Settle an argument - Does a bridle need a throat latch?

sbloom said:
No.

And wrapping reins up in the throatlash will generally stretch the throatlash, not the reins. Personally I love a properly put up bridle with figure 8 throatlash but that's from eleventy years ago for me!
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I worked in 3 riding schools and my own horses over 40+ years , never found reins loosely put through throat lash when lunging or hanging stretched leather.
 
rabatsa said:
I would say that the only bridle that needs a throatlash is a driving bridle and that is due to the weight of the blinkers, which have a metal plate inside them.

The throatlash was standard equipment when tired horses were pulled about by their bridles, in the days when they and there owners had jobs to do.
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Alibear said:
For western bridles, we don't have the throat latch, and often no browband or ear-loop when we're riding in a curb bit as the action of it doesn't cause the crown on the bridle to lift.
When we use a snaffle, we should also use a bridle with a browband and preferably a throat latch, as the action of the reins on the snaffle can cause the crown to lift.
Crown lift = bridle can fall off.

I've seen it happen a fair few times over the years, and it's always been with one-ear or just headstall bridle and snaffle combo. The other reason is concho's coming loose, which is why I avoid them altogether :)
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Here in Australia we have a stockman's bridle - a Barcoo bridle perhaps. I've just been Googling for a suitable picture but haven't found the perfect one, the kind that my friends used back in the day. They would still use them no doubt, but I don't know if much riding is going on these days due to one reason and another.

This bridle fits all their horses without much drama. It's roomy in the crown area; the cheek pieces are easily adjusted if need be due to the way this strap is made - a long strap doubled up on itself and has a buckle. The throat lash is more substantial when compared to that of an 'English' snaffle bridle, but it's loosely done up, also. I've never owned one of these bridles as I was always more taken with an English-made snaffle bridle of good quality leather and excellent craftmanship.

But a stockman's bridle is a good, practical bridle.

And it's the sort of bridle that isn't going to come off in a hurry. If for whatever reason you felt compelled to grab it by the cheek strap (not caring if you lost your arm in the process) it would stay put.

Most Australian stockmen would use a simple, 'old-fashioned' snaffle in it.

So when you think of it, throat lashes might be necessary in certain situations, in certain bridles, at certain times. But I don't like to grab anything when there is a possibility of that 'anything' moving suddenly and largely, because my hand might not be able to let go.

ETA: I've just done a bit more Googling, but it's no good. Things have gone very 'showy' and 'show-offy' and 75% or more less practical.
 
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The last yard I was involved in we put bridles away loose and then when cleaned they were tied up with the throatlatch. This enabled the next volunteer who was tack cleaning to see what needed cleaning and what had already been done.
 
humblepie said:
Yes or no. Depends.
Does that settle the argument.
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The throat lash question is a secondary question in this Decision Tree. The first must always be 'is the wearer a pony with small ears?'
If the answer is yes then a throatlash is the bare minimum of your equipment needs to keep a bridle on the pony's head😃😃
 
LeneHorse said:
This thread has got me thinking - how do you put a bridle on a mule? What do you do with the ears? I'm sure someone will come along soon and explain the technique 😀
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The same way as with a donkey. You have a choice.

Either place one hand at the base of the ears and push them forward and into the bridle above the browband and below the crown or you get a bridle that fastens behind the ears.
 
catkin said:
The throat lash question is a secondary question in this Decision Tree. The first must always be 'is the wearer a pony with small ears?'
If the answer is yes then a throatlash is the bare minimum of your equipment needs to keep a bridle on the pony's head😃😃
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😁. Like the decision tree.
 
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