Tack suggestions

A good quality grackel with a comfort headpiece that is detachable from the rest of the bridle and therefore fully adjustable . . . oh, and sensible-length cheekpieces.

P
 
The boy has a pony headpiece, pony cheeks and a 17 inch browband (extra full?). He doesn't have a noseband due to having an S hackamore. If he was bitted, he would need cob cheeks and a pony noseband too.
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I think this is exactly my issue as well. I use an Orbitless bridle now which is just a noseband that attaches to a headpiece and cheek pieces. To get there, I have to buy a full bridle (I just got a regular flat cavesson which now lives in the bag with the "not used" bits of tack that came with the horse, including martingales, flash nosebands etc). But as above, he's large but not a warmblood, so if I get a warmblood size bridle, cheekpieces are too long. If I get a full size, browband is usually too small and throatlash is too short. So at the moment, I'm using a warmblood size headpiece, with cob sized cheekpieces, warmblood browband and theOrbitless attached to the bottom.

Maybe horse head sizes have changed with cross breeding? Mine's large and Irish - some days we think TBxID, some days we think ConnemaraxID.
 
Faracat said:
I can't buy an 'off the shelf' bridle that fits properly.

The grey needs a pony size headpiece, cob cheeks, pony noseband and a 16 inch (full?) browband.

The boy has a pony headpiece, pony cheeks and a 17 inch browband (extra full?). He doesn't have a noseband due to having an S hackamore. If he was bitted, he would need cob cheeks and a pony noseband too.

I would like to have good quality leather, but with soft padding on the browband and noseband due to them having fine skin.

Also no flash or crank.

I'm not keen on white lined, but I like black or dark brown, self coloured lined.
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Ah, I see you mean fit rather than tassels - phew :D.

I agree - Obi needed a cob bridle but a full brow.

I would be interested in getting measurements of what is needed, if you could get a few Arab owners to measure their horses heads?
 
So basically a bridle where for a set price you can choose the sizes that you need for all the different parts. Buying all the parts individually (like you can with Jeffries) is much more expensive than getting an 'off the shelf' one of the same make.
 
Oberon said:
Ah, I see you mean fit rather than tassels - phew :D.

I agree - Obi needed a cob bridle but a full brow.

I would be interested in getting measurements of what is needed, if you could get a few Arab owners to measure their horses heads?
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I can measure my two. :) The grey does need a better bridle, so if you do ever make one (with your own fair hands?), I would be interested. What sort of price rage would you aim for? I got my anglo a Kieffer (approx £100) and because it's such good quality leather, it's still going strong and looking lovely seven (*gulp* how did time go so fast?) years later.

Maybe you could ask on Arabian lines for other people's bridle needs/measurements?
 
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Faracat said:
I can measure my two. :) The grey does need a better bridle, so if you do ever make one (with your own fair hands?), I would be interested. What sort of price rage would you aim for? I got my anglo a Kieffer (approx £100) and because it's such good quality leather, it's still going strong and looking lovely seven (*gulp* how did time go so fast?) years later.

Maybe you could ask on Arabian lines for other people's bridle needs/measurements?
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Having just learnt - I am not near the level of selling anything yet :D

I could buy a good horse for the amount of money I've just spent on tools this week to get me started on PRACTISING, but that doesn't include the leather I'll need itself :eek: There's still bits I need to pick up also :eek:.
Expensive hobby indeed :D

I was banned from Arabian Lines for life a few years ago but if I had an idea of what measurements are needed - then I could write them down and refer to them while practising ;)
 
Ohh, bridles with sufficiently wide browbands. I hate seeing those browbands which pinch up against the skin.
 
Faracat said:
Where you very, very naughty? Did you start a riot? :p
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No, I didn't like the heavy handed admin that started (Rui) and stopped posting much.
Then one day I responded to a question from a poster with a link to an eBay item. It was deleted and I got a warning. I responded by saying this heavy handedness was why I rarely posted and I have never been able to log on since. No communication, just banned my IP ad that was that ;)

Their loss :D.
 
So the admin stomps around in cleated boots then. ;) I'll have to ask carefully, but i'll give it a go when I've worked out how to word it.

There are other arab owners on here and I'm sure they'd help. :)
 
Aye :o

I've started another thread asking for measurements :).

I'd like to start right and make bridles based on the real sizes of horse heads - rather than refer to the usual fixed sizes that have been handed down for generations.......
 
I go all gooey whenever I see good quality western tack. I just love the harness leather, the lovely practical bridles, the blingy bits, the bright coloured saddle pads, the saddles, the BOOTS (human)....oh, I could spend all day, and LOADS of money. :D
 
Oberon said:
Regarding leather tack......

What is that piece of tack that you want but struggle to find?

What would you walk into a shop and go gooey over?
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Bridle with comfort head peice, nose band without crank and nice leather but that you can mix and match componants / actually fits really horses at a reasonable price. Also would love a bling shaped browband (the curve rather than v-shapped) but without the bling, just plain leather - simply cannot find one anywhere!!!!!
 
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A good quality cavesson bridle, no flashes or cranks or flat hunter type nosebands. Also struggle to get one bridle to fit my TB, cob too small and full too big!
 
Mix and match parts is always a good idea, and I reckon there would be quite a good market for Arab stuff. I drool over rolled leather bridles, would love one for my sec A's dainty little head... Come to think of it I find stuff quite hard to find in extra small pony for her!

I think the softer you can get the leather the better. I watched an interesting episode of 'kevin mcclouds manmade home' (bear with me) where they shot and skinned a deer (bit gruesome) and then tanned the skin in the old fashioned way (bucket of stomach acid or something lovely!) It was really interesting and the leather looked lovely and soft. They made a chair out of it but I was fascinated and would like to give it a go!
 
mandwhy said:
I think the softer you can get the leather the better. I watched an interesting episode of 'kevin mcclouds manmade home' (bear with me) where they shot and skinned a deer (bit gruesome) and then tanned the skin in the old fashioned way (bucket of stomach acid or something lovely!) It was really interesting and the leather looked lovely and soft. They made a chair out of it but I was fascinated and would like to give it a go!
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May be fine for a chair or a pair of gloves - but not strong enough leather for a bridle.
 
Oberon said:
Having just learnt - I am not near the level of selling anything yet :D

I could buy a good horse for the amount of money I've just spent on tools this week to get me started on PRACTISING, but that doesn't include the leather I'll need itself :eek: There's still bits I need to pick up also :eek:.
Expensive hobby indeed :D

)
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It's frightening.. I trained 20+ years ago and by the time I'd left college I had a very full set of tools. Sadly I don't have them any more (long story). I want to re-equip myself so that I can make stuff to measure for myself, but having seen the cost of tools these days I've had to shelve that idea! I have bought some basic stitching stuff so I can do running repairs but even basics like pricking irons are eye-wateringly expensive.

I remember I had a beautiful antique plough gauge that a friend picked up for me at a boot sale and even then, second hand back in 1988 I it cost me £45... It was just gorgeous and cut brilliantly. Would love to have it back!
 
to answer the original question Dressage saddles make me go gooey however I want a made to measure set of nosebands for Mr Arnie, he needs Xfull length (from ear to nose) but no more than full around the muzzle. I am tearing my hair out trying to find a drop noseband to fit him, have got a beautiful Xfull one off ebay that I am having to resell because it was too big around the muzzle :(

Taking measurements though and going to have a hunt at Bramham!
 
OldNag said:
It's frightening.. I trained 20+ years ago and by the time I'd left college I had a very full set of tools. Sadly I don't have them any more (long story). I want to re-equip myself so that I can make stuff to measure for myself, but having seen the cost of tools these days I've had to shelve that idea! I have bought some basic stitching stuff so I can do running repairs but even basics like pricking irons are eye-wateringly expensive.

I remember I had a beautiful antique plough gauge that a friend picked up for me at a boot sale and even then, second hand back in 1988 I it cost me £45... It was just gorgeous and cut brilliantly. Would love to have it back!
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It is shocking how much stuff you need just to make simple stuff :eek:

I keep stroking my beautiful new clams :o, Going to order some leather on Tuesday, when I get paid...that's going to hurt too :D.

I've always wanted to make tack and was going to go to Cordwainers when I was 18. But found myself pregnant and life took a different course.....

I've eyed up my father's garage today to be a work area (I have no space at home). It'll be fine once he shifts his car :D
 
I learnt how to make bridles and stuff as part of a college course. I could have bought some basic tools to get started with, but I couldn't afford them, even though they were subsidised. :( So wish I'd found the money.

As for suggestions, I'm another who would like to see English made, English leather bridles, without flashes, cranks or bling! Currently trying to find a plain hunter cavesson (secondhand to go with bridle), No luck. Where have they all gone?

And browbands that are big enough!! All of mine have full-size browbands, that's two tbs (17.3hh in full size, 15.2hh in cob and 14hh-ish, 3 yo trad cob in a cob size) and the browbands aren't loose. Might have to get an extra-full for the cob :eek:
 
So far from my search for quality tack I have found the Heritage comfort bridle with crank flash noseband works well on my haffy that has a big head but is to small for a full size. it has a decent think noseband with plenty of padding and browband too. it also has a padded comfort shaped head piece that curves back around ears.

Most bridles are quite stiff to start with but I have found cleaning with warm water and plenty of saddle soap once a week has really helped to supply it up and now its worn in it has given a bit.

The other bridles I love are the Jaguar UFO bridles as they come with an additional smaller pair of cheekpieces so if you change the bit the small cheeks will fit better. the leather is high quality English and they do a Havana colour or autumn gold which is nice. but they are a bit pricey tbh but ideal for showing.

I found mine from JH Equestrian online best prices when brought with reins and very quick delivery too. Highly recommend.
 
My Welsh D is another needing a choice of different size parts.

Would be nice to be able to choose different parts in different sizes that all matched.

I spent ages searching for a nice flat hunter noseband, there don't seem to be many of those about.

The other item I had a fair search for recently was a pair of rubber reins with a leather core and rubber that doesn't rip your hands to shreds. I had to settle for a pair that don't match the rest of the bridle in the end.
 
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