Hello! 
I’m looking for a breastplate for my horse. I haven’t really come across any that I really like except for the Antares elastic ones. My horse is grey and I felt the blue would really look stunning on him. The only thing is I’ve heard that those elastic breastplates stretch really bad. I was wondering if that’s true? I’ve read some reviews and everyone says that they love theirs and I haven’t seen one thing about stretching but I’m just curious, as I do not want to buy something that won’t last.
Thanks!
I love it! Sadly I’m too lazy and haven’t used it much, but it is stunning! They only have a running attachment (assuming that hasn’t changed). The quality is stunning, it looks fabulous, and the elastic is sturdy (double or triple). It does run pretty big.
I have one for my Eq horse. He’s 18.1 and about 1800 lbs (Dutch/Trak), wears a 60" girth and the 3 fits him beautifully. We have a 19hh + Hano/TB in our barn who is quite a bit more narrow than my guy and the 3 swims on him. I have not had any issues with the elastic stretching out and mine is 3+ years old, but it also fits my guy REALLY well. I suspect if it were constantly under tension, it would end up quite stretched out. I highly recommend all of their breastplates; I have 4 different styles and I love them all!
I have one… no problems with excessive stretching here, it’s beautiful quality… but I also haven’t had it for that long, so maybe after a few years it would stretch out? Most elastic breastplates do start to stretch after a while, especially if ridden in very tight. If you like the blue and white look (which is really sharp I think), have you checked out the Smartpak Harwich elastic breastplate? Very similar look, just over $100ish I think. The quality is decent but not really comparable to Antares… but for the money, worth it I think.
Here’s a photo of the Harwich breastplate on my grey- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3334140112125&set=a.2438032029983.2085287.1227211156&type=1&theater
Here’s a photo of the Antares for comparison- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3371030274356&set=a.3088644174880.1073741825.1227211156&type=3&theater
I LOVE mine!!! No problem with stretching, but they do run big. Horse size was big, cob size too small for my 16.2 Hanoverian mare. My solution was to have the 2 sides shortened 2" each, and have some extra keepers sewn on the chest strap to contain the extra leather. Custom fit for an additional $30. I think it’s gorgeous on my bay, but it would be stunning on a grey. Good luck. If you can afford it, I’d go for the real deal. That blue and white striped elastic really is beautiful into opinion!!!
I tried to answer yesterday, but my post disappeared into the ether…I’ve had one for about five years now, and love the leather…BUT, I cannot get the elastic clean to save my life. I’ve tried everything people have recommended, including toothpaste, oxiclean, dishwashing detergent - nothing I do will make it look non-grungy. The hardware has also pitted a bit, which is frustrating, given how much it costs.
No problems with stretching though - although the sizing seemed a bit strange. My last horse, who was a 17.1h WB, I almost couldn’t make it big enough, and then my current guy, who is about 16.3, and I thought had a more developed shoulder, it almost hangs off of…
If you like the look of the blue, this one looks similar. Leather is obviously not the same quality, though.
[QUOTE=KingoftheRoad;7134466]
I tried to answer yesterday, but my post disappeared into the ether…I’ve had one for about five years now, and love the leather…BUT, I cannot get the elastic clean to save my life. I’ve tried everything people have recommended, including toothpaste, oxiclean, dishwashing detergent - nothing I do will make it look non-grungy. The hardware has also pitted a bit, which is frustrating, given how much it costs.
No problems with stretching though - although the sizing seemed a bit strange. My last horse, who was a 17.1h WB, I almost couldn’t make it big enough, and then my current guy, who is about 16.3, and I thought had a more developed shoulder, it almost hangs off of…[/QUOTE]
Castile soap and a HARD bristled brush! Stretch the elastic over a work sink (one of those big, square deals that many barns have), soak the elastic, and soap the crap out of it. Then SCRUB!!! You’ll be amazed just how much dirt comes out. The first time I did this, I had to scrub each side (and front and back) for about 15 minutes; then I started to do it after every use and it took considerably less effort. It works, I promise!
I think if you were to use it all the time and have it tight, the elastic would stretch. One of the ladies in my barn would use hers as a schooling breastplate so it did get a bit stretched out and really dingy looking.
However, if you’re just using to school I think you would be fine. They really are lovely, although I am not a huge fan of the big plastic piece they are now putting in the middle. I much preferred just the leather!
