Anatomical/ergonomic bridle

[AUB]

I have a Finesse. Costs about a kidney, but I’m very happy with it (and more important, so is my sensitive mare).

Now I’m just contemplating selling my firstborn to be able to afford a double…

 

[Cowpony]

I have a Silver Crown, which is lovely. Cut away ears, padded headpiece and noseband, and you can buy the parts separately. The leather is beautiful.

 

[spookypony]

I have this one for both BM and the pony: https://www.harnessstuff.co.uk/products/heritage-anatomical-cavesson-bridle . It's not too pricey, and really nice quality.

 

[quizzie]

What about a quantum bridle? I've only heard about them and never used them though.

I have a quantum, for one of mine it has been a massive improvement….seems to keep the bit very still in the mouth, and the back pads are elasticated, so fit comfortably….simple cavesson…..and they do look a bit quirky!

 

[Smooshy]

I have a Henry James saddlery bridle that I bought as separate parts . He is very sensitive and has a wonky poll, but likes the 3d headpiece. He no longer needs padding under the headpiece to make it more comfortable for him. I can then add any appropriate noseband as needed

 

[vmac66]

Another one for horsemanship saddlery. Lovely bridles. I have the Saturn in cob size with full size browband. They do a Scorpio one for larger ear based horses. A freind has one for her Irish draught x.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

This one looks interesting, but it ain't cheap: https://www.eliteequestrian.org/?product=presteq-faysport-anatomical-bridle

The lack of a throatlash would worry me, looks as though a good shake would have it flying off.

 

[Caol Ila]

The lack of a throatlash would worry me, looks as though a good shake would have it flying off.

Gypsum's bridle hasn't had a throatlatch for years. It broke and I didn't bother fixing it.

Torn between bridles like that one, with the flash-type strap in front of the bit, and the more traditional cavesson. I wonder if more support for the bit would help him. When he's not sure about something (he is quite green), he likes to open his mouth and throw his head.

 

[criso]

That’s why I asked. My instinctive aversion to flash-looking straps might be wrong. That’s the sort of thing that might actually be helpful for this horse.

Bear in mind as well that the issue with flashes is you've got 2 straps as it was designed for people who needed a cavesson to attached a standing martingale to but also wanted a drop nosebands. So being a compromise it doesn't do either job as well as the individual elements and being attached to the Cavesson the flash strap pulls on the Cavesson and doesn't sit where a drop would..

Worth trying to dig out the research Fairfax did on nosebands when they were designing bridles. Flashes came out bottom but Grackles were top followed by Drop noseband, Cavessons were only slightly better than flashes.

I've got a Micklem but I got in half price in a sale and my tb was difficult to fit in a traditional bridle, he has a very wide forehead, short head and little nose. I was mixing and matching from different bridles but it was an experiment before going down the made to measure route. The leather is not too bad but the noseband strap stretched slightly and was loose and he was happier when I then tightened it a hole, not tight but not dangling either.

ETA my previous tb who was in a traditional bridle hated a Cavesson and was much happier when I switched to a Drop.

 

[splashgirl45]

. do you know anyone with a bigger horse who could lend you a bigger browband to try just in case that is the only problem rather than spending a fortune on a new bridle

 

[Caol Ila]

May have to buy one anyway! Gypsum's bridle is on the shortest cheekpiece holes, and while his head is probably wider, I can't imagine it's as long. She was 16.1hh half TB. The one his former owner is giving me is just a loan until I sort something out.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

What about buying shorter cheek pieces rather than a whole new bridle?

 

[Caol Ila]

It's less fun, isn't it? Besides, it's like 20 years old.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Ahhh well if you want a whole new one, you should definitely get one.

This one is anatomical but with a removable flash.
https://www.kieffer.net/en/bridles/snaffle-bridles/3140-kieffer-ultrasoft-celia.html

I think he'd look great in this one however.
https://www.kieffer.net/en/bridles/snaffle-bridles/326-isabella.html

 

[Caol Ila]

He will be getting Gypsum's saddle, which can be adjusted to fit anything, and all her grooming stuff. Poor lad deserves one non-secondhand thing!

That second one (https://www.kieffer.net/en/bridles/snaffle-bridles/326-isabella.html) looks fantastic! For Hermosa. She won't know what's coming when she finishes being a mum and goes back to work. I'm perverse enough to want to ride BD shows in that. Is it legal?

This one looks nice -- similar to a few others but less than £200.
https://www.ayrequestrian.com/gfs-premier-alpine-bridle

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I like the clip on throat lash on the GFS one.

Yes the baroque Kieffer would be ideal for Hermosa, no idea why I didn't think of it. She'd look amazing in it.

 

[Caol Ila]

Google baroque bridles, and you can dial the bling up to 11 if you're brave. http://baroquehorseshop.com/bhsbridles.html

 

[milliepops]

That second one (https://www.kieffer.net/en/bridles/snaffle-bridles/326-isabella.html) looks fantastic! For Hermosa. She won't know what's coming when she finishes being a mum and goes back to work. I'm perverse enough to want to ride BD shows in that. Is it legal?

likely to fall foul of the rules about decoration. and possibly the noseband as it's not a standard type nor in the little appendix of extras that have been approved.

 

[Caol Ila]

likely to fall foul of the rules about decoration. and possibly the noseband as it's not a standard type nor in the little appendix of extras that have been approved.

So I guess they really wouldn't like the ones in my other link.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

OMG! I love these baroque ones!

Do you think that this one could be used with a hackamore?

Oh rats... just noticed this 'fit full-size to small warmblood' so probably far too big for dinky headed gelding.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

They do this though... looks promising although not as gaudy.

 

[saddlesore]

Another vote for a quantum bridle or a fairfax ?

 

[EventingMum]

Google the bridle research by Russell MacKechnie-Guire of Centaur Biomechanics, I'm a great fan of his and he has data to back everything up, it should help with your choices.

 

[Griffin]

My mare loves her Horsemanship Saddlery bridle, it's so soft.

 

[Caol Ila]

What's not to like? I can't see why BD would have a problem. They're so bad they're good.



Or if you were after a double bridle....

 

[pennandh]

Like a lot of Highlands, he's really wide around his ears and forehead. I wonder if that's part of his issue with a standard bridle. And some horses are just sensitive.

Some of them, like the Comfitec, have a flash-type strap that sits in front of the bit. In principle, I'm against flashes, but does that arrangement actually help some horses?

I mean, if you were looking for a standard bridle that actually fits properly (which solves a multitude of sins), Native Pony Bridles do mix-and-match ones, and they have some very useful 'in between' sizes of nosebands/headpieces/etc. specifically for short, broad heads. I got my double from them. It wasn't cheap, admittedly, but it's Sedgewick leather, so it'll probably outlive me, and it's absolutely spot-on in terms of fit (admittedly, I ended up buying two slipheads, and using half the pony one and half the cob one, but that was the only bit I had to jury-rig slightly).

Plus, they sell laced reins that actually have thick enough lace to provide grip, which is something that's bizarrely hard to find these days.

 

[Sleipnir]

Another one to consider is this one - https://www.hookseurope.com/horse/horse-gear/bridles/bridles/bridles-lingus-fairfield

I got it recently and have to say that the quality of leather is much better than I expected for the price.

 

[milliepops]

^think that's the one not currently BD legal due to lack of a backstrap on the noseband. just mentioning in case that's a concern for OP.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I love my micklem. Kia loved it it really helped with his poll issues and Faran has been bitted and will be backed and ridden in it at home until we see what we are up to

 

[Caol Ila]

Tried the Alpine. The fit wasn’t right. The chin strap thing wouldn’t stay in the right place and even at its loosest, the strap under his jaw was too tight. The drop part of the nose and seemed more scrunched up than it is on the photos. This was a cob sized one.

Wrong style or wrong size?