EquiBit Ireland - Bit and Bridle Fitting Solutions

06/11/2025

Wise words with very relevant points. I very often put on my coaching hat when bit fitting to educate the rider on pressure and release to pressure. Getting the horse relaxed and improving the feel on the rein will make the world of difference to how your horse goes.

Correct bit and bridle fit are crucial for equine comfort and performance by reducing unwanted pressure and pain. Optimal performance relies heavily on effective riding and training, combined with ensuring the horse's physical well-being through regular care from a team of professionals including a:
Veterinarian
Farrier
Saddle fitter
Physiotherapist
Equine Dentist

This holistic approach, which addressing both equipment and physical health, is essential for a happy, healthy horse which will be fit to do the work required.


Equine Fitters Directory

🖐 Let's discuss riders' hands
Ultimately, would I be doing my job if I saw a client with bad or hard hands and didn't try to help them understand?

👍 The riders hands influence so much of what pressure points the horse will tolerate.
For example, if a rider is clinging on for dear life, gripping the reins with the breaks on constantly, then the horse will fight to go forward. It will open its mouth with bar, palate, and tongue pressure. It will get its tongue over anything with tongue pressure. The head will react upwards or downwards just to get away from the constant pressure.
🙌 If you want your horse to be consistent down the rein, then the rider has to be too.

🫶 A riders hands should be relaxed, squeezing the reins, maintaining a consistent, soft, and elastic contact through flexible elbows. Communication should be subtle and kind.

✊️I see so many riders with hands that block through the rein, grip on, and pull harshly back with the rein.
I understand that if the horse is reacting to pressure, then the rider will react back. It's only natural. But we need to stop and think. If you are jabbing them with an uncomfortable bit, then it may not aid you in your relationship with the horse.

👎 I mostly see hard hands from riders who are panicking, out of balance, or lax.
Typically, bad hands are a symptom of other problems, and it's usually core stability.

🐴 But of course, the horse is reacting to pressure. If they dont like those pressure points, then what can you do about it.

💪 This is where we as bit fitters come in. We can help your horse maintain a less resistive contact with you as a rider. This is why we ask for the regular rider to ride and not someone else. We can help reduce that fight and argument by making your horse more comfortable so that they can hear your rein aids and maintain a better contact. But we can only do so much, of course, like anything you have to play your part too.

🐴 Next time you ride, take time to think about your hands. There's so many ways you can improve them. We dont all have perfect hands!

🤲 For the people about to comment, it's not the bit it's always the riders hands. I dont agree. If the horse doesn't like the pressure points, then you can't expect them to go forward correctly with the best of hands.
Would you walk around with uncomfortable shoes all the time and have to change the way you walk? No, we would change the shoes. The same goes with the bit. More comfort = a happy horse and rider.

🤝 In conclusion, both the bit and the riders hands have to work together for a harmonious ride and a happy horse.

06/11/2025

Suppleness always comes before contact. The three main components of suppleness in a horse are longitudinal suppleness, lateral suppleness, and mental suppleness.

1. Longitudinal Suppleness
This refers to the horse's ability to stretch and round its topline (including the back, neck, poll, and jaw) and to lengthen and shorten its frame and stride while maintaining rhythm and balance. A longitudinally supple horse is able to "work through" its back, allowing energy from the hindquarters to flow to the contact with the rider's hand.

2. Lateral Suppleness
This describes the horse's side-to-side flexibility and dexterity. A laterally supple horse can bend equally and without resistance through its entire body (not just the neck) to conform to the arc of a curve (e.g., on a circle, serpentine, or during lateral movements like leg-yield and shoulder-in) while keeping its hindquarters aligned with its forehand.

3. Mental Suppleness
This is the psychological aspect of suppleness, characterized by the horse being mentally and physically relaxed, confident, and willing to accept the rider's aids without fear or tension. A mentally supple horse is focused on the rider and approaches new exercises with a flexible and accommodating attitude.

The horse also needs to have suppleness of the joints, which refers to the full range of motion in the joints (hocks, hips, knees, shoulders, jaw, poll) that allows for elastic, expressive movement and greater engagement of the hindquarters.

Ensuring a horse is comfortable with a correctly fitted bit and bridle is fundamental to achieving softness and suppleness because it removes physical pain and tension, thereby enabling proper physical function and clear communication.


Equine Fitters Directory

Why Isn’t Your Horse on the Bit?

Here’s another common and misunderstood questions in riding: why isn’t your horse on the bit?

If I’m honest, it’s also a question that once held me back from exploring French classical training. I was uninformed and, truthfully, a little judgmental about what I was seeing until I took the time to read and understand the theory behind why we should wait before asking for poll flexion.

Even now, it’s a question that can make me feel a bit exposed when I’m working through those early, messy stages of helping a horse find balance.

In the School of Légèreté, we don’t start by putting the horse “on the bit” by asking for poll flexion. We start by educating the mouth.

Before a horse can seek contact, he must first learn to accept it; with confidence, not tension. That begins with a soft, mobile jaw. When the jaw is relaxed, the poll and neck can follow, and the topline opens up. Without that first conversation in the mouth, any contact risks becoming a constraint rather than a communication.

From there, we focus on bending and extending the neck, left and right, forward and out. This isn’t just about stretch; it’s about symmetry. By gymnasticising the neck, we free and lengthen the spine so the horse can move straight and without contraction. Only once the body is supple, balanced, and aligned do we add the final piece; poll flexion, the cherry on the cake.

I often think about this through my own body. I’m tall, with a long neck, and I struggle with neck and shoulder pain. To avoid strain, I need to tuck my chin slightly toward my neck; a small flexion at the atlanto-occipital joint, the human equivalent of the horse’s poll. It helps enormously, but only if I’ve first lengthened and aligned my spine. If I try it from a collapsed posture, the discomfort multiplies.

Try it yourself; it’s a simple but powerful way to feel why a horse needs a long, symmetrical neck before you think about flexing the poll.

So, if you see a horse being ridden with their head ahead of the vertical, it might not be because the rider doesn’t know how to “get him on the bit.” They may simply be taking the slower, more thoughtful route; ensuring every piece of the puzzle is in place so that, when flexion comes, it creates lightness and stability, not restriction.

01/11/2025

If you really need to use a universal bit 🙈 please be kind to your horse & use a back strap to minimise the discomfort caused by the over rotation of these type of bits which can over stretch the lips causing damage & pull the cheeks into the premolars. Also chose a kind mouthpiece not a single joint. Your horse's comfort and welfare should be your priority

01/11/2025

What's the difference between a wilkie and a bevel bit 👇

01/11/2025

Would you like a bespoke EvoEquine bridle? I carry a range of Bridles & Bridle parts in pony, cob and full. Check out their website, they have so many options.

EvoEquine LTD
Equine Fitters Directory

29/10/2025

28/10/2025

Mel Hirrell, Listed Equine Fitter (LEF), Barlaston Horse Supplies, says

“The bridle and bit are two of the most important pieces of equipment – don’t overlook them.”

What looks like tension, evasion or objection is often your horse’s way of coping with discomfort – and fit can be a key factor.

Bridle fit isn’t a luxury – it’s part of good horsemanship.

Compared to other horse care costs, a professional fitting and bridle - either made bespoke or from select component parts - is a small investment that can make a big difference to how your horse feels, responds, and moves.

Fit first. Always.

Barlaston Horsey Stuff & Saddle Fitting Services

28/10/2025

What Happens at a Bridle or Bit Fitting?

Thinking of booking a bit or bridle fitting but not quite sure what’s involved?

Here’s what to expect:
🔸 Your fitter will ask about you and your horse – their history, any issues, what kind of work you do
🔸 Check for conformation issues, sensitivities or asymmetries
🔸 Look at your current setup
🔸 You’ll be asked to ride as normal so they can observe movement and communication
🔸 They’ll try different combinations based on what fits – and how it feels to your horse

From there, they may:
🔸 Make small adjustments on the spot for comfort and clarity of communication
🔸 Recommend the bit that both fits and is preferred by your horse – and may supply it
🔸 Suggest – and maybe supply – the right bridle components or a bespoke-made bridle

Fitting isn’t about guessing – it’s about listening, observing, and responding.

You’ll come away with insight, not pressure – and a happier, more comfortable horse.

26/10/2025

Super excited to attend this Conference on Tuesday 😍

📢 Speaker Spotlight: Olympic Rider Richard Davison at BETA Bitting, Bridles & Saddlery Conference 2025! 🐎

We are incredibly honoured to welcome Richard Davison, a four-time Olympian and World & European Championship medallist, to our conference on October 28th & 29th at Loughborough University!

Richard will not only be sharing his insights during the day in a "Double Trouble - The Great Debate", but will also be our special guest speaker at the exclusive conference dinner!
A four-time Olympian and a World and European Championship team medallist, he brings a wealth of experience from the highest levels of dressage. He is a former British Dressage World Class Equestrian Programme Performance Manager, team captain, and even coached show jumping programme.

Richard's influence extends far beyond the arena. He has been a member of various FEI working groups and task forces, including the FEI Dressage Committee, shaping the future of the sport. He is also a member of the organising committee of the prestigious London International Horse Show and currently serves as an ambassador of World Horse Welfare and a trustee of the British Horse Foundation.

With a unique interest in law, Richard holds a Masters of Law degree and acts as a litigation consultant, also being a supporter of the Law In Sport organisation. His academic contributions include being a former visiting fellow at Nottingham Trent University, where he was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science. Richard is a Fellow of the British Horse Society and a Fellow of the International Dressage Trainer Club, running a successful show jumping and dressage stable in Staffordshire with his family.

This conference is a fabtastic opportunity to learn from the best for all equine professionals and enthusiastic riders!

Day 1: Focus on Bitting & Bridles ("Making Equitation a BIT Better")

Day 2: Focus on Saddles & Accessories ("Helping Equitation to SIT Better")

Exclusive Conference Dinner on Oct 28th with Richard Davison.

Hotel Discounts & BETA Member Discounts available.

CPD Points for BHS, BD and Society of Master Saddlers.

Book your tickets (and secure your spot at the dinner) via Eventbrite: www.bit.ly/4jdxI0u View the full programme: www.beta-uk.org/conferences/

26/10/2025

Alot of people think all horses take a 5.5 inch (140). Some horses can take a 4.5 inch bit! In fact the majority of bits I fit for horses are 5 (125) and 5.25 (135). Having a bit which is too big & one which is too small can both be problematic for the horse. Read this useful article from Border Equine Dentistry & Bit Fitting to find our more 👇

Just a bit about bit sizing!

You’d be surprised how many horses are going around every day in bits that are too big 😬

A big horse doesn’t automatically mean a big mouth.
For example: my 16.1hh Warmblood x Clydie mare is in a 115mm, occasionally a 120mm.
She’s a sizeable girl… but her mouth isn’t!

Breed, height, and weight don’t determine bit size…mouth anatomy does.

Lips, bars, tongue thickness, palate shape… they all matter!

What happens when the bit is too big?

🔸 Excessive movement:
The bit slides side-to-side, making cues
unclear and inconsistent.

🔸 Lip pinching & rubbing:
More movement = more friction = pain. This
can lead to sores, swelling and head-tossing.

🔸 Pressure where it shouldn’t be:
A loose bit can bump the teeth or bars and
irritate nerves in the mouth.

🔸 Loss of communication:
Your horse has to guess what you’re asking.
You tug harder, They brace more.
And then everyone is frustrated.

🔸 Long-term damage
Repeated rubs, bruising, callusing, and even
changes in mouth sensitivity.

A properly fitted bit should:

✔️ Sit snug and evenly on both sides
✔️ Not stick out more than 3–5mm past the lips
(each side) in the case of a loose ring
✔️ Stay stable in the corners of the mouth
without digging in

Not sure if yours fits?
Im happy to check your bit size during your horses dental appointment

Small mouth, big horse? Totally normal and extremly common!!

Always fit the mouth, not the myth. 😉

📸 Coco… wearing a 115 Fager Julia
Big horse… small (normal size) mouth

23/10/2025

Guess where I will be next Tuesday 🤩 So looking forward to hear such expert speakers and mingle with other Bit &Bridle Fitting experts

📢 Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Hilary Clayton at BETA Bitting, Bridles & Saddlery Conference 2025! 🐎
Prepare for insights from a world expert in equine biomechanics!

We're thrilled to announce that Dr. Hilary Clayton, a distinguished veterinarian, researcher, and horsewoman, will be speaking at our conference taking place on October 28th & 29th at Loughborough University!
Dr. Clayton will present on 29th October her views on: "The Great Noseband Debate."
________________________________________
Dr. Hilary Clayton's contributions to equine science are monumental. She has performed innovative research across a wide spectrum of topics, including equine locomotor biomechanics, lameness, rehabilitation strategies, conditioning programs for equine athletes, and critically, the intricate interaction between rider, tack, and horse. Her vast knowledge is reflected in her impressive bibliography, which includes eight books and over 300 peer-reviewed papers.
From 1997 until her retirement from academia in 2014, Dr. Clayton held the prestigious Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her passion for discovery continues as she actively engages in collaborative research with colleagues worldwide.
Her exceptional career has earned her numerous accolades: she is a charter diplomate and past president of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science, and has been inducted into both the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame and the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame.
________________________________________
Why This Conference is a Must-Attend:
• Gain invaluable knowledge
• Day 1: Focus on Bitting & Bridles ("Making Equitation a BIT Better")
• Day 2: Focus on Saddles & Accessories ("Helping Equitation to SIT Better")

• Conference Dinner on Oct 28th with an exclusive audience with Richard Davison.
• Hotel Discounts & BETA Member Discounts available.
• CPD Points for BHS, BD and Society of Master Saddlers.

This is an unparalleled opportunity to advance your understanding of equine welfare for all equine professionals and enthusiastic riders!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Book your tickets (and dinner) via the Eventbrite link in the comments
View the full programme on our website