Pros & Cons of Synthetic Web Bridles?

[LuandLu24]

As the title says, pros and cons of Synthetic Webbed bridles? I'm considering buying one for my cob. Thanks in advance.

 

[EventingMum]

Pros: They're cheap and strong, require little care, can be put in the washing machine.

Cons: They don't break like leather does so in an accident it could be a problem, don't always look as smart, will wear quicker than a good quality, well cared for leather bridle.

I use some as every day bridles especially for the riding school ponies and they definitely have their place however I would never use them for competitions etc.

 

[Yardbird]

I had one from Libbys, I think that in an emergency the buckle would break on that bridle. Pros, you can wash it by dunking it in the bath and hanging on the shower taps till the morning,you won't mind riding in the rain and getting it wet. Cons, does not look as nice as leather and you have 3 bits of material to fit through the brow band and get in a muddle.

 

[lelly]

I have the Tekna leather look ones they are lovely. Just wipe with a cloth to clean and never go mouldy. I can't say if they would break because I haven't broken one. They are good enough to use anywhere.

 

[saddlesore]

If you're going for synthetic go for a zilco. Easy to keep and look much better andast longer I've had libbys ones in the past but prefer these

 

[Highlands]

I have the Tekna leather look ones they are lovely. Just wipe with a cloth to clean and never go mouldy. I can't say if they would break because I haven't broken one. They are good enough to use anywhere.

They do break, my highland managed it, no idea how but he snapped the headpiece, well ripped it ... Tied up with a head collar on top and decided to untie himself!

Love my Trekna, luckily I got another two at £15 each so had a spare one to replace broken one!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Pros

you can put them in washing machine
you don't have to worry about your tack in winter if you get caught in the rain
you can go in the sea with them thus not rotting your leather
no tack cleaning
multi headcollar/bridle great for endurance for a mid hack snack




con's

do wear out but you can buy a replacement so not really a con

 

[EstherYoung]

Decent synthetic bridles have break points built into them, either in the stitching or in the fittings. And they do work - one of ours completely unravelled and dropped to pieces when the stitching went at the break point.

Personally I'd go for biothane rather than webbing - look for zilco, Pioneer, performance equestrian.

Leather tack is just a drag

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

One of our old Andalusians came with one.

Pros
It's easy to care for
Has clip on reins and cheek pieces, so changing a bit is a 5 second job.
It's noseband-less, so putting it on is a lot quicker than messing around with a grackle etc.

Cons
It isn't very smart, and I'd never go out competing in it
The reins on it are too short, so when she puts her neck down you are pulled out the saddle
It's not very padded

 

[lelly]

This is my Tekna bridle. It has a flash attachment as well.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

If you're going for synthetic go for a zilco. Easy to keep and look much better andast longer I've had libbys ones in the past but prefer these

Ditto this.

I've had several of the Libbys, this was years ago when the choice of synthetic bridles was far more limited and/or I simply hadn't discovered what Endurance riders were using!!

The Libby's bridles I had all had buckles which rusted: a flippin nuisance when you washed the item and/or went out in the rain as it made the straps very difficult to undo. Then later on when they brought one in, I bought their "click" bridle which had plastic click-together components (like the fastening on dog-collars basically). The one I bought I had to send back; the fastenings (one in particular) was so stiff to undo that not even my builder who was here at the time could open it!!! Very disappointing.

The other problem I had with a Libby's bridle was a set of their clip-on reins: I didn't realise but the fastening at the "buckle" end was just a piece of velcro - which duly came undone when my horse did a mega-spook and the long end of the reins got caught up in my whip!! I can see why they did this, i.e. for safety one would presume? But really, a set of reins held together by velcro isn't really what you need when you're on half a ton of spook!

My loan horse is ex-endurance and came with a lovely Zilco synthetic bridle which is easy to care for, durable, and looks nice too. The reins are clip-on and therefore easily detachable.

Libbys have I understand merged with Polypads now........... I wouldn't buy their stuff again however, IMO its cheap-and-nasty (tho has an expensive price-tag in spite of that IMO) and not meant to last. A pity, as with a little thought it could be quite useful. However there are other manufacturers who are offering better quality for equal if not better price if you shop around under the "endurance bridles" heading.

 

[huskydamage]

I have a synthetic/bio thane hackamore. The wacky colour I opted for has raised a few eyebrows, but I have always used leather and wanted a change. I am liking this one so far and do not have to buy any leather products to clean it. Really easy to clean and I have even put it in the washing machine before. My pony can sweat a lot when I ride and the leather always seemed to have a gross sticky feel to it, no matter how much I cleaned it. If the weather was damp it would be even more sticky. I just wipe the hackamore with a wet cloth. The feel of it never changes.
So far it has had heavy use and no cracks in the corners, which always happens with my leather stuff in the end. I like the clip on reins, they also go in the washing machine and are really handy for me as I do stuff like ride to my house and leave pony in the garden, so I can just unclip and take my saddle off. No more messing around with those annoying hook things!

 

[huskydamage]

CON - just to add I've found none! other than if you enjoy tack cleaning and polishing leather, you might feel a bit unfulfilled. Fortunately for me I hate it, still have my leather saddle but the less the better!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Sorry I meant to add (earlier) that you CAN buy synthetic bridles that look almost exactly like real leather!

Wintec used to do one....... don't know if they do now though. I've got one in my tackroom and its a very useful little piece of kit. Its just a plain, ordinary, bog-standard bridle. Think mine may have come with the "flash" attachment which I promptly removed (as I always do!).

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I've got one of the webbing ones and love it. Just ordered a new one after 5 years as it's just starting to look a bit old.
It can just go in the washing machine doesn't matter if it gets wet or muddy as it's not leather so won't go all stiff etc.
love mine.
They are also cheap and you get more quality than you would buying a leather bridle at that price i use the Roma material bridle.
H has also broken one of the martingales he bent down and stood on the end then jerked up and the buckle broke.
The only slight negative is i have had to replace the Libbys rubber grip reins as the rubber perishes quite easily but didn't want the reins you loop onto the bit as they look quite hard to remove.

 

[happyclappy]

Depends on whether you are talking about webbing types, such as Libby's, or leather-look such as biothane. Webbing you can throw in your washing machine,biothane type need a wipe over with a damp cloth.

Webbing does not look anywhere near as nice and can be a bit awkward as it just "flops"

Leather for me every time though (almost!)