War Bridles | How to Use a Native American Bridle with Your Horse

A war bridle is a minimalist horse bridle made from a single continuous piece of rope. There are several variants of a war bridle, but the most common is a loop of rope that encircles the horse’s lower jaw. The loop of rope passes through the horse’s mouth and rests in the mouth like a typical bit.

How a War Bridle Works:

The war bridle stays in place in the mouth thanks to tension and basic horse anatomy.

• Anatomy – The “bit” rests in the same position where a traditional bit sits.
• Tension – A simple loop around the horse’s lower jaw – which is secured snugly but not tight- keeps the horse from spitting the war bridle mouthpiece out.

Simple reins connect to this loop and allow the rider to control their horse without the use of a bridle, headstall, or traditional bit.

History

Traditionally, the reins on this type of bridle were very long. So long, in fact, that a Native American rider could loop them partially over a shoulder!

War bridles were, as you might guess from the name, used by some tribes during battle. The extra long reins of the war bridle meant that a rider could have both hands free to shoot a bow and reload.

When to Use a War Bridle

Technically, because the War Bridle does pass through the horse’s mouth, it is not a bitless bridle. However, this piece of tack (called the “‘Indian’ War Bridle” by generations past) may be an excellent option for some well-trained horses.

This minimalist bridle can be a great option for horses that, due to physical issues around the ears, eyes, or face, can’t wear a traditional bridle, a bitless bridle, or a loping hackamore. Growths, hair loss, or skin issues around the eyes or ears are valid reasons a horse may not be able to wear a bridle with a headstall.

War Bridles are for horses with plenty of training. Certainly, history would show that many horses have been broken to this style of bridle without previous training. But for the safety and comfort of both horse and rider, it’s important to move more slowly. Before transitioning to a war bridle you’ll want to first have a horse that responds well to gentle rein cues and turns off pressure from your legs.

A war bridle is not for casual experimentation, for green horses or beginner riders. If you are a rider who halts your horse and turns using your reins, a war bridle is not right for you yet.

If you or your horse are “green”, the last thing you want is to tie a knot around a very sensitive part of a horse’s body and let that be your only method of control.

Reasons to Use a War Bridle

Although this way of tacking up isn’t for everyone, there are some good reasons to use try using a war bridle, including:

• Personal Challenge. Not every horse and rider can thrive in a war bridle. Trying out this piece of tack in a safe way can be a low risk personal challenge.
• Novelty. Both horses and humans thrive when there’s a little novelty in our training routine. (Who wants to ride in an arena every day? That’s why we’ve come up with so many fun games on horseback)
• Gaining insight into how you communicate with your horse. Even if a war bridle isn’t your new favorite piece of tack, a few rides in this minimalist bridle can help you understand (and correct) your overreliance on a traditional bit and reins.
• Riding a horse with head or neck scars, trauma, or sensitivities. Some incredible horses have been retired or sold simply due to ear sensitivity, painful scars, or even conformational issues with bridles. By eliminating a headstall, a war bridle offers an alternative for these horses.
• Cultural connection. For those of us with an ancestral connection to Indigenous Americans, war bridles may be a route to self-exploration. Trying a war bridle can be a way to explore an embodied connection with our heritage.

A war bridle can be a fun way to challenge yourself and your well-trained horse. Before trying out a war bridle, try riding your horse with dropped reins. When you can reliably turn, slow, and stop your horse using only your seat and legs, give it a shot!

How to Introduce Your Horse to a War Bridle

How I Learned to Ride With a War Bridle

In the early 2000’s I had the opportunity to ride in a clinic instructing curious riders on the riding styles of a particular tribe of indigenous Americans. This purple war bridle was my take-home gift, as a thank-you for being the demo rider.

Mine has an elk hide wrapped mouthpiece. Simple, uncoated rope could make for a very harsh correction in a horse’s mouth, but wrapping it in hide makes the mouthpiece softer, less abrasive, and wider. In the world of horse bits, generally when a bit is wider, it’s gentler. Narrower bits provide a sharper correction to a horse.

The Native American war bridle takes a piece of rope and runs it through the mouth where the bit would sit, ties around the jaw to stay in place, then runs back as reins. I don’t think any company is currently producing these, but if you searched and checked with local resources for indigenous horse trainers you could probably find a craftsman making them.

This headstall-less bridle makes it look as though the horse is wearing no bridle at all. It was the bridle native people would use for war or hunting, where sometimes they needed their horse to move more precisely than their seat-cues could communicate when their upper bodies were engaged in hunting or another active activity.

Native riders were generally excellent horseback riders and rode with their whole body. This type of riding meant guiding their horse totally off their legs and seat. If they were in a dangerous spot, they would pick up a rein and cue the horse to move sharply.

One Unique Native American Saddle Type

I’m sure there are many variations of saddles used by indigenous Americans, but one fascinating thing I experienced as a rider in the clinic was the “saddle” I was allowed to use: It was similar to a bareback pad, but instead of stirrups there was a rawhide rope encircling the horse’s barrel like a very loose girth.

I learned this “loose girth” would allow me to tuck my knees under the rope and use the rope and my body to hold myself on the horse. I was instructed to slide my knees (but not my feet- in case I fell)  underneath the rope. As I rode, I found that if I needed more security in the saddle, I could spread my knees, and the rope would tighten and pull my seat down into the saddle. Surprisingly, it was very natural and arguably more comfortable than stirrups!

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Photos in this post feature my Bashkir Curly gelding in a Native American war bridle that was gifted to us by a fellow rider who is Native American. This horse, trained with classical dressage methods, happily works in a double bridle, war bridle, or no bridle at all! Although I typically ride dressage, I’ve enjoyed learning about Native American tack and riding styles as a way to connect with my own maternal great-grandmother, who was born into a Great Plains tribe, but whose history and even tribe affiliation were obliterated along with her entire immediate family in America’s violence against indigenous people.

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