What is a bridle in rigging?

A bridle is a rigging configuration where two (or occasionally three) legs of steel or cable converge from separate overhead attachment points to a single lower connection point. It's used when there is no structural support directly above the position where you need a rigging point. The two legs angle up to available structural members, and the load hangs from the junction below.

Bridle calculations are one of the more complex aspects of rigging because the angle of the legs directly affects the load on each attachment point and on the hardware. As the bridle angle gets shallower, the tension in each leg increases significantly, which can exceed the WLL of the components quickly. A qualified rigger calculates bridle forces to ensure every component in the load path is within its rated capacity.