AKH Bridles are hand down my favorite bridles. Every horse in our barn has them. Catherine from Ann Hubbards now works for Riders Boutique and them carry the AKH Bridles. Riders-boutique.myshopify.com
Call 630-746-3961
If you’re going to advertise, it would be great if the store you’re advertising actually had the product in question. I don’t see AKH bridles anywhere on that site.
Not advertising just stating they carry the AKH Bridles. They are on there website. Can’t miss them https://riders-boutique.myshopify.com/products/rc-wide-noseband-bridle-with-reins
That’s the RC, not the AKH. They’re not the same bridle. Though if the RC is $615 without reins there is no way the AKH, which is more expensive and also nicer, is going to be affordable.
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This is the AKH RC Bridle.
They have a cheaper bridle too are you talking about that one? It’s not a RC
[QUOTE=soloudinhere;n9924877]
That’s the RC, not the AKH. They’re not the same bridle. Though if the RC is $615 without reins there is no way the AKH, which is more expensive and also nicer, is going to be affordable.[/QUO
I’m not sure why I’m arguing about this with you, but the RC line is the Hubbard’s cheaper American made bridle, like an Edgewood. The AKH is English made and comparable to something like a Jimmy’s.
I looked at an RC and all that stitching is not attractive. And it’s $200 more than the identical Edgewood, before you spend another $200 on reins.
https://www.annhubbards.com/special-products
Anyway, since Hubbard’s didn’t return emails, I bought an Antares and I’m happy with it.
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If I could get any bridle, it would be a Hadfield’s. Observations only, I haven’t had experience owning one!
I love fancy expensive bridles, but have given them up for the wide noseband edgewoods. I can get everything easily, swap out nosebands, and while they are not as stunning as a custom Bennet, they look great in the ring and pictures.
For black, dressage tack, absolutely. I think you’ll have a hard time getting Stubben’s leather and coarser workmanship to behave well enough in the refined American hunter ring. I think the lighter colors (except maybe for their no-long-produced, Havana color) won’t darken; I think their “Tobacco” color (New Market… or “orange”) will stay that way. The leathers they use are stout and will wear well, but it will take some doing to make them into the “butter soft” feel that finer-grained Sedgwick leathers tanned with a (transparent) “naked” finish will become.
My pick, if you can work with him, is Wayne Rasmussen/The Country Saddler in Pinehurst, NC. He makes bridles and tack, today, that are comparable to what Edgewood/New Cavalry and Bennett’s started making Back In The Day when Hunter bridles stopped being Crosbys, doubled in price and became jewelry rather than mere equipment.
OMG… I wish I had written that. Can I use it in my signature… with the correct attribution to you, of course?
I fly my Hunter Princess Freak Flag High, people.
Also, halt, I totally agree with the rest of your post, sspecially the part about leather coming out of the bag, pre-flappy’ed. No. That bodes badly for its longevity. You have to get leather that smells good, looks good (with a translucent tan/finish), preferrably that has some of that old-style wax on it (to preserve the “naked” leather from moisture during shipping) and then oil/clean/use the bridle until it reaches your own specifications.
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the Antares I bought did come pre-flappy’d. However I paid less for it than I would to buy a new Harwich, so since it’s only used at shows I am okay with it. I am still debating buying a huntley’s as an at-home bridle for the durability.
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I must say, I’m out of the loop, so I can’t weigh in on your Harwich vs. Antares score. I’d need to see all the bridles in person to make an educated decision. Now that so much shopping happens on-line, it seems necessary to go to some Mecca like WEF and just physically molest a bunch of bridles there. How else can one learn?
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I paid $175 w/reins brand new for the Antares (an equine affaire score). It is very soft, yes. Would not be my choice for an everyday bridle at all. But for shows where it’s worn for two hours and then put away for another month, I think it will do the job. My at home bridle is actually from Schneider’s, a wide noseband Joseph Sterling, and it’s done a pretty admirable job for a $149 bridle.
Of course.
I do agree about the coming out of the bag thing too. I don’t want floppy, but it may be the inner practicality in me. They certainly look nice but horses tend to break/ruin nice things pretty quickly. Better to have durable.
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Pre-flappy’ed. I am SO going to use that :lol:
I bought a Huntley bridle based on the positive feedback here and was not all that impressed. It looks pretty but I dont think it will wear well. It feels kind of plasticy. I am going to return it
I have a Huntley. It looks like the leather has that “painted” finish. The keeper on the buckle end of the rein fell off at the third ride. I should have returned it, but I didn’t. I also have a Hadfield’s-to me, it has the “painted” finish, too. I have several Edgewood’s. I oil them w olive oil and they turn out beautifully.
Maybe I misunderstood, but the link to “Bennett’s” does not look like one of mine.
My Bennett’s Hunter® bridles can be seen at https://jbwiebe3.com
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