Fitting the Nurtural  BITLESS BRIDLE™ to your horse.

Link to Printer Friendly Booklet of Fitting and First Rides -Page 1 Page 2

As with most pieces of equestrian equipment, it is extremely important that theNurtural  BITLESS BRIDLE™ be fitted correctly for your horse. In the photograph to the left, the critical things you should notice are:

1. The noseband sits just on the hard part of the nose.
- loosen the buckles and move it down, then buckle it "one-finger" loose

2. The reinstraps are shortened so the reins attach approximately 2 to 3 inches from the horse's mouth, mimicking the action of reins on a bit.
- loosen the buckles and pull the reinstraps through the Circle-X until they extend only 2 to 3 inches through the ring.

3. The reinstrap crosses the fattest part of the horse's cheek.
- pull the reinstraps through the Circle-X to move it forward or backwards until the reinstraps cross the fattest part of the horse's cheek

4. The Circle-X is positioned centrally under the jaw
- with all this pulling, make sure the Circle-X sits comfortable under the jawbone.

Leave some comfort room!
With loose reins, you should be able to easily slide one finger:
- between the noseband and the horse's nose
- between the reinstraps and the horse's cheeks
- between the Circle-X and the horse's jaw.

With loose reins, there should be little-to-no pressure anywhere on the horse's head.

When you pull on one rein, the short reinstrap instantly pulls on the ring and the noseband, asking the horse to turn its nose toward the pull. The pull on the reinstrap continues to the Circle-X and to the continuation of the reinstrap as it crosses the fat part of the cheek on the opposite side of the horse's head, asking the horse to turn its entire head. When you stop pulling on the rein, the bridle releases to the comfortable position, signalling the horse to stop turning. The Circle-X and the reinstraps remain positioned to respond to your next signal.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

a. Some people prefer to place the noseband higher than shown, perhaps to more closely mimic the noseband of an English bridle. (I put the noseband higher on Lady Louise, shown on toop of page, one day and found that my stop and turn control was not as good as when it is placed as shown ... but remember, that is how it works for ME and MY HORSE)

b. Others prefer to place the noseband slightly lower than shown on Lady, similar to the photo of Eva to the right. They believe that the lower noseband gives them better control of a horse that may buck or be difficult to stop.
(I put the noseband lower on Lady Louise, one day and she kept sneezing until I raised it ... but remember, experiences may differ with YOU and Your HORSE.)

c. Some folks like to attach the reins even closer to the rings than shown. They say it lets their Western reins maintain a smoother loop.

d. Other folks like to attach the reins farther away from the rings than shown above. Some say it gives the reins a faster release. (I find that I have MUCH better control with reins attached at the length shown... but remember, experiences may very well differ with YOU and Your HORSE. I ride with the reinstraps adjusted as shown on Lady, but lengthen them, as shown on Eva to the right) for ground work or round-pen training. I am sure that more experienced riders will individualize their setups.)

e. It's purely personal choice: some like to buckle the reins directly to the ring of the reinstrap while others prefer snap-on reins. (The snaps of the reins on the rings can create extra bulk and interfere with the flow of the reins, but they are very handy!)

Putting on your Nurtural  BITLESS BRIDLE™ for the first time.

Although other ways work fine, I like to begin by by loosening the reinstraps through the Circle-XTM. Pull the reinstraps back so there is lots of room, and undo the noseband buckle. Place the bridle loosely on the horse.

Begin by adjusting the position of the noseband.
Then buckle the noseband, snug but certainly not tight.
Shorten the reinstraps.
Adjust the Circle-X so the reinstraps cross the fattest part of the horse's cheek.

1. The noseband sits just on the hard part of the nose.
- loosen the buckles and move it down, then buckle it "one-finger" loose.

2. The reinstraps are shortened so the reins attach approximately 2 to 3 inches from the horse's mouth, mimicking the action of reins on a bit.
- loosen the buckles and pull the reinstraps through the Circle-X until they extend only 2 to 3 inches through the ring.

3. The reinstrap crosses the fattest part of the horse's cheek.
- pull the reinstraps through the Circle-X to move it forward or backwards until the reinstraps cross the fattest part of the horse's cheek

4. The Circle-X is positioned centrally under the jaw
- with all this pulling, make sure the Circle-X sits comfortable under the jawbone.

That's it! Show the horse how it works, and, as with any piece of new equipment, take small safe steps forward.(Most folks start in a round pen or ring, and make minor adjustments as they check each exercise. I have seen some new users clearing 3 foot jumps and galloping across fields within minutes, but I do not recommend it!)

To remove the bridle.

Simply pull the Circle-X down until the reinstrap rings tuches the noseband rings,
lift the crown band over the ears and slip the bridle off the nose.

To put on the bridle.

Once your bridle is fitted for your horse, just follow these easy steps:
1: Undo 1 reinstrap buckle.
2: hold the noseband with you left little finger, and the browband with your left thumb.
3: pull down on the Circle-X until the reinstrap rings touch the noseband rings.
4: slip the noseband onto the horse.
5: let go with your little finger and lift the browband up.
6: Use your right hand to slip it over the ears.
7: Fasten the undone reinstrap buckle, Check that all sits correctly, and you are ready to go!