bridle
Horse wearing a bridle with a loose-ring snaffle bit.
bridle
horsemanship
bridle, headgear by which a horse or other burden-bearing or pulling animal is governed, consisting of bit, headstall, and reins. The bit is a horizontal metal bar placed in the animal’s mouth and held in place by the headstall, a set of straps over and around the head. Component bits of bone and antler have been recovered from bridles in use in the Bronze Age, about 3000 bc.
- Related Topics:
- snaffle bit
- noseband
- headstall
- bit
- rein
The reins, lines held in the hand of the rider or driver, are connected to either side of the bit so that a tug on either side turns the animal in that direction. The headstall sometimes includes blinkers—leather flaps that inhibit side vision to keep the animal from being frightened or distracted.