I ordered the SmartPak Harwich Ergonomic Bridle but I am very underwhelmed with the leather so back it goes. Has anyone tried the Passier Atlas Bridle, the Passier Marcus Ehning II Bridle, or the Red Barn Arena bridle? I don’t want to keep playing the order and return game.
I’ve been very impressed with the Tota Comfort noseband… they have a few different full bridle styles to choose from.
https://thedressageconnection.com/collections/tota-comfort-system
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What about your horse makes them have a sensitive face?
I’ve used a TMJ wrap from Fenwick Therapy to help reduce the chance of the bridle rubbing my horse’s face (as well as making sure the bridle fit).
I’ve used a poll wrap to help reduce the pinching behind the ears from the crown piece.
I tried using sheepskin covers to provide some comfort but my horse didn’t seem to care.
The biggest thing was making sure my noseband wasn’t overtightened to cause unnecessary pressure points.
I’ve compared the bridle to wearing a winter hat. Even though the hat isn’t super tight, the constant rubbing of the hat after a while irritates the nerves and skin around my forehand. It doesn’t “hurt” but it sure is annoying and makes me want to rub my head, similar to a horse rubbing their head immediately after removing the bridle.
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My boy had 2 infected molars that my vet found at his annual dental this year. It looks like he has had them for awhile, I would assume since before I bought him in August. He has been head shy since I bought him, I assumed at some point he had been hit. If you reached up to rub his face he would throw his head up, and you would have to very carefully rub his forehead then he would bring his head down (and thats not an easy feat since I am 5 ft 1 and he is 16.2 hands). He pulled back when bridling. I am 99% positive that all of those behaviors were a reaction to pain from his teeth.
The teeth are being pulled today, but I am sure he is going to have memories of pain related to the bridle and face touching for quite awhile. So I want to find a bridle with the best comfort features for him. He is a saint and he deserves it. I never tighten the straps tight on my bridles, except the noseband on his is on the loosest hole and I do have to pull just to get that hooked. I could replace the cavesson but the crownpiece is not shaped for his ears, so I want to get that for him also.
Am looking at the passier Atlas or passier Marcus Ehning II (with the flash loop cut off. He doesn’t need it and I HATE flashes). Has anyone tries either of these?
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My most recently acquired horse avoided being bridled (the bridle from the previous owner), so I bought a new bridle. The Stubben Freedom bridle has been amazing for this horse, and all bridling issues were eliminated by the second day. I highly recommend it.
The passier atlas has a flash.
I have it, it’s not remarkable in any sort of ergonomic way. Leather quality is good.
I personally think you’re over thinking it. If the horse has sensitivity to bridling, you need to work on that. A new bridle isn’t going to make him less reactive to your reaching for his face. As the bridling and wearing a bridle stops hurting, he will quit reacting.
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If the pain is in his molars, why not look at a design that frees them up? While the leather quality isn’t the best, I’m personally a fan of the PS of Sweden Pioneer design - although you may also want to check out the Nirak (Miklem style) or the Paladin (doesn’t need the lower strap/flash).
My last horse had some sensitivity issues related to his TMJ needing to be injected due to inflammation. Before the injections, he hated his ears being touched and wouldn’t let me brush his face. After the injection, those issues quickly disappeared.
Before getting a new bridle, I would wait to see how he reacts to his current bridle once the molars have been removed. Once he realizes there is no longer any pain from the molars, it shouldn’t take too long for him to settle down. If it is still an issue, then I would look into a new bridle and doing baby steps to rebuild his confidence (teaching him to let you touch his head, put bridle on/off several times in a session, etc…) just like you would with a green horse.
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Thank you everyone. I agree I am most likely both over thinking and over reacting. But this boy is a gem and I feel so horrible that I was riding him for 2 months while he must have been in horrible pain. Vet said most likely his teeth have been bad for a couple of years, gradually resorbing the roots from infection. He said he put a nerve block in that takes away all feeling from the jaw, and you could just see my boy totally melt and relax as soon as the pain was gone. He said it was very dramatic.
Buddy is still at vets for pain management. took over 5 hours to get teeth totally out, roots broke off and had to be dug out. glad I wasn’t there to watch. I intend to give his jaw a good long time (like a month) to be fully healed before I put a bit in his mouth again. And we are going to just do baby steps getting him to recognize that his face doesn’t hurt anymore, light brushing, stroking, rubbing etc. And lots of treats.
I do want a new bridle for him, my old one fits ok but not great. But I probably don’t need the super duper anatomical kind when he is healed. I guess I should wait and see how he is in a month.
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Sounds like a great idea. He sounds like a total sweetie, and is lucky to have an owner as caring and conscientious as you are.
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I don’t have any bridle suggestions but I’m so glad you figured it out. It is incredible how stoic they can be when they have every reason to violently react. After what he’s been through I totally understand wanting to find the most ergonomic and comfortable bridle to help create a really positive new set of memories.
Grace - Thank you! YOu totally understand why I want a new bridle. I decided on this one:
https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Schockemohle_Tokyo_Select_Anatomic_Bridle/descpage-STOK.html
curved padded crown, flash comes off with no loop left behind, there is padding for the jaw under the cavesson, and the attachment to the cavesson is thru a hole so the nose part can move a bit when he moves his jaw. Now to get vet paid off so I can buy it, lol.
arabiansrock- check the prices on the European sites for the Schockemohle bridles- even with shipping they are probably cheaper.
Schockemohle has the Slimford model that doesn’t have the flash.
3 horses, yes I saw that one on one of the European websites. I really like it, but the only place in usa that I can find that offers it is Bossy Bridle, who I have never heard of. And that noseband is pretty wide, but my boy does have a pretty long face so he can probably carry it off. I’m just concerned about ordering from Europe if it ends up not fitting well and needs returning. But I do like it even better than the Tokyo. I REALLY like the Passier Atlas but I just cannot bring myself to spend 400 bucks after tax on a bridle. I have usrider so get 15% off at Riding Warehouse and they have the Tokyo so I would be about $255 after discount (less if they were really nice and did another 20% off day!)/
Bits ‘N Such has the Slimford. Kim Gentry, who does the bridle and bit fittings, is great to deal with. She is all set up in Wellington now for the season (she competes Grand Prix).
https://bitsnsuch.com/collections/schockemohle/products/schockemohle-slimford-anatomic-bridle
The phone number on the website is Kim’s cell.
I just got the Passier Marcus Ehning II and am quite happy with it. The leather is good quality; not super soft (as you might expect from an old-school German manufacturer) but I think will get better with age. Note it runs bit large, the cob fits my TB well. I just put a brief review and pictures on my blog. http://trainingcupid.blogspot.com/20…ng-ii.html?m=1
I got the Passier Markus Ehning II for Christmas and although I wasnt impressed in the beginning I love it now!! My horse had some rubs from her old bridle which are healed now and she goes happy in it… The leather quality is outstanding! and I just read Training Cupids review and would agree!! Especially about the browband. It looks nicer than I thought
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Training Cupid, where did you find the bridle without a flash strap and loop? Manni your girl has a lovely face and such a kind eye. The bridle looks great on her.
Thank you everyone for the ideas. I am looking at all the suggestions.
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