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Ear bonnet and bridle came off

Hunter/Jumper
#1

I need advice. I have been using the Shockemole silent bonnet and it has really helped my horses silly spooks. I truly think he prefers it and focuses much better. I got off the other day and he shook his head and the whole bridle came off. He barely shook and he does this often undersaddle so now I am concerned. I really don’t want to lose my bridle when riding!

He will not tolerate pompoms, shakes them right out after a lot of wrestling to put them in. This particular bonnet doesn’t have the throat cord that wraps around the throatlash, but I don’t see how that would help when the whole bridle came off. He has been wearing this particular bridle for three years with no prior issues.

I really don’t want to ditch this. I know this bonnet helped at his first indoor show when they started using a staple gun on the wall right behind us and he didn’t even move. Please help.

#2

Was the throatlatch pretty loose? My first step would be to make sure that the throatlatch is an appropriate tightness.

One old old trick I heard about is to leave the top part of the mane a bit long so it can be braided around the crown piece of the bridle to help secure it in place. This likely wouldn’t be a daily practice, but could be done while showing, or other times when you wouldn’t want to risk him shaking it off.

15 Likes
#3

A friend of mine had this same problem when she added a bonnet to her show setup. She tried it out at home first - horse shook her head under saddle and the entire bridle came off (while she was mounted). Not fun having a green horse tearing around with the bit banging her in the teeth and the bridle flopping loose. Then, less than a week later at the show, she was leading horse and horse shook her head, entire setup came off and horse got loose on the showgrounds.

I agree with braiding mane through the crown piece. If the mane isn’t long enough now, you can try rigging up some yarn, maybe tied to a braiding elastic? It won’t be as secure but might help. Make sure you’re not using any ShowSheen or other silicone products on the head which will increase the slip factor.

1 Like
#4

You’ve probably tried everything haha but my horse was horrific with poms. I finally found a set that are sooo soft and squishy/moldable that she doesn’t shake (can’t they’re like memory foam) them out and getting them in is easier and easier. If you can find a way to use them I find they make a huge difference.

#5

This was my first thought too.
Keeping the bridle from flying off is the job of the throatlatch.

6 Likes
#6

I watched this happen to Gina Miles in the middle of her 3* stadium course once - the horse refused, she slid forward, and somehow the whole bonnet and bridle came right off. I think fly bonnets are just a bit slippery & make it harder to keep the rest of the bridle on. I haven’t had the chance to experiment with different solutions, but it should be pretty easy to knot a piece of craft cord through the crochet to make a throat cord. You could also experiment with adding some non-slip stuff behind the ears - even just automotive silicone or a piece of that nonslip drawer liner foam might be enough to solve it. A bit DIY, but it might be worth trying!

2 Likes
#7

Check this out–the bridle and bonnet slid off during this jumper round, and horse and rider finished without skipping a beat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df8oDx-KGXQ

I think some of those bonnets do tend to be slippery. In this case, I didn’t see any reason for the bridle to slide off–no refusal or stumble or anything like that. I like the ides of securing the bridle with a braid.

5 Likes
#8

I have one bridle and one set of ears that does this. It is a delgrange bridle that I won and while it is lovely, my horse has shaken it off often, more often with one particular set of ears (they are a bit smaller). He never shook off while I was riding but whenever I would give him over to anyone at shows I would have to tell them to make sure he doesn’t rub his face because he would rub either on the person or his leg, then shake and bam no bridle. Thankfully for the most part he would then just stand there and look at me or the person holding him but not fun. I finally just decided to use that as my schooling bridle at home and went back to an older (still in good shape) bridle for shows.

The throat latch wouldn’t have mattered, as would have had to be pretty tight and block off throat when actually riding, for it to not come off as was more his rub/shake that slide it off. I would say try with different bridle, no show sheen and if your ears are a bit snug perhaps need slightly bigger ears so they are not pulling on brow piece.

1 Like
#9

I feel like there’s a market for a bonnet which just has one strip (with a velcro or something) to go around the crown piece at the poll, instead of putting that much material underneath. It could still go under the brow band. This actually doesn’t sound that hard to DIY, if you’ve got a cheap bonnet to try it on.

Alternatively, you could practice riding without a bridle. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

4 Likes
#10

I had this happen with the Shockemole bonnet too. My horse has a narrow head and does not have much of a jowl so I think the throatlatch is not much help. He’s extremely broke so fortunately I was able to pull him up immediately when it started to come off - there was an instant of terror for him as it came over his eyes. That was the last time I tried the pompoms under the bonnet - he shakes non-stop with poms/plugs of any kind. I do think that the neoprene lining on the bonnet makes it more slippery. He tried to shake it off a few times after that but it didn’t work again and I think maybe he forgot about that stunt :confused:

#11

An old eventer trick - one braid at the poll, run a mane-colored shoelace through it, and loop around the crownpiece. Only takes a minute, really, since it doesn’t need to be a fancy braid.

6 Likes
#12

How does one attach the chord of the bonnet to the throat latch?

#13

If it’s the long cord you just wrap it around the throat latch, then I thread the other side of the throat latch through the little loop on the other side of the ears, fasten trait latch tie cord back t the litte loop! If, like mine, you don’t have a throat cord, then I just thread the throat latch through the little loop that’s on either side of the bonnet!

I think a lot lot of the newer ears are falling off because of the fabrics…they are now way more slippery and “techy” than the older ones that were more knitted and then the ear pieces were just like cotton! I haven’t bought the new style ones as most are too expensive, now I’m definitely going “hmmmmmm”

3 Likes
#14

Thank you for all of the responses! The throatlash was the normal 4 fingers and didn’t help at all, noseband was pretty tight as well. Doing some googling, I have found about 6 posts on various sites where this happened with a Shockemole.

My thought now is to try the pom poms once again and get a normal (not sound proof) bonnet so the ears aren’t heavy. No idea if I will ever get the pom poms in but it is worth a try and some bribery because he goes so much better with a little soundproofing. We have the joy of people turning out horses in other arenas very close to the jump arena and chasing them. That can light him up so that was the original reason for the purchase of the Shockemole. Now I just want it all the time because it really helps his focus!

I do think I will try the braiding/shoelace as well to be double safe.

Any favorite brands of bonnets out there that look nice and not slipper/techy?

#15

I like the ones that are like the equiline ear bonnet shown here. They’re cheaper, and mine have never slid! I got a lovely brown set with cream trim and a thin strip of rhinestones

https://www.equi-products.com/collections/bonnets-ears/products/equiline-u-kim-ear-bonnet

#16

I got this one and love it! We don’t do rated shows so the bling isn’t an issue.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Horse-Fly-Veil-Ear-Bonnet-Fly-Mask-Hood-Breathable-Cotton-Piping-Crystals/272806532585?hash=item3f848955e9:m:mr1PYwjDdeemucxqdbr0Pxg:rk:6:pf:0

#17

Ha ha ha yeh I used to do this with a pony I used to event with. Every now and then he’d put in a good stop and if I was a bit a head I’d come flying off with such force the bridle used to come with me. Tying the bridle on at competitions was imperative :lol:

1 Like
#18

Four times the bridle has come off when my horse shakes his head. Once with a rider! I just figured out a way for the bridle not to come off. I don’t tuck the back of the bonnet under the crown piece (I fold it under itself so it looks neater). The front goes under the browband, the sides go under the crown where the browband attaches, but not the back. Yesterday I was at a show and he shook his head when a fly landed on his neck. The bonnet came half off, which is not ideal but better than the alternative that the entire bridle comes off. I know the thread is old but I thought I would share for anyone who is searching this topic.

5 Likes
#19

Yep. Or a hair tie to tether earbonnet to forelock or behind ears to mane. I second the throatlatch and a tight noseband…

#20

Same thing happened to me- one of those ear plug bonnets- whole bridle came off- haven’t used it since

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