Bridles Part 1: Aesthetics

I love bridles. I suspect most of you have picked up on that by now. I bridle shop enough to know just what type of bridle I like (giant, fancy, padded, monocrown, preferably with sparkles somewhere), but I also know that not every horse can wear every style. I always wished that someone would write a useful style guide for those of us who only had one horse to shop for and didn't want to just buy and return stuff constantly.

So I wrote one. You're welcome.

Here's a look at the facial types I've dressed and what looks work best for them.

good

Izzy

Oldenburg Mare
Facial type: bold lines and features. Simple markings. Straight profile.
Dressing difficulty: easy

Izzy was well bred and a nice mover, but clinicians always called her a "handsome" mare and she was frequently mistaken for a gelding. Her face, while expressive, was plain. That allowed me to dress it up just as much as I wanted.

Here she's rocking the Nunn Finer event bridle. I chose brass highlights because I knew she could handle the extra pizzazz without being overwhelmed. It worked ok for her. There was nothing wrong with the look and it was always clean and workmanlike. That said, her face could handle something more.

better

Naturally, she also had a figure eight. This is a Five Star Tack piece--I don't remember which model. Again, because her face is simple, the white contrast stitching and padded monocrown worked really well for her face.

She had just enough white to set it off without so much that I was worried that the details would get swallowed up.

best

This was absolutely Izzy's signature bridle. It's another Five Star Tack model that has unfortunately been discontinued. It's the Magnolia bridle. She's actually wearing it in oversize because that's the only one I could find.

It's hard to see the details in this shot, but it had a 1.5" noseband with a detailed browband and white contrast stitching. I loved all the details, right down to the buckles, and it looked fabulous with the simple lines of her face. The width in the noseband helped refine her otherwise common lines and the details added visual interest. If I still had Izzy, I would still have this bridle, no question.

OH MY GOD NO

Cuna

OTTB gelding
Facial type: complicated lines, small muzzle, very refined, lots of detail, slightly dished face
Dressing difficulty: HARD

Cuna was immensely difficult to buy tack for, which just meant that I bought a lot of it. I tried the bridle on him that was perfect for Izzy, and we were all horrified and amused. The details that made it pop on her completely overwhelmed his face and looked atrocious.

also no

Then I went in the opposite and tried understated. This is a plain raised, horse sized edge wood bridle that I picked up for cheap somewhere.

Horrible.

In trying to get away from the overdone look of the Five Star bridle, I screwed up and got everything wrong. Cuna needed something simple, but this was too refined for a 16.3 hand gelding. He can't do complicated, but he is too big for this to work and the unique edgewood leather pulls all the wrong colors out for a red horse.

He looks sick.

not quite

I put him in the Nunn Finer. Because it is such a basic bridle, it worked pretty well for him. That said, I bought it with brass details to set off a plain head (Izzy) and brass+chestnut is pretty much a no-go.

Between his adorable fluffy forelock and bright red color, the brass was just too much.

We compromised on this one. The bridle wasn't "bad", it just wasn't best for him. I pulled the brass browband off and we made do.

getting there

Then we tried the hunter bridle route. This was sold to me as a Hadfield bridle, but I've never found a maker's mark to prove it. It worked ok on his face.

Ok, I actually quite like this bridle on him and still have it, but the truth is that his conformation and movement style are NOTHING like a hunter, so while nice, it was a bit superfluous. Still. We were on the right track. His face is busy, so I needed something simple and elegant without being too refined.

handsome

The next attempt was the strangely nice Ovation wide noseband bridle. I dressed it up with a fancy brownband and experimented both with and without the flash.

What I really liked about this bridle was that it balanced the 1.25" plain raised cavesson with very refined cheeks and simple buckles. It really set Cuna's face off very nicely.

While it worked for his face, it never quite satiated my need for "pretty". It was workmanlike and effective and slightly prettier than the Nunn Finer. It did the job.

Best

Then I found something new. This is a Mark Todd bridle imported from England. I actually love how the unique curves of the bridle balance the delicacy of his face with his large size.

If I'd spent more time playing around with it, I think I would probably have removed the flash just because Cuna doesn't like it or need it.

The buckles are technically brass, but they're a matte finish that is quite innocuous. Can I just say I love this bridle?

Of course, as soon as I got Cuna's bridle selection hammered out, he went and retired and I got to start over with facial type #3.

too big

Courage 

OTTB Gelding
Facial Type: Long, narrow face. Lots of space to fill between jowl and mouth. Flashy white. Plain lines.
Dressage Difficulty: Medium

Courage is funny to dress. His big blaze should dictate simple lines because it takes up so much visual attention, but the lines of his face are rather uninteresting.

I started him out in the go-to Nunn Finer bridle. We put a figure eight on it because after 6 years of race training, there was a lot for him to learn about what was and was not acceptable. Unfortunately, despite being 16.1 and 8 years old, he has a tiny little face and the horse-sized piece just hung uselessly on him.

ok

Next we went to Cuna's surprisingly nice Ovation bridle.

This worked pretty well, aesthetically. The refined cheeks didn't overwhelm his narrow head and the cavesson/flash filled up space pretty well. That said, it was a horse size bridle and he was on the last hole of pretty much everything.

It wasn't going to be our long term solution.

good

Our next step was the micklem bridle. For those who have aesthetic complaints about the design, I don't disagree. It's different. I find them a bit distracting when I'm looking through event pictures, but if they stick around, I think that will be overcome. Let's face it: they're not as ugly as (god help us all) drops. Ew. Hate those. (And yes, some horses go well in them. Life goes on.)

Regardless. Because of his facial structure, the micklem actually worked surprisingly well. It's very busy between the jowl and the chin and that is PERFECT for Courage who has a lot of space there without a lot going on. I've used both the bedazzled browband and plain, and they both work with his face.

This bridle is actually cob sized and fits him quite well. That said, it's unconventional looking and no horse of mine can have just one bridle, can they? The horror!

nope

We borrowed a flat hunt bridle in cob size from our barn owner.

I have to say, I'm glad I didn't buy it. Although it fit well, the bridle was all kinds of wrong for this face. It just emphasized how narrow his head was without showing off his character well at all.

I tried it on twice and the results were the same. Although he is a super cute horse, this bridle isn't aesthetically the best choice for him.

best

Here's my favorite so far. It's the cob sized Dover Circuit bridle. It's very similar leather to the edgewood that totally didn't work for Cuna, but Courage is a totally different color and the slightly red tone looks LOVELY on him. (Note: I would never, ever put this on a black or black bay. HATE that combo.)

The figure eight fills up space nicely and the contrast stitching on the plain raised section is just enough detail without trying to overrun his big blaze.

I will say that I also stuck a d ring bit on it because I knew it would look cute. That's not a concern for under saddle work, but I was dressing him for a photo shoot and cute was at a premium.


And that's not even all the bridles I've ever owned. Please, no one go through and total up the cost for that list for me, haha. Not every bridle works for every horse. This post is just about the aesthetics of the bridles I used. I'm planning another one on function and quality, because hey, I love bridles, and Courage is on Christmas vacation at least until all this nasty ice melts.

Anyone have a picture of a bridle on their horse that is just stunning? Maybe one that is less than stunning? Email it to me. (hakunamatata@gmail.com). I want to do a set with reader photos too. Please include the bridle make/model (if know) and any relevant details about the horse. Headshots are easiest to look at bridles.

Dilemma!!

Cuna and I are making our debut in the massively huge jumper classes tomorrow (read: 2'9" and 3'). We are being brave and going without a trainer because Aspen is this weekend and there aren't a lot of local shows. This means two things.

1) I am making a list of things Steph always yells at me anyways for a bystander to yell at me.

2) TACK!!! I have two breastcollars.


 My extremely practical Nunn Finer











My extremely pretty FST.










Before rushing to a conclusion, consider the pros and cons of both. The nunn finer is easy to clean, really familiar to me, and has a grab strap, which might come up in a class with big fences. The FST is super pretty and theoretically, might allow more freedom through his shoulders. HOWEVER there is nothing to hold on to. Plus it's still warm out and it might get all sweaty and dirty.

Beyond that, consider that Cuna will be wearing his official show jumping outfit: Tboots with bells up front, Eskadron wraps in the back, black fly bonnet to match. The leather of the nunn finer is rather neutral background and don't distract. The FST will draw attention to itself and absolutely can't be worn with the brown bonnet. I haven't tried it with this one.

Such a dilemma. Thoughts?

Playtime

End of summer sales are the worst. I totally forget about them, and then BOOM!!!! There is cheap stuff every where and I want it all.

Of course, in order to preserve some semblance of honor for the wallet, I find solace in sharing with other tack whores the awesome things I stumble across.

Sometimes that backfires.

One of my favorite fellow 'hos, Me, mentioned that she had something to sell in case I knew of anyone looking. What was it? Oh, just the very breastcollar I've been drooling over for the past two years or so but never gotten around to justifying the cost of. (In case you were wondering, yes, I actually do exercise lots of restraint. You cannot imagine how well Cuna would be dressed if I didn't.)

In a few frenzied facebook messages, I agreed to buy it. When it FINALLY arrived yesterday (after a whole two days in transit), I pranced around the house modelling it because I thought it was so pretty.

Which brings us to the real test: can Cuna wear it? My taste is 180 degrees from what looks good on Cuna. I love big, thick nosebands, fancy padded monocrowns, super pretty detailing and lots of contrast stitching.

Cuna looks stupid in all of that. Give him a simple raised workmanlike bridle with no fluff and he looks like a million bucks.

Cuna is captivated by this problem

Which brings us to today. I brought the breastcollar out to see if it was just me indulging my fantasies about pretty things or if it would actually work for us.

The first fun thing was figuring out how in the world to put it on. I've always had a simple hunting breastcollar, and Steph is very particular about making sure everything is unsnapped before taking the girth off so that if something goes wrong, the breastcollar isn't holding a very expensive saddle on a loose, panicking horse.

So yeah. Um, without a wither strap, this makes tacking up straight amusing since there isn't a clip on the part that connects to the girth. I put the saddle on. I girthed up one side. I slid the breastcollar on the girth, then dropped the pretty elastic on the ground and quickly did up the other side, then put the breastcollar on. Stupid plan. Will try something else next time.



At any rate, I eventually got everything put together. The breastcollar passed test #1: glove holding. I always hang my helmet up near the cross ties with my gloves inside. After Cuna is tacked up, I put my gloves in the breastcollar while I put my hair up and helmet on.

Efficiency of use: check.

Sexy body shot

Next, I checked out how I thought it looked on Cuna. Remember, this breastcollar is pretty and this is the horse that really can't do pretty, especially near his face.

He's held his deep chestnut color really well this summer and the havana/blue doesn't look out of place on him.

So cute.

The details are subtle enough that I can appreciate them without totally drawing attention to themselves in motion.

The elastic straps are a hair on the short side, especially since they'll need to attach to the actual saddle dees instead of my dee savers. Otherwise, there is a chance they'll slide down and THAT my friends, would make me BATTY.

As if I'm not already.

That said, I'm a big fan of clip anyways, and I think the extra inch or two that the clips will add will give us plenty of length.

Ky-oot! 

Next step: go hang out in front of the newly-painted barn and take pictures.

I put on his chocolate fly bonnet because I thought it would complement the rich brown in the breastcollar.

Wrong.

The cream doesn't match the blue and the scallops are just TOO MUCH when combined with the prettiness that is the breastcollar. Functional? Yes. Attractive? Not now.

Much better

So we try again. This time, no bonnet.

I like it much better. I am intentionally using my new bridle because it has nickel hardware. No brass with this beauty.

You might notice that Cuna is also in some of his new fluffy boots. For the first time in several weeks, he was actually sound in boots. Win!

He can totally do it

I only rode lightly today. It was smokey, plus the arena project is super dusty, plus I'd dropped my stirrups and my thighs were screaming at me. Besides, the breastcollar was super clean, despite being lightly used, and I didn't want to gunk it up if I didn't think Cuna could pull it off.

Conclusion: I think as long as it's the only "pretty" thing I put on him, we're good to go. It's just too much for him with the bonnet. That said, he looks smashing in my t-boots and they also have the accented elastic. He can do detail work, just not on his face.

I feel the need to add in some relevant details that will make this post work as a tack review, so here goes:




Basic info:
MSRP: Listed on the fivestartack.com website for $200. Currently available through their sale page for around $130
What I paid: less than that

General description: elastic breastcollar suitable for jumping, dressage, hacking, or just general use. Quality leather on all points of attachment. The strap that goes between the legs is nicely padded. No grab strap on this model--I believe if you buy the non-sale version of this on the official website, it now comes standard with one.

Pros: Super pretty and distinctive looking. Good, strong elastic. I've always steered clear of elastic strap goods because I thought they would stretch too easily and make themselves useless. Not so with this piece. The stitching is well done, the details well thought out.

Cons: It seems like it would be hard to clean. I've never had elastic before, so this is a whole new world for me. The lack of a grab strap means I'm unlikely to take it XC. That said, I bet you money I can round one up on short order if I change my mind.

Tack Review #3: Five Star Tack Magnolia Bridle

Izzymare modeling the stunning Five Star Tack Magnolia Bridle.

Basic info:

MSRP: This style of this bridle is not available anymore. As I recall, the original price was around $300 for the bridle less reins.

What I paid: $120 on tacktrader.com

General description: Available in black leather with (gorgeous) white contrast stitching, this bridle was distinctive for two reasons. First off the silver star on the browband, second the padded but flat and 1.5" wide cavesson. There are double keepers for all the straps, a lovely padded crank, and elegant nickel buckles.

My relationship to this product: I saw a few pictures on the Five Star Tack facebook page and was immediately smitten: this was the bridle I needed to have. I scoured the internet and scored the only used on available for Izzy the big-headed Oldenburg mare. I had it for just over a year and used it frequently.

Pros:

Style!-the Magnolia Bridle is traditional enough looking that it doesn't totally stand out and look stupid, but modern and classy enough that a close examination shows a ton of little details.

Leather quality-as with all the Five Star Tack products I have encountered, the leather quality is second to none. Soft, strong, pliable. I was very careful cleaning this bridle because I didn't want to muddy the gleam on the cavesson or darken the stitches.

Sizing-Izzy wore a horse size reliably, but when the only available bridle was oversize, we went with it. I had to punch an extra hole or two, but it fit her beautifully. It's not that the sizing runs small--just that it's flexible enough for a desperate tack whore to put her horse into.

Resale-ability-I mentioned to a friend that I was going to sell it. I had a committed buyer the next morning, willing to pay me what I paid for it. If I'd held out, maybe I could have made money. ;-)

Cons:

Style-this is a very big, very noticeable bridle. It makes an impression. It is not for the refined head at all ever for any reason, as Cuna demonstrates here.

Crank-I like the padding that cranks provide. The crank on this bridle was a little weird, in that when it was properly adjusted, the strap would go almost into the bit ring. Maybe it was because the size wasn't quite perfect, but it seemed like a design flaw.

An official company image.

All in all, I loved this bridle and was sad to part with it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone shopping for a big, classy horse.

Snow Days are for Tack Whoring

We have 6" inches of snow and more is falling rapidly. The ground was dry 5 hours ago. I got the day off at the barn because Steph didn't think my car would be able to make it there. Pretty sure she was right--this picture was taken two hours ago.

So let's talk tack whoring. We haven't done that for a while. I considered dressing up in my $3 knee high socks (TJ Max), $20 kerrits breeches (eBay) and my $30 danskos (also eBay), but I'm at the work where stretchy pants are less socially acceptable right now.

I'm by nature a fairly happy and obsessive person. I also like Izzy to look perfect. I also have a budget that flutters around zero. Hence, I am a compulsive bargain hunter. Even if I have the money to buy something I want off the shelf, I rarely do. My only exceptions are hoofpicks and undergarments. You just don't want those used. ;-)

So here are my rules for bargain hunting:

1) Know the market. At home (where I am internetless), I stockpile catalogs. I keep current copies of Dover, Smartpak, Bit of Britain, and Bartville Harness Shop.

2) Know your item. If I'm shopping for my favorite breeches ever, I know they run around $110 new, can usually be had for around $100, go on sale for $70-$80 this time of year, and pop up on eBay occasionally for less. That means that if I go to a store and see them on the shelf, I know -exactly- where they fit into that scale and whether or not it's a good deal. Hint: just because it's 30% off does not make it worth buying.

3) Have good sources. I mentioned the catalogs I keep at home. Here is my analysis of them:

~Dover has the most selection. They're excellent to get an idea for what's out there. Their list prices are ridiculous, but their sales are palatable, especially with the $10 off shipping coupon they sent out. I rarely buy from them, but I reference them frequently.

~Smartpak has free shipping on orders over $75, which I adore. Their selection is less than Dover, but still pretty sweet and their customer service is fantabulous. They have good sales occasionally, but in general are my go-to for non-discounted purchases.

~Bit of Britain is like eventer heaven in store format. They have all the coolest stuff and pretty good sales and discounts. Their shipping is reasonable and they are good to deal with.

~Bartville Harness Shop is a little Amish owned place in Pennsylvania. If you call them and leave a message, they'll send you a catalog. They make many of the leather goods for Bit of Britain, but sell they for quite a bit less money. Like 40-50% less.

Other sources I use a lot:

~eBay is pretty self explanatory. You have to know key words and sort through a lot of junk, but there are some cool deals out there. My favorite sellers are gorge-us.girls for clothes and lancamishgoods for strap good from Bartville that are magically sold online.

~Bits and Barter board is a collection of people selling peer to peer. It's not as reliable as eBay, but you can get some super deals if they have what you want.

4) Do Your Research-I got my dressage saddle off of a website I'd never heard of, but I researched it on the Chronicle Forums and heard good things. Conversely, there are sellers (and brands) that I've done similar research on and decided to have nothing to do with. I like the Chronicle because it's an established community with members you can research further through their posting history. You know, "sure she thinks that saddle is great, but she rides in a wintec according to her prior post, so she's hardly a judge of leather quality". It takes a little time, but it pays off.

5) Network. I have very little luck with craigslist (thank you cow country USA), but I've had considerable luck with fellow bloggers and equine friends. I got a steal of a deal on my much-beloved Ainsley XC saddle from blogger Gingham and the exact XC vest I wanted from blogger friend Rinsie.

Here's last fall's ensemble. The only thing I paid full price for was the custom saddle pad and ear bonnet. Those totaled around $50.

Otherwise, we have this list:

Five Star Tack Magnolia Bridle: $120 (used, tacktrader.com)

Thinline Reins $70 (new, sale at local store)

Korsteel bit $10 (new, local sale)

Black dressage boots $40 (new, from blogger friend)

Passier dressage saddle $800 (used, online)

Thinline pad $130 (new, ebay)

Kerrits breeches $40 (new, Dover)

Ariat half chaps $40 (new, Dover)

And so on. I firmly believe in buying higher quality good that will last longer and need less replacing. I also believe in buying the thing you want, because otherwise you will spend a great deal more buying multiple unsatisfactory replicas of it.

Weekend Notes

Izzy and I crossed water, unassisted, for the first time ever this week. Yes, it was just a measly irrigation ditch that was about 2' wide and 2" deep, but by golly, we got over it and neither of us had a total meltdown. This is a big deal because previously, she always had to be lead into water and then would pretty much jump on top of the person doing the leading. Also I would have a mini freak out in my head because I would be afraid she would do something crazy... like jump in...

For the record, she did take a couple of massive flying leaps over the water and I was in dressage tack, but hey, we survived and we're both better for it.

It was supposed to be track day yesterday, but the weather was atrocious. Since we were stuck in the indoor and I was tired, I just set a single caveletti and rode Izzy back and forth over it. We focused on staying straight, going forward to it, and halting after it, instead of a mad dash away.



Then, something exciting happened. Our Five Star Tack bridle came. I was so tempted to take a second trip out to the barn to try it on Izzy in the dark...

I resisted, but barely.

Here we are, trying it on today. I hadn't made all the final adjustments yet, but I think it looks amazing on Izzy's pretty face. Yes, it's hook stud ends, but they're so finished and neat looking.











Here she is, posing for us. Pretty, pretty mare.














And the requisite lunging picture. She is looking great. I barely got to ride today, though. Izzy and the horrid gelding were getting introduced to a new pasture mate.

It's another studdy gelding... yay... I was so hoping for the spayed mare instead. Anyways. The owner said she'd come out at noon, but then came at like 10, which abridged any and all work I wanted to do.



Whatever. The introduction ensued with much drama, but when it more or less settled down (I still think the studdy geldings are going to fight it out, but w/e Izzy is smart enough to stay out of it), I hauled this load home.

It is now disassembled, wiped down, soaped, rinsed, conditioned, rubbed off, and re assembled. Plus I did a ton of loads of laundry. You can say it. We're both amazing.

Whoring for a Good Cause

Ahem. I'm sure all my regular readers are familiar with a certain affliction I have.

Tack whoring.

Yes. I love tack. Not just any old thing, but nice, high quality, pretty stuff that is clean and soft and functional. As of my last count, Izzy, my easy going, non-picky mare, had five bridles. She has a jump bridle, dressage bridle, micklem bridle, western bridle, and side pull.

Now, she also has a beautiful figure-8 bridle coming in the mail.

(Note: this is a customer image from the facebook page, not official company photography.)

It's made by Five Star Tack, who also made Izzy's dressage bridle. They're a really cool company. It's small, the owner/designed also answers calls and emails and is a pretty awesome person. (Hi Jamie!! You rock!)

Aside from having lots of really cool stuff, they're actively engaged in giving back, both to communities and people. You can read more about it on their eventing site, which you can also order direct from.

http://www.fivestartack.com/

This month, they are donating 10% of all sales to Boyd Martin and the True Prospect Farm survivors. Oh, plus they are having a sale--anything ordered through the website is 25% off. If you have any questions, or want to order through the dealer site, contact them through facebook or by email and they'll take care of it for you.

I'll definitely review this bridle when I get it. I'm also planning on doing a series of posts, reviewing the abundant amounts of tack that I have for further dissemination on the internet. I mean, I go through so much stuff, someone other than me wight as well benefit from all this.

(Guess who has a dressage lesson today???)