How to Put a Bridle on a Hobby Horse
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A Parent’s Step-by-Step Guide
Every hobby horse has a moment when it stops being a toy on a stick and becomes a pony. That moment is the bridle.
Here is exactly how to put a bridle on a hobby horse, step by step, so your child’s pony is dressed and ready for imaginative play in a few simple moves. We use the Ruby Roo Saddles hobby horse bridle as the example. It features premium English bridle leather and a sparkling crystal browband, and it comes in one size that fits all hobby horses, so there is nothing to measure. It is written for parents, and easy enough for children to follow along and do it themselves.
What You Need Before You Start
Gather these before you begin.
- A hobby horse, sometimes called a stick horse
- A bridle. The Ruby Roo hobby horse bridle is made from premium English bridle leather, in Black or Havana, with Pink, Purple, Blue, Black or Havana padding. It features a sparkling crystal browband and is listed as one size fits all hobby horses, so there is no size to choose.
- Reins (optional). The reins are sold separately, in Black or Havana Brown.
- A spare browband (optional). Extra browbands are sold separately if you want a new look later.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 Lay everything out
Place the hobby horse and the bridle side by side where you can see both. Find the browband. On a Ruby Roo bridle it is the band with the sparkling crystals, and it is the part that sits at the front.
Step 2 Hold the bridle the right way around
Hold the bridle with the browband facing forward, the way it will sit on the hobby horse. Getting the direction right now saves fiddling later.
Step 3 Guide the bridle over the head
Gently guide the bridle over the hobby horse's nose and up toward the ears, just as you would with a real pony's bridle. Go slowly so nothing gets twisted on the way.
Step 4 Position the browband
The browband should lie flat across the forehead, just below the ears, and sit level on both sides. A straight browband makes the whole bridle look right, so take a moment to even it up.
Step 5 Check the fit
Step back and look at the hobby horse from the front. The bridle should look centered and straight, with nothing twisted. Because the Ruby Roo bridle is one size fits all, there is no size to get wrong. If your bridle has any adjustable straps, adjust them until it sits snugly without pulling.
Step 6 Add the reins
If you have the reins, attach them to complete the set. They are sold separately, so a bridle on its own is also a complete look for play or for display.
To take the bridle off, reverse the same steps, working backward from the reins to the browband.
Swapping the Browband for a New Look
The Ruby Roo hobby horse browbands are interchangeable, so one bridle can have many looks. They come in Blue, Pink, Purple, Red and Multicolor, designed to switch up the look to match a mood, an outfit or an occasion. Easy on and off with Velcro closures on both ends.
Choose a matching browband to suit your child's favorite color, then swap it whenever they want something different. If you are curious about what a browband does on a real pony's bridle, our guide to what a browband is on a horse explains it in plain language.
Make It Part of the Play
Children often enjoy dressing their own hobby horse. Bridle on, reins ready, and the pretend riding can begin.
Doing the steps in the same order each time also builds a simple routine, a little like real tacking up. Let your child lead, and you can simply check that the browband is straight at the end.
From Hobby Horse to Real Pony
When a child is ready to move from pretend riding to real riding, the tack gets bigger but the idea stays the same. For the youngest riders, Ruby Roo Saddles makes a lead line saddle designed for toddlers and beginner pony riders.
Ruby Roo Saddles also makes saddles, saddle pads and accessories for young riders, so a child's tack can grow along with them.
Conclusion
Bridling a hobby horse takes six simple steps. Lay everything out, hold the bridle the right way around, guide it over the head, set the browband, check the fit and add the reins. There is no sizing to worry about, and the fun part is choosing the colors.
When you are ready to dress your child's hobby horse, the hobby horse bridle collection brings the bridle, reins and browbands together in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you put a bridle on a hobby horse?
Hold the bridle with the browband facing forward, guide it over the hobby horse's nose and up toward the ears, and set the browband flat across the forehead below the ears. Check that it sits straight, then add the reins.
Is putting a bridle on a stick horse different?
No. A stick horse is another name for a hobby horse, so the same steps apply.
Do hobby horse bridles come with reins?
Reins are sold separately as Hobby Horse Bridle Reins, in Black or Havana Brown.
What size hobby horse bridle do I need?
None to measure. The Ruby Roo hobby horse bridle is listed as one size fits all hobby horses.
Ruby Roo Saddles designs saddles, tack and accessories for young riders and their ponies. Product details in this guide come from the product listings on the Ruby Roo Saddles website. Questions? Contact Ruby Roo Saddles at rubyroosaddles@gmail.com Monday through Saturday, 9am to 7pm CST.
