Horse + bridle = big no!

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NicoleandRosy

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I'm running out of ideas. Randomly, a year ago, my mare point blank refused her bridle, to the point she RAN from it. Teeth are fine, the only wolf tooth has been removed. No cuts, ulceration etc. Physio has been done on all her back/neck/head, vets have checked - no breaks, fractures, no injury, scars etc. This has gone from nothing to a hugeeee dilemma out of the blue.

Before, if she saw her tack, she was barging the door and raring to go.. Now, she sees her bridle she'll swing her bum around and head up as far as it goes or straight into a corner. Fine to put it on, as soon as you pop over ears, she livens up. All fine.. Try and pull her forelock through the headband.. Not a bloody chance in hell! She will shake, spin and do anything she can to get you off that area.

I have tried different bridles, I now have bought a bridle with fastenings on both sides just in case "balance" was off. And it was designed by a chiropractor who I spoke to prior to purchase. Still the same. I have tried normal, "thin" bridles, comfort padded bridles, no luck. Head collar is fine to go on. Can fuss with mane/poll when in the field and she'll stand like a lemon. She only has a full cheek snaffle, copper, with a lozenge, so nothing with a single joint that could possibly cause mouth injury. Bit fits perfectly fine.

She has been cleared by every one who has seen her - dentist/vet/physio and ruled as nothing wrong!! :(

Anyone shed some light? I now have a bridle set in the hope the fluffy sheepskin will knock it out somewhat, but very little hope!
 
No idea why she's doing it but if she hates her forelock being pulled through you could try a western ear loop headstall...no browband.
 
Try bitless? There are some that will fit on a normal bridle. My TB has been in a hackamore for nearly a year & it works for us.

T x
 
what does she do if you put a headcollar on bu undoing the throat part and leaving the headpiece done up? also what is she like to have her forelock brushed and moved around as part of grooming her? I think I would be trying a bridle with no browband or noseband a few times to see what the reaction is and if she starts to relax again reintroduce t he browband later as it could just be remembered pain from hitting her head on something that you had no idea about and the bridle going over the forelock gave her pain at some point
 
When I first got my horse last year I couldn't get his forelock out. So I just didn't bother and left it tucked in. Now he is absolutely fine. I have no idea why he was like that but it was a nightmare!!He does have a cataract in one eye which may have something to do with it but other than that, i have no idea. Chiropractor been lots of times and couldn't find a problem.
 
Absolutely nothing. A head collar I flick the head piece over and she stands there. Will even put her nose in to have it on willingly! Everything is fine, you can touch it all over, but the sight of tack just seems to click something in her mind. :(
 
HeresHoping said:
Is it definitely the bridle? Or an aversion to work in general? My TB did this - and let fly. He was in agony, poor boy, from torn SI ligaments and KS.
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Definitely the bridle. Head collar is fine.. Saddle is fine.. Bridle? Not a chance, and will then avert to any touch or hand near her ears/poll. Her new bridle even has the ears cut back and a comfort head piece, and still no change! Vets have checked her all over, there's not a mark nor clue of injury. And they even bridled her and watched her reaction, she said to desensitize her. Which I have been attempting to do. A year later and still the same :(
 
carolineb said:
When I first got my horse last year I couldn't get his forelock out. So I just didn't bother and left it tucked in. Now he is absolutely fine. I have no idea why he was like that but it was a nightmare!!He does have a cataract in one eye which may have something to do with it but other than that, i have no idea. Chiropractor been lots of times and couldn't find a problem.
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A bit like us then! If I leave the forelock like so, she's fine, will bounce about happily. Eye sight examinations done, just to be sure.. No issues. No vision loss, no cateracts. She has not always been like this :/ And it's awful to see.
 
what happens if you use a large headcollar, put it on, fasten it and then leave it fastened and take it over her ears like a bridle coming off. If nothing then what happens if you put it back on still fastened up?
what would happen if you put a headcollar on, put your bit in and attach it to the headcollar with 2 small straps, ie put headcollar on and then pull bit across and fasten the other side, then clip reins on the bit. If that worked then you could do the same thing with the bridle ie leave the browband off and unfasten the cheek piece so it goes on like a headcollar.

has something happened, horse caught bridle on something, someone else was handling her and that happened and you didn't know? Perhaps some trauma sparked the whole thing even if you were not there to realise. Perhaps she got the bridle caught on a gate catch, hedge etc?
 
Have you tried a webbing bridle? I did this with my youngster who was a bit iffy with bridles and bitting (much easier to put the bit in and fasten on to the bridle with one of these), she has been fine with it, after the intial having to build it in situ.
 
paddy555 said:
what happens if you use a large headcollar, put it on, fasten it and then leave it fastened and take it over her ears like a bridle coming off. If nothing then what happens if you put it back on still fastened up?
what would happen if you put a headcollar on, put your bit in and attach it to the headcollar with 2 small straps, ie put headcollar on and then pull bit across and fasten the other side, then clip reins on the bit. If that worked then you could do the same thing with the bridle ie leave the browband off and unfasten the cheek piece so it goes on like a headcollar.

has something happened, horse caught bridle on something, someone else was handling her and that happened and you didn't know? Perhaps some trauma sparked the whole thing even if you were not there to realise. Perhaps she got the bridle caught on a gate catch, hedge etc?
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She's fine with that too, we've done it a few times. And there's no issue whatsoever. Even if we unclip the side clip and yank over with her normal head collar, she's fine with it. The same with her bridle, once she's done, she'll lower her head for me to pull over her ears.

I honestly don't know. She was fine the one day, was stabled for the evening as usual, and went I went to groom/check over the next morning, she was freaking out at her head area being touched. So haven't a clue whether she's bumped it, or done something to it. There were no marks/injuries the day after or the morning when she was in. She's never left unattended with her tack on. I put all her tack on her stable resting to tack up and then straight out, or she's popped in a stable and it all taken off and popped over the door and then taken away.
 
NicoleandRosy said:
Absolutely, but have been told to try and take it out/desensitise her to having it pulled through?
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Well I wouldn't. Personally I would leave it in for a significant amount of time and only touch the forelock in situations where she doesn't have the bridle on, and doesn't react. I wouldn't over do it either. If you've found nothing wrong with the horse you've only got two options. One to keep doing the same as you've been doing and it hasn't worked, two give her plenty of time to forget about whatever the trigger was. Perhaps she got or is getting a static shock. Who knows. Go for the simple answer and let her desensitise herself would be my advice.
 
Could it be that when the forelock is pulled through she suddenly feels the browband against her skin and this is what she's objecting to? Rather than the forelock is it the skin of the forehead that is sensitive?
 
What about a western headstall? I almost got one for my boy to try who's tricky to bridle.

20701_Alamo_Saddlery_Jewelry_on_Track_Swarovski_Crystals_One_Ear_Headstall_1.jpg
 
If you do want to give a one ear headstall a go, please get one with a throatlatch .. as they are very easy to get off. All it needs is for your horse to rub an itch and you're in a whole heap of trouble.
 
I'd take the browband off completely. If she has enough mane, a chunky plait behind the headpiece should stop it slipping back. Put a couple of plaiting bands around the headpiece if you use a noseband, so the headstrap has somewhere to go. Helps to prevent slipping down the neck too.

Alternatively, get a browband a couple of sizes too big and try that. Leave her forelock underneath for now.

Give it a couple of weeks and see what happens.
 
Try just taking the bit and reins iff of your bridle and put it on. Hopefully she will get used to it but it should look more like a headcollar to her. Gradually add more parts on from here. Or even remove browband and just but the noseband and headpiece on then slowly reintroduce the bit and browband??
 
Rhandir said:
If you do want to give a one ear headstall a go, please get one with a throatlatch .. as they are very easy to get off. All it needs is for your horse to rub an itch and you're in a whole heap of trouble.
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Or you can get a twin ear headstall, might even be able to get one with a throatlatch as well.
 
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A twin eared headstall is just as easy to get off without a throatlatch.. I think the horse would probably tolerate the one eared style better than the two eared version
 
I would say check for ear plauge, it could deep be down in the ear and not on the outer. Also if she fine to fuss her forelock with the bridle, how about plaiting it when grooming?
 
CleanShavings said:
I would say check for ear plauge, it could deep be down in the ear and not on the outer. Also if she fine to fuss her forelock with the bridle, how about plaiting it when grooming?
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My first thought was to hog her but the plait idea is less radical and worth a try. Possibly she got stung and the browband sat on the sting and has led to remembered pain. Horses, eh, how much easier it would be if they could speak...
 
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