How To Figure Eight A Bridle

I get this question a lot on how to figure eight a bridle, I work at a big lesson barn where we require our students to figure eight the bridles and recently I have been noticing that students have not been figure eighting our bridles and I am hoping it is just from a lack of knowledge. So I would like to go over how do it here.  Its fairly easy to do and I will break it down step by step. For the video of this tutorial check out my YouTube channel!

1). Hang the bridle up on a hook so that as you work with the bridle it won’t fall down.

– Tip: door knobs work well in a pinch!

2). Find the throatlatch of the bridle

3). Start wrapping the throatlatch around the front of the bridle.  Wrap it all the way around the bridle and find its mate and slide it through the keepers.

– Tip: if your crisscross happens behind the bridle you just started wrapping the wrong way. Undo your throatlatch and start your wrap by going in front of the bridle first, then around the back, and finishing in front again.

4). Pull apart the noseband and wrap it around the bridle as well, going around in back and finishing in front, keep it secured together by going through the keepers as well.

– Tip: you can buckle the throatlatch and the noseband but it will be one more step to undo when putting the bridle on the horse, so I like putting it though the keepers to make the bridle easier to take a part when its time to ride.

5). That’s it!  You can make your bridle look even more polished by cleaning it first, and making sure the reins are even as well.

It just is another way to make your space looking great!