CAN'T STOP ME NOW!!!

This angle makes his face look big

So when I took C-rage to the clinic, the instructor's biggest criticism was that my bridle wasn't fitted properly for a figure 8. I'd just thrown it on in a mad rush with a loose horse galloping by, so I made a note to fix it next time we rode.

Next time just to happened to be at our group lesson, so I took my time putting it on and shortening things up. Then I led him out to the instructor to get feedback on how it was adjusted. She fiddled with it, I fiddled with it.

And the root of the problem is simply that a horse sized bridle is far too big for a wee little Courage face.

It sort of fits. Def cute.

You heard it here folks: I was told by the trainer that I needed a new bridle. YEAH YEAH YEAH!! Do you have any idea how much I love bridle shopping? SO MUCH. Gah. I love bridles. Of course, that means I own six bridles, none of which fit the only rideable horse I own.

So swanky

Cuna gets to keep his bridles--the swanky Mark Todd monocrown and the practical Nunn Finer plain cavesson. That leaves C-rage with 4--the fancy hunter bridle (too big), the no name cheapie bridle (too big), the Ovation monocrown with sparkles (can squeeze it on), and the Nunn Finer figure eight (too big).

Hunter bridle modeled by the one and only Cuna

Soo... If you want any of those, contact me. Otherwise I'll sell online or consign them or something. We'll keep the Ovation since it sort of fits. Sort of.

But that's not the important news. What's more interesting is getting Courage his very own bridle. I mean, I'll have a budget and get to pick something nice out. I love nice things. My dream bridle is (of course) like an Antares figure eight... you have to touch it to believe it. Those things are incredible. However, those are $500 new without reins.

Barring that, here are some of my favorite options:

Gotta love the detail. Stock Dover image.

1) Dover Showmark Deluxe Jumper Bridle
I hate Dover. You know that. However, this is one of their in-house brands. A friend of mine has another model from the same line, and I covet it every time I see it. I love a good padded monocrown, I love the detail stitching on the figure eight, and the fact that it isn't padded gives me a lot more leeway in adjusting it to fit. Of course, given Dover's odd and expensive shipping policies, I wouldn't order anything else to come along with it.

Very old picture. Who remembers Izzy?

2) Rambo Micklem Bridle
I used to have one of these. Yes, I did. I hated the color, loved the crownpiece, and liked the design. I sold it because I thought I had too many bridles and the mare didn't care one way or another, but I wouldn't mind having another. Besides, the one I had would have been huge on the dainty face I'm fitting now.

Plus, I can now get in havana and I think the complicated design would go well on the fancy little face I'm fitting.

 Because I'm antsy and want to BUY ALL THE THINGS, I nearly pulled the trigger yesterday. Instead, I am forcing myself to act like a grownup for now. You know, maybe sell some things before I attempt to spend more money. In the mean time, I am obsessively bridle shopping. I'm all about the single crown piece, love me some bling (rice clinchers, what what?), and am curious about alternative designs. Anything else I should be considering? What are your favorite bridles for cob-size faces?