Sensitive faced mare - bridle advice, please!

[AnnaandStella]

I'm a first time horse owner with a Westphalian schoolmistress mare, bought two weeks ago, who is lovely but very conscious of her environment, including tack (as well as noises and "scary" objects.)

If i put her in her box with her bridle on for just a few seconds (e.g. to take off her saddle), she rubs her head incessantly against the bricks & her brand new bridle is already badly scuffed. She's ridden with a cavesson noseband.

The bridle has a raised browband and cavesson and looks ridiculous without the cavesson, but i was wondering if using a western style one-ear headstall e.g. below would help as less would be touching her face?

I don't know if anyone else here has a similar problem, but my sweet-natured horsie flats her ears back as she rubs her bridle.

 

[AmyMay]

Lots of horses rub when they have their bridle on - mine does it particularly after returning from a ride. So I wouldn't be too concerned.

But have you checked that it is not too tight fitting around the head piece or brow band??

 

[lisan]

Mine always tries to have a good rub when we've finished her being worked! She now knows when she goes back into her stable, she is NOT allowed to rub, bridle comes off first, then she can have a good scratch!

 

[ironhorse]

One ear bridles can take a bit of getting used to - also that one looks like harness leather which is quite hard so it might make the situation worse.
You could just take the noseband off your english bridle which might help, or oil it repeatedly until it gets softer. Derby House's own brand training bridle is also very soft leather - I used one on a quarter horse mare who used to get badly rubbed by anything else.
Our current mare rubs a lot in an english bridle - she's used to the one ear type - so I tend to have the headcollar ready in the stable and take off the bridle first.
When tacking up, I also put it on last as well to stop her rubbing.

 

[kerilli]

can't you tie her up (put her headcollar over her bridle for a minute) while you take her saddle off, and make sure she's tied up to a non-abrasive wall if pos?
just an idea, she isn't a headshaker, is she? they can be very sensitive about their faces, and rub a lot. does she twitch her nose from side to side when you're riding her?
most horses want to have their head scratched after being ridden tbh.

 

[hadfos]

[ QUOTE ]
Mine always tries to have a good rub when we've finished her being worked! She now knows when she goes back into her stable, she is NOT allowed to rub, bridle comes off first, then she can have a good scratch!

[/ QUOTE ]
Mine too.he knows it is a no no when bridle on but when off he can rub as much as he likes,just dont leave her unattended with bridle on until she learns it is unacceptable to rub with it on!!

 

[Tia]

If she rubs with a sliding ear headstall on, it will come off. I use sliding ear headstalls however my horses are not allowed to rub when they are tacked up as this means it's time for work. They can rub till their hearts content once they are untied and put back in their fields.