Reducing the pressure and force exerted on horses’ heads by bridles can lead to improved gait, including increased limb flexion and movement, a study has found.
Rachel Murray of Rossdales presented the research, published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science , at the World Horse Welfare conference on
13 November.
She told guests while saddles are usually “carefully fitted and measured”, the bridle is “often forgotten”, despite the presence of important structures in the head.
{"content":"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"}
You may also be interested in…
Bit wall
Findings of the research were revealed at the International Equitation Science Conference
The course is for anyone hoping to become a qualified bit fitter
Adrienne Lyle (USA) & Salvino - Grand Prix Special CDIO5 - FEI Dressage Nations Cupô - CHIO Rotterdam 2018 - Kralingse Bos, Rotterdam, Netherlands - 23 June 2018
One USA team rider nearly didn't make it down the centre line at the Rotterdam Nations Cup
William Micklem holds onto Last Flight II
Credit: Paul Quagliana
Described as ‘a kind and sympathetic bridle for horses that are sensitive in the mouth’, Lottie Butler finds out how
