The Athletic Horse Bit and Bridle Fit Consultancy & Equine Bodywork

01/05/2026

If you are considering introducing a double bridle to your horse please read the insightful and valuable advice from James Jackson BHSII.
I had the absolute privilege to work with this modest and talented partnership. Love my job.

26/04/2026

Considering getting a heatsense pad and following the science??? I have some very good deals so please PM if you are interested in either this pad, or a straight massage pad. Great addition to regular physio or bodywork. And it can travel with you to a show!

25/04/2026

Good morning everyone. Just to say, I am away at horsey heaven camp this weekend with Marley. I hope I have replied to everyone’s messages but signal is intermittent so please bear with me. If you are awaiting a reply please feel free to give me a nudge. Meanwhile his Royal Highness is reclining below between lessons 💜

22/04/2026

⚠️ Hands off the tongue! Here’s why it matters! ⚠️

Pulling on a horse’s tongue might seem harmless or even helpful during handling or restraint… but it can cause serious damage.

The tongue is directly connected to the hyoid apparatus, a delicate structure made up of several small, fragile bones that support the tongue and connect to the skull, larynx, and throat. These bones are not designed to withstand force, and excessive pulling can easily cause injury.

Potential consequences include:
❌ Hyoid bone damage
❌ Pain and inflammation
❌ Swallowing and breathing difficulties
❌ Long-term behavioural resistance

Once the Hyoid is damage it cannot be fixed.

What looks like “control” can quickly become trauma.

🐴 Horses rely on trust and correct handling, not force.
✔️ Use proper restraint techniques
✔️ Seek guidance from trained professionals
✔️ Always prioritise welfare over convenience

🚫 Do not allow anyone to pull on your horse’s tongue, regardless of whether they are a vet, EDT, physio, or any other professional. If it doesn’t feel right, question it. Your horse’s welfare comes first.

Let’s keep raising standards and protecting our horses from preventable harm. 💬

21/04/2026

Look at that little face. Baby Dora yesterday relaxing in her first session with me during her Atlanto-Occipital releases. This is the ‘money-shot’ every therapist wants and I had no idea her owner, Niamh had taken this photo until she sent it to me when I returned home.

The horse really has to trust you to allow you to do this and it must feel amazing for someone to take the weight of their head for a few minutes. Horses head weight about 10% of their body weight, so as you can imagine, quite heavy!!

Thank you for taking the photo and sending this over Niamh and keep up the fantastic education with your lovely Welsh girl 🐴🥰

19/04/2026

I have space along the below route on WEDNESDAY 29th April 🐴

I am a LANTRA qualfied bridle fitter; a LANTRA qualified Independent bit and bridle fit consultant carry many different brands of bits and bridles; I hold a Neue Schule bitting science qualification and am a member of EAPER "Ethos Accredited Professionals Equine Register" & Society of Master Saddlers member. I am also a member of IRVAP (Institute of Registered Veterinary and Animal Physiotherapists).

Please PM for more information / pricing please check out my website / reviews 😍. Thank you.

www.theathletichorse.co.uk

19/04/2026

Wow! I’ve hit 1.1K followers.

A big thank you to everybody that follows my page whether you were here from the very beginning or whether you recently joined. It’s really appreciated.

I am quite busy at the moment, so if anybody is waiting for an appointment or I haven’t gotten back to you, please feel free to give me a nudge!!

I have lots of TikTok’s and videos in my head that I would love to do with regard to bit and bridle fit and hopeful from June onwards I will find the time to do them (I just have a bit of other stuff going on at the moment), so please keep tuned and again, thank you 🙏😍

12/04/2026

The gallery wouldn’t be complete without Marley’s stable mate, Uncle Rio (just to be clear his name is ‘Rio’ and not ‘Uncle Rio’ to avoid any confusion).

A cheeky chappie and huge character who always has something to say on the ground. However, when ridden, the bestest hacking buddy EVER!!! He’ll go in front, he’ll go behind and NEVER pull your arms out. Though not overly keen on donkeys 🫏; his mum’s not too bad company either (and I don’t think she minds the donkeys unless they upset Rio).

Here he is wearing his own Horsemanship bridle complete with Bombers Happy Tongue. Rio was actually quite a fitting challenge to get correct. I always say there is no one headpiece that fits every horse and we probably tried around 8 different cob sized headpieces to get the 👌 fit and at least 3 different brands to achieve a good fit. Thankfully I have a well stocked toolkit to fall back on! We then and only then, carried a ridden bit consultation.

11/04/2026

My very own boy modelling a Horsemanship bridle and bit. He appears deep in thought and I wonder, what can he be thinking 🤔.

Answers on a postcode please!! Love him 😍

Bridle fit is such an integral part of bit consulting; the pair are utterly inseparably and the reason why I spend 90 minutes plus with each and every client.

11/04/2026

We didn’t really need a study to know that the tighter the noseband the more pressure we are placing on the horse’s mandible and nasal plane (not forgetting the soft lining of the mouth and cheeks being pressed into the molars and premolars), as well as inhibiting hind leg mobility. BUT it is good to have the data to back it up as I am sure some don’t stop to consider the horse as a living being capable of feeling sensations such as discomfort or pain. Data such as this really can’t be disputed. As for the comparison between the different styles of nosebands. . . .

I will never support the use of a flash noseband, for me it is a shortcut and cover up tool. This style of noseband was introduced in the mid twentieth century when there was an emphasis on reducing oral behaviours such as mouth opening. A quick fix to silence the horse’s discomfort.

I have in my 3 plus years of qualified bridle and bit fitting seen only 2 horses that went ‘better’ in a flash and interestingly they had both been trained abroad and imported into the UK. I am sure given time and some ‘unpicking and re-training’ they would fair better in an alternative. It’s an interesting one!

When I am out consulting and meeting clients for the first time, I see so many who ride with a flash strap on their noseband purely for the reason ‘it came with the bridle’. The first thing I do is remove it. It’s such a joy to see them ride free from the flash, with the horse looking so much more relaxed and happy. Sadly it is still common to see many horses being ridden on Social Media with their jaws strapped shut, fighting the bit, holding tension throughout their body resulting in a lack of true communication. Change is coming, but oh so very slowly it feels at times. But every study and every conversation we have, can help push welfare forwards. So let’s keep doing just that!

🗞️RESEARCH NEWS🗞️

Exciting to see two of our noseband publications recognised in the top 10 most-cited papers in Equine Veterinary Journal🤓

For the past several years, our research group has studied the biomechanical interactions between the bridle and the horse’s head, producing a series of publications covering this important area.

Super exciting that two of these studies were published in Equine Veterinary Journal, one of the most globally respected veterinary journals.

This is a team effort, and would not have been possible without the brilliant research team, researchers, riders, owners, research assistants, and supporters.

Massive thank you to our funders for their support: World Horse Welfare, the Canadian Sport Horse Association, Hartpury University, the British Equestrian Federation, and The Worshipful Company of Saddlers.

As we continue on this journey we have more papers under review, and underway.

The two EVJ publications are available as open access:

📚Clayton HM, Murray, R., Williams, J. M., Walker, V., Fisher, M., Fisher, D., Nixon, J., Mackechnie-Guire, R. Facial pressure beneath a cavesson noseband adjusted to different tightness levels during standing and chewing. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2024:1-11.

🔗 https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.14451

📚MacKechnie-Guire R, Murray, R., Williams, J. M., Nixon, J., Fisher, M., Fisher, D., Walker, V., Clayton, H. M. Noseband type and tightness level affect pressure on the horse's face at trot. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2024:1-15.

🔗 https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.14420

beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
centaurbiomechanics.co.uk
pure.hartpury.ac.uk/en/

10/04/2026

It’s so rewarding to help people with their horses and to receive reviews such as this.
All my reviews are on my review page too if you are thinking of booking a visit with me. My consultations are thorough and take time, we take into account oral anatomy, physical anatomy, training levels, amongst a myriad of other things. Choosing a bit and bridle for your horse isn’t, and shouldn’t be, guesswork. Your horses well-being and comfort deserves more than that.