About Horse Bridles

Bridles are the key to controlling the horse. Without the development of the horse bridle, the control needed in the cavalries throughout history would not have been possible, and the world would be a very different place than it is today. Higher training, such as dressage, would also not be a possibility. Horse bridles have developed into an art unto themselves.

  1. History

    • Development of the bridle is not documented exactly in history. Ancient Egyptian carvings show chariots being driven with the careful control of bridled horses. Hittite chariots are also shown drawn by tightly bridled horses. Chinese drawings from thousands of years ago show warriors riding their steeds into battle, bitted and bridled. It is likely that the first horse handlers made the leap from halter to bridle. They saw the logic of applying pressure to the soft part of the horses mouth, and not just on nose and poll.

    Significance

    • Creating the bridle made much more demanding work possible for the horse. Men could now require them to perform tasks which, up to that point, had not been possible. Sharper turns made possible by the bridle made the horse the "sports car" of his day, and the chariot became the fighter jet. The entire world would change because of the war horse, and the war horse would not have been possible without the bridle.

    Function

    • By applying the pressure to the horse's mouth, using a bit made of metal or other hard object, suddenly a very large, very strong animal was extremely responsive to the demands of its human handler. Whereas before the person had to use significant strength to pull a horse by its head, the smallest amount of pressure would suffice on a harsh bit to bend the animal to the human's will. This opened up a whole new world of human/equine communication, and made possible nearly all of the advancements made by humans until the creation of the steam engine.

    Features

    • Bridles have basic components. A headpiece fastens behind the horses ears. The mouthpiece includes the bit. And, the reins are attached to the bit allowing the rider to "steer." There are endless variations on these, and as well as endless additions, but these are the most basic components of any bridle.

    Effects

    • Pressure is applied to the poll, the mouth, the tongue and the nose. The bridle acts very much like a steering wheel on a car. The horse reacts to the pressure on these sensitive spots, and will learn to give to the commands of the rider when signaled. Soon, with time and training, the horse will feel the slightest movement on his bridle and respond.