I was looking for a dressage bridle for my new gelding and while I was nline I saw a lot of new styles/trends of bridles.
What kind of dressage bridle style do you prefer?
Opinions on patent leather?
Opinions on how the different shapes/styles of browbands look on certain face shapes?
I’m curious about the shaped browbands. I’ve liked them for a while but I keep seeing horses in them where it just looks… off?
I have never liked the patent leather look. But this past weekend I was out of town and visited a great tack shop that I had never been to before. They had a bridle with a patent leather nose band and a simple, but somewhat blingy, brow band. I mean, this bridle was stunning. And I could see myself buying it for competition use.
Sheilah
I am not a fan of patent leather. It has always looked “plastic-y” to me. However, I know it is a huge hit among truer DQ’s than I :lol:
I dislike patent leather, but I really just dislike shiny leather in general.
I dislike the V browbands.
I strongly dislike white padding on black or brown bridles.
I like the medium U curved browbands and have one.
I was just cleaning a bridle I use for schooling and thought how well it has lasted. It’s a simple Plymouth from Smartpak, not at all e pensive but quite nice looking. I have a different set for shows and it includes a brow band with interchangeable strings of bling beads in various colors. I have a black bead and pearl version for my gray PRE
dont like Ike the look of patent
I don’t like droopy browbands! I think they look sloppy. And I don’t like the really thin browbands that are just multiple strips of bling. But I see a lot of those now, so apparently those are “in”. I don’t mind the “V” look (if it fits well) on a broad forehead. I think on a long, thin face, it looks wrong.
I didn’t like patent leather - until I was on the search for a weymouth, cob sized, crank noseband (they are more comfortable for my mare - lots of padding under the jaw, I don’t crank it tight) under $500. Do you know how HARD it is to find such a beast? I found a Schokemol with a patent noseband on CLEARANCE - so I bought it, and I’ve grown to like it. Just the noseband is patent (well, the browband may have been too, I swapped that out right away for one of my POH browbands, straight across, purple stones, no crystals, pretty conservative for purple.)
I DO like how much better the ergonomics of the bridles are now - my last two bridles (the double mentioned above, and my pony’s bridle) have cut out areas in the poll so they don’t pinch around the ears. They aren’t hugely shaped, but just enough to be so much more comfortable for the horse.
Haven’t had any personal experiences with some of the bridles like the Micklem, but those who are using them swear by them - for a horse with a sensitive face or poll, they seem to help a lot.
I’m not a fan of patent or rhinestones on gear close up, it always looks like cheap costume jewelry to me. But like costumes for figure skating or dance, what matters for show tack is how it looks at a distance. Many subtlties are lost, and some garish things look just fine from a distance.
Also you would want to be strategic and make sure you don’t draw attention to anything less than perfect. For instance rhinestone on a stirrup or spur strap if your legs are floppy might not be a great idea.
YES THIS. I see a lot of loudy shiny swoopy/droopy browbands on horses that are narrow pinheads. It doesn’t work. Those browbands narrow and lengthen a head visually. On a broad head, they can work.
I personally do not love patent, 3" wide cranks, or any of the “non-standard” supposedly super-ergonomic PS of Sweden or similar designs. I did try a Micklem to see if it was any kind of game changer–didn’t notice a difference in how my horse went, fwiw. I also do not like bling on a horse with facial chrome because i feel like the horse is blingy enough already. But I am turning into George Morris as I age, i.e. “NOTHING SHOULD DISTRACT FROM THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE HORSE EVER,” so caveat emptor.
I am predicting dropped nosebands as an up-and-coming trend but again, they lengthen a head and aren’t aesthetically pleasing on everyone.
From years of riding a horse whose favorite evasion was being inconsistent in the bridle, anything shiny on bridles gives me hives. :lol: I prefer not to attract attention to any excessive head movement!
That said, patent leather still seems to be popular. So do shiny browbands. I’ve seen fewer of the super thick nosebands (which I think are alright on a really large or unrefined head but for the most part, too much), and fewer rolled leather bridles. A few years ago that seemed like it was trying to be popular but failed.
Shaped browbands are in (v more than the u shape ?) it seems. I haven’t seen as many droopy ones which makes me happy. They just come off as a lot - the right face (no loud white, must be broad/sizable) seems necessary to pull it off.
To whomever predicted drops coming back in style in the next few years, oh please oh please let it be so! My drop noseband/bridle combo is the blandest one I own (a very boring Passier scorpius bridle with a narrowish browband) and makes me exceptionally happy.
I just bought this bridle. https://www.soloequine.com/collectio…ts/solo-shadow
I wanted the black with white padding because it’s so classic but my trainer talked me out of it (white rubbing off - I seriously almost got it anyway. It’s so classy).
I’ll have to decide on the browband when the bridle arrives. not 100% on the browband personally. Would like to replace with a standard fitting browband.
I didn’t think I liked patent leather bridles, until I got one. Now I love them. Plus, my saddle has some patent pieces so it matches.
I know everyone is all about the rolled leather these days. But once I Looked at it and started thinking about it, I decided no sir, don’t like it.
I do like the nosebands that are thinner on the sides then get wider over the top.
Patent , rolled leather , swoopy browband and monocrown yes!! Personally I don’t like the V browbands at all. I like white padding on nosebands, especially on double bridles on plain dark colored horses
Everything old is new again, Huzzah!
I keep seeing brown patent…it looks terrible. I don’t mind black patent so much.
Love any shaped brownbands for the most part. But not anything that is layer upon layer of blink.
Loved 1/2 rolled bridles.
Dropped nosebands definitely seem to be back in style. I have a horse that doesn’t want anything other then a plain noseband so that is what I will stick with over fads for sure.
I have been searching and searching for a bridle for ages, finding a brown dressage bridle with an anatomical crown has been difficult. They either aren’t shaped enough or in the right places for my mare or they just don’t fit. She is such a mix of sizes. I am hoping that the Dyon bridle I just ordered for a fraction of the price will fit.
Also not a fan of patent leather, or non traditional browbands. I do like the PS of Sweden Double bridle with the rolled leather and wide noseband. For some reason my Lusitano looks VERY good in the wider noseband. If only they would sell it with a different browband… Likely in the market in the next few months so may call them and ask…
Another thumbs down for patent leather here. . . reminds me too much of the saddle seat world. I don’t like droopy browbands either. A slightly roomier brow band doesn’t bother me too much. The V shaped and thin strands of crystals or beads leave me cold too. Let the western world have the bling – I think it detracts from the beauty of the horse and its performance.
I prefer hook studs to buckles. Hate buckles. They are easier, yes, but when I look at a horse wearing a bridle with buckles, the buckles dominate the picture, for me.
I do like tapered nosebands but they are somewhat new on the scene. . .hopefully we’ll see more of them. They would be especially nice on a small and/or petite or refined head… . and I do like the monocrowns.
Some of the anatomic bridles look positively ugly to me - straps everywhere. . . but if a horse needs one. . . :winkgrin:
My horse has plenty of bling, and really doesn’t need more, but I did want something a bit “dressier” for showing. I ended up finding a fairly subtle browband with black stones and silver and gold antiqued beads which look nice with the gold tones in his coat. His bridle is a very basic standard black raised bridle with flash and a monocrown. The rest of our tack and attire is very conservative, save my navy vs black coat.
I do prefer the buckles, but I can see how they could easily overwhelm a more refined face. Luckily I don’t have that problem - my boy is more “classically rugged” than refined.
I love dropped nosebands and they have always been among my favourite–I am forever struggling to find drops that fit my horse. I am delighted to hear that they are coming back into fashion hahaha. My guy is currently in a grackle, though I know that isn’t all that common in the dressage ring. I used a micklem with success, but found that no matter how I adjusted it or switched bits, it always rubbed. I am not at all a fan of the PS or Tota looks.
I’m oblivious to trends, but can we please make the patent leather dressage tack go away? It gives me bad PTSD back to my saddle seat days in the late 1980s/early 1990s! shudders
Regarding the patent leather thing: Not sure what the stuff is made out of today, but back in my driving days my carriage had some patent on the dash and around the shafts. The stuff doesn’t hold up very well at all if used regularly and exposed to the elements. So if you plan on using a bridle daily, skip that stuff. If inclined to use it just for shows, it might hold up.
But I know many people who will not show in a different bridle then they school in…
I love the new trends I love Patent thick nose bands and droopy blinged out browbands. I personally am not a fan of the v browband but perhaps it works with some face shapes, but really get what you personally like! You can’t please everyone so just make sure it is to your taste!
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