. Add the reins to these same rings, positioned at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock, respectively.

    Check the Fit

    • Slip the bridle over your horse's head, positioning the bit in its mouth, to check the proper placement of the snaffle bit on the headstall. When correctly placed, the bit should sit snugly enough to create one wrinkle at each corner of the horse's mouth. If there is no wrinkle, pull up the cheek piece buckles notch by notch until the wrinkle appears. Conversely, if the position of the snaffle bit creates more than one wrinkle, loosen the cheek piece buckles a notch at a time until only one wrinkle at each corner remains. Horizontally, the connector rings of the snaffle should rest just beside the horse's lips on each side of the head. If the snaffle rings do not touch the lips or if they are positioned partially inside the mouth, you should consider purchasing a better fitting snaffle.