How to choose your snaffle bridle?

The snaffle bridle is a key element to be able to work with your horse. There are lots of different snaffle bridles on the market, and making the right choice can be tedious. Here are the main points to focus on if you’re looking to buy a new snaffle bridle for your horse.

Choose a soft leather snaffle bridle

To guarantee that you choose the right snaffle bridle for your horse, the first thing is to make sure it’s made of leather. It goes without saying that your horse’s comfort is the top priority. Synthetic snaffle bridles are often too stiff, and the pressure they put on the horse causes discomfort. 

There are several leather options to choose from, but make sure to look for soft leather that’s not too stiff. Hard leather will also put pressure on the horse’s neck or the bridge of its nose, causing great discomfort. On the other hand, soft leather will put less pressure on the horse. It will prevent irritation and chafing. To maintain leather soft, make sure to regularly apply oil to the snaffle bridle, in order to preserve its qualities.

Choose one with an anatomical headpiece

The manufacture of the snaffle bridle also contributes to the horse’s comfort. Therefore, the way the headpiece is cut is of vital importance.

This part of the bridle must be as comfortable as possible since it exerts quite a lot of pressure. This pressure is concentrated around the sensitive area comprised of the neck and cartilage at the back of the horse’s ears. The headpiece’s design, therefore, needs to be adapted to the animal’s anatomy in order to prevent any damage to this area.

We suggest that you go for wide, anatomically designed headpieces. It’s best to avoid thin headpieces. Wider headpieces better distribute the pressure on the neck, making the bridle more comfortable to wear.

Therefore, anatomical headpieces are cut in such a way as to fit snuggly around the horse’s ears, exerting as little pressure as possible.

It should be adapted to your horse

Choosing a snaffle bridle that suits your horse is important. The bridle should therefore be properly adjusted around the cheek pieces and chin strap to ensure your horse’s comfort. An adapted bridle also involves choosing the right nose band.

Depending on the horse, there are different types of nose bands to choose from.

The most common option with the weakest action is the French nose band snaffle bridle. If you train, a wide nose band isthe right choice.

The German nose band snaffle bridle is a good option when the horse tries to open its mouth to escape the rider’s hand and to stick its tongue out above the bit. This nose band needs to be extremely well adjusted, since there’s a risk of hurting the horse and preventing it from breathing properly.

Finally, the crossed nose band snaffle bridle closes the top part around the horse’s molars, but also the bottom part of its mouth. It needs to be adjusted precisely in order not to bother or injure the horse. This nose band gives more control to the rider, who only needs to use very gentle hand movements. Therefore, it should only be used when needed and when the rider has gentle hands.

Discover our different snaffle bridle models:

1. Anatomic french noseband bridle with fancy stitching

 2. Anatomic figure 8 noseband bridle with fancy stitching

3. French noseband training bridle

And many more to discover here!