I’ve been seeing people rave about the Finesse bridles lately but they’re so expensive. Does anyone have experience with them, are they as good as they claim? Has anyone tried the knock off Solo Lydia bridle or any other knock offs?
Unfortunately, they really are that magical. They Lydia is not the same because the leather, not the squishy padding, sits on the horse’s skin. The Finesse bridles practically float the bits, and it gives a completely different feeling.
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So they are worth the $$?
I’ve been eyeing them as the Finesse Himalaya bridle was stunning when I saw it in person. My sensitive guy would love it, but the trainer selling their magic was very gimmicky about it so raised my spiny senses.
Follow up question then: do you know if there’s anywhere I can get one on trial?
Unfortunately, I don’t. However, Stephanie Brown-Beamer with Horse by Horse does custom bit and bridle fitting and I’d guess she has them for trial during fittings.
Do I think they’re worth the $800 a double bridle costs? Maybe. It made such a big difference in my horse that it was. YMMV. My trainer is now trying them on absolutely everyone and is very, very sad when in most cases, they do make a difference. That said, it made no difference in her really lovely, very fancy international quality horse, so they don’t matter for everyone. I would also suspect that you need to be a pretty sensitive rider with good hands to appreciate the difference. So, basically, they aren’t going to ride for you and solve all problems.
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I would love to hear more, about how they made differences? What did you feel, etc? Were these older schoolmaster types, or young horses, or both?
Always interested in trying more comfortable options. I have seen Finesse in person - the foam on the headstall is like the size of a brick! But very light. I have always wanted to try one, but can’t quite justify the price tag. The photos I see of these bridles, it always looks like the headstall is literally on the ears with no cut-back - does this not matter because of the foam?
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there are several studies comparing the finesse and quantum bridles. https://research.ku.dk/search/result/?pure=en/publications/the-effects-of-the-quantum-and-finesse-bridles-on-equine-m-brachiocephalicus-and-m-splenius-function-at-three-different-speeds(181a2280-f151-4801-a2d6-df41811e40d1).html
I have a quantum. one of my horses loves it, the other prefers this one. https://www.shadowhorse.co.uk/collections/silver-crown/products/silver-crown-code-01-bridle.
I haven’t tried the finesse. My fav is the silver crown-gorgeous leather.
Thanks! I’m also interested in beowulf’s questions. Another is, I have 2 horses, is it realistic to purchase one bridle for the crown and use it on both or does the crown mold to the shape of the horse? My horses are cob and borderline full/oversize so I’m thinking I’d buy a full and maybe buy a shorter bit hanger for the cob horse - does anyone know where you could purchase a bradoon hanger/cheek pieces that buckle over the crown and not on the side? I think you could also potentially use the snaffle as a double this way?
Edit to add: I’m particularly interested in it for my larger horse with TMJ issues and I saw a video showing the sides floating away from the horse’s face by the TMJ, do you find that to be the case?
If you just want the effect of getting the browband and buckles away from the TMJ,try a sheepskin poll pad. I bought one for my young horse who was getting tiny rubs on her ears when she shed out this winter, but it turns out lifting the bridle away from the face and the additional padding of the sheepskin made her a lot more confident and comfortable in the bridle. I’ve tried it on a couple of horses since and some it made a big difference and some I couldn’t tell at all. So it might be a cheap and easy way to trial if it’s going to make a big difference in their way of going before you spend that much on a bridle that may or may not work for you.
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Good idea! I have a halter fuzzy sitting around somewhere I’ll give it a try next time.
I’m super curious, but not enough to purchase at that price. If no one caves first, we’re thinking of booking a bit fitting clinic after Regionals to try them out.
FWIW, the constant bridle struggle is all me. My horse could care less, and has gone basically the same in all 3 doubles I’ve ridden him in over the last year - ergonomic and normal, nicely fitted and not so much. The only thing that he cares about is having a ChinEeze pad under the front of the noseband.
I have a Finesse bridle that I purchased for my horse a couple of years ago. Sadly he passed away three months ago, but we noticed an immediate difference in him. He had trauma to his poll area at some early point in his life (probably from saddleseat work) so having that extra padding where his C1-C2 had become fused was of comfort to him. He was a cob-size, but Ginny with Horse by Horse recommended I get a full size and punch holes in it. The bit hangers are very easy to change out, so I’d just order an extra one when/if you order your bridle.
As an aside, while I am in the process of finding new owners for a lot of my horse’s things, I am keeping his Finesse bridle (along with his Haas brushes and his blankets) for when I get another horse. It’s the only bridle I’ll use from now on.
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I am so sorry to read your boy passed. From what you shared of him on the forum he sounded lovely.
Googling for trials I found Redpost offers the finesse for a trial, I might do that after I try the sheepskin to see if I’m on the right track.
Is anyone familiar with this website? Seems like it could be a scam if they’re that much cheaper?
https://www.onlinehorsetack.com/finesse-bridle-cayenne-black-lacquered/
Interesting they have the full line-up steeply discounted. I couldn’t find anything online.
Thank you @beowulf. I miss him horribly. He was just shy of his 22nd birthday. While I was brokenhearted I couldn’t be with him when he passed (he passed in surgery), I’m grateful his surgeon, who had come to know and love him deeply, as well as other members of his care team from previous appointments, were with him. I know without hesitation that they all did every single thing they could to try and save him. His surgeon and I have become friends over the last year or so and we just had dinner last week up in DC. I know that when I’m ready for another horse, we’ll be taking a “girl’s trip” to Europe. We just won’t share that my “friend” happens to be a highly-educated equine surgeon, just in case they try to mess with us on the vet check. 
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I’d hard pass on that one. That image is taken directly from the Finesse website and there is absolutely no way, whatsoever, based on the quality of the leather of my Finesse bridle, that it would legitimately be $97.
I apologize if it’s a little hard to see, but I added a profile pic of my sweet boy in his Finesse bridle. (Photo credit to the incredible Bethany P.)
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I’ve only used it on my 4th level horse, and the difference was that instead of bearing down in her underneck, she lifted her poll into the bridle. I can ride on so much less contact than I could otherwise in the double bridle. The studies I read showed that the Finesse bridles triggered fewer pain responses in the brachiocephalicus muscle, so not bearing down in the underneck would track with that. Overall, it just gives a much finer feel of the horses mouth than I’ve had before, and greater sense of lifting the whole front end.
My trainer has had success with it on her younger horses as well as her GP horses, with both the snaffle and double bridles.
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Are you able to use an ear bonnet with this bridle? My horse is very sensitive to flies and they’re ridiculously attracted to him. Without an ear bonnet, he shakes his head constantly, no matter the fly spray.
My trainer’s horse has t I and the finesse was a game changer.
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