Browbands

[Identityincrisis]

No point to this other than to say I feel like a bad horsey mummy! I bought a bridle for him approx 2 years ago (so he would have been 6) it is a Cob as he's an Anglo and has a small head. I'd been thinking for a while 'I must measure his forehead and check the browband' as he'd become a little bridle shy, bearing in mind he's always been difficult in general so it wasn't unusual for him to protest over something! I measured him last night.......17 inches!!! His browband is 14.5, I'm bad, bad, bad!!! I've ordered a new one and will be removing the old one before I ride tonight. I'm just shocked at how wide his forehead is, I've had to order an Extra Full

 

[PapaverFollis]

Browbands are hopelessly small generally. Just bought an extra full bridle and the browband was 17 inches... we've had to order a separate 19 inch browband from the big horse shop. The separate extra full 18 inch browband we bought for her other bridle is fine but 19 inch is better. 17 inches was tiny... But the rest of the bridle is huge, the cheek pieces have to be 2 holes from the top. Can't imagine a horse "filling" the rest of the extra full bridle out to the middle holes but fitting into a 17 inch browband??

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

L Fuzzy at 13.3 has a 17inch browband, but cob head piece and cheeks. Has a m2m noseband, as we need a good width across front, but the leather behind the cheeks for the buckle and point is a tad smaller than cob size!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Ha, yes both the exmoor and the fell require huge brow bands, nosebands (don't use them) but short cheek pieces. have to put that munching power somewhere!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Ha, yes both the exmoor and the fell require huge brow bands, nosebands (don't use them) but short cheek pieces. have to put that munching power somewhere!

Lol.

I only use nosebands for going out posh, or if I leave on bridle they are quite loose, more to break the face up 😉
B Fuzzy has same as L Fuzzy in bridle size, but pony cheeks instead, despite being 14hh!

 

[Identityincrisis]

Yes, my boy's nose band is huge as he has a dinky nose but clearly a lot of space is needed for his massive brain

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I had one Exmoor who had a beautiful, if not that typey head-he was 12h, cob browband, cob headpiece, extra small cheek pieces, cob broadband, 4inch bit.

 

[pansymouse]

As bridle maker I would say as rule of thumb off the peg bridles have too long cheek pieces and too short browbands. The industry still seems to use standard measurements from the 1950 when far fewer cob/heavier horses were ridden and bit rings were much smaller.

 

[ihatework]

A week into breaking the girl doing my youngster called me up and said - we have a problem, I was thinking ‘oh god’, but the relief when she informed me that he was an awkward bridle fit was 😁

He is in a full size browband, cob size noseband, pony cheek pieces and a 4 3/4 bit. Apparently he has a triangle for a head!

 

[milliepops]

As bridle maker I would say as rule of thumb off the peg bridles have too long cheek pieces and too short browbands. The industry still seems to use standard measurements from the 1950 when far fewer cob/heavier horses were ridden and bit rings were much smaller.

yup I tend to use pony size cheeks on my bridles to keep the buckles down at a reasonable place, and XF browbands! Supposedly cob sized horses...

 

[SpringArising]

Did you not notice when you put the bridle on each time? Seems excessive to have to measure rather than just going off what you can see and feel?

I hate seeing horses with bridles too tight across the headpiece and brow band, must be so uncomfortable Glad you noticed!

 

[Hallo2012]

ive got a 13hh in full and another 13hh in XF!!!!

 

[Pippity]

I was pleasantly surprised when I bought a cheap, full-size bridle (Requisite) as an "Eek, I've just bought a horse and have nothing!" starter for my cob, and the browband was positively baggy. And yet, when I went out looking for a clincher browband (the closest I get to bling), I had to hunt to find an XF that was big enough. It turned out slightly shorter than my existing browband, but still plenty big enough. I've got no idea whether Requisite do particularly large browbands, or if I just ended up with a weird bridle.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Did you not notice when you put the bridle on each time? Seems excessive to have to measure rather than just going off what you can see and feel?

I hate seeing horses with bridles too tight across the headpiece and brow band, must be so uncomfortable Glad you noticed!

No, it fitted comfortably without having to squish his ears in, it wasn't tight around his forehead, always appeared to have plenty of 'give'. Poor pony

 

[Hallo2012]

Just as a note that equiture will make any length as i needed between 20.5 and 21.5 for my prev horse!!!!

 

[GoldenWillow]

Another with a cob who needs pony size cheek pieces if I want the buckles at a nice level and a full or x full browband depending on individual sizing. He also needs a 6" bit!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

He is in a full size browband, cob size noseband, pony cheek pieces and a 4 3/4 bit. Apparently he has a triangle for a head!

lol-Noddy was the same, wedge shaped head. Both Lusos took a 5 inch bit as does Exmoor, Fell takes a 5.5! Its annoying because everything over 5 inch has stupid big bit rings that look daft on a pony although he's currently in a pony pelham so thats that solved.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Same here. I have an ISH and just had to pay £35 for a replacement browband in XL for his full size bridle.