I’m likely going to purchase a Solo bridle pretty soon (when I can test others for fit) and keep my well-fitting wave browband.
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One of my mares is noticeably happier in the Schockemohl Equitis. She always had a very itchy face and a bit unhappy in the bridle before. I think it was a combo of this bridle and her bit that solved it.
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I really want to love this bridle, but had a 2 for 2 negative experience it… I purchased one and it came out of the package with a leather defect (padding unglued/unstitched from noseband). It was a pretty big defect, I don’t know how it passed QC. I exchanged it for a non-defect bridle and the hook-stud metal piece popped right off after a few rides…
Returned that one, albeit bitterly – I really like the bridle design otherwise.
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yeah…so I feel you on that. The quality is OK but MEH compared to others in the same price range. I bought mine heavily discounted on eBay thankfully, I would not pay full price for Schockemohl. The flash keeper broke within days. The leather is not impressive at all.
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Just finished this video and @KendraLW, if you haven’t seen it yet, this may well answer your questions.
I just bought a Collegiate ComfiTec weymouth bridle. I just wanted to play a little with a double on a horse that probably won’t progress too far up the levels, so wasn’t looking to spend a lot. For $125 from Stateline, I’m actually quite impressed with this bridle. No the leather quality isn’t great, but it’s well designed, and has a nicely padded, shaped crown, long enough browband (15.75 on a cob) and ergonomic noseband. Just thought I would mention it for anyone looking to make their horse comfy without spending hundreds. I will say the cheek pieces are a little short, so be prepared for that if you have a horse with a long head.
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I always find it interesting when I see so many photos or artist renderings of upper-level horses with bridles that aren’t necessarily sized appropriately. Usually, it’s noticeable with the buckles in that one might be level with the eye, but the other two are adjusted well below or above the eye. I tend to like the bridles that have a separate throatlatch with buckles on each end so that it can be tailored to fit better. FWIW, I got my horse a Fairfax earlier this summer. I didn’t really need a new bridle, but the one I had wasn’t the same shade of brown on my new black/brown saddle, and so I just got a black bridle to match. Plus, I was curious! I always wondered whether or not the Fairfax would make a difference with my horse. I also like that Fairfax did extensive testing and I appreciate the thought that went into the design with the strategically placed padding. Unfortunately, I’m only typically riding once a week right now (my trainer rides the rest of the time), so I can’t say with certainty that it’s making a huge difference. But I feel better knowing that he has a bridle that was professionally fitted and that has gone through extensive design testing.
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This catches my eye too. Half the marketing images of these bridles are also not fitted properly. Dover did a pretty good job making most of their bridles actually fit the models but every now and then on a new product (and not a vendor image, btw) you see one that has uneven buckles and way too small a crown and/or noseband. Smartpak’s are all over the place. I was actually looking at Antares’ website yesterday and was appreciating how a few of their bridles fit their models – except the Flash Noseband Bridle. WHY would you use that as a vendor image?!
Where did you get your Fairfax, directly from them? I am slowly working myself up to it, but it’s expensive.
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Yes! And your point about the flash noseband is well taken. How many of us have seen pictures of horses in flash nosebands where the flash is pulling the front of the noseband down? If the front of the noseband is being pulled down by the flash, it does not fit the horse. Full stop. (And yes, this is one that I was guilty of, too, back before I knew better!) Side note: the double bridle on the Antares site is gorgeous.
To answer your question about my Fairfax, I had it fitted by one of the reps from Hastilow. I live near Baltimore but board my horse relatively close to their location in PA. It’s a nice bridle but I wasn’t thrilled about spending that much on a bridle, either, especially a snaffle. But my horse is pretty much the only thing in my life, so I figured what the heck. My trainer rides him both my snaffle and a double, so eventually, I’m going to be looking into getting him his own double but I’m not sure if I’ll stick with the Fairfax or possibly go with a custom Schumacher. Schumachers are also $$$, but I really would love a cognac or light brown colored double to highlight the brown on the saddle. But the reason I went with the Fairfax to begin with was because I felt like his comfort mattered more than the color. Luckily, it isn’t something I really have to deal with right now because there are so many other things I need to put my money towards!
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Have you and/or your trainer noticed a difference with the Fairfax? A tackshop near me sells Fairfax things and they now have the bridle and can do the fitting.
I watched the videos but I’m not sure how true the results are. The rider would have to not know why he’s riding the horse in both bridles in order for me to believe the results. I’m picky that way!
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I really like the collegiate comfitec bridle. I mostly like it for the noseband adjustability. My gelding has a cob size head but a very narrow nose. So narrow that he measures a 4.5” bit and he’s 16 hands. I just wish there was padding for the upper part of the noseband under the jaw. I use a foam pad. I don’t have the noseband tight, I just have a sensitive OTTB. The poll is padded too but I never noticed any pressure there or my gelding having any sensitivity at the poll.
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You know, I’ve never even asked my trainer, but my guess would be that they’d tell me “no.” I’m probably not going to see them until they get back from Lamplight, but I will ask upon their return. It’s been a couple of months and I can’t say that I’ve noticed much of a difference, personally. If anything, when I first started riding my horse in it, it almost felt like he tried to lean and be heavier in the Fairfax than in the KL Select I used to ride him in. So I’m not sure what that means! And don’t get me wrong; I cannot get him as light as my trainer can and I never have! We just switched trainers in March, so there’s been a pretty big learning curve for me. I think I’m going to ride him in the old bridle next time just to see if I notice any sort of difference, so I’ll let you know!
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@beowulf I went through Hastilow for my Fairfax drop, and I highly recommend not DIYing it. I thought I knew something about bridle fit before this experience. I had to measure my horse’s head, take photos and send it to them, then they made recommendations on different sizes for different pieces and sent those to me. Then once I had the bridle, I had to take more pictures, and they had me make lots of adjustments that I honestly wouldn’t have thought made a difference, but Fairfax is very specific about everything. Hastilow will keep working with you and shipping pieces back and forth until the fit is exactly right. I had a great experience and like I said, I did see a difference in this particular horse, so I felt it was worth it.
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Thank you! I’ll keep that in mind and definitely go that route… I’m also thinking I’m going to wait a few years, see if that price goes down. It’s hard to justify a $500 bridle for an $800 horse when he already has a $5K saddle, among other things… he is priceless but my wallet is not bottomless. 
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I will 100% agree with the positive experience. They’re very nice, great to work with, and thorough, which is very much appreciated! I would not hesitate to purchase from them again.
I’ve had good luck with Back on track/infrared tech on my horses for mild and not so mild issues. Really started to believe in it after using on myself and horse with DSLD. They do have poll wrap type things that are relatively cheap to try.
My OTTB mare was ridden in a Micklem when I got her, so I bought her a Micklem. Fast forward a few years and my H/J trainer thought the Micklem was too much for her, hence her constantly throwing her head. She also was not all about the chin strap, even if it was moderately lose.
Switched to a Flexible Fit monocrown, and she is much softer and quieter (using the same Myler Bit as I had before).
We’ve now switched again to Western Dressage. Western style of the same Myler bit (aka, the D rings are ~fAnCy~). The DP headstall I got was way too large (throatlatch was huge and had to punch another hole in the headstall), so I’m using just a regular weaver browband/throatlatch bridle with a Back on Track Poll cover and she’s quite happy in that. I’d like to get a Flexible Fit nose-bandless, if they can ever make them WDAA approved though.
I will say she IS regularly chiro’d (has TMJ and some ongoing poll issues), and massaged.
i’ve started my standardbred young gelding in this bridle with a full cheek snaffle. Also have some kind of anatomical to move my mare into one of these days but i can’t find where i put it!.. And IF i can ever find it i’m gonna paint it gray. 
What is the name of the bridle in your photo? I’ve been looking for one without a flash!
It’s a Harwich “ergonomic” bridle.
