Buckle Bridle On

• 1). Remove the noseband (piece that wraps around just above the mouth) and browband (strap in front of the ears) from your horse's headstall. You want to deal with as few straps as possible when you put on the headstall, or bridle your horse.
  
  
• 2). Make putting on the headstall part of your grooming routine instead of only trying to bridle when you're getting ready for a ride. This allows you to practice and stops your horse from associating the bridle with riding.
  
  
• 3). Have your helper stand on the horse's right side while you stand on the left to keep your horse from swinging his head to the side when you bring up the headstall. Always put the headstall on from the left, not from in front of your horse.
  
  
• 4). Warm up the bit by dunking it in warm water or by holding it in your hands for a few minutes. Some horses object to having the cold metal placed in their mouths.
  
  
• 5). Unbuckle the left cheek piece of the headstall and slip the top of the headstall over your horse's ears as though putting your horse's halter on with your right hand. Support the bit with your left hand.
  
  
• 6). Ask your horse to take the bit by slipping your left thumb into the corner of your horse's mouth and pressing down in the space that doesn't have any teeth. Slip the bit into his mouth when he opens it.
  
  
• 7). Buckle the cheek piece back together. Make sure your bridle fits so a snaffle bit (bit without a chain) creates two to three wrinkles in the corners of your horse's mouth while a curb bit (bit with a chain) creates one.
  
  

Slip Bridle On

• 1). Switch to slipping the bridle on when your horse accepts having the bridle buckled on and is not trying to get away from you anymore. Keep the browband and noseband off, though.
  
  
• 2). Have your helper stand on the right side again while you stand on the left.
  
  
• 3). Hold the top of the bridle (the crownpiece) in your right hand and support the bit with your left hand again. You can either hold your horse's head towards you with your right hand by placing your arm around the head from the right side, or place your right arm between the ears and hold the bridle approximately even with your horse's eyes.
  
  
• 4). Open your horse's mouth as described in Step Six of Section One and slip the bit inside.
  
  
• 5). Slip the crownpiece over your horse's ears by pushing the right ear down flat and pulling the crownpiece over, then pushing the left ear down flat and under the crownpiece. Avoid folding your horse's ears; that can hurt and cause him to avoid the bridle again.