I bought a red barn about a year ago. It’s a gorgeous bridle and I get compliments on it all the time, but I’m not sure I would buy another. The leather is still very stiff even after a year of use and oiling. I originally was only going to use it for shows but the leather is so darn stiff I have been using it full time just to break it in. However I have no complaints about how it is made, there is no glue seepage or fraying of stitching. It’s just stiff.
It’s terribly sad but the best leather quality I have gotten in the past few years was from an ovation bridle. It seems to me all the top bridle makers have gone for looks over the quality of the leather. Amazing that we all ride on butter soft saddles but can’t find a decent bridle.
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I still love my Edgewood even if I don’t do H/J anymore.
For a lower end bridle, I love the Americana lines. I have two and they are very pretty and the leather is soft and broke in easily.
No, it’s usually because they’re 10+ years behind whatever is currently “in.”
They don’t make a wide noseband fancy stitch bridle, which is what I’m looking for.
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FYI They have had a fancy stitch option for decades… You can mix and match components if you order from Stubben direct. They have a wide noseband option as well.
They’re pretty in-style in Eventing so I don’t find them “10 years behind everyone/thing else”. Lots of saddle companies have borrowed some small innovations from Stubben. They’re about 10 years ahead of everyone else in terms of saddle trees and saddle innovation. They’re light-years ahead of other saddle makers in terms of quality - I hear of tons of CWDs and Voltaires breaking their trees and/or not lasting more than 5+ years. Never heard of that with Stubben. I’m not affiliated at all with any saddle company but of all the bridles I’ve cleaned and conditioned, it’s been my experience the Stubbens are usually the longest lasting and highest quality. YMMV.
There’s a good chance you won’t be satisfied with the leather quality of most bridles mentioned, so if I were you I’d buy from a place that has a solid return policy.
Meh. I bought a custom Stubben monoflap that had a defect, they told me that I rode uneven and I did that to the saddle, even though I sent a message about it before I ever rode in it. Won’t deal with them again on that alone.
I just went through their website and no, they do not have a wide noseband option like I’m looking for (like an old Jimmys). I’m happy to look at it if you can point me to it. But every time I have looked at a bridle, their new freedom bridle excepted, they aren’t even monocrown, so that really is 10+ years behind. They’ve just started adding monocrowns in maybe the last 2 years or so.
Fancy stitch has been around in the hunters since the late 70s, so it’s not like that’s an innovation that Stubben is at the forefront of.
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The stitching on my newer Edgewoods does not hold up as well as my older ones, but never anything I haven’t been able to have repaired. As far as leather quality goes- I do not see much of a difference in the older Edgewoods vs newer ones. They are definitely my favorite brand on the market. I constantly get compliments on the wide fancy stitched padded one.
Due to the fact that I have a bridle addiction- here are a few of the ones I have or have had over the years:
Anne Hubbards: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155578807102456&set=a.10155578806332456.1073741911.736477455&type=3&theater
Edgewood: https://www.facebook.com/abby.yeager.5/posts/10155162734362456
Hadfields: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155668286502456&set=a.10155668286387456.1073741915.736477455&type=3&theater and https://www.facebook.com/abby.yeager.5/posts/10154463915492456
.
Nunn Finer Caterina: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153327623002456&set=a.10153327621047456.1073741879.736477455&type=3&theater
Bennetts: https://www.facebook.com/abby.yeager.5/posts/10155501395932456
Red Barn (Use for every day schooling): https://www.facebook.com/abby.yeager.5/posts/10153892157942456
Huntley (not mine-just showing that they do darken!): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153593390787456&set=a.10150501380712456.427187.736477455&type=3&theater
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If I were you, I’d talk to a rep and ask for their vendor book/catalogs. They have a lot more options than are posted online, the Freedom bridle being a good example of that. I received one of their vendor catalogs when I worked in a tack-store and it was pages long compared to the 5 items they have on their NA website. The fancy stitch is on their website but many of their bridles are not: Freedom, Tyrone, Kildare, Galway (my favorite), Derry, Knifeedge… you get the point. Their website sucks, try to find a vendor catalog.
You can buy components individually, but it doesn’t appear they have that on their website.
Here is one used on Ebay, but I don’t think this one is the wide noseband:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FANCY-STITC…-/253233031650
I like my Huntley, i believe I bought it last year and I haven’t gotten to use it as much since it ran large and is too big for my boys but it lovely. I feel like the only downside is I wish it had more padding on the crown.
My Edgewood is very beautiful, however it’s already much darker than my ideal and it’s the same age as the Huntley. It’s also gotten very soft, not a durable bridle I would want to use every day.
I have the ADT figure 8, I bought it very slightly used and I adore it. Since I bought it used I’m not sure it’s age, but given the quality and the current reputation I assume it’s older.
CWD is meh, looked old very quickly and became a schooling bridle.
Whaty current favorite is is my Dyons. They are a little expensive if you buy from the States (Dover) but they’re aging very well even with a lot of use! The leather doesn’t feel as nice when you get them but they soften up just enough. I have both the anatomical and the wide noseband and they’re both very nice.
Have you checked out Lund Saddlery?
Yes. Haven’t been very impressed with what I have gotten. The leather is a weird reddish brown that doesn’t darken to match leather that is darkened with use. I think they’re fine for the price point but not comparable to the stuff being discussed.
Also, they’ve been saying they’re doing a wide noseband for like, a year but can’t seem to get it to market so there’s nothing for me to buy.
Albion—Might not be exactly what you want, but the leather is awesome. Since I don’t show hunters it might not apply, but the dark brown is really nice- that is what I have, and it looks very traditional (jumpers).
You can customize here:
I’ve purchased 2 Edgewoods in the last couple of years. The first one was SO NICE that our head groom ‘stole’ it for my girlfriend’s daughter’s new equitation horse. (It’s now on loan to them. 
) Both of my current Edgewoods are padded fancy-stitch with the integrated headstall. I think I got them through Smartpak?
Gorgeous bridles, super soft, beautiful color, and very high quality.
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I wanted a nice bridle for shows so I decided to splurge so I bought a CWD bridle. I like it so far. It comes in a light color but it darkens when oiled.
I had an Aramas bridle and I really liked it but it didn’t fit my horse well so I ended up selling it.The leather is really nice and it softens up well.
I have an Ovation bridle that I use for everyday riding. I am not impressed with this bridle. No matter how many times it has been oiled it is still stiff and the leather quality is not good.
I had a KL Select bridle but I didn’t like the quality. It frayed and cracked after being used a few times and it was really stiff even after being oiled.
That’s really disappointing to hear - ADT has been my go-to brand for the last several nice bridles I’ve bought, but admittedly, it was at least a good few years ago.
Check out Lund Saddlery. They’re a relatively new company located in canada focused on a more classic look. I only have real experience with their figure 8s (and their reins) and their 4 point breastplate, but I would assume that their regular snaffle bridle is of the same quality. The leather has a rich color and I think it looks very sharp! They are pretty nice for a much lower price point
Oops, missed the comment above stating you’ve looked into them already. Sorry!
I have an Edgewood, a Pessoa and a Red Barn. I like them all, but I think the edgewood has the best leather.
I ended up buying a wide noseband Antares. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
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For anybody following this thread, another vote for Huntley. They styling is great, the leather beautiful and service is spectacular. And the company is American woman owned!! (if you care about that type of thing )
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I might still buy one on Black Friday if they do the same sale they did last year.
