All about snaffle bridles

All about snaffle bridles

I’ll start by looking at more traditional bridles, “walk” through them, and continue with the latest inventions. These bridles perform basic functions that work with all horses, provided the rider is skilled and tactful enough.

Bridle with a simple snaffle

The usual bridle under a simple snaffle.

All bridles I’ve ever seen have a strap that runs down the back of the head and down to where it attaches to the snaffle rings, or whatever replaces the snaffle. In fact, this is how you can give a basic description of any bridle. If the bridle does not have a neck strap, it is not a bridle, but something else.

From the snaffle to the hands of the rider there are two reins connected to each other at one end. The rein is needed to control the position of the horse’s head and neck and to relax his jaw. Riders sometimes rudely use the reins to control speed and direction…

A forehead strap passes through the horse’s forehead. Its functions (other than decorative) are not entirely clear. There is a small risk that without a browband the nape strap will slide down the neck.

The chin strap is most often fastened on the one hand, at the level of the horse’s cheek. It is part of the neck strap and runs around the horse’s jaw. In fact, it serves the following: if you fall off your horse and he starts to back away from you, the chinstrap will prevent the bridle from slipping forward over your ears. The bridles worn on riding horses in the 1600s rarely had a chin rest, perhaps because there was no risk of losing the bridle in the arenas of the time.

Blasting

On the old engravings depicting the riding arena, you will not see primers either, since the true purpose of the primer is safety during military operations and when practicing “high-speed” equestrian sports.

The dressage horses of those times never entered the battlefield and did not gallop at high speeds. Then they were not even worked on the extended trot and canter. But today …

Imagine that a horse and rider are galloping across a field, in the middle of which there is a natural obstacle – a broken tree. The horse slips on the takeoff and does not have time to get his front legs off the log, so he and the rider tumble over the barrier and fall on the other side. Now the horse has a noseband, and although its rider has lost all control and is hanging on with all his weight to keep his balance, the horse cannot open his mouth. The nose of the horse is in front, and he takes the first blow to the ground, then the horse leans on the bent neck, then the body.

The horse opens its mouth wide.

If there were no primer, during a blow to the ground, a horse whose mouth would be open could break its jaw due to the fact that the rider hung on the occasion. horse broke would the most fragile part of the body instead of just hitting the head and rolling further.

In dressage, the risk of such falls is minimal, so nosebands are used for other reasons, but the goal remains the same: to cover the horse’s mouth.

At the rider for positioning the head and neck of the horse there is no other means than a reason. When he needs to put the horse’s neck and head in a certain position, the horse would easier resist if she could open her mouth. Many exercises require considerable effort from the horse, so it is often tempting to simply open his mouth.

When a young horse is looking for a snaffle, he can do it quite roughly, in fact, he can look for support in it. When she does this, a lot of weight is placed on her jaw joint (the horse rests on the snaffle with its lower jaw). This joint is NOT intended to be subjected to that much force while the mouth is open. Therefore, the horse closes his jaw to avoid pain. It tenses the jaw muscle, the very one we are trying to relax, and thus we are in a vicious circle.

When worn on a young horse, a capsule can keep its mouth closed. So the horse can relax the jaw muscle, instead of which the capsule works. The occipital muscle relaxes, the horse stops leaning on the snaffle, the problem is solved. However…

The capsule can also be used to close the mouth of a horse that is working with too much contact, in unnatural and uncomfortable positions, under a rider with restless hands. And this is often what happens in practice. The young horse in the example above can only be properly trained if it is relaxed, working with a soft, supple contact. A weight of less than 2 kg should be felt in the hand. If you pull harder, you will cause tension and pain in the horse’s mouth, jaw, and nape. The horse will try to avoid them by opening his mouth, flinging his tongue, sticking it out to one side, running behind the reins, or biting the snaffle.

These types of resistance can be suppressed with a tight primer. Especially one that has a self-tightening system and can really tight embrace the horse’s face.

Tight, self-tightening capsule with neoprene pads and figure-eight strap.

The bad thing is not only that such a noseband hides resistance, but it blocks the horse, not allowing it to round forward through the withers. This rounding depends on the horse’s ability to open its jaw about 6 cm to allow the jaw and tongue to relax so that the horse can chew.

Drop – Hannover Capsule

In the photo above, we see a properly worn Hanoverian primer. When the snaffle is added, the corners of the horse’s mouth will rise slightly and the chin strap of the noseband will drop down. The nose strap will fasten in front of the snaffle. The iron exits the horse’s mouth behind the chin strap. The nose strap compresses the jaw at the bottom, at the point where the mouth is located. This is where the jaw opens the widest compared to its higher position, at eye level. This capsule should not be very tight. You need to leave a little space so that the horse can relax the jaw, and, accordingly, the back of the head. It should also be loose enough not to compress the nasal cartilage and nostrils. When the horse is at rest, you should be able to easily fit two fingers under the nose strap. When the horse is working and panting, the nostrils expand to take in more air. The capsule should not interfere with this!

Differences in impact depending on the location of the nasal strap.

This type of capsule is used less and less these days. I heard a lot of comments (“it makes the horse’s head look too simple”, “old-fashioned”, etc.). It is a pity that everything here is decided by vanity! Ammunition should be selected depending on the functions it performs, and not on the basis of whether its appearance is attractive.!

Of course, the Hanoverian noseband visually lengthens the horse’s head (a regular noseband or noseband with “snot” will not cause such an effect). But you don’t see the horse’s head when you ride in the saddle…

Flash – Capsule with “snot” (Aachen capsule)

Actually this noseband is a classic English noseband commonly used in a dressage harness, complete with a strap that is supposed to do what the Hanoverian noseband does – to cover the jaw below, near the mouth. This primer was “invented” for show jumpers who needed the control that the Hanoverian primer gives, as well as the regular English primer to be able to mount a dead martingale.

The result was a “double fix”, however, not doing its job very well.

In a young horse (see picture above), the size of the molars (teeth on the sides of the jaw) in relation to the skull is much larger than in a mature horse (which will work in a bridle that includes a regular noseband). You can see the top and bottom teeth protrude through the cheeks like two combs. This is enough to use a simple primer rather than a “snot” primer. The nose strap, if pulled tight, will push the cheeks inward between the teeth. If it is free, the horse will be able to resist the pressure of the snaffle and open his mouth. The corners of a young horse’s mouth can be pulled up by the reins, which will help draw the cheeks into the mouth. From here, widespread ulcers and sores appear on the inside of the cheeks.

Excessively tightened “eight” strangles the horse.

This capsule also like to tighten tighter. The horse’s nostrils are soft and constrict when you tighten the harness. When the horse is working, the nostrils dilate to take in more air, but as you can see in the photo above, the capsule pinches them. The Hanover capsule also has this effect.

The location of the “eight” and the Hanover capsule.

In these sectional images of the horse’s head, we can see the difference in cheek thickness and the junction of the lower and upper molars when wearing a classic noseband (3). We go down (1). We can see that the problem of pushing the cheeks onto the sharp edges of the teeth with the noseband is reduced, as the horse has no teeth in these places, the cheeks are thinner, and the jaw is уsame.

A tightly tightened “snot” pulls the nose strap of the primer down. FThe picture also shows how tight you can tighten this primer.

The “snot” doesn’t do its part particularly well, as it crosses the horse’s muzzle diagonally instead of in a straight line. Anyone who has ever tried to tie two things together knows that if the rope is not in a straight line, it will loosen and slip.

This also applies to the most common way to fit this type of primer: the nose is lowered down and thus lays at an angle, while the “snot” on the contrary is more even, as can be seen in the image above. This is an imitation of the Hanoverian primer. It will work, but you will still have a problem with getting your cheeks between your teeth. So why not just use the Hanoverian primer…?

Crank – Self-tightening (Swedish) primer

Self-tightening capsule.

This capsule was not designed to be loose, that’s for sure. The action of the self-tightening block is similar to that by means of which the slings are fixed on the loads. This method allows you to tighten the belt much more than usual.

The mouth is tightened with a self-tightening capsule.

I believe that there is no real need for such a device. You should be able to slip under the primer two fingers – so the horse can relax the jaw (with the lips still closed). This is necessary when the contact with the rider’s hands is too heavy or when the horse is resisting too much by opening his mouth wide. This primer will not help solve problems – it will simply hide them. It is used with a bridle, as the bridle cannot be worn with an Aachen, Hanover noseband, or any other mechanical mouth covering that hides the horse’s resistance.

Tightening capsule block.

I have heard many excuses for using this device. Someone thinks that this noseband looks good, someone says that it has a lining and is then softer for the horse. But we can add these pads to any primer… Some say that the primer provides even pressure and better support. What kind of pressure are we talking about? Some are glad that it is easier to put on a horse. Because it’s easier to tighten? Some say it’s hard to find a good bridle with a different noseband. And it’s sad but true.

The pad pushes the cheeks inward, between the teeth.

Another problem with the self-sealing capsule with a backing is, surprisingly, the backing itself.

Substrate (due to the fact that it is soft) gives Horse a certain amount of clearance when you tighten the primer. The horse may a littlepress the jaw. But she, albeit gently, still pushes the horse’s cheeks inside the mouth. Remember that the cheeks are very soft and cannot fight the pressure. If the horse can open his mouth, he will only make things worse for himself. She will open her mouth, and the primer will push her cheeks into the space between her teeth.

The padding adds extra space for the horse to open his jaw.

One solution might be to modify the backing so that it covers only those parts of the muzzle where there are no teeth. This will allow the nose strap to lag a little behind where the horse’s teeth are, so that the cheeks don’t push into the mouth. And the capsule will retain the effect of closing the jaw.

A thick backing can deceive the rider into giving the impression that the primer is not tightened. The strap has a bit of a gap when you decide to fasten it looser than you could if you wanted to. But the substrate creates an effect of elasticity. The horse is not particularly strong at opening the mouth, it is stronger at closing it. Thus, the elastic backing makes it more difficult for the jaw to open and move forward and downward, as with the relaxation of the mouth and occiput.

Function of a self-tightening capsule block.

Above you see the popular self-tightening primer with all its components. Red marked belt, which is equipped with substrates and lies on the nose of the horse’s muzzle. Blue is a self-tightening mechanism. It is not fixed on both sides, so it can be hidden under the chin. The yellow part is a special backing that helps to avoid injury and friction of the straps on the chin and jaw bones. And finally, the green part is the “snot” in case the self-tightening primer leaves the horse a chance to open his mouth.

Grackle – Mexican capsule (“eight”)

The Mexican primer or “figure of eight” has become very popular among show jumpers. It is a strap that wraps around the horse’s muzzle in the form of a figure 8. The point where the straps intersect at the nose is made in the form of a round disk, most often with a sheepskin backing. The capsule can be fastened and adjusted under the chin and under the jaw.

Some riders claim that the figure eight keeps the horse from biting the snaffle, resting on it, or crossing the jaws. It is quite possible. I have used one on a horse that opens its mouth wide against the fixed pressure of a simple primer.

The straps of the Mexican noseband cross the horse’s muzzle diagonally, and thus its action is more flexible and “giving”, the horse has nothing to fight against. The straps also run away from the teeth. On the rare occasion that you encounter a horse that opens its mouth to fight the action of the primer, try using a figure eight.

Capsule combined lever action

It works the same as the Mexican one. If you compare the two photos, you will see that these capsules are very similar. The combo leverage nosepiece is a bit stiffer and doesn’t have the “give” effect of the Mexican, and it also allows you to push the horse’s cheeks into his mouth. It does not lie next to the lips and does not contact the snaffle, does not stabilize it in the way that a Hanoverian or “snot” primer does. It is ideal for preventing the horse from crossing its jaws as it has metal inserts on the sides.

But one has to ask oneself, why does a horse cross its jaws? Perhaps the work causes her pain? Is she unable to meet my demands? Is she doing this to get away from work? If a horse is clenching his jaw because of pain or an inability to complete a task, then all these reasons will not disappear just because you changed the noseband to a more severe one. He will just hide them.

Studded capsule

Yes! There are also studded capsules. Some riders use them instead of snaffles to “spare the horse’s mouth” while riding. In this case, everything will really depend on the shape of the spikes. If they are rounded and fairly flat, they will have very little effect. Sharp and strict spikes, on the contrary, can easily injure a horse, up to bleeding.

The Seretta is a Spanish studded capsule.

In Spain it is called La Serreta. Jagged. Serrated. It is a reinforced lunging nosepiece with serrated spikes facing the horse’s nose. It is presumably used by professional groomers who have soft hands, otherwise the horse’s muzzle will bleed. I personally have never seen anything like it.

Spikes are built into the nose of the capsule.

Caps used in competition have studs added to the inside of the nose strap. I’ve seen all kinds of homemade studded primers, ranging from those equipped with round knobs to those equipped with sharp spikes.

But how would such a capsule work? Just like any other, just on the horse’s nose extra pain is added.

How the capsule in combination with the snaffle affects the nose of the horse.

When the rider pulls on the reins (red), snaffle in the horse’s mouth pulls the lower jaw backwards (green). Normally this would open the horse’s mouth if we applied any amount of pressure and the horse didn’t have a percussion cap. The capsule covers the horse’s mouth. So when the lower jaw is pulled back, the strap (blue) around the chin is pulled across the horse’s nose. When this happens, the capsule and spikes are pressed against the nose.

Capsule Kineton (stretching capsule)

This noseband is not very common in the dressage world. It was originally used for horse racing. It was worn on horses that were blown or out of control at higher speeds. In old English books on ammunition, he is called “strict” and “cruel”, perhaps succumbing the following logic: since he stops hot racehorses out of control of riders, he must be incredibly strict, because he can help even when a thin, twisted wire double snaffle does not help.

However, this capsule does not work that way. Impulsive and hot horses pull out of fear, pain, excitement, or a clear desire to win. I mention fear and pain first because these are the most common reasons horses pull in general. Now let’s think about what can injure them, what are they afraid of? Spurs and a whip? Basically no. Their action is not so painful and does not scare the horses so much.

Kineton is an effective way to stop the damage that the snaffle causes if the horse jerks its head, rests against it, or does something similar. It takes pressure away from the jaw and nose. On the horse’s nose, its function is restrictive, like a hackamore without leverage. A regular (especially Hanoverian) noseband affects the horse’s head in the same way, but its pressure is through the lower jaw (it pulls back and pulls on the back of the noseband of the noseband, which in turn puts pressure on the nose).

Only a metal snaffle puts such pressure on the jaw that it can injure the horse. Pain. Escape and dispersal. Vicious circle.

Kineton can be adjusted so thatоMost of the rein’s pull went to the primer. However, it can also be fixed so that it is so short that it would pull the rings of the snaffle forward towards the nose, while the bit would take a V or U shape in the horse’s mouth. So kineton can not be used!

By using the Kineton correctly, you can help hot, pushy, and shy horses stop being afraid of the snaffle. It can also help horses that open wide mouth in opposition to the usual primer, protesting against the belt looped around the muzzle. The Kineton does not have a chinstrap, and there is nothing to fight with. I have used this primer successfully on many hot/unstable horses and they have become calmer.

Do you need a capsule?

The truth is that, ideally, neither the horse nor the dressage rider needs a noseband. The training horse will no longer need noseband support once the contact is very light. Dressage horses rarely run the risk of falling nose to the ground in the arena. If a horse does this, then I think you need to look at the basic balance, and not shut his mouth.

However, there are especially tough and “stubborn” horses. They prefer broad open their mouths or cross their jaws, but do not comply with the requirements of the rider. With these horses you will need a noseband or the training will not be progressive. The horse will look for the quickest and easiest way out.

A loose noseband just doesn’t give the horse wide open your mouth.

Very often, riders tighten their nosebands tight, much like we tighten our shoelaces. But it is necessary to tighten the laces tightly so that the shoes do not fall off. The capsule should not keep the horse’s teeth tightly clenched! It is supposed to simply limit the excessive opening of the mouth. When the horse is standing still and not working, you should be able to wiggle the noseband, as it is not included in the work. It is assumed that he sits freely.

If the capsule is on freely, the horse can open its jaws and even its mouth. This is very uncomfortable for many riders. But if your noseband is tight, the horse will still try to open his mouth – this is also bad, although not noticeable. The capsule is needed in order to “save face” of the horse, not the rider.

On the other hand, in modern dressage where horses are trained to keep their heads behind the vertical, the horse cannot loosen the jaw and keep the mouth closed due to the force of gravity and the occipital ligament pulling the rest of the skull in the opposite direction. Thus, during training, you need to use the capsule in cases where you decide to work with methods that involve neck flexion.

In addition, the FEI rules require a capsule at competitions.

Thus, nothing in today’s rules contradicts the use of a primer. Riders can safely tighten them and keep their mouths shut. I dream that at least once top-level competitions will be held without capsules. I would like to see some of the best horses and riders perform without a noseband what is usually done with only one. Many crowns would fall, that’s for sure…

Reins

In dressage, the reins are fastened at the ends. They should be long enough so that the horse can stretch almost to the ground and so that the rider does not lose them if the horse jerks his head sharply. Traditionally, the reins were made from a flat strip of leather or (less expensive examples) from a strong material with the addition of leather straps so that the rider had the opportunity to hold it. Leather reins may also have these bars.

Technological progress did not bypass the manufacturers of ammunition – numerous new types of reins were invented. One of them is the rubber rein, which is a simple rein that has a surface coated with rubber for better grip.

Rubber reins are great for their intended use, rainy cross country. But eIf you need a rubber rein when you are working in the arena on a sunny day, then this is a clear indicator that something is wrong with your hands or contact.

A reason that slipped out of your hands is a very common problem. This is the basic prerequisite for the availability of all kinds of tools in stores that make it easier to grab and hold the reins. Long ago, the only help against slipping was for riders or manufacturers to sew on the reins leather limiters with an interval of 10 cm.

Stoppers can help you keep your rein in place by keeping it from slipping in your hands. You can hold the stop under the thumb or at the entrance to the hand, under the ring finger.

However, there are two “ideological” errors in the idea of ​​creating devices for holding the rein in the hand. First, the constant contact should never be so strong that it is difficult for you to hold the reins in your hand. Second, the hand should be turned so that you can see the nails, it should be relaxed and free from tension. If this is the case, then the rein will turn sharply inside the hand and the hold will be sufficient.

Types of reins:

Cotton rein with jumpers.

Cotton rein with rubber lines.

Leather rein with straps.

Braided leather halter.

Rubber lead.

Next, I want to talk about those “accessories” of bridles that are not have a harmful effect on the horse, only on your wallet.

Cakeboards

Bridle Jackson “Immer”.

I’ve already talked about lined primers on the nose strap and their not-so-innocuous effect. But a few years ago, bridles with backings appeared on the forehead (and I don’t mean just highlighting with a color insert) and on the back of the head.

The back strap of a simple snaffle bridle almost never puts pressure on the back of the head. In order to do this, you need to use a gag or pelam to have a leverage effect that pulls the neck strap down. Or you have to tighten the primer so hard that the nose will slide down (due to the wedge shape of the horse’s head). The nape strap should never run into the base of the ears from behind, if this happens, then this means that the browband is small for the horse (as in the photo above).

Then we learned that even the neck strap of the capsule can be uncomfortable and needs to be fixed – it must go over the top of the bridle and for this you need to buy a new bridle.

Have you ever seen frayed hair behind your ears or bruising from pressure? What pressure? Even if it’s a headband, there shouldn’t be that much pressure!

Despite all the convenience we’re talking about here, modern bridles still come with a self-tight noseband and rubber reins! The nape of the horse needs to be comfortable, which is why you tighten the horse’s muzzle with a self-tight noseband and pull on the rubber reins for better grip…

A matter of taste

The white backing is a dull horse.

If you have a bad complexion and don’t get a lot of sun, be sure to use a white collared shirt, it will set off your face and create some contrast. This old trick from the 1950s is what bridle makers were up to 10 years ago. Let’s make a bridle with white trim to enhance the look! White skin. Also let’s fill with rubber foam to get some volume.

However, this is a matter of taste, and if you want the bridle to look better than the horse, ok. If you want to show off your horse’s pretty face, don’t hide it behind a brightly colored bridle with a white or silver backing.

Hooks, buckles, carabiners or triathlon loops

Hook closure.

Usually the question of “fittings” depends on aesthetic preferences. Fifty years ago, hooks dominated ammunition. The buckles were the preserve of the harness, or of inferior quality, as they were considered less stylish.

Buckle closure.

Apparently things are changing and buckles are becoming more popular because they are easier to open and more “shiny” as one American rider put it. Well, I’m a Swedish rider and I prefer tinted designs.

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According to many, ordinary buckles are easier to unfasten. Now I have arthritis in my fingers, but I still have no problem opening the hooks on my bridles. However, I have problems with other bridles. But this is all because their owners save on balm and skin lubricant! This is the essence of the problem.Good quality leather, well moisturized, well lubricated, soft enough that you can unfasten the hook in the following way.

A way to undo the hook with one left hand.

There are other mounts as well. For example, one that was designed to easily refasten the reins or bridle from the snaffle.

Carabiners

For me, carabiners are appropriate on a halter or other strap that is not connected to the horse’s mouth. These carabiners are made of metal, and metal in contact with other metal begins to ring during movement. If the carbine did not move, there would be no problem. But there are many horses that are annoyed by extraneous sounds and tinkling.

triathlon loop

This type of fastening is popular with triathletes, as well as representatives of those disciplines in which it is supposed to overcome obstacles. It is called triathlon or even monkey loop. Here the metal is also in contact with the snaffle ring, but does not move along it. The snaffle ring lies on the skin and does not make sounds. This may be a choice for those who value silence. However, I have heard an unusually large number of complaints that such mounts become unusable from sand and dirt and can suddenly break in the least expected situation. I do not know why this happens, and whether there are such statistics.

Teresa Sandin (source); translation by Valeria Smirnova.