The bridle path is a shaved or clipped section of the mane, beginning behind the ears of a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

at the

poll Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Forms of voting and counting * Poll, a formal election ** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts ** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions ** Polling pla ...

, delineating the area where the crownpiece of the

bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. It prov ...

lies. Bridle paths are a common style of grooming in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, but are not seen as often in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Grooming

A bridle path is usually clipped or shaved in the mane for competition in certain disciplines, and this may be done on ordinary riding horses as well. A bridle path allows the bridle or halter to lie flat on the head of the horse, which may be more comfortable. It also is thought to give the horse the appearance of a slimmer throatlatch, a generally desirable conformation trait. If the bridle path is cut too far, it can take up to 6 months for the mane to grow back to a length that allows it to lie over neatly, and as long as a year to reach its fullest possible natural length. Grooms usually start clipping the bridle path by working from the desired end of the bridle path towards the ears, as clipping from the ears backwards may result in a longer bridle path than desired.

Bridle path length

The length of the bridle path often varies between the equestrian disciplines and

breeds A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

. Bridle paths are common in the United States, less so in Europe. In the USA< the following standards are common: * The Hunter-type

English riding English riding is a form of equestrianism, horse riding seen throughout the world. There are many variations, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle, or saddle horn found on a Western saddle, nor the knee pads see ...

disciplines, including

dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

eventing Eventing (also known as three-day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where the same horse and rider combination compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...

, and hunt seat equitation, prefer a short bridle path of 1-2 inches. This length is also appropriate for certain breeds, including

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

s and

Warmblood Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sp ...

s. *

Saddle seat Saddle seat is a style of equestrianism, horse riding within the category of English riding that is designed to show off the high action of certain list of horse breeds, horse breeds. The style developed into its modern form in the United States ...

and fine harness horses are shown with a longer bridle path of at least 8 inches. It is usually appropriate for use on breeds associated with these disciplines, even when certain individual animals are shown in-hand or under saddle in other disciplines. Breeds clipped to a "Saddle type" style include

American Saddlebred The American Saddlebred is a horse breed from the United States. Descended from riding-type horses bred at the time of the American Revolution, the American Saddlebred includes the Narragansett Pacer, Canadian Pacer, Morgan horse, Morgan and ...

Tennessee Walking Horse The Tennessee Walking Horse or Tennessee Walker is a horse breed, breed of gaited horse known for its unique four-beat running-walk and flashy movement. It was originally Horse breeding, developed as a riding horse on farms and plantations in t ...

National Show Horse The National Show Horse originated as a part-Arabian cross between an American Saddlebred and an Arabian horse. It is now established as a separate breed, since the founding of a breed registry in August 1981. Registered animals today may be ...

s, Arabians, and Morgans. * The

Western riding Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet the ...

disciplines, including the western performance disciplines such as

reining Reining is a western riding competition for horses in which the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope (a version of the horse gait more commonly known worldwide as the cant ...

and western pleasure, generally cut a bridle path that is as long as the length of the horse's ear when laid flat back against the mane, generally no more than 6 to 8 inches. Stock horse breeds, including Quarter Horses,

American Paint Horse The American Paint Horse is a breed of horse that combines both the conformational characteristics of a western riding, western stock horse with a pinto horse, pinto spotting pattern of white and dark equine coat color, coat colors. Developed f ...

s, and Appaloosas, use this style of cut. *

Andalusians The Andalusians () are the people of Andalusia, an autonomous community in southern Spain. Andalusia's statute of autonomy defines Andalusians as the Spanish citizens who reside in any of the municipalities of Andalusia, as well as those Spani ...

generally never have a bridle path longer than 1 inch. * Peruvian Pasos are sometimes prohibited to have a bridle path by certain show organizations. *

Icelandic horse The Icelandic horse ( ), or Icelandic, is a Horse breed, breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are smaller (at times pony-sized) than other breeds, most Breed registry, registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Th ...

s generally do not have a bridle path clipped.

References

*Harris, Susan E. (1991) ''Grooming To Win: How to Groom, Trim, Braid and Prepare Your Horse for Show.'' Howell Book House; 2nd edition. , {{DEFAULTSORT:Bridle Path (Horse) Horse management