Fixing Broken Bridle Straps?

[sasquatch]

Managed to pick up a free Prestige grackle bridle yesterday, to cut a long story short someone was having a tack clearout and left tack they hadn't used/no longer needed sitting in a box for anyone to take anything they wanted and clean it up.

Bridle is, overall, in pretty decent shape considering it hasn't been used in a long time. Stitching on the nose part of the grackle may need to be redone in one place, however it looks barely used, and was in fairly decent shape. Not too mouldy or dirty, it's coming up nicely as I'm cleaning it and the stitching is still very white and there doesn't seem to be much damage to the stitching and leather. It doesn't appear to be too bleached either.

On the straps at the side, there is damage to the noseband strap where it's had the buckle attached. It's not broken off yet, but I reckon it could possibly go soon.
Also on the flash/bottom grackle strap the leather isn't in great shape, but I'll see how it looks after it's been cleaned and conditioned. One of the throat latch straps also has a small rip/bit of damage but it's nowhere near hanging off/as broken as I have seen other usable bridles.

Is repair possible? Would it be worth my money paying to get it repaired?
Bridle is brown while all my other tack is black (and B isn't sound anyway) so it'll be spare bridle/spare parts bridle anyway, but as it's a good make and isn't in awful shape I don't mind getting it fixed up.

 

[GirlFriday]

Sorry but three repairs to a bridle that you don't want (colour) or need (soundness) seems excessive...

 

[pansymouse]

I repair bridles and would not recommend wasting money on something that needs that much work. Generally I don't splice new leather onto any strap that needs to take a load - on a bridle that really only leaves the throat lash and the brow band. I'd just keep the bits that are in good shape a spares if I was you.

 

[DappleDown]

You could always get a price to have it fixed up and see how much it will cost.
If it was me I would clean it up best I could and pop it into my tack store.
See how you feel about it after you have had it for a while. It isn't your colour, but if you think it really is something you will use, get it repaired. Some things I have been given (in wrong colour as well) and it is good to have it just in case.
I have a lot of spare tack, it seldom gets used (but does get cleaned) but just that one time when I need something it is good to find it waiting for me.

 

[sasquatch]

The stitching and the small rip aren't major issues, looking at my own bridle I use the grackle part on the nose is probably in better shape as the stitiching has started to come away in more than one place on my bridle. The strap parts of the grackle are probably in about the same condition too.

I might just take it in to the local saddler once it's been cleaned and conditioned/oiled and see what they say and if they think it'd be worth it or not. Now it's been cleaned, the noseband strap looks like it's stronger than I thought, so we'll see how much the balm helps. I need to try it on B too, so if the noseband needs to fasten above the part that's ripped to fit B, if it does break it won't be too much of an issue.

I only have one bridle, so if it gets fixed or not, it'll still do me as a spare and spare parts even if it's the wrong colour. If I really have no use for it, I'm sure someone else would be glad to take it for spares.