Looking for the impossible? Anatomical bridle

Pippity

Pippity

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Blue's bridle is a very cheap hodge-podge that never looks particularly comfortable, so I'm considering replacing it with an anatomical bridle. However, I suspect I'm looking for the impossible.

I want to be able to use it both with and without a noseband. I don't bother with them for day-to-day but it's a requirement for my local UA dressage place. If it can't be used without a noseband, it must have a plain flat hunter cavesson around 1.5" - no padding, no crank, no coloured piping, etc.

I'd prefer it to look fairly traditional, and be pretty chunky (but not padded). Blue doesn't have an especially dainty head (to put it mildly!) so she's not going to suit anything light and delicate. Oh, and it must be brown. And absolutely no bling.

I'm mostly looking for more comfort around the top of the head, so I want it to be well cut back around the ears, and to really minimise the bulk around the browband

What I'm considering:

Horsemanship Saddlery Orion Hunter Bridle - https://www.horsemanshipsaddlery.uk/ourshop/prod_6640614-Saturn-ORION-Hunter-Bridle.html

Evo Equine Classic Hunter Bridle - https://www.evoequine.co.uk/store/p162/Classic_Hunter_Bridle.html

Does anyone have opinions on either of those two, or suggestions for anything else I should consider?
 
I think you might be looking for the impossible, in that an anatomical headpiece is not going to allow you to opt out of having a noseband without empty straps flapping about. Kate Negus and Elevator will both do a good trad hunter comfort bridle where you can remove the noseband but they are pricier, Elevator especially. I think Kate Negus does terrific looking stuff and her trad hunter with flat cavesson has the look you’re after.

Of the two bridles you’ve picked I’d be more inclined to go with the Evo Equine. It has a lovely old fashioned, traditional look. The removable throat lash on the other one is a practical idea but looks weird. Likewise the idea of having a browband that fixes on with popper studs is clever and practical but adds bulk at the corners, and if you’re not going to do bling (🙌) you don’t need it.
 
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Call horsemanship saddlery and get one of their people out and you can try some samples and get it measured for you if you want go buy.

I had Ruth Fisher out to help me with biting for a double bridle and she did a bridle check for me too but said my current bridle fitted perfectly well already
 
LadySam said:
I think you might be looking for the impossible, in that an anatomical headpiece is not going to allow you to opt out of having a noseband without empty straps flapping about. Kate Negus and Elevator will both do a good trad hunter comfort bridle where you can remove the noseband but they are pricier, Elevator especially. I think Kate Negus does terrific looking stuff and her trad hunter with flat cavesson has the look you’re after.
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Both of the ones I mentioned have the option to be used with or without a noseband. They each have two straps on the headpiece. One is used for the cheekpieces, and the other either to attach the noseband (with a detachable throatlash) or to attach a double-buckled throatlash.

On the Evo, the detachable throatlash can be attached above the browband for a more traditional look. I'm not sure if that's the case on the other one.

I'll definitely look at the two you mentioned, though.
 
Pippity said:
Both of the ones I mentioned have the option to be used with or without a noseband. They each have two straps on the headpiece. One is used for the cheekpieces, and the other either to attach the noseband (with a detachable throatlash) or to attach a double-buckled throatlash.

On the Evo, the detachable throatlash can be attached above the browband for a more traditional look. I'm not sure if that's the case on the other one.
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Ah, I stand corrected then. I can see now how it all works on the Orion. Not sure about the Evo as I can see three discrete straps coming off the headpiece for noseband, cheekpiece and throatlash on the first pic. It’s still my preference. 🙂
 
Second Horsemanship saddlery. Their bridles have anatomical head pieces and you can pretty much just strip them back to bead piece and cheek pieces
 
I have an evo (though not the Hunter version) and I really rate it. Horse is quite a sensitive sort and easily irritated but she seems quite happy in it.

I used it without a noseband for a long time and now have a different noseband on it, but I still take it off for hacking quite often and it works fine both ways.
 
I like the look of the Evo hunter bridle, it should suit a chunky head. I need a bridle upgrade, too, this is going on my shortlist.

The Henry James bridles are well made but the leatherwork is quite narrow, so IMHO would suit a finer head better than a chunky one.
 
LadySam said:
Ah, I stand corrected then. I can see now how it all works on the Orion. Not sure about the Evo as I can see three discrete straps coming off the headpiece for noseband, cheekpiece and throatlash on the first pic. It’s still my preference. 🙂
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In the description, they say they offer a two-strap version, as well as the two different three-strap ones shown in the photos.
 
Tiddlypom said:
The Henry James bridles are well made but the leatherwork is quite narrow, so IMHO would suit a finer head better than a chunky one.
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Yes that's true actually, my horse is a TB so it suits him well but I would want a wider leather on a chunkier head I think.
 
Another one for horsemanship saddlery. I lovetheir bridles. Lovely soft leather. I usually take the noseband off and put it back on for dressage. Horse tends to rub her head when she has the noseband on.
 
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