Bridle and Bit Fitting by The Fitted Horse

Thank you for choosing The Fitted Horse to assess your horse and advise on your current bridle and bit fitting. You are receiving this document as you will be a direct client and I will be supplying equipment directly to you and invoicing you for payment. Your purchase contract is with myself, as your bridle and bit fitter, not the equipment manufacturer or any other third party.

Whether I am checking the fit of your existing bridle and bit or advising on the purchase of new equipment, I am at all times trying to help you achieve the best comfort and performance possible for your horse. So you know what to expect from my visit, please read the following points.

What to Expect During the Consultation

• I will be arriving in a Blue Bloomfields 3.5T horsebox. This allows me to carry all equipment we might require including trial bridles, bits, and assessment tools. Please let me know if there are any restrictions to parking or turning space.

• Whilst it sounds obvious, I do require the rider to be present as I need to assess the equipment both statically and during ridden work. Please ensure you have normal riding clothes, boots and riding hat.

• I will ask a lot of questions about both you and your horse's history in terms of performance, health, riding activities, and any previous bridle or bit-related issues. It helps if you have already thought about this so the facts are clear.

• I will expect to be able to examine your horse's mouth and head, so obviously need the horse to be clean, calm, and cooperative for handling.

• I will examine the horse at stand still, assess their mouth conformation, measure for appropriate equipment sizing, and evaluate current equipment fit.

• I will wish to see you ride at all paces in a safe, enclosed area with a good non-slippery surface to observe how the horse responds to current equipment and any trial equipment.

• I will make notes on everything we observe and will ask you for any feedback or comments before we leave.

• Normally I would expect to spend around two hours with you, so please budget for this so you are not rushed or pressured into making decisions.

• Please do not make appointments in the late afternoon if you do not have lights, and also not around the horse's feed time if at a yard of multiple horses.

• I work with different horses in different yards on a daily basis and have to consider the health and safety of both horses and riders I come in contact with. Please note the statements regarding horse and rider health below.

• Finally, I list some areas below which I consider important to a successful LONG TERM relationship with you and your horse. I am not trying to bore you but want to give you a good service which is dependent on two-way communication between both you and me.

You Know Your Horse Better Than Anyone Else

Riding and working with horses is a dangerous activity for both riders and those working with them on the ground. Horses are creatures of "flight" reacting rapidly when nervous, and their large size and weight increase the opportunity for harm to the rider and others if knocked, pushed or kicked.

The owners and riders of horses tend to forget that others working with their horse do not know that horse as well as they do and can inadvertently, no matter how expert, do something that upsets that horse.

You will be asked during the bridle and bit fitting consultation to perform a number of movements at all paces, and if I ask you to perform an activity that makes you nervous or which you and your horse have not done prior to today, you MUST stop and tell me before proceeding. We all ride at different levels depending on the experience and practice we have, and I am not here to judge you, simply wanting you to be confident and happy at all times.

Please do not consider me an equitation expert. My role is to provide you with bridle and bit equipment that is suitable and comfortable for you and your horse based on the information you tell me. You are the expert with respect to your horse's way of going—no one knows it better than you—so you must tell me if you feel any changes, both good and bad.

It is also important that you tell me before proceeding the full history of the horse and your experiences with it. I particularly need to know of any history of mouth, dental, head, or bit-related problems which might cause an adverse reaction when new equipment is fitted or assessed.

I should also be told of any back, neck, shoulder, or arm problems you have suffered in the past as this can also affect your riding and rein contact.

Finally, on the basis it is better to be prepared for any unlikely event, I need to know if you are taking any special medications or need regular treatment for any health complaint. If in the very unlikely case that you had a serious accident, I should be in the position of being able to advise any ambulance crew of such medications. Please also give me a telephone number of the person who should be advised if you had any such accident.

Confirmation of Health

Please do not ask me to visit or work with your horse if:

• It has been stabled, ridden out with, or competed at premises where other horses have had any infectious disease (i.e., strangles, etc.)
• It has had any skin disease in the last six months
• You are using or have been lent tack from stables that have had contact with any infectious diseases

Equipment Checks in the Months and Years After Fitting
 

Like humans, horses change shape due to work, age, diet, and time of year. Their mouth conformation can also change due to dental work, aging, muscling changes through the poll and jaw, and training development. Young horses particularly will experience significant changes as they mature and their work progresses.

Bridles may need adjustment as horses develop or lose muscle through the poll and neck. Bits that once fit comfortably may become too wide or too narrow as the horse's mouth structure changes. Nosebands may need repositioning as facial structure develops.

I recommend regular reassessment of bridle and bit fit, particularly:

• Every 6-12 months for mature horses in consistent work
• Every 3-6 months for young horses in development
• After significant dental work
• When changes in behaviour, performance, or head carriage occur
• When the horse experiences weight gain or loss affecting head and neck musculature

I am reliant on you requesting appointments for reassessment as necessary. Learning to recognize signs of poor fit—resistance, head tossing, mouth opening, tongue evasions, one-sidedness, or reluctance to accept contact—helps you identify when professional reassessment is needed.

Charges

I do not want you to have any nasty surprises with respect to my fees, so these are listed below. Our charges can be found on the Services, Costs & Booking page  and the Services and Prices document

Should you order custom-made equipment and subsequently wish to cancel after manufacture has commenced, you will be charged the consultation fee and any non-refundable deposits paid to manufacturers.

Specification and Your Consumer Rights

Some equipment I supply is standard stock that can be fitted and taken away immediately. Other equipment, particularly custom-made bridles or specially ordered bits in non-standard sizes, is made to order based on measurements and specifications taken during your consultation.

For custom-made or bespoke equipment:

• Lead time for production varies according to manufacturer and time of year, typically 4-8 weeks
• A deposit may be required (typically 50% of the total price)
• The deposit is non-refundable if you simply change your mind after ordering, as items are being made specifically to your specifications
• You will be clearly informed before ordering whether equipment is bespoke or stock
• You will be requested to sign a Notice of Right to Cancel Contract form acknowledging that the right to cancel does not apply to bespoke goods
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For standard stock equipment:

• You have the right to cancel within 14 days of receiving the item if it has not been used
• If it has been used, a sum commensurate with the diminished value will be deducted
• The consultation/fitting fee is not refundable as it is a cost incurred for services rendered at the time of our visit to you
• You must inform us of your wish to cancel by a clear written statement received by us prior to the 14-day deadline
• You will be responsible for the cost of returning the item to our address

Faulty or misdescribed goods

Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are not affected by this policy. If goods are faulty or not as described, you may be entitled to repair, replacement, or refund regardless of whether items are bespoke or stock.

Forms and Documentation

To maintain professional standards and legal compliance, I complete the following documentation:

Pre-Visit:

• Consultation summary and appointment confirmation
• Telephone questionnaire regarding your horse's history and current equipment

On the Day:

• Mouth measurement and conformation assessment records
• Equipment fitting checklist
• Photographs of your horse for identification and records
• Video footage of you riding in current and/or trial equipment
• Notice of Right to Cancel Contract form (if applicable for equipment purchases)
• GDPR consent form for record keeping in accordance with my privacy policy
• Receipt for any payments made

After the Consultation:

• Detailed written recommendations and equipment specifications
• Care instructions for any equipment purchased
• Invoice for services and equipment supplied

Communicating with Me

Please note that all communications with respect to bridle and bit fitting are by either telephone 07359 205538 or by email to emma@thefittedhorse.co.uk

You will make my day if you send me pictures so I can see how you are doing and your successes—be they a great day with your horse or improvements in your work together. I like to be able to share these pictures (with your permission) on my Facebook page and website to show how proper equipment fitting contributes to horse welfare and performance. Pictures and happy partnerships encourage others to prioritise correct fitting and enjoy better relationships with their horses.