Become an independent* professional Bit & Bridle Fitter
PASSIONATE ABOUT IMPROVING THE
PERFORMANCE AND
WELL-BEING OF YOUR EQUINE CLIENTS?
Whether starting a new career or adding this service to your existing business the Neue Schule Qualified, LANTRA Certified Bit & Bridle Fitting Course
is designed for professionals who have a strong desire to fit bits and bridles, offer bitting advice, and who are
passionate about improving the performance and well-being of their equine clients.
To prepare for study as a professional, students must undertake a foundation course in Bits and Bitting Science. This is provided through the online Certificate in Equine Bits and Bitting Science (CBBS) course. Students must achieve a grade of Merit or above before continuing.
Students will then study, through the residential course, to qualify as a Qualified Bit and Bridle Analyst and use the post-nominal, QBA. To qualify as an independent* Bit and Bridle Fitter, and use the post-nominal, QBF, students must complete and submit for assessment, in-the-field case
studies. There is no further charge for this component.
* Independent means that the QBF will not be contractually bound to a preferred supplier
Bit Analysis and anatomy
Delivered over 2 days, by the NS Academy teaching staff, at Durham University, this
exam-assessed lecture course builds on topics introduced in the CBBS course. The
inspection of the mouth and whole horse and the equine anatomy relevant to bit fitting will be emphasized. Learning how to classify bits according to their design and action will lead to a method of bit analysis for all presented situations. Students will develop a deeper understanding of how forces act through the reins and bridlework to act inside the mouth and on the external anatomy.
practical bit and bridle fitting
Delivered over 2 days by the NS Academy team at Houghall College Equine Centre,
located on the outskirts of Durham City, this module shows by practical demonstrations and tutorials, how bit and bridle fitting is conducted. The student will gain the tools and knowledge to take out into the field to complete their studies with supervised bit and bridle fitting case studies.
in-the-field case studies
Following the successful completion of the residential course and the examination, the QBA student may then embark on an in-the-field
apprenticeship. A series of six bit and bridle fitting appointments are undertaken, two of which are undertaken in the presence of an equine professional such as medical practitioner or accredited equine coach. An account of each appointment is recorded as a Case Study and assessed by Academy teaching staff. These appointments can be carried out over a period of time to suit the student. Upon ratification of the appointment records, the student will be awarded the QBF certificate and qualify as a Bit and Bridle Fitting practitioner.
Whether you are a professional or just starting out, by the end of the course you will be able to improve a horse’s
comfort and way of going by assessing the whole horse, ask the right questions, know when to call in professional help (ie. a veterinarian, equine dentist, or physio) through referral services, correctly fit a bridle, analyse and fit a bit that suits horse and rider.
Heather Hyde-Saddington, Neue Schule Founder
assessments
There is a mixture of online examinable work, attendance at an invigilated examination and submission of case studies
Course duration
The CBBS course is open for 8 weeks, whilst the residential module is completed within 5 days. The final case studies can be submitted freely over a timescale to suit the student.
course costs
£1790 (incl. VAT)
Students must hold a Certificate in the CBBS course at Merit standard or above to be eligible.
more information
Please follow the EOI Enrolment link below to register an account, or login using an
existing account, at the NS Academy Education Centre and enrol yourself on the Expression of Interest section. If you are already eligible, and enrolments are open, please go directly to the enrolment section on the “Courses” page.
NS Academy 