There are two different kinds of "war bridles". The original war bridle is a piece of riding equipment used by native Americans. The cowboy version of a "war bridle" is a sort of halter used on disrespectful horses. This article is about the use of a native american War Bridle. A war bridle CAN be harsh in the wrong hands but used by a careful rider who rides mostly off their seat and legs it is a very gentle form of control. If you can’t stop your horse without using your reins, you aren’t ready for a war bridle.<\/p>\n
The indian war bridle is made from a single piece of rope. It loops through the mouth where the bit would sit, ties around the jaw in a type of slip knot, then runs back as reins.<\/p>\n
The way this bridle is MEANT to be used is very subtly, if at all. Because of the single knot under the horse’s jaw, it’s very difficult to turn a horse using the reins of a war bridle (and would be painful or at the very least uncomfortable if you tried!) turning has to be initiated by the rider’s body and legs.<\/p>\n
It’s a neat piece of tack for an advanced horse, or for an advanced rider who wants to train a horse in native american style or break a horse who is for some reason unable to wear a headstall. But for the rest of us, a war bridle is a piece of tack that should be used only after a horse can stop, turn, and change gaits, bareback, with zero contact on the reins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"