There are already a handful of anatomical bridles out there, but they tend to focus on one issue - like poll pressure - and leave many potential problem areas unresolved.

Since every piece of the bridle interacts with the bridle as a whole, it is crucial that each piece is deliberately designed to work in symbiosis with the rest of the bridle.

There are at least five fit components of a bridle that need to be done correctly to fit all of a horse's structure well. They are:

1. Poll/atlas

2. Cartilage at the base of the ears

3. Molars

4. Nasal bones and air passages

5. TMJ (temporomandibular joint) - the connection between the skull and jaw, a critical area that allows a horse to relax its jaw

Many traditional bridles miss the mark on all five of these areas with high pressure on the ear cartilage, digging the molars into the cheeks, restricting nasal passages and causing pressure on the sensitive nerves around the TMJ.

The Better Bridle addresses all of these problem areas with a handful of industry firsts, like an articulating nose band, adjustable brow band, a pivoting throat latch and a unique crown design to protect the atlas and ears.

Traditional bridles have a fixed noseband. Motion studies have shown that the location of peak pressure on a noseband changes depending on the position of the horse’s head. 

For example, when the horses head is on the vertical, the upper edge of the noseband has greater pressure. When the horses head is above vertical, like on an approach to a fence, the lower edge of the noseband has more pressure.

The Better Bridle solves this pressure imbalance with an articulating noseband that moves independently of the rest of the bridle with a hinge point on the cheek piece.

Just because your horse’s head is a “horse” size, doesn’t mean it has the same conformation as other horses with the same bridle size. That’s why the Better Bridle has an adjustable browband. 

It accommodates different head shapes and proportions to be sure the browband places the crown leather in a safe position away from the horse’s ears and off the TMJ.

The browband design also removes one of the highest (and most underdiscussed) pressure points on a bridle - which is where the crown and browband meet. On a traditional bridle the overlap bulk of the two pieces causes high pressure. The Better Bridle fixes this by passing the browband through the crown, to create a low profile and low pressure attachment point.

The crown is shaped to contour around the ears and TMJ. It’s padded in a unique way that gives padding where it is needed most. 

You can see there is more padding at the front of the crown near the ears, and more padding at the rear of the crown over the poll. These are the specific areas where padding is actually helpful. 

We kept the overall poll light and minimal, since studies have shown that most bridles have increased pressure at the base of the ears rather than the poll. 

Traditional bridles have evenly padded nosebands, which create pressure points on the edge of the nasal bones, where the skin is thin and the bones are fragile. The Better Bridle has thick padding in the front center of the noseband to lift it from the horse and eliminate that common pressure point. 

The flash goes on and off in seconds, and looks good either way you use it.

1. Cartilage at the base of the ears: 

The Better Bridle is shaped to give more room for the ears.

2. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ): 

The Better Bridle has a specific curve that alleviates pressure on the TMJ joint and the many nerves associated with it.

3. Facial Crest:

The Better Bridle contours around the facial crest to avoid pinching and irritation.

4. Nasal Passages:

The Better Bridle has a raised noseband to prevent restriction and pressure on the nasal passages.