Equine Sports Therapy IRVAP (MT) & LANTRA Qualified Bit & Bridle Fit Consultant
Bridle Fitting
I am a LANTRA qualified, fully insured bridle and bit fit consultant. I can come out to see your horse or pony to carry out a bridle and bit fit check and / or help find a bridle and / or bit that fits (most horses and ponies do not neatly fit into one standard size and need a selection of different sized components). I carry several different brands and do not sell bits, which allows me to be independent. However, I have links and a discount code I can offer my clients to one of the largest bit banks in the UK, The Horse Bit Shop and they carry a full range of bits from every conceivable bit manufacturer.
As you have probably seen from my website, I am a qualified Equine Sports Therapist and routinely carry out bridle fit as part of my initial assessment for new clients. I was surprised to find that often clients had poorly fitting bridles which caused musculoskeletal issues and impacted on their horse’s way of going. Therefore it was an a naturally progression to qualifying initially as a bridle fitter and then as an advanced bridle and bitting consultant.
Whilst quite rightly, riders often focus on saddle fit, I found so many clients had bridles which did not correctly fit their horse. More, and more, research is now revealing how important bridle and bit fit is, and the negative impact a badly fitted bridle has on your horse or pony, not only in. their comfort and well-being, but also on their biomechanics.
Any pressure on the TMJ area, hyoid or tongue impinges not only on the direct connections to the sternum, shoulders and forelimbs, but also the ventral chain connections to the pectoral muscles, along to the abdominal muscles and onto the muscles of the pelvis. Common issues I see are anatomical headpieces which do not suit the anatomy of the horse, browbands that are too small and cheekpieces which are too long - all issues which can be uncomfortable for your horse.
I found when clients needed to purchase a new bridle for their horses, more often than not, they were between sizes and needed a mixture of pony or cob or full size components. The result being they ‘made do’ with a bridle which didn’t quite fit correctly. Or quite simply gave up trying to find a bridle which fit correctly. Good bit fit starts with good bridle fit, they are intrinsically
linked and there is no one anatomical bridle which fits every horse. Hence why I carry brands which offer several differently fitting headpieces so we can find the headpiece which fits your horse or pony the best.
As I am independent there is no obligation or pressure to buy.
I carry a range of beautiful anatomical bridles from
i) EvoEquine,
ii) Horsemanship Saddlery
iii) Henry James Saddlery and
iv) Premier Equine.
All brands I have specifically chosen to offer choice and quality and which I am happy to use myself. I can help advise where to buy these from or you are free to source them yourselves.
I also carry a selection of bits from
i) Sprenger,
ii) Neue Schule,
iii) Bomber Bits
iv) Horsemanship bits
v) Fager bits
vi) Trust Polymer bits
in addition to some basic but good quality stainless steel bits.
My focus is on British Dressage legal bits. Again, I can direct you where to purchase and / or trial if required (and where you can expect to find the best prices depending on which brand you need).
I cover Worcestershire and surrounding counties. I may have to add additional milage charges for mileage in excess of 20 miles from B62. If this is the case I will advise you before I confirm your appointment.
I work mainly weekdays but I do have some limited appointments during early evening and weekends - as you can imagine, these are popular and quickly get booked.
I offer the following services
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Snaffle Bridle fit only - £45 / Weymouth £50
This service if for clients that are looking to buy a new bridle from the makes that I carry. As I have already outlined. It is rare for a horse or pony to fit into a one-sized bridle and frequently they need different sized components to achieve a comfortable fit for their horse. This is a stable only consultation.
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Bridle fit and Bit fit Consultation (stable based) - £50
This is for clients that want their bridle and bit fit checked. Initially I will look at the anatomy of your horse’s head, poll and mouth for any issues. I will then look at your current set up (if any) and go through what a well fitting bit and bridle looks like. It maybe that that your current set up is fine, or it may be that a perfect fit can be achieved with just a couple of minor adjustments. Good results have been achieved with just very sight adjustment to bit height, or a change of browband! On the odd occasion a new bridle or bit may be the best option - but there is no pressure to buy, or buy from me. This is a stable based consultation and very popular with clients who have a horse who is starting their career and want to ‘get things right’ from the offset.
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Bitting and Bridle Consultation (stable and ridden consultation) - £70 / Weymouth £75
A full appointment will include:
- Discussing your horse’s history, including any ridden issues and what you hope to achieve from the appointment.
- An assessment of your horse’s conformation and muscular development, this can be an indicator of how your horse uses his body.
- I will the carry out a full assessment of the conformation of your horse’s head and mouth, which will assist in deciding which bridle and / or bit will suit your horse best.
- A review of your current bit and bridle and how it may be influencing your horse.
- This will then be followed by an assessment of your horse ridden in their current bit and bridle.
- Trial of appropriate bits, bridles and set-ups with ongoing assessment of your horse’s biomechanics and behaviour with each change made.
- At the end of the appointment, a written record of my findings and recommendations for your individual horse will be provided.
Throughout this process, I will endeavour to explain everything and i encourage questions.
I limit the amount of horses I can see in one day to ensure I can give you the level of service both you and your horse deserve.
For the costs of bridles please have a look at www.evoequine.co.uk; their bridles range between £155 to around £195 - most bridles are somewhere in between. All the prices are on their website. Reins are extra. (they also sell lots of other lovely equine leather products too!). I particularly chose Evoequine as they offer a number of anatomical headpieces which is where good bridle fit starts.
Premier Equine bridles are still a very popular bridle, in particular the Verdura which is an anatomical bridle with a cavesson noseband and costs £122 for a standard fit. However, if you need to mix and match (which most clients tend to) different sections it works out at around £135 for a cavesson or a little more if you are having a grackle noseband for example. So, it depends what you want, though I would add that it is quite rare for this brand to fit any horse and pony properly without mixing and matching components
I also carry a stock of Horsemanship bridles in my toolkit, for you to try and I also carry a small range of Henry James bridles which are beautiful quality making 4 different brands I can offer. The price point for these brands are similar to that of EvoEquine.
So, in essence none of the brands I carry are extortionate prices but offer exceptional quality, as being very beautiful and comfortable for your horse or pony..
There is no obligation to buy from me, you can always order yourself direct at a later date. However, if you decide to go ahead, and you wish me to do so, I can order your new bridle for you and it is despatched directly to you.
If you have any questions or wish to book a fitting please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Please contact to discuss.
Please note payment for appointments is due on day of visit.
Cancellation fees apply for appointments cancelled within 48 hours.