Bridles and Bits in Working Equitation

At the senior standard, Working Equitation is ridden on the curb, with the reins carried in one hand. At lower levels, the permitted bitting varies by level and governing body.

The four founding countries brought different national bridles into the sport.

I · Why a Curb¶

A curb asks through leverage. Rein tension rotates the shank, which acts on the horse's jaw and poll, so a small movement of the hand produces a larger effect than the same movement on a snaffle.

Because a curb uses leverage, it requires a horse and rider educated enough for the rein to be used with a light contact. On a self-carrying horse the curb can be used with very small rein actions. A horse still relying on the rider's hand for support would receive considerably more pressure from the same rein action.

In the progression described by the College, the curb belongs to the more advanced horse rather than the beginning of training. Working Equitation follows the horse's schooling: a plainer bit and two hands while the seat is forming, the curb or double bridle as the horse comes to carry itself, and the single curb rein at the top.

II · Is a Curb Better Than a Snaffle?¶

A snaffle and a curb act differently and are used for different purposes.

A snaffle acts directly on the mouth without leverage and is commonly used during earlier stages of training.

A curb acts through leverage and allows a trained, self-carrying horse to be ridden with small rein actions and a light contact.

A double bridle carries both, and lets a rider use either. In Working Equitation the horse is ridden on the curb rein.

III · What Bits Are Allowed¶

The current international rules are specific. The figures below are taken from the WAWE International Regulations 2025, Section III.2.

Permitted

• Curb, pelham and traditional national bits, with a maximum shank length of 12 cm
• A minimum mouthpiece diameter of 12 mm for curb bits
• Bits of metal, durable plastic, synthetic material or flexible rubber, with a smooth surface
• Bits covered with rubber or latex
• Double bridles, with the snaffle rein loose on the neck
• An unbroken kimblewick with a chain and one rein
• Rubber bit guards up to 9 cm in diameter

Not permitted

• Twisted bits and wire bits
• Bits placing mechanical elements on the tongue
• Bits covered with cotton or other non-approved materials
• An additional lower flash strap where a bit is used with a curb chain
• Serretas - the metal-edged noseband used in some field traditions
• Martingales and auxiliary reins

Nosebands and curb chains must be of soft leather with no other materials, and may never be fixed so tightly that they harm the horse. The Paddock Officer checks tightness before and after each test, using a gloved index finger between the horse's cheek and the noseband. If a noseband is still too tight at the second check, the President of the Jury may disqualify the rider.

IV · The Four National Bridles¶

Portugal - the cabeçada. A curb alone, or a curb above a light bridoon. Its distinguishing part is the gamarrilha, a small strap running from one bar of the bit to the other beneath the jaw. It holds the curb steady so the bit cannot turn in the horse's mouth through a quick turn or a sudden halt. The set is completed by a breastplate and crupper with buckles matching the bridle.

Spain - the cabezada vaquera. A spare bridle of headpiece, browband and a noseband passed through the loop of the bit strap. The bit is the bocado, the vaquera curb, traditionally forged in iron that darkens with use. At the brow hangs the mosquero, a fringe of horsehair, leather or silk that keeps flies off the horse's face and, by its swing, shows whether the horse is walking in even time.

France - the Camargue bridle. The simplest of the four: a headpiece carrying a single forged-iron curb, its mouthpiece a plain bar with fixed cheeks. It is chosen for stillness. The bit sits quiet in the mouth whether or not the rein hand is moving, which matters when the other hand is holding the trident.

Italy - the butteri bridle. A plain headpiece with a curb, worn over the cavezza maremmana, a sisal halter with a built-in lead. Its reins are open at the ends rather than joined into a loop.

V · Why They Converge¶

The four national bridles developed within different traditions but had to meet similar working demands.

The rider's other hand was occupied (with a pole, a trident or a hooked staff) so the bridle had to be one a single hand could ride. At the senior standard, the curb is ridden on a light contact. The horse is schooled to answer the seat and leg, with the rein used to confirm and refine the aid.

VI · Frequently Asked¶

What is a curb bit good for? Riding a horse that already carries itself on a very light contact, and riding it on one rein. The leverage means a small movement of the hand is enough, so the hand can stay quiet.

Can I use a snaffle in Working Equitation? At the lower levels, generally yes, and national rules set the detail. The curb or double bridle arrives as the horse comes to carry itself, and the single curb rein at the senior standard.

Is a double bridle allowed? Yes, with the snaffle rein lying loose on the neck so the horse is ridden on the curb.

Are bitless bridles allowed? The international rules set out permitted bits and require the horse to be harnessed in its national manner. Check your own federation's current rules before entering.

VII · The Rein Begins at the Horse¶

A bridle can be described through its individual pieces. Riding asks a different question: how do those pieces sit on this horse, and what reaches the rider through the rein?

That is where fitting becomes part of understanding the equipment.

For College Members, the study goes further into the relationship between the horse's head, the bridle, the bit and the hand receiving the rein.

The curb belongs to a more advanced stage of the horse's education, where increasingly small rein actions can carry meaning. How the bridle is fitted and how the rider takes up that rein therefore become part of the same conversation.

The interesting point is that the rider's hand sits at the end of a much longer chain. The rein reaches the bit, the bit acts through equipment fitted to an individual horse, and the horse's response travels back through that same connection.

The hand therefore becomes the final part of a much longer relationship rather than an aid studied on its own. Branch One establishes the equipment and the progression towards the curb. Branch Two takes Members further into fitting, taking up the rein and the connection running between horse and rider.