Headstalls & Bridles Western Saddles

Horse bridles are essential for clearly communicating with the horse. It holds the bit in the horse’s mouth and allows the rider to control horse movement. The rider uses the headstalls to influence the movements of the horse better. Curb chains are commonly used to regulate the lever action of curb bits. A good rider must know the proper terminology of the horse’s equipment. The headstall and the bridle are not the same, but sometimes they are interchanged. It depends on what discipline of riding you are involved in. Knowing the differences between a headstall and a bridle will give you the opportunity to communicate at the level of advanced riders.

Headstall

This term is used principally in western riding. It refers to the piece of equipment that goes on the horse’s head and attaches to the cheek pieces, which keep the bit in his mouth. A headstall is not a practical piece of horse’s equipment. It is the central piece of the bridle, which cannot be without a headstall. The headstall is accessible as a plain piece of nylon or leather that goes behind the ears and has cheek pieces that attach to the bit on either end. Majority western headstalls consist of a browband or a split ear design. Other has a throat latch. Supplementary parts added to the headstall to make a more complete and functional piece of tack.

Bridle

This term used to describe the material that is used to hold the bit in the horse’s mouth. It consists of multiple pieces, including the throat latch, browband, headstall, noseband, cheek pieces, reins and bit. When you purchase a headstall, you are getting the headstall itself and the cheek pieces that go with it. In contrast headstall, a bridle doesn’t include the bit. The bridle without the reins can be referred to as a headstall in n some western riding disciplines. Usually, the bridle is called a bridle in English riding, while the headstall, or headpiece, is named only as the part of the bridle that connects to the cheek pieces and goes behind the horse’s ears.

The headstall and bridle serve the same primary function whether you are English or western rider. The headstall attaches to the cheek pieces, and the bit connects at the end of the cheek parts. After that, the reins are fastened to the bit. The pressure on the bit is used to steer the horse and direct it when to stop. While terminology can vary slightly, the function does not. Here you can choose Headstall and Bridle in different styles with beautiful decorations and different color shades.