bridle indecision!!

buddylove

buddylove

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I am looking for a new everyday bridle, I would like a comfort/shaped headpiece with a plain brow and noseband, so far I have found a shires chantilly - bargain at £50 but not sure on the chestnut colour? Or the evison comfort poll, which will come in at £100 once i have bought the reins as well. Completely undecided! Any recommendations welcome!
 
it depends how lazy you are. i used to use a fabric type bridle. brilliant for cleaning as take the bit off and it goes in washing machine. brilliant for everyday use but wouldnt use for competing/hunting. i had a black one and a blue one and nosebands come with flash attachments and matching reins that have good grip. i only really use leather bridles for competing/hunting/parading.
 
I've got the black Evison comfort bridle with plain (flat) browband and noseband, and rubber reins. It's smart and a good fit for my fussy HW cob.

Also have a Micklem multibridle for him, which doubles up as his lunge cavesson. This is a fab everyday bridle. You can get it for under £100 if you use a Rideaway discount code.
 
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Shires leather is awful quality. For £50, you'd be better off putting another £20 to it and buying a sabre which will last many years (unless horse stands on it!) IMO.
 
wallykissmas said:
I have an evision rolled bridle and its really nice, as is my JHL, I like the look of colleigate but the leather was awful.
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The leather on my collegiate is fab, had it 18 months and it is spot on (and I'm not into cleaning tack despite it being used every single day...). I now use it instead of my expensive show bridle as it is softer and nicer...
 
khalswitz said:
The leather on my collegiate is fab, had it 18 months and it is spot on (and I'm not into cleaning tack despite it being used every single day...). I now use it instead of my expensive show bridle as it is softer and nicer...
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Friend had an older one that was nice which made me look at them but a few in our local tack shop were very stick and looked poor quality.
 
Since learning more about saddlery and bridle design, I have to agree with Oz's point of view that I don't believe 'comfort' headpieces are really very comfortable. They take a 1.25" wide or so headpiece, punch a big hole in either end leaving only about 3/8" on each side of the hole, thus reducing the strength of the piece of leather which ultimately holds the bit in horse's mouth, then thread the noseband headstrap through it, right at the area where there is a big juction of nerves and whatnot at the base of the ears. From the horses point of view I much prefer the Albion KB or Jeffries IR style headpieces, favouring the micklem even more, although the cost of the first two is a bit excessive and the micklem is a bit marmite to some people and the quality of manufacture isn't what it should be for a bridle of that price I feel.
 
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Baileyhoss said:
Since learning more about saddlery and bridle design, I have to agree with Oz's point of view that I don't believe 'comfort' headpieces are really very comfortable. They take a 1.25" wide or so headpiece, punch a big hole in either end leaving only about 3/8" on each side of the hole, thus reducing the strength of the piece of leather which ultimately holds the bit in horse's mouth, then thread the noseband headstrap through it, right at the area where there is a big juction of nerves and whatnot at the base of the ears. From the horses point of view I much prefer the Albion KB or Jeffries IR style headpieces, favouring the micklem even more, although the cost of the first two is a bit excessive and the micklem is a bit marmite to some people and the quality of manufacture isn't what it should be for a bridle of that price I feel.
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My main concern is they are down right dangerous as you have said such little amount of leather left (strength)once they punch that crew hole through the headpiece, they create a weakness there and should be banned.
A WELL made bridle won't put uncomfortable pressure on the poll of a normal horse, it needs a certain amount of pressure there for control, if the leather used is edged PROPERLY thus taking off any rough edges and the headpiece is wide enough to have a greater bearing surface to spread the load it should not upset the horse unless the horse has a problem with a over sensitive poll through injury or disease. Then a ordinary padded headpiece can be used insead.
The comfort headpiece can actually pull the two sides of the headpiece together at the crew hole area and pinch on either side if it isn't seated correctly.
Bridles today are often too narrow and this is the one reason horses get uncomfortable in them, imagine if you have a heavy shopping bag with thin handles it will dig into your fingers and hurt, now use wider handles and it won't infact you'll probably be able to carry a heavier load. Now think of the thin, painfully thin bridle nosebands and headpieces on some bridles and you can see where the problem is.
We have come so far away from traditional saddlery that people often look for remedies when the answer is staring them in the face.
Oz
 
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cremedemonthe said:
My main concern is they are down right dangerous as you have said such little amount of leather left (strength)once they punch that crew hole through the headpiece, they create a weakness there and should be banned.
A WELL made bridle won't put uncomfortable pressure on the poll of a normal horse, it needs a certain amount of pressure there for control, if the leather used is edged PROPERLY thus taking off any rough edges and the headpiece is wide enough to have a greater bearing surface to spread the load it should not upset the horse unless the horse has a problem with a over sensitive poll through injury or disease. Then a ordinary padded headpiece can be used insead.
The comfort headpiece can actually pull the two sides of the headpiece together at the crew hole area and pinch on either side if it isn't seated correctly.
Bridles today are often too narrow and this is the one reason horses get uncomfortable in them, imagine if you have a heavy shopping bag with thin handles it will dig into your fingers and hurt, now use wider handles and it won't infact you'll probably be able to carry a heavier load. Now think of the thin, painfully thin bridle nosebands and headpieces on some bridles and you can see where the problem is.
We have come so far away from traditional saddlery that people often look for remedies when the answer is staring them in the face.
Oz
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I'd never really given much of that a thought before, but it's quite worrying really. I don't own any bridles of that variety, mine are all traditional types, but one of my mares has a melanoma (small) behind an ear so I bought a barnsby padded headpiece thing that you slide onto a normal headpiece to give extra comfort - to me I just felt that was a better option?
 
Stroppy Mare said:
I'd never really given much of that a thought before, but it's quite worrying really. I don't own any bridles of that variety, mine are all traditional types, but one of my mares has a melanoma (small) behind an ear so I bought a barnsby padded headpiece thing that you slide onto a normal headpiece to give extra comfort - to me I just felt that was a better option?
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How big is the melanoma and is it right under the headpiece?
 
cremedemonthe said:
How big is the melanoma and is it right under the headpiece?
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The size of about 5p in dimensions and about 5mm at most high and unfortunately yes it is. She's never shown any discomfort when ridden mind, but I wouldn't mind finding a cut back headpiece or getting one made to miss that, I'm just unsure as to how it'll fit and stay put without sliding forwards...
 
A bit out of the box, but I have just invested in a Zilco bridle and i love it ! No more tack cleaning, and as we ride every day, it's a huge bonus. Looks like black leather, and great quality.
 
I can kind of see the possible benefit for some of the cut back headpiece... but can't fathom why the noseband headpiece has to go on top (hence slitting the leather) when that really shouldn't have any pressure on it anyway? Though F has a loose cavesson (we run out of holes on the jeffries :p then it gets to wide to punch more ;) ) so maybe with tighter noseband combos it does?
 
Stroppy Mare said:
The size of about 5p in dimensions and about 5mm at most high and unfortunately yes it is. She's never shown any discomfort when ridden mind, but I wouldn't mind finding a cut back headpiece or getting one made to miss that, I'm just unsure as to how it'll fit and stay put without sliding forwards...
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You can get padding that attaches over the headpiece, slide it on and if the melanoma ever becomes a problem with the padding then get one made up with the area that sits over the melanoma cut out, like a corn plaster effect. We do it with horses with saddle sores too, cut a hole out of a thick numnah, it relieves the pressure. If your mare shows no sign of discomfort with it as it is then I'd leave it if I were you.
Oz
 
Saddlery noob question for Oz. Could a shaped split headpiece be an option with a sheepskin or neoprene padding to spread the weight bearing surface, but bridge the melanoma? The two pieces of the headpiece be held in position by loops splitting the browband loops and the pad on either side?
 
Baileyhoss said:
Saddlery noob question for Oz. Could a shaped split headpiece be an option with a sheepskin or neoprene padding to spread the weight bearing surface, but bridge the melanoma? The two pieces of the headpiece be held in position by loops splitting the browband loops and the pad on either side?
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In theory yes if there's enough leather total in the headpiece
to retain strength
 
cremedemonthe said:
You can get padding that attaches over the headpiece, slide it on and if the melanoma ever becomes a problem with the padding then get one made up with the area that sits over the melanoma cut out, like a corn plaster effect. We do it with horses with saddle sores too, cut a hole out of a thick numnah, it relieves the pressure. If your mare shows no sign of discomfort with it as it is then I'd leave it if I were you.
Oz
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I have one of these that I use on her bridle, I could do with another actually to put on her micklem, and a black one for her black bridle but so far she's not shown any problems, and is quite happily bridled still (this is the horse who because her back hurt in a small area wouldn't be caught for 5 days) so hoping she's still ok, but am very aware that I'm sure it wont be long before I'm having to consider alternate headpieces.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stubben-Pad...853?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d139d3dbd
 
Stroppy Mare said:
I have one of these that I use on her bridle, I could do with another actually to put on her micklem, and a black one for her black bridle but so far she's not shown any problems, and is quite happily bridled still (this is the horse who because her back hurt in a small area wouldn't be caught for 5 days) so hoping she's still ok, but am very aware that I'm sure it wont be long before I'm having to consider alternate headpieces.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stubben-Pad...853?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d139d3dbd
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Yes, that's the sort of thing I mean, have made them for bridles I have been designing in the past.
 
Interesting about the comfort headpieces.

I have the evision comfort hunter bridle for about 2 years now, its lovely and supple and nice quality too. I also have an older jeffries bridle which is also nice and picked up a bargain the other day, an old very chunky english leather bridle with thick cheek pieces and thick headpiece, sadly the noseband has been lost but will be replaced with a nice 2" one in hope for me showing my cob (fingers crossed) in the summer :D
 
I have the Shire A something comfort headpeice with cut away ears.....my boy has exma in his ears and cant take the head piece too close to his ears.. .the shires one was with in my price range so a ordered it to see what its like and i have to say i am impressed.

i never even thought about the strength of the bridle.....does that mean the one i have got isn't that strong? I was going to see if i could get his old headpiece alters to be cut back from.his ears. Would that alter the strength?
 
Slightlyconfused said:
I have the Shire A something comfort headpeice with cut away ears.....my boy has exma in his ears and cant take the head piece too close to his ears.. .the shires one was with in my price range so a ordered it to see what its like and i have to say i am impressed.

i never even thought about the strength of the bridle.....does that mean the one i have got isn't that strong? I was going to see if i could get his old headpiece alters to be cut back from.his ears. Would that alter the strength?
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Cutting back should not affect the strength, it's usually cut to shape and as long as no one starts punching crew holes in it to reduce the amount of leather across it's width it will stay strong.

Look at this photo, it's a "quality" make see how little leather is left either side of that crew hole, that's your weak spot and where if the bridle was put under excess strain it would break, this could result in the whole bridle coming off the horse's head as the headpiece is the centre of the bridle and holds all the rest together.Doesn't bear thinking about does it as you are out for a gallop?
Another point of weakness is below the hole at the row of machined stitching across in a arc, this is where the end of the padding is, it means that the bridle headpiece is perforated here.
Take a piece of kitchen roll try to pull it apart without using the perforations in the towel, now take a piece of kitchen towel off the roll and pull it across the perforations as you are suppoed to do, which is easier, the solid piece of towel or the one with perforations in?
Those perforstions are there to make it easier to pull off. That has the same effect as on that bridle.
comfortheadpiece_zpsac1b7e6f.jpg
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I have yo recommend oz - he made the below bridlr made to.measure for my girl and cost around he same as an off the peg good qualoty english leather bridle. Is gorgeous and actually fits her (she's a mix of sizes)


20140202_103604_zps2cd077e9.jpg
 
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