I’ve seen some gorgeous brown dressage bridles that I think would look nice on chestnut horses, but how common is this in the dressage ring? I know folks who show in them so I assume its legal, but would it look bad with a black dressage saddle?
I’m thinking of getting another bridle for my horse just to use for shows, and think the brown bridles look nice, but am not sure about the overall look including black saddle and various color jackets for me…
Brown is definitely becoming more popular. I have a brown saddle to go with my brown bridle and in the few years I’ve had this color scheme (for my chestnut) I’ve noticed many others at shows with the same. Before I had a saddle for my horse I spent a show season in borrowed saddles that were all black, bugged me but no one else noticed or cared (or commented). Honestly, unless it’s a chestnut or Newmarket color, I don’t think most people can pick up on the slight differences of a dark brown versus black “mix & match” tack set. There seems to be more saddles with two tone options now too. The biggest reason I think people might not choose brown, is that there is variation in shades, whereas black is black no matter what brand it is… Or they have a black, bay or gray horse that just looks better in black tack 
I have a lovely brown bridle with black padding and plan on using it in the show ring next year. I love that with the black padding, it could go with either a black or brown saddle and look like I matched it that way intentionally. My saddle is brown, and I originally bought it for a buckskin and always used it with a brown bridle. I’ve since sold that horse and my new horse is a bay and I have every intention of continuing using the the brown saddle and bridle combo.
I’d love to have brown tack for my spotted chestnut roan. Of course, I decided this after having black tack for years.
Brown tack is becoming quite common.
One of our clients has a beautiful brown dressage saddle for her mare and is going to be getting a matching brown bridle soon. The mare looks quite lovely in it, too!
Perfect Sit of Sweden has some stunning brown ones! I have one on my chestnut and it just looks amazing.
I love brown tack, and some horses do look far better in some of the various shades of brown than they do in black. It makes me very happy that “dressage world” is becoming less anal about black tack. 
That said, I am not sure the unmatchy brown bridle/black saddle combination is the most attractive. A brown bridle with black padding or something, to coordinate with a black saddle, sounds really nice.
Yes, this is all first world problems :lol: but it’s a nicer overall aesthetic when the look is pulled together (imho).
^ Totally agree!
Just Say No to mixing brown and black! But matchy tack in whatever shade is, of course, acceptable 
My old saddle was a lovely brown Smith-Worthington, buy my horse “outgrew” it. I showed in it, with a brown bridle with a beaded broadband for years. I really tried to get another brown dressage saddle, but since I was buying used, my choices were limited. My new saddle, while technically brown, is so dark it looks black, so back to the black bridle…
I have a dark brown and black Custom saddle and would love to find a brown and black bridle for it but it’s hard to find the right shade of brown and the right size. Kieffer makes one but the full size is enormous. That UK ebay bridle person has one but they’re crappy…their sizing also seems outrageously large. Any ideas? Mare has huge ears and I think she needs an anatomical crown.
Islandhorsegirl - Look at bridles from Jerry’s Harness Shop. You have many options, including the leather color for bridle and pad.
They also offers free measuring service.
I have two bridles from there; they are great quality and hold up well.
[QUOTE=see u at x;8283984]
I have a lovely brown bridle with black padding and plan on using it in the show ring next year. I love that with the black padding, it could go with either a black or brown saddle and look like I matched it that way intentionally. My saddle is brown, and I originally bought it for a buckskin and always used it with a brown bridle. I’ve since sold that horse and my new horse is a bay and I have every intention of continuing using the the brown saddle and bridle combo.[/QUOTE]
Yum. Do you have any pictures? And where’d you get it?
[QUOTE=mvp;8284827]
Yum. Do you have any pictures? And where’d you get it?[/QUOTE]
I would like to know too!!
[QUOTE=mvp;8284827]
Yum. Do you have any pictures? And where’d you get it?[/QUOTE]
But of course! I actually took some photos today because I decked my guy out in his new blingy orange/coral colored saddle pad. :lol: It’s a KL Select bridle and I ordered it from the Horse of Course. KL Select had it backordered and I wanted it sooner than they could get it for me, so they gave me the names of stores that had it in stock. The Horse of Course provided wonderful customer service and got it to me within a few days from their mobile unit in Wellington.
Here’s a close up and you can kind of see how it looks with the saddle:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11924257_10206265434008955_6213422497478754614_n.jpg?oh=d500e2c93b89311dbe525f5a3f196727&oe=5680FA32
You can see here that the chin strap is a little bit too long on the caveson. I may get that shortened eventually:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11870949_10206265434848976_7212141752532686901_n.jpg?oh=c34f565537d2b31d7dccfa22692f511a&oe=56741C07
And for kicks, the whole package:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11898737_10206265434248961_159157615659512232_n.jpg?oh=b78a15a599f290649d4e4d5a25b41394&oe=567FB3B2
[QUOTE=see u at x;8285075]
But of course! I actually took some photos today because I decked my guy out in his new blingy orange/coral colored saddle pad. :lol: It’s a KL Select bridle and I ordered it from the Horse of Course. KL Select had it backordered and I wanted it sooner than they could get it for me, so they gave me the names of stores that had it in stock. The Horse of Course provided wonderful customer service and got it to me within a few days from their mobile unit in Wellington.
Here’s a close up and you can kind of see how it looks with the saddle:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11924257_10206265434008955_6213422497478754614_n.jpg?oh=d500e2c93b89311dbe525f5a3f196727&oe=5680FA32
You can see here that the chin strap is a little bit too long on the caveson. I may get that shortened eventually:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11870949_10206265434848976_7212141752532686901_n.jpg?oh=c34f565537d2b31d7dccfa22692f511a&oe=56741C07
And for kicks, the whole package:
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11898737_10206265434248961_159157615659512232_n.jpg?oh=b78a15a599f290649d4e4d5a25b41394&oe=567FB3B2[/QUOTE]
And where did you get that gorgeous coral saddle pad?! (:
[QUOTE=Covergirl15;8285183]
And where did you get that gorgeous coral saddle pad?! (:[/QUOTE]
I went to Belgium a couple of weeks ago to stay with a friend of mine and to go watch the European Dressage Championships in Aachen, so we took an afternoon to visit the Divoza Horse World tack store. It was 25% off, so I couldn’t resist!
I saw this HKM bridle in person…definitely drool worthy! Its black and brown patent! I really hope HKM eventually makes this one in a double bridle.
I LOVE brown. Prefer it a million times over black (except on a black or blue roan horse). The dressage saddle I’m getting at the end of this week is dark brown and I’ll be getting a new bridle eventually which will definitely be brown as well. If you have a black saddle though, I definitely would NOT get a brown bridle. It’s just my personal opinion, but mismatched tack drives me NUTS. It looks unpolished and unprofessional to me. If you wanted something with a little spice you could get something like this, which is black with dark brown padding.
I just purchased a havana build-your-own from Flexible Fit Equestrian, to go with my dark brown Albion SL…it should be arriving this week. The pictures make them look scrumptious…
Delfina Saddlery’s bridles come in brown and you can mix and match bridle parts, and choose your rein style.
http://www.delfinasaddlery.com/Dressage-Bridles-c5/
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