Bridles for small head

[TFree]

I am looking for recommendations for bridles to fit a horse with a smaller head. My new guy fits in a full size, but the nose band, cheek pieces, throat latch are all the way up on both sides. The nose band itself is a good fit just all the way up on the cheeks. I am looking at getting him a new bridle anyways so I was hoping to find something that’s a better fit. Would you go cob size? Pony? Im thinking on a pony bridle the brow band and probably nose band would be too small?

I have seen some “build your own” bridles but they are all over my price range ($600+) unless there are more affordable ones out there? I’d be ok up to about $300.

Hoping to find anatomic -at least the crown piece for poll relief

Need to have a flash option or would consider the anatomic figure 8 type bridle

I’m a good 4 hr drive away from a tack shop with nice bridles so will be ordering online and hoping not to have to exchange lol.

[fledermaus]

My 14.2 Morgan takes a cob size (almost always). Pony sizes are almost always too small for even a small horse. I would try a cob size first.

[blondewithchrome]

Dover Saddlery does a build a bridle and it is not $600 IIRC.

[Christa_P]

You could take your bridle to a repair shop and have the straps shortened at the buckle end. Very easy and shouldn’t cost much.

I take mine to an Amish shop and get it done for a few dollars, but any leather shop, even a shoe repair shop, should be able to do it.

[ATXmom]

We have a similar problem! I ended up with a full-sizes bridle from The In Gate but swapped out the noseband and cheek pieces for Cob size and it fits really well now. I do need to take the noseband in to have the buckle moved but so far, it’s fit the best. Jimmy from the In Gate was super helpful and accommodating.

I have a full-sized Aramas that I ordered as a schooling bridle but the cheek pieces are too long. Unfortunately, Aramas does not sell parts anymore but I was able to find pony size cheeks pieces, hopefully, they’ll arrive soon and we can see if it helps the fit

[Small_Change]

@Christa_P

You could take your bridle to a repair shop and have the straps shortened at the buckle end. Very easy and shouldn’t cost much.

I take mine to an Amish shop and get it done for a few dollars, but any leather shop, even a shoe repair shop, should be able to do it.

Excellent suggestion! I had this done for a connie/tb with a very petite head - the cob sized bridle fit him, but up on the top holes. I had the buckles moved down to where they looked a lot nicer, and was very happy. It fit him perfectly, versus a Franken-bridle of cob and pony parts.

[Montanas_Girl]

I have Arabians, so nothing “off the shelf” ever fits perfectly.

When I was doing the hunters, I purchased a cob sized Beval Stamford bridle. I was then able to order individual components directly from Beval that matched perfectly, and I would swap pieces out as necessary. My Half Arabian gelding, for example, wore the cob sized bridle with a full sized browband. My purebred mare wore the cob sized bridle with a pony sized cavesson.

Half Arab gelding:

Purebred Arabian mare (well, filly, actually, at the time this photo was taken!):

He was 15 hands and she matured to 14.1 (was about 13.2 at the time of the photo). Yet, I was able to use the same bridle on both by just mixing and matching various pieces. It was cheaper than buying two bridles of equal quality!

[greymatter]

Aramas definitely does still offer individual parts! I just ordered a replacement noseband and cheek pieces a couple weeks ago. Not sure if anyone has them up online, but any tack store that orders from English Riding Supply should be able to order them for you. I ordered mine through my local tack shop.

https://www.englishridingsupply.com/aramas

[ATXmom]

Good to know! Thank you!

[Peggy]

Mine wears a horse sized crownpiece and browband with pony cheeks and a cob caveson. His nose is kind of tiny.

Dover sells individual bridle parts that, as noted above, are not super expensive. I don’t know if they’re anatomic.