Putting your bridle away

[Figment]

How were your taught to "figure 8" your bridle? The Pony Club Manual just shows the bridle put away clean, and with the noseband buckled around the cheekpieces, and the reins buckled once in the throatlatch. I'm interested in other old school methods.

[Mia412]

I was taught to fasten the noseband by sliding the straps through the keepers (not buckled) and then wrap the throatlatch across the back of the bridle, around the front, then fasten it back to its strap by running it through the keepers. I run the throatlatch through the reins during the cross. It's hard to explain but it makes the bridles hang neatly in the tackroom.

[anchorsaway]

I was taught to run the throatlatch through the reins once, at the very beginning of 'figure 8'ing'. From there, the throatlatch is wrapped around the bridle, under the browband-until there's no sagging and then I run the end through the keepers without buckling. We don't usually but occasionally the cavesson is buckled around the rest of the bridle and sometimes the flash is done up as well.

[caradino]

i was taught at school to loop the throatlatch through the reins, buckle it, and then wrap the noseband around the whole thing and put the end through the keepers. this only really works though if your brilde hooks are far enough up that the reins won't drag on the ground.

[findeight]

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do this as long as it is neat and everything is laying smooth with no twists.

I run my reins thru the noseband and figure eight the throatlatch once, some in my trainer's tackroom are wrapped twice-personal preference.

All comes about in crowded tackrooms with bridles lined up in a long row where it sure looks alot better if they are done the same way. Like the halters on pegs outside each stall.

[Beethoven]

I run the throat latch going across the front of the bridle then back through the reins then back across the front and into the keepers. I then take the nose back and wrap it around the back of the bridle and come through the rings of the bit then through the keepers. It there is a flash I just wrap it once or twice around the bridle then through the keepers. I have done it other ways too but thats my favorite!

[cyberbay]

Variation upon variation for tying up a bridle... I have one student who is obsessed with tying them up, and it's amusing to watch her try to do it each week.

I do mine by positioning rein buckle just behind the crownpiece, wrap buckle end of t'latch around front of bridle, continue around the back and bring to the front again; then I put the buckle end under the crossing in front, and take the hole end of the t'latch and thread it through the keeper, run it over top of that initial crossing, and then thread end in the runner keeper (so buckle end of throatlatch is under and hole end is on top of that initial crossing). Reins can be captured in the throatlatch crossing or not.

Cavesson is wrapped 2x around all of this and slipped through keeper and runner.
(It looks pretty, and really is a waste of time for anyone to try to understand this...)

[Anyplace Farm]

I like the wrapped twice look because it makes it look like this: X If you just wrap once, it just does the X.

When I'm in other people's barns, I wrap how they like them wrapped. The only variations are reins up on crownpiece or down and wrap once or wrap twice.

I always put my throatlatch in the buckle and the first keeper but I notice a lot of people don't like that. I think I had to get into the habit of doing it because of a keeper that wasn't tight enough to hold the reins up once it was hung from the throatlatch.

[ExJumper]

I'll try to do it how it's done wherever I am

I used to bring the throat latch forward down and across, then around the back, then back up and across and then buckle it. The nose band went around once and was buckled in the back. The reins were hung up on the hook inside all the tying. So the X was in front using this technique.

The place I am now likes the X in back, and the reins hang from the throat latch behind the bridle. They also like to wrap the nose band twice so it comes back around to the front and buckles there.

[Maya01]

I was taught to fasten the noseband by sliding the straps through the keepers (not buckled) and then wrap the throatlatch across the back of the bridle, around the front, then fasten it back to its strap by running it through the keepers. I run the throatlatch through the reins during the cross. It's hard to explain but it makes the bridles hang neatly in the tackroom.

That's how I do it. I hate messy bridles XD

[Pirateer]

I keep the reins up with the crown, then loop the cavesson around, then Fig 8 the throatlatch.

[Go Fish]

I keep the reins up with the crown, then loop the cavesson around, then Fig 8 the throatlatch.

That's how I do it, too. If you put the reins through the throatlatch, the reins can drop to the ground when you undo the throatlatch buckle (if you're not careful). If you have the reins under the crown, you have hold of the bridle AND the reins at the same time.

That being said, my trainer does it through the throatlatch and HATES it that my bridles look different while all hanging together in the tack room!

[Gwendolyn]

I like the throatlatch wrapped with the X in front, the noseband around twice with the buckle end UNDER the front of the noseband (I was told if you put the buckle end on top, the front will sag when on the horse, not sure if it's true but it makes sense!).

A LONG time ago my aunt taught me this really cool way to do the reins. It involves looping them twice with the buckle end on TOP on the crownpiece. Really hard to explain and even harder to do, but once you get it it looks great (the reins don't hang so low - that drives me NUTS!) and it's really easy. A plus, you can tie a string around the crownpiece and reins and throw it in the bridle trunk and nothing gets tangled (she used to travel with the lipizzans and that's where she learned it).

I will post pictures tomorrow

[superpony123]

hang bridle. hang reins over crownpeice. buckle in the center. take nosband, wrap it around 2x and buckle (though most just put thru keepers, i find it to be quicker to do/undo to buckle) and then wrap throat latch around several times and buckle. usually should go thru reins at least once.

[chawley]

[QUOTE=findeight;4126374]There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do this as long as it is neat and everything is laying smooth with no twists.

I run my reins thru the noseband and figure eight the throatlatch once, some in my trainer's tackroom are wrapped twice-personal preference.
QUOTE]

I run my around once, but some in our barn do it twice. As findeight stated, either way works fine.

[Aliascml]

I wrap the throatlatch and noseband around twice each and slide them through the keepers,

[RugBug]

Reins through the cavesson. Throatlatch wrapped once. Looks like this:

My bridles

I personally don't like them wrapped anymore than once because the bridle starts looking like a wad of leather straps.

There's nothing like a wall of bridles all done up the same way (my way..preferrably but I can respect other systems).

[IsolaBella09]

I buckle everything, usually on the tightest hole, to keep everything together and neat. I put the noseband around the cheek pieces and reins and then cross them in the back, bring them to the front, and then buckle. I take the throat latch, cross it in front, through the reins, back around the front, and then buckle it on the right side.

[Anyplace Farm]

Reins through the cavesson. Throatlatch wrapped once. Looks like this:

My bridles

I personally don't like them wrapped anymore than once because the bridle starts looking like a wad of leather straps.

There's nothing like a wall of bridles all done up the same way (my way..preferrably but I can respect other systems).

Clyde's Restaurant at Reston Town Center in Reston, VA has bridles and saddles in the 'hunt room' area. Whoever styled that room did the bridles like you do. Without the noseband wrapped around, they just look undone to me. Everytime I go there, I want to go around and 'finish' them.

Can you say OCD?

[Ajierene]

I got a good deal of OCD tendencies from my hunter day (I CANNOT be on the 'wrong' diagonal...no matter how much I try...)

However...I was never taught any specific way. Take bridle in one hand, rein buckle in the other. Twist reins once, put rein buckle up with crownpiece and hang bridle up. No wrapping or buckling or tying going on.