# What is 'Bridle Lame'??



## Flicker (29 January 2009)

I've heard the term used a couple of times now and was curious as to what it means.  Most recently, on my enquiring how one of the horses was after bruising its foot, the owner replied: 'oh, he's fine now, but is just bridle lame'.
Also used in relation to a horse who was working too fast and unbalanced in trot and occasionally throwing its head.  Instructor commented that it too was 'bridle lame'.
Can anyone explain what this interesting concept is??


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## martlin (29 January 2009)

Bridle lame as far as I understand it is unevenness of stride caused by the bit... difficult to explain really, it means that the horse is uncomfortable on the bit, getting unbalanced and therefore appearing lame.


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## Shazzababs (29 January 2009)

Basically its a sound horse which looks lame when ridden for some reason other than a pain\actually lame type thing.  

The one I had that did it was (at the time) an ex steeple chaser, and he would turn corners in an arena by throwing his head to the outside and hopping his back legs in a 3 time trot!  Drove me crazy until we suppled him up enough for a little bend.

Also seen it caused by a paticularly crooked rider.


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## Amymay (29 January 2009)

A figment of people's imagination.....


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## somethingorother (29 January 2009)

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A figment of people's imagination..... 

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haha you stole the words outa my mouth


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## M_G (29 January 2009)

I had a horse with saddle cough....Whenever it saw me carrying the saddle it would start coughing like you wouldnt believe..The lazy bugger


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## Amymay (29 January 2009)

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I had a horse with saddle cough....Whenever it saw me carrying the saddle it would start coughing like you wouldnt believe..The lazy bugger 

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PSML


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## ihatework (29 January 2009)

Basically its a term used when an apparently sound horse takes lame/unlevel steps when being ridden. More often than not there is an underlying problem with teeth/back/limbs. It can also be seen sometimes from poor riding.


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## pinktiger (29 January 2009)

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. It can also be seen sometimes from poor riding. 

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as above usually horse isnt in correct outline balance/submission!!


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## Bossanova (29 January 2009)

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A figment of people's imagination..... 

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I've seen plenty of very real cases!
It's generally caused when a lazy horse is pushed beyond it's natural stride in the rider's desperation to get it forward


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## Halfstep (29 January 2009)

Also crooked - if the horse is very crooked, loading one shoulder a lot it can look lame. Work on straightness, get the horse into the outside rein properly and those uneven steps disappear.


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## Laafet (29 January 2009)

Murphy could sometimes be described as bridle lame if not ridden forwards correctly. He was never lame during his career until he broke his leg when we discovered he had chronic arthritis according to his x-rays despite never having been clinically lame in the the 10 years I've owned him.


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## Bay_Beasty (29 January 2009)

Its not a figment of your immagination, it is a type of evasion of the contact and not working through form behind properly allowing the horse to skip with his front leg on one stride!!!! loosen the contact with the reins, stretch your arms forward and push him through into the contact so he takes it forward and away!! dont be tense as well as this encourages the horse to tense and therefore he can hop!


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## luckyhorseshoe (29 January 2009)

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Its not a figment of your immagination, it is a type of evasion of the contact and not working through form behind properly allowing the horse to skip with his front leg on one stride!!!! loosen the contact with the reins, stretch your arms forward and push him through into the contact so he takes it forward and away!! dont be tense as well as this encourages the horse to tense and therefore he can hop! 

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Agreed, please also see: http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/TheBridleLameHorse.htm


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## Amymay (30 January 2009)

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A figment of people's imagination..... 

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I've seen plenty of very real cases!
It's generally caused when a lazy horse is pushed beyond it's natural stride in the rider's desperation to get it forward 

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Isn't that called unbalanced?


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## Lobelia_Overhill (30 January 2009)

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I had a horse with saddle cough....Whenever it saw me carrying the saddle it would start coughing like you wouldnt believe..The lazy bugger 

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ROFLMAO so did my mare!


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## M_G (30 January 2009)

Glad I am not the only one who had a lazy but very clever mare


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## Mickeymoo (30 January 2009)

I was riding in manage one day, and my horses mates came out their stable and he went lame, once they had gone off the drive he came sound again..mmm..

I agree about the tension and being unbalanced.  He is a lot better since I started having lessons with my new trainer


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