Very big horse owners ....help!

Sukistokes2

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 April 2011
Messages
4,244
Location
I live in Kent
Visit site
Where do you get stuff from? I mean normal every day stuff that people with small horses take for granted. I've been on the internet looking for stuff but am not really getting anywhere.

My Clydesdale, Kevin, has never really done much except haul novices around and be neglected. I want to bring him on and to be honest his doing well. However, my instructor suggested riding him in a drop nose band for a little while and do you think I could find one......no!!!

So where do you go for equipment that fits, that big horse shop has nothing but rugs really and everywhere else seems to be more harness. I do not want a flash because they are a pet hate.
 

lindsay1993

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 February 2016
Messages
241
Visit site
Buy the biggest size you can and get a saddler to adjust it. That's what my friend has to do with her giant horse. Almost everything has to be adjusted or have something added to fit her.
 

BigPony

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 January 2011
Messages
89
Location
Staffordshire
Visit site
I think for something like a drop you might have to have it made. I could fit my boy in some extra full cavessons but never came across an extra full drop, sorry.
 

Batgirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 February 2011
Messages
3,190
Location
Yaaaarkshire
Visit site
I actually might have an extra full drop that was enormous on my massive Wb - I'll see if I can dig it out, if so I am happy to send it.

However made to measure is often the route for the bigger horse - it needn't be hugely expensive.
 

Sukistokes2

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 April 2011
Messages
4,244
Location
I live in Kent
Visit site
I actually might have an extra full drop that was enormous on my massive Wb - I'll see if I can dig it out, if so I am happy to send it.

However made to measure is often the route for the bigger horse - it needn't be hugely expensive.

That would be amazing Batgirl, if you could.
You could pm me and we could arrange an appropriate price.

If not I'm very easy to find on FB as there are only four Suki Stokes and I'm the only one on a horse :D ( or was)
 

Jo1987

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 June 2013
Messages
882
Visit site
FSS on eBay do xf drop nose bands, might be worth asking the exact measurements?
I have one of their cavesson nose bands for my cob, it's a full size but fits like an xf (I asked measurements first as he's usually an xf as he has a very wide face!)
So the xf might be big enough for your boy.
 

abbijay

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2011
Messages
1,384
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
FSS on eBay do xf drop nose bands, might be worth asking the exact measurements?
I have one of their cavesson nose bands for my cob, it's a full size but fits like an xf (I asked measurements first as he's usually an xf as he has a very wide face!)
So the xf might be big enough for your boy.
I have a huge Clydesdale whom I bought an FSS draft sized drop bridle. It is huge and was not too expensive, I think around the £60-80 mark including reins.
Unfortunately it look significantly longer the delivery period quoted at purchase time (again 6-8 weeks) and only finally materialised when I had to threaten legal action to recover my money. There were a catalogue of lies about posting that could easily be proven to be false and I know I'm not the only one who had problems with making purchases off them!
 

Toby_Zaphod

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2005
Messages
9,259
Location
Midlands
Visit site
I have a huge Clydesdale whom I bought an FSS draft sized drop bridle. It is huge and was not too expensive, I think around the £60-80 mark including reins.
Unfortunately it look significantly longer the delivery period quoted at purchase time (again 6-8 weeks) and only finally materialised when I had to threaten legal action to recover my money. There were a catalogue of lies about posting that could easily be proven to be false and I know I'm not the only one who had problems with making purchases off them!

Unfortunately this is the normal problems with FSS on Ebay. Over the years they have traded under various names. As soon as someone has an issue with them they they cut off contact & block emails. They also block you from ever bidding on any of their sales in the future. I know because that happened to me, they are not very nice people!
 

irish_only

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 January 2009
Messages
1,063
Location
Somewhere snowy in winter, lovely in summer
Visit site
I have irish draughts (can you guess) and off the shelf browbands and nosebands are never big enough. Cheek pieces are always too long. So for years I have had bridles and pieces made to measure. Slightly more expensive than off the shelf, but saddlers always use really good quality leather and if fits. I have one made to measure that is about 20 years old and still looks smart.
 

Liane

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2001
Messages
353
Visit site
The biggest XF bridles I have found are the Kieffer ones, I have measured a lot of them and they come up bigger than stubben etc by quite a long way. I have a lovely shaped leather GP girth for sale if your looking for a big girth?
 

Mrskyfall

Active Member
Joined
11 August 2015
Messages
43
Visit site
I have Shire horses and finding tack for them is a nightmare! I order my tack from USA. Last summer I needed a 40" dressage girth and I could not find one here, but I got one from a company in the U.s who specialise in draft tack. They were super helpful and the quality of the leather girth is fab. The only downside is import duty :(
 

Mike007

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 May 2009
Messages
8,222
Visit site
Where do you get stuff from? I mean normal every day stuff that people with small horses take for granted. I've been on the internet looking for stuff but am not really getting anywhere.

My Clydesdale, Kevin, has never really done much except haul novices around and be neglected. I want to bring him on and to be honest his doing well. However, my instructor suggested riding him in a drop nose band for a little while and do you think I could find one......no!!!

So where do you go for equipment that fits, that big horse shop has nothing but rugs really and everywhere else seems to be more harness. I do not want a flash because they are a pet hate.

They just dont make drop nosebands that fit anymore. When I was a kid ,they were all the rage and available in all sizes . Now I think they are all made in China by a man who once saw a picture of a horse.The best substitute I have found is the Micklem (marmite ) bridle ,you either love it or hate it.I love mine and so does Bob the nota cob.
 

Jo1987

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 June 2013
Messages
882
Visit site
Unfortunately this is the normal problems with FSS on Ebay. Over the years they have traded under various names. As soon as someone has an issue with them they they cut off contact & block emails. They also block you from ever bidding on any of their sales in the future. I know because that happened to me, they are not very nice people!

Oh, I must have been lucky as mine arrived within a few days! I did notice that some sizes/colours had a 6-8 week delivery time, I avoided those!
 

deb_l222

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 January 2012
Messages
1,413
Location
Barnsley
Visit site
I can sympathise but can't offer much practical help as I struggled for a long time to find an off the shelf bridle to fit my Clydesdale. It was always the noseband that was WAY too small, by several inches.

I was just about to have one made for him when he was sadly put to sleep. I did order from FSS and it was a lovely bridle but the noseband came nowhere near, despite it supposedly being huge draft size.
 

Pearlsasinger

Up in the clouds
Joined
20 February 2009
Messages
44,730
Location
W. Yorks
Visit site
I have a lovely m2m bridle bought for a Clydesdale and then I got a new, longer browband from a local tackshop, for my next Clydie. I would be wary.of strapping the mouth shut, as I expect the horse has a different from the norm mouth conformation, so is not easy to bit, therefore is likely to be uncomfortable in the mouth. Big bits are not so easy told get hold of either ime.
 

Sukistokes2

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 April 2011
Messages
4,244
Location
I live in Kent
Visit site
I have a lovely m2m bridle bought for a Clydesdale and then I got a new, longer browband from a local tackshop, for my next Clydie. I would be wary.of strapping the mouth shut, as I expect the horse has a different from the norm mouth conformation, so is not easy to bit, therefore is likely to be uncomfortable in the mouth. Big bits are not so easy told get hold of either ime.


Found one gathering dust in a tack shop in deepest darkest Kent. They were as surprised to sell it as I was to find it!!! It fits.....JUST.

The horses mouth was checked last week by a dentist and I will in NO way be strapping it shut. The nose band was my instructors idea and she is from a family that breeds and trains shires. The nose band is a short term solution to get us through a problem. If it meant strapping his mouth shut in a harmful way I would not even consider it, neither would Vanessa. I was feeding him treats with it on yesterday. Please forget the pictures of horses going around with their mouths pinched shut, that are circling FB, that is not our intention. It's just a gentle reminder for him not to open his mouth and bog off with me, to avoid going the hard work he is being ask to do. He doesn't go far and once he learns to trust me, after years of being neglected in novice homes, the nose band can get lost in my tack room.
 
Last edited:

Dexydoodle

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 November 2010
Messages
663
Location
South West
Visit site
Bit off the wall but could you drop cumbrian heavy horses an email and ask where they tend to source their stuff? They have shires/ clydes/ percherons etc so might have some tips
 

stilltrying

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 September 2009
Messages
665
Location
Kent
Visit site
Another vote for FSS (ebay) - I got a beautiful comfort bridle made for my IDx with a drop noseband. I think they get mixed reviews but i found the bridle to be decent quality for the price (£60 - £70). They do Full, XF and Draft sizes from memory and there is plenty of room in the one I have, and pretty sure i didn't actually get the biggest size.
 

antigone

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 December 2015
Messages
191
Location
East Yorkshire
Visit site
So many XF bridles were incorrectly proportioned for my maxi cob. Don Harry Saddlery make beautiful bespoke bridles and parts. Don't be put off by the price of the dressage bridles - they made me lovely plain bridle at reasonable cost. It was the loveliest thing my big lad ever had and well worth the money. They said it was the biggest bridle they had made!
 

Tern

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 December 2012
Messages
2,608
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
I have the same issue with my Clydesdale x TB - The TB has only lightened him to an extent. :D

I tried a stubben noseband that I had laying around in full - really smart... Didn't even get halfway around his nose. :eek:

Join #twittereventing on fb - I remember there being quite a few posts about very large horses needed very large drop nosebands!

My gelding has a mix and match bridle of stubben (headpiece and cheekpieces I think) but the rest is Shires XFull.
 

Crugeran Celt

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2012
Messages
3,205
Visit site
I have the exact oppisite problem, trying to find anything to fit my 32inch miniature is a nightmare. Need special stores for very big and very small horses like there are for people.
 
Top