How do you put bridle on when horse is tied up?

exracehorse

exracehorse

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My horses are tacked up outside stable. They munch hay. Saddle goes on. Girth done in stages as he’s bit cold backed. Unclip lead rope. Keep head collar on. Reins over HC. HC removed. Bridle on. The reason I ask is that when I was at PC in the 1970’s, the old instructors used to scream ‘do you want to break your horses neck’ if you tied the head collar around the pony neck to then put the bridle on. However, I see it all the time at yards. HC attached to lead rope attached to metal ring then done up around the neck and pony often left unattended. I had a friend ride my horse this week who done just that and I immediately told her to untie. She said that was what the local riding school taught. And hadn’t considered him pulling back.
 
I generally only tack up a tied up horse when we're out in the horsebox.
Reins over head, undo & remove headcollar, put bridle on.

I had the same line from old PC instructors and it makes my teeth itch to see a horse tied up with its headcollar around the neck though I'm not sure it's any more risky in practice... but I absolutely would not leave unattended, if nothing else it would be easier for the horse to get tangled up in the spare bit of headcollar.
 
I take the headcollar off and put the bridle on. And I don't leave them tied up, unattended, with a bridle on...But if I did for some unexpected reason then the reins would be twisted and headcollar over the whole lot.

ETA: what I mean is that I take the headcollar off completely (either hang on tie ring or chuck to side), and then put reins and bridle over horse's head all in one go.
 
I expect my horses to stand still so I generally just pop reins over head and then remove head collar entirely. I have the odd one I trust implicitly that I would take head collar off and then immediately reins.

If I had an unreliable one I’d probably leave head collar around neck untied, or more likely, tack them up in an enclosed area and work on getting them to stand still
 
I never leave them unattended with the headcollar around the neck, I always pop it back over the top of the bridle again if they're going to be left for any amount of time.
 
At home I tack up in their stables so I only ever do it away from home when they're tied to the trailer. One, I just take the headcollar off and put bridle on as he'll stand all day. As for the other, I try to put his bridle on while he's still imprisoned on the trailer, then put the headcollar over the top to tie him outside to do the rest as he's a monkey for running off given half a chance. I've been concrete skiing while grabbing onto reins around his neck far too often! If I can't do that for whatever reason, I will put it round his neck for the few seconds it take to put it on and then straight back over the bridle to tie him up.
 
I like the Shires headcollars that undo on the top of the nose band. Normally I unclip the lead rope put reins over the head then undo head collar noseband but with the headband done up but pushed back a little and put bridle on. If not leaving immediately I’ll do up the headcollar again over the bridle and clip rope back on.
 
ihatework said:
I expect my horses to stand still so I generally just pop reins over head and then remove head collar entirely. I have the odd one I trust implicitly that I would take head collar off and then immediately reins.

If I had an unreliable one I’d probably leave head collar around neck untied, or more likely, tack them up in an enclosed area and work on getting them to stand still
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Me too.
I always buy head collars with buckle nose band so if needed I can put bridle on over headcollar and then undo all buckles
 
DabDab said:
I take the headcollar off and put the bridle on. And I don't leave them tied up, unattended, with a bridle on...But if I did for some unexpected reason then the reins would be twisted and headcollar over the whole lot.

ETA: what I mean is that I take the headcollar off completely (either hang on tie ring or chuck to side), and then put reins and bridle over horse's head all in one go.
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This is what I do.
 
I tack mine outside their stables, and put saddle on first, then take headcollar off completely, reins over head followed by bridle on. If I have to go and help son get on, I put headcollar on again over bridle, and tuck the reins behind the stirrups.

Hubby's mare is the only one who is iffy about standing, so occasionally if she is on one lol, then I will leave the headcollar round her neck while I quickly but bridle on her, but I wouldn't leave her with the headcollar just round her neck if that makes sense.

Fiona
 
I did BHS back when it was stages (and PC in the 1970's!). Am I mis remembering? Untie the lead rope leaving it loose through the break point (never have lead ropes direct onto a fixed attachment point). Unbuckle headcollar, place around neck. Bridle. Knot reins through throat lash. Remove headcollar and replace over the top of the bridle. Re knot rope.

I must confess I either bridle in the stable / trailer / horsebox if not trustworthy or loose if so - but that is what I thought I recalled the correct routine was.

Surely as long as the rope is through a suitable break point (thinned baler tweine, an equi ping or similar) if the horse pulls back the break point will break (that being the point) whether the headcollar is on normally or around the neck. You'll "break your horses neck" (I remember having that yelled at me too...) If you tie to a fixed point or don't thin the bailer twine enough so it will break. But I'm also not advocating a horse left unattended and incorrectly tied.
 
DabDab said:
I take the headcollar off and put the bridle on. And I don't leave them tied up, unattended, with a bridle on...But if I did for some unexpected reason then the reins would be twisted and headcollar over the whole lot.

ETA: what I mean is that I take the headcollar off completely (either hang on tie ring or chuck to side), and then put reins and bridle over horse's head all in one go.
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Have I understood? There is a moment during the process where, if the horse chose to walk away, you have absolutely nothing to hold it back with? Assuming we are talking about a horse which is outside, not in a box or a stable, why take that risk?
 
I just take the headcollar off and put on the bridle have been known to put the lead rein round her neck first but usually just take one off and put the other on even at shows as a hand on the nose is enough to stop them moving even the babies
 
Having watched a horse break it’s neck and die at a competition while being tacked up, as the head collar was left around his neck, I never ever ever ever leave the headcollar clipped up when around the horses neck. I do the same as you op, and am grateful for all the pony club instructors who taught me this way!
 
I usually tack up in the stable, but on the yard, I remove the headcollar completely before putting the bridle on. Horse is trained to stand still and yard rules require all gates to be permanently shut to keep the yard area secure.
I'd rather the horse ran a few steps, than strangled itself.
 
Starzaan said:
Having watched a horse break it’s neck and die at a competition while being tacked up, as the head collar was left around his neck, I never ever ever ever leave the headcollar clipped up when around the horses neck. I do the same as you op, and am grateful for all the pony club instructors who taught me this way!
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Years back my daughter’s horse pulled back while tied up. Using bale twine. The twine did not break. He pulled the whole of the front ship lap stable off. Including electric light fittings. And was running around the yard with some of the ship lap attached to the lead rope. If the head collar had been buckled up around his neck, I dread to think what damage he would have done. Hence , when my friend done just that yesterday, then walked off to go to her car, I expressed my concerns.
 
Starzaan said:
Having watched a horse break it’s neck and die at a competition while being tacked up, as the head collar was left around his neck, I never ever ever ever leave the headcollar clipped up when around the horses neck. I do the same as you op, and am grateful for all the pony club instructors who taught me this way!
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Wouldn't it still have broken its neck with it on its nose as well?

.
 
Reins over head. Head collar slipped onto neck whilst bridle put on, then done up (loosely) over bridle. Stops the little blighters putting their head down to eat and treading on their reins whilst I sort the kids out etc.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I expect my horses to stand still while I'm dealing with them but I usually groom tack up in the stable. I don't leave them unattended with a bridle or halter on. I don't use headcollars.
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I can almost always tack up inside the stable, without needing to tie the horse. It keeps me and the horse out of the hot sun. One or two are a bit stroppy about me putting on the saddle, so I put on the headcollar and that seems to be the signal that playtime's over, it's work time. After that, the horse becomes more accepting of the saddle; then the headcollar comes off and bridle goes on.

Oh, and it means that if the horse decides to take a dump during tacking up, it's on the straw, not on the concrete where I would be expected to collect it up and put it in the poop bin.


Gloi said:
We mainly hack out so I often just but the bridle on over the headcollar, ready to tie up at the pub. :)
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When we go out for a full day, we put the bridle on over a flat, textile headcollar, so we can tie the horses up to a high-line to give them a rest, feed and water, before we settle down to our picnic.
 
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If you were leaving the horse tied up, then no I wouldn’t put the headcollar round the neck. As a kid I was always taught that you undo the rope so that the horse is effectively free if they panic or something happens, then you can put the headcollar around the neck.
Nowadays, I tend to unclip the horse, headcollar round neck, bridle on. If I need to re-tie Horse back up, I put headcollar back on top of bridle and clip back on again.
 
exracehorse said:
My horses are tacked up outside stable. They munch hay. Saddle goes on. Girth done in stages as he’s bit cold backed. Unclip lead rope. Keep head collar on. Reins over HC. HC removed. Bridle on. The reason I ask is that when I was at PC in the 1970’s, the old instructors used to scream ‘do you want to break your horses neck’ if you tied the head collar around the pony neck to then put the bridle on. However, I see it all the time at yards. HC attached to lead rope attached to metal ring then done up around the neck and pony often left unattended. I had a friend ride my horse this week who done just that and I immediately told her to untie. She said that was what the local riding school taught. And hadn’t considered him pulling back.
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This mostly but once bridle is on I redress HC fully. Never just on the neck. I also secure reins by twisting them around (entwining) and then threading throatlatch through. Reins could never run up and over in this instance.
 
i am amazed that anyone would use baler twine to tie up.....i used to use 3 strands of baler twine which was enough to deter a horse but would break well before the horse injured itself. i used to tack my mare up in the yard, she was tied to said twine, put saddle on, the undo nose part of the headcollar put bridle on, then do nose part up again. she was a very jumpy mare so i wouldnt trust her not to dart off if she was completely loose... i knew that 3 strands would break quite easily as my friends horse used to put his head down to eat a bit of grass and was always getting loose..
 
ycbm said:
Have I understood? There is a moment during the process where, if the horse chose to walk away, you have absolutely nothing to hold it back with? Assuming we are talking about a horse which is outside, not in a box or a stable, why take that risk?
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Yes, just loose on the yard usually. They are rarely tied up to begin with tbh, just ground tied, so they could wonder off while I'm putting the saddle on too if they fancied.
 
I have headcollars that can be removed once the bridle is on as have buckles on nose so don't have to put round the neck and can stay tied up if necessary. Particularly good if you're out and about. Can't understand why all headcollars aren't designed like this. I don't understand the point of the one's that have a nose buckle but then have a loop so it's effectively pointless. I also had it drummed into me at PC never to leave headcollar round neck when tied up.
 
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