Why are bridles "flash" as standard?

[Rowreach]

Sounds lush. How did the drop cavesson go out of fashion I wonder? I bet these were more comfortable than a noseband and the flash combined? If you think about it from a horse's PoV as you don't get mixed messages and an imbalance of pressure from both places on the jawline.

Drop nose bands were often fitted wrong as well, too low and too tight. Fashion is a funny thing, I remember grackles appearing and being all the rage, but people didn’t really know what they were using them for ?

 

[Mrs C]

I got mine from stampede equestrian and really impressed with the fit and quality of leather

 

[Lois Lame]

I’ve noticed this - it seems so pointless. And so very frustrating when looking for a bridle, nearly all of them have a flash loop which I don’t want as I’m never going to use it.
Riders are putting them on as standard now, it’s just become the done thing. When I’m schooling something for the first time I ask why it’s in the tack it’s got - they nearly all have flashes and running martingales but don’t have a reason for it. And boots! If you’re putting boots on your horse in 30 degree weather for a light schooling session, at least have a reason for it!

But they won't have a reason for it if they have bought it because of the limited choice in the saddlery.

Decades ago there was so much choice. Not now.

 

[Lois Lame]

Finding an off the peg one is hard I agree, but two of my bridles are mix n match. I buy each piece separately and put them together at home.

What I find is that browbands are too tight which pulls the crownpiece against the ears which is irritating which is why I always say to check browbands for head shakers. The other thing I see is the throatlatch on cheap bridles far too short! Again, pulling the crownpiece down and there is also a fashion around where the throatlatch is tight against the throat!! Even worse than a flash! What is going on???

Next bridle I think will be a made to measure!

I think they are made by people who don't know what they are doing. It's not their fault I suppose, it's what is required of them by their bosses who also don't know and probably don't care. It's business to them, end of story.

I've seen some headcollars in photographs that are laughable: extremely long cheek pieces and too short a strap behind the ears. Maybe such a headcollar would fit one horse in a hundred. And that would be an odd looking horse.

 

[Floxie]

I expect because if you have a flash you can remove it, but if you don't it's difficult to attach one. So it's marketing to the widest possible audience.

I much prefer the removable ones, but I've had saddlers unstitch the flash loop from a few bridles for me.

 

[Sail_away]

But they won't have a reason for it if they have bought it because of the limited choice in the saddlery.

Decades ago there was so much choice. Not now.

Pretty easy just to take the flash off, even if you couldn’t find a bridle without it. Probably the easiest part of the bridle to remove!

 

[Lois Lame]

Maybe so, but your post sounded so critical.

 

[millikins]

I've never quite understood the "wow" bridle concept. However I like the craftsmanship in some. There are others I've seen that belong somewhere else......

Wit regard to the Micklem... I can't honestly think why the ancient shape of a bridle needs changing? It really is an ancient shape - you can see it in Indian temples, Greek pottery, Arabic reliefs the world over. Did I miss something and horses faces had changed? Theres only a problem if the various straps are pulled too tight or are fitted wrong. In all honesty, all you need is the crown strap/headstall and the reins... all the others were added on through mishaps out hunting according to the various books I've read.

I think you misunderstood me, I meant it's a plain, decent quality piece of equipment, but it doesn't make you want to rub it or hold it to your nose, unlike the old pony double bridle I bought at an auction simply because it was a wonderful thing made of English leather.
Re drop nosebands, our Connie has one, he is a very fussy quirky animal about everything but he seems to like the bitt being held securely.

 

[Pippity]

I've got to admit, I've never had any trouble finding a straightforward, flat cavesson bridle. I bought a cheap, off-the-peg one when I first bought my horse which fitted great (and even had a long enough browband). I replaced it with a Horsemanship Saddlery one when I wanted something more comfortable over the poll. The first one I bought came with a flat cavesson as the default; the second had it as an option at ordering. And her Fylde show bridle, I ordered the parts separately and even got to choose just how wide I wanted the noseband.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

I think you misunderstood me, I meant it's a plain, decent quality piece of equipment, but it doesn't make you want to rub it or hold it to your nose, unlike the old pony double bridle I bought at an auction simply because it was a wonderful thing made of English leather.
Re drop nosebands, our Connie has one, he is a very fussy quirky animal about everything but he seems to like the bitt being held securely.

Oh Millikins - how thrilling it is to find another tack weirdo just like myself. I think I need help, I have 14 English leather bridles for 5 horses. Some purchased when I stood there knowing I didn’t need another one, but the smell and tactile touch as well as the physical beauty of the craftsmanship had me reaching for my wallet and handing over cash for yet another bridle.

 

[Sail_away]

Maybe so, but your post sounded so critical.

What, critical of the circumstances nowadays where people strap their horse’s mouth shut just because? Yes.
I think it’s a shame people don’t research tack and what exactly it does before they put it on their horse.

 

[millikins]

Oh Millikins - how thrilling it is to find another tack weirdo just like myself. I think I need help, I have 14 English leather bridles for 5 horses. Some purchased when I stood there knowing I didn’t need another one, but the smell and tactile touch as well as the physical beauty of the craftsmanship had me reaching for my wallet and handing over cash for yet another bridle.

That's perfectly reasonable, perhaps you need more horses to wear the bridles Or perhaps you could broaden your addiction to include handbags and belts which would get more use? I love good quality leather, and if it's good in the first place it just gets better with age.

 

[honetpot]

Oh Millikins - how thrilling it is to find another tack weirdo just like myself. I think I need help, I have 14 English leather bridles for 5 horses. Some purchased when I stood there knowing I didn’t need another one, but the smell and tactile touch as well as the physical beauty of the craftsmanship had me reaching for my wallet and handing over cash for yet another bridle.

This is me. I have to keep my hand in my pockets at tack sales when I see some unloved vintage leather that not longer fashionable going for little money. I have boxes of English leather hand stitched bridles, and a whim bargain buy, a CWD bridle which has never been used, butter soft leather that now retail at about £300, but I couldn't bring myself to put it on a horse.
All the leather work I sold in the 80's I regret getting rid of. I was given a measuring stick, which I was using for spacing garden borders. When I finally got around to cleaning it I found out it was a vintage Rathbone measure about 1920, and the wood is so beautiful, and still useful.

 

[J&S]

I had a moment of recognition when I read about Milikins and Bonnie Allie smelling their leather purchases! I remember buying a new bridle for my now 24 yr old mare, she would have been 4/5 at the time. I too had to search, even then, for a bridle without a flash noseband. I found an Excelsior at £100.00, so quite expensive for the time. I took it back to the farm where I kept the pony and when I showed it to the farmer's wife I suggested she just sniffed inside the bag to start with! Intoxicating smell of really nice leather. 20 years later this bridle still cleans up well and is used regularly.

 

[Whoopit]

I only look for anatomical bridles and they all come with more like drop nose and designs, none of them flash ?‍

 

[Fastasflames]

i dont think they are... they are just what you find in the average tack shop because they suit the average joe.
As soon as you look online there are loads of options these days.

 

[tallyho!]

If you watch a horse with a standard bridle on, unless the bit is hoiked half way up the face, the cheek piece lifts and settles again repeatedly right on top of the nerve that runs down the side of the face.

I find the standard design of bridle completely illogical. Either the throat latch does sod all and may as well not be there, or it chokes the horse when it comes into an outline, and every rein aid makes the cheek piece move.

The early Greeks and Arabs, I think, didn't know about the nerves.

I’m not too sure about that. I think it’s well documented that the early Greeks were the first to write about nerves and the brain. Along with many ancient Middle Eastern Perhaps traditions but the history seems intertwined. One of the first things I remember from my degree. Human and veterinary medicine were not separated and many of the ancient philosophers of medicine would learn a dissect on animals and humans used the knowledge interchangeably. It’s entirely plausible they would have known about the nerves in the face of a horse. I’ve never seen a well fitted normal bridle do any of those things you mention and my bridles certainly do not do anything you’ve described. I have been paying attention too because when the supposedly anatomical bridles were launched I became worried. However, it turns out that only if the bridle is ill fitted will awful things like that happen. Otherwise, they sit pretty comfortably.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I personally like the flash, but since this new style came in I changed to this type as the centre does not get pulled down the nose.

 

[magicmoments]

I would happily remove a noseband, and throatlash, as if fitted correctly, to me serve no purpose, but have recently found out that a browband is necessary. I removed it following a bit consultation, while waiting for a correctly fitted one, but the headpiece kept moving back markedly.

 

[cremedemonthe]

Lots of flash lower straps I see are fitted upside down, the point of the strap should face downwards on the nearside, not upwards and are often tucked in to the flash loop on the noseband, which again is wrong. The above photo in post number 48 from what I can see has it upside down and is a prime example, manufacturuers are not always saddlers, they make things incorrectly and I have seen several items of saddlery incorrectly made these days as well as incorrectly used.
Even promotional photos selling branded items are often fitted incorrectly, sad day for traditional saddlery.

 

[pansymouse]

This is me. I have to keep my hand in my pockets at tack sales when I see some unloved vintage leather that not longer fashionable going for little money. I have boxes of English leather hand stitched bridles, and a whim bargain buy, a CWD bridle which has never been used, butter soft leather that now retail at about £300, but I couldn't bring myself to put it on a horse.
All the leather work I sold in the 80's I regret getting rid of. I was given a measuring stick, which I was using for spacing garden borders. When I finally got around to cleaning it I found out it was a vintage Rathbone measure about 1920, and the wood is so beautiful, and still useful.

I collect and restore vintage tack - it's a joy to work on and as a bridle maker it teaches me so much about truly fine workmanship. There are still good traditional saddlers working but very few people who are prepared to pay the price for a handcrafted product which will out live them.

I take flash strap loops off for a fiver because I hate them and want to contribute to their demise

 

[holeymoley]

I think they are made by people who don't know what they are doing. It's not their fault I suppose, it's what is required of them by their bosses who also don't know and probably don't care. It's business to them, end of story.

I've seen some headcollars in photographs that are laughable: extremely long cheek pieces and too short a strap behind the ears. Maybe such a headcollar would fit one horse in a hundred. And that would be an odd looking horse.

I find most headcollars on sale in the last few years absolutely awful. I always resort back to my very first one I bought 16 years ago and it’s the best fit and well made. It’s been sat out in all weathers at the field gate. I’m sure it’s an Olympus? Definitely not made like that anymore, proper metal work and no cheap fittings, and the head strap is long!

Bridles have always been a dodgy fit for me too, I need various mix and match pieces of traditional bridles to have something that fits well.

In terms of style and fit, I made a new post a few weeks ago- the Fairfax bridles look horrific! I’ve never seen them compliment or look like they fit anything I’ve seen wearing them.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Lots of flash lower straps I see are fitted upside down, the point of the strap should face downwards on the nearside, not upwards and are often tucked in to the flash loop on the noseband, which again is wrong. The above photo in post number 48 from what I can see has it upside down and is a prime example, manufacturuers are not always saddlers, they make things incorrectly and I have seen several items of saddlery incorrectly made these days as well as incorrectly used.
Even promotional photos selling branded items are often fitted incorrectly, sad day for traditional saddlery.

That is how its made you cannot change it regardless of the regulations it is FIXED aka stiches in.

 

[cremedemonthe]

That is how its made you cannot change it regardless of the regulations it is FIXED aka stiches in.

Yes, I know and exactly what I said, manufacturers are not necessarily saddlers.
You could change it for a price, take the straps off and restitch in other way round

 

[Rowreach]

Yes, I know and exactly what I said, manufacturers are not necessarily saddlers.
You could change it for a price, take the straps off and restitch in other way round

Oz do you remember seeing the ones like that probably from 70s time? We’re they made with the straps correct? I’d quite like to have one made.

 

[cremedemonthe]

Oz do you remember seeing the ones like that probably from 70s time? We’re they made with the straps correct? I’d quite like to have one made.

In all honesty no I don't remember seeing one in the flesh so to speak (or is that in the flash ) . I have some styles like that in my saddlery book collection but I think they were largely out of fashion when I started training in 1987, Oz

 

[Mule]

I personally like the flash, but since this new style came in I changed to this type as the centre does not get pulled down the nose. View attachment 65906

That's a much better looking design.