Can You Fit The Bit?

Purchasing Australian bridles is only half the battle - next you need to make an accurate estimate of the cheek piece adjustment and bit before putting the equipment on your horse. There are two ways that this can be done.

First, you could go the trial and error route and hold the bridle on the animal's face, tinkering and adjusting until it fits the length from the mouth corners to the poll. The second way to go about this process is to put the bridle on the animal's head, fine-tune the cheek piece on only one side, and leave the other unattached. Then, you can hold the horse's mouth open and slip the bit through to the other. There should be a few wrinkles in the corners of the horse's mouth.

Make sure that you have adjusted the bridle correctly, or you risk hurting the animal. To test the fit, gently lift the bit sides away from the mouth and assess the situation. If there is a lot of space at the corners, it is too loose. There should only be a minimal amount of space—less than one centimeter. If you feel lost, ask a professional to help you correctly fit your bit and bridle.