How Browbands Affect Bridle Fit and Your Horse’s Comfort

The browband is often the first part of a bridle we notice. It might be plain leather, curved, decorated with crystals or made to match the rest of the tack. It helps keep the bridle in position, but it is not essential part of the bridle and usually more decorative than functional part of the bridle. But browband plays a big role in bridle fitting. Even the most beautiful browband that is not fitted correctly can make the whole bridle uncomfortable.

The browband runs across the horse’s forehead and connects to the headpiece on both sides. Because these parts are connected, the browband influences the headpiece position. If it pulls on the sides of the bridle, the headpiece moves forward towards the ears and press to them creation discomfort and pain. Changing its length can sometimes improve the fit without replacing the entire bridle.

What happens when a browband is too short or long?

A short browband sits tightly against the forehead and pulls the headpiece towards the base of the ears. You may notice that the leather crowds the ears even though the headpiece itself seems to be the right size. The bridle begins to rub, and the constant pressure causes pain and can damage joints and soft tissue. Constant pressure causes headaches, reluctance to work, an inability to relax, and resistance when putting on the bridle. As you can see, one slightly short belt can cause very serious and complex problems.

The fit is easy to misjudge from the front. Look at your horse from the side and check where the headpiece rests. The ears should have room to move, and the browband should not hold the headpiece against them. The basic rule is that two fingers should fit comfortably under the browband, placed vertically. However, if the browband has decorations that make it less flexible, at least three fingers are needed.

Can a browband be too long? Yes. A very long browband may hang way too forward from the forehead. The headpiece and cheekpieces may also sit less steadily, the browband can slap the horse’s forehead when moving and bother the horse.

A shaped browband can fit well across the forehead but press at the sides of the head if its curves are in the wrong place. Every horse is unique, and so are the proportions of horse’s head. That’s why the shape of the browband should be chosen individually to suit your horse’s head shape. It’s important that the browband doesn’t put pressure on the areas around the eyes or sit too wide on your horse’s forehead.

How to check the fit on your horse

Put on the complete bridle and let your horse stand quietly. Then look from the front and both sides:

• Does the browband sit comfortably across the forehead?
• Is it pulling the headpiece forward into the ears?
• Can your horse move ears freely?
• Does the browband hang forward?
• Are there rub marks when you remove the bridle?

Check again after fitting a different headpiece. The loops at the ends of a browband must have enough room for the straps passing through them. A bridle with one strap on each side may need different loops’ size from a bridle with two. The browband should slide onto the headpiece without bunching the leather or padding.

A browband made to your horse’s size

“Pony”, “Cob”, “Full” and “Over” are useful starting points, but they cannot describe every horse’s forehead. At Lazypony saddlery workshop we make leather browbands to order and offer custom sizing at no extra cost. You can also tell us what bridle the browband needs to fit, so we can make the end loops the right size.

Choose plain leather colours, decorations like clinchers, pearls or crystals in colours that suit your tack. Explore our handmade horse browbands or contact us if you need help with the size. Lazypony saddlery workshop.