Does the saddle & bridle need to be the same colour…

Don't really care, would much rather have a saddle & bridle that fit correctly than be bothered about colour. Oh yes, and we will show like that too, unless we get to county level, then I might have to do something.

Havana bridle ( made to fit last pony), Black CC saddle fitted to current pony
 
Black saddle, havana bridle. Girth is havana but stirrup leathers are black. Can you tell? I couldn't find a brown saddle in budget that fit him so I wasn't buying a new bridle too. This was a HOYS qualifier by the way and I've BD'ed in the same gear (with a snaffle obvs).
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Is it my preference? no. Does it make a blind bit of difference to me or my horse? Absolutely not! Remember, you don't drive the paintwork of a car!
 
My mare currently has a black saddle, black bridle...and havana reins 🤣 I just don't want to fork out for new ones! (yes, I'm stingy haha). She's new to me so I've had the expense of new tack and various accessories...she's going to need rugs...I'll probably buy new reins sometime next year, once she has all her day-to-day stuff sorted. It doesn't bother me and I have no plans to show so it can wait! :)
 
abbijay said:
Black saddle, havana bridle. Girth is havana but stirrup leathers are black. Can you tell? I couldn't find a brown saddle in budget that fit him so I wasn't buying a new bridle too. This was a HOYS qualifier by the way and I've BD'ed in the same gear (with a snaffle obvs).
View attachment 124567
Is it my preference? no. Does it make a blind bit of difference to me or my horse? Absolutely not! Remember, you don't drive the paintwork of a car!
Click to expand...
What a smashing horse 😍
 
I currently have black reins on a brown bridle having accidentally thrown the wrong bloomin pair in the bin.
There are lots of things in life worthy of taking up headspace, semantics is not one of them ;)
 
abbijay said:
Black saddle, havana bridle. Girth is havana but stirrup leathers are black. Can you tell? I couldn't find a brown saddle in budget that fit him so I wasn't buying a new bridle too. This was a HOYS qualifier by the way and I've BD'ed in the same gear (with a snaffle obvs).
View attachment 124567
Is it my preference? no. Does it make a blind bit of difference to me or my horse? Absolutely not! Remember, you don't drive the paintwork of a car!
Click to expand...
I LOVE THIS!!! What a fab photo! I feel like I’m being ridiculous and completely overthinking this. I’ve bought pony a brand new black bridle but prefer the ancient dark brown one which is the other pony’s bridle. Child likes the brown grippy reins on previous pony’s bridle and I have a dark brown martingale which fits already. I don’t really want to buy new black reins and martingale… and think pony’s bay head looks prettier with brown rather than black. First world problem 🤣
 
I am a stickler for tack looking correct and suiting the horse/ pony, BUT , I don’t like black tack!
I think your bay roan will look nice in a Havana bridle, martingale etc.
I understand and about the saddle and if it’s the best fit , I would go for it. Fit is more important than colour and to be honest once it’s sat on you can’t see much of it.
Don't turn down the saddle because of the colour but don’t put up with a black bridle either!
 
None of my tack matches.

I've got a brightly coloured biothane endurance bridle, brown saddle, black girth, brown stirrup leathers and black stirrups.

I've currently got brown boots and black chaps 🤣

I don't ride any better or worse for it so ....
 
One tends to have to change saddles during a horse's life but keep the same bridles. Dark brown tack looks black after a while any way. I remember having a London tan bridle for my very first pony, he was black and looked very smart I expect the saddle was some dreadful old thing! I remember when black tack started to be a bit fashionable, ( must have been in the 80's?), I didn't like it at all, especially when it was new and shiny, I have got used to it now but prefer it to look old and rather worn.
 
Have a look at the front cover of this week's H&H mag - I'm sure Native River is wearing a black headpiece with brown noseband. (I'm itching to do those keepers up though 😁 )
 
Am I the odd one out? Have had a black bridle/brown saddle combo since 2006, across two horses! Current horse got a new saddle last year, tried to find a black one to finally match up but no luck. Brown it was again then! I probably will get a brown bridle at some point but I have more important things to spend the money on at the moment. Saddle is quite dark so not massively obvious!
 
Mines got a brown saddle - because that’s what fits. And a black bridle/martingale. She’s piebald so didn’t quite fancy putting a brown bridle on her just to match her saddle.
 
Unless you’re going out of the way to look it’s really note noticeable whether the saddle and bridle colours match. Havana bridles over time often look very dark and you should be sitting on the saddle so less leather to see. I would notice whether or not a saddle fitted before identifying the colour.
 
I used a black bridle and brown saddle for ages and neither the horse or me cared😁

But I don't go in for matching things - I buy what I like.
 
Catkin, we were discussing that too about Native River. Doesn’t look as though they took much care in presenting him for the front of H&H. Just hate keepers not in the right place!! 😁🙄
 
I've just taken delivery of my new saddle... I've gone against the dressage norm and gone for Havana as I think it suits my horse better... it's beautiful but has meant I've had to buy a new bridle and girth. But my bridle was patent black so really would stand out
 
Maginca7 said:
We’ve just bought a bay roan pony.

Found a saddle which fits nicely and it’s black. I have bought him a new black bridle but there is something about black which I don’t really like. Would a Havana bridle & martingale, which is always my preference, look ok with a black saddle? Or should I just stick with black?

Clearly I’m over thinking this…!
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I do dressage on my liver chestnut with a black saddle & a brown bridle. No one ever comments. I had the super bridle for years, really suits my horse, & couldn’t find a (pre owned) brown dressage saddle that suited bath of us so I just bought a lovely black one.
 
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