S T U N N I N G!
The bridle is gorgeous too 
3 Likes
@beowulf, this is kind of an out there suggestion, but have you ever considered an Iberian style bridle? They have a slot for the noseband in the cheekpiece itself. You wouldn’t have the ring in the noseband but you would have the noseband/cheekpiece connected together.
This company makes one with a shaped crownpiece and the single cheekpiece/noseband hanger.
Close up pics of the cheekpieces here:
I’m trying to think out why having the noseband attached to cheekpieces would “stabilize” the bit. I can see that it would allow rein pressure to be distributed across the nose instead of directly on the mouth/bit, but I’m not connecting that with lower poll pressure. Statically, a small amount of the weight of the bit might be placed over the nose but it seems like the majority would still be distributed over the poll.
I’m trying to think this out. If (general) you wanted a bridle with no poll pressure, there would be no strap over the poll. The bit would need to kept in place with some kind of noseband. I can’t see how you would be able to keep the noseband on since the muzzle is narrower than where the noseband would sit. But let’s say there was a way to do that. This noseband would need to be fairly tight in order to keep the bit in place. So essentially you’re transferring the pressure from the poll to the nose.
Another weird thought that just came into my head, what about those white rubber things racehorses wear? My ignorance is showing as I had to google it, I’m thinking of bit holders. Something like that I can definitely see “stabilizing” the bit and lowering poll pressure as the rubber is directly attached to it. But then again, they attach right at the top of the poll, so I’m not sure that gets you anything.
Which led me to the most out there part of the post yet, which is those medieval style bridles you see in movies. Something like this would do the same as the rubber bit holders and distribute rein pressure much farther up the horse’s head. Some of them even take the place of a browband so they don’t connect directly to the poll like the bit holders. This is the best example I could find:
Well this turned into quite a long post, apologies for the long-winded diatribe! Now I want to buy several pressure mats and learn leatherworking so I can figure it out for myself…
2 Likes
I spent some time in Spain, and own an Iberian bridle. @beowulf if you want to borrow it to try, I’d be willing to ship to you for a test run!
I will say it is lacking all other “anatomical” features. It also does not have a throatlatch.
1 Like
Somewhere on this forum, I have a really long winded dissection of the standard cavesson bridle. If I ever find it, I’ll tag you in it – because you touched base already on a lot of the ponderings I made in that post.
I do have an Iberian bridle – or rather, a non anatomical one. My hangup: it has to be show legal.
Regarding poll pressure - what you say is true. You will never have a poll-pressure free bridle if any part of the bridle pulls around the poll/crown. The problem: that’s the standard design of every show legal bridle out there. I don’t think one weirdo (me) on the internet with a fixation on a more comfortable bridle can change the staunch opinions of those at USDF and USEA.
My observation is that the poll pressure can be tremendously reduced by changing the noseband design. There will never be zero pressure - but I can get it so that it is a little more comfortable for the horse that is willingly carting my floppy self around with zero complaints. Nosebands are the single most point of pressure on the horse’s face, especially if you tighten them by today’s dressage standards. There is a direct correlation between poll pressure and noseband tightness – and it gets worse if the noseband is a standard noseband (non-crank) or drop. These two noseband configurations cause the most pressure on the horse’s face and poll when fastened to be snug.
The second influencer in poll pressure is the bit and cheek pieces the bit is attached with. The higher up the bit, the more pressure this puts on the crown-piece, which does pull down across the poll. My thought was this: in a standard bridle, the “point of anchor” is the crownpiece. Everything attaches to that, everything rests on that. That translates to more pressure across the poll. My question aloud is – why not change that? Why not have – like the Micklem does – the anchor be somewhere lower, where there is not as much muscle and fascia to be made uncomfortable?
Don’t get me wrong, I actually am not a fan of the Micklem. It works for some horses but none of mine, who all started rubbing their faces aggressively on their legs any time the Micklem was in use – something they never did in previous bridles.
Attaching the bit to the same piece of leather the noseband is stabilized on, would mean that the cheek pieces are quieter and there is less leather flapping around on the horse’s face: the bridle is lighter. In the average rider, there is a lot of noise in those cheek pieces. When contact is picked up with the bit - especially “Dressage contact” – you will see the cheek pieces separate from the main bridle and they do move around, quite a lot. That mobility in the cheek pieces makes for a lot of white noise in the bit. Those cheek pieces also do not flow with the anatomy of the horse’s jaw – they fall across a few very sensitive parts of the cheek and jaw, and pull from the crown when they are engaged.
Here’s my line of thinking - we haven’t actually developed a bridle yet that takes all of the horse’s skull anatomy into account: the Stubben Freedom comes closest, but to me it looks like the horse equivalent of a dunce hat.
Now for your comment about the cheekpieces and how they would come into play with the noseband: that is the rub. You would have to develop a bridle where the cheekpieces can move independently of the noseband without engaging it – and the noseband would have to be designed in a way that the point where the bit holders attach is not floppy. You wouldn’t need it tight – you don’t need a Micklem tight for the bit to be stable. A D-ring attachment similar to how the Micklem operates would likely solve that. Either way, there is already tremendous pressure on the nose in a dressage horse in a standard cavesson or double. Every one of those big nosebands is as tight as they legally can be (sometimes more) and when the horse collects, there is even more pressure.
I’m thinking something like how the Kieffer Anouk’s noseband is made is very close: only thing I’d change in that bridle is have the bit holders attach halfway up the jaw-strap via a D-ring function.
The other thing to consider: in a perfect world there would never be so much pressure on the bit that it would cause the noseband to come into play. That would be a pretty big symptom, IMHO, that the hands holding the reins have become too heavy. But that is a whole other problem the modern horse faces, especially in dressage circles.
@endlessclimb Thank you for the offer, I do have one already. How cool is it that you have an authentic one?! It must be beautiful. The one I have is just a cheap one I picked up at a tack store a few years ago.
9 Likes
My very simple solution to this is that I just quit schooling in a cavesson (except obviously, with my micklem, which my tb does like, since it doesn’t have that option). I’m sure someone will argue with me, bc it’s COTH,heh, but I personally believe cavessons are largely pointless & in most cases, unnecessary. When I competed my horses, I just put the cavesson back on loosely for the show, they didn’t mind, it had ZERO effect on their performance to add it for the few minutes it was required. Once they know how to wear one, it’s not like they forget.
I really enjoy reading your posts, beowulf, very interesting (even if I do think that leopard bridle is the ugliest bridle I’ve ever seen in my life, lol, but to each their own), so not trying to be dismissive at all. And there are certainly varying levels of need for different horses. But as far as nosebands specifically, that’s pretty simple to fix for 99% of one’s riding time. Poll pressure, if that becomes problematic, I agree, could be tougher, bc there are only so many ways any object can be attached to a head.
Anyway, just wanted to throw it out bc I do think sometimes people (not referencing anyone in particular) can fall down a marketing rabbit hole. When maybe the answer isn’t $$$$ (which horrifies all manufacturers) but simplification.
And of course, different horses can take very different approaches. I do not ever believe in strapping a horse’s mouth shut (& not saying anyone here does) - if they are gaping, they are trying to tell me something & it’s my job to figure out what. If I am required by rules to use the cavesson, it will be as loose as safely possible.
11 Likes
Again, in a previous thread, I think I posted about the Quantum Frontier bridle:
Quantum Frontier.
I like the design, and it seems to check multiple boxes in terms of changing the anchor points, as Beowulf put it, as well as how the crown lies and the positioning of the cheekpieces.
It’s expensive, though, and although I’ve seen good reviews online, I just couldn’t hit that “buy” button. (So I bought the EvoEquine bridle instead).
1 Like
I do not show.
The lesson horses I ride liked the Micklem bridle, until I buckled the chin strap. I did not tighten the chin strap much at all, I always had enough room to easily fit two fingers side-by-side between the chin strap and the curb groove area.
Once I took the chin strap off the Micklem the horses like the bridle. There is an added bonus, I can turn the Micklem into a double bridle by passing the bradoon hanger OVER the crown piece. Of course this is not show legal, but since I don’t show I can indulge the horses by making them MUCH more comfortable with their bridle. My riding teachers liked how much more comfortable the horses were without the chin strap when I was just using a snaffle bit on the bridle.
My riding teacher did not know what to think at first, but she is used to me doing “weird” things to make her lesson horses more comfortable. Now she approves fully and has told me that my current lesson horse LIKES my double bridle set up with the Fager double bridle bits (Mullen mouth curb, double jointed bradoon with a roller) more than any of the snaffle bridles/snaffle bits she uses on them in regular lessons. She does not want me to change anything, and she does not want me to change to using just a snaffle bit either.
I do have a new Fager snaffle I want to try out, the Wilma which has a mouthpiece of five lozenges, but I will have to negotiate that later. For now I just want to keep my lesson horses and my riding teachers happy, and they all like my double bridle set up with the Micklem without the chinstrap.
Yes the Micklem bridle makes a big difference, especially after I cut off the chin strap.
1 Like
Yup! I school at home with no noseband. I just wish it could be show legal too. Here’s one of mine at our last dressage clinic - this is actually the horse that really started all of these questions for me:
Side note: the clinician wasn’t impressed at first, until I showed them this:
He takes it one step further… he does his best work in a sidepull hackamore ( 
).
Also, I totally agree about the leopard bridle. It’s so tacky and hideous I had to have it. I’m thinking it’ll be one of those fun bridles for days I need a little spark in my life after a long day at work!
1 Like
Is that a previous rub on his face? What a nice eye he has. 
1 Like
Thank you. The circle? It’s from an infection / abscess that traveled from the inside of his cheek to the outside. To this day we’re not really sure what caused it. He had his entire head X-rayed multiple times and we never found any foreign body. Best guess is maybe a sliver of hay or wood. Caused a pretty ugly abscess and while he was a great patient he hated anything near that area for a long time.
I am fortunate in that HalterEgo’s owner rides at my barn, so I see the pads, breeches, bridles up close all the time. She is working on her website design, as it doesn’t show off her stuff as well as it could. Wendy will bend over backwards to accommodate you, and takes customer suggestions to her suppliers and has implemented requests made by folks in our barn.
I just received my new saddle and it has “black cherry patent croc” insert in cantle… she is going to find me a matching bridle.
The leopard print bridle actually sells pretty well, she says, lol.
4 Likes
I don’t use a noseband either, so getting a new bridle is tough as the anatomical designs necessitate one.
That is awesome!! So basically what you are saying is, you have a hookup for one crazy COTH lady who has a crazy idea and needs a bridle maker to pitch it to…
(Sidebar: I cannot wait for the bridle I ordered to come in. There will be pictures. Lots of pictures.)
2 Likes
FYI you can buy a nosebandless contoured monocrown from Flexible Fit!
1 Like
Well that was a fun website, thanks! I can scan through the threads, but have people found the leather to be good? I have an old stubben bridle that has lasted for 15 years – so I am sort of looking at their Freedom, but it doesn’t seem to be offered by retailers…
Yeah, I guess I am saying that! Wendy works with suppliers, but I don’t know how much design freedom there is. I do know that big changes or custom changes usually require her to buy a dozen for it to be worth their while to manufacture – and she might not want to buy a dozen, nor would we, lol.
My Halter Ego Olympia arrived today! I think it’s gorgeous. The espresso padding is so dark that it essentially looks like black but I’m fine with that. I actually like the reins too. I almost never use reins that come with a bridle but these seem promising. My only complaint is that the keeper on the flash is so huge that there’s no way it will stay in place. That must be a manufacturing error because it’s way bigger than all the others. Not the best photos (it’s much more brown than it looks here) but I’ll update when I try it on tomorrow!
6 Likes
So pretty!! That is a weirdly sized keeper. Wonder if it is just a manufacturing error. Your bridle looks gorgeous, let me know how it fits!! I liked the reins too. You are right that is a dark espresso, makes it more subtle.
Mine came today too. The browband stunning, and I’ll probably go back to them for a new browband because I love the tab design. The stitching is all even, the alternate padding is soft (not sure it is leather) and the crown nicely contoured. The bridle came a bit dry - it’s the kind of bridle I’d consider oiling first before much use. Mine didn’t come with brass hardware like it said on the page, bummed about that. It was on last hole and still too tight for cheek pieces and throatlatch, and I couldn’t fasten the noseband at all. This is N=1 but maybe I got a cob size by accident, or they run small. This horse has six bridles, they’re all F/S so the bridle has to run small if it’s properly marked.
Here’s a picture of it on gelding, bummed it didn’t work for him. It looks like they have a generous return policy so fingers crossed I can exchange it for something else or get a bridle that has the brass. You can see in the photo how he’s on the last hole on cheek/throatlatch and it’s still too snug.
2 Likes
Oh that’s a bummer. Meanwhile I was looking at mine thinking it looked big for a full! I wonder if you did get a cob. Compare its measurements to the size chart maybe?
FYI if you paid with PayPal, look into their return shipping refund program. I’ve used it a lot for horse-related purchases and it’s awesome! I even returned something to Europe once and it was covered (limit is like $30 per refund, 12 refunds per year).
4 Likes
Well I’m a little disappointed in the fit of my Halter Ego Olympia. IMO the crownpiece has a milder version of the same contouring issue as the Kavalkade Ivy. It sweeps forward right at the base of his ear where I would prefer more of a cutback. Does he need an oversized crownpiece or something? I don’t think so. He definitely doesn’t need an oversized noseband because the horse size would be on the tightest hole once it’s broken in. I think his muzzle is on the smaller side. But it also seems like the noseband hangers/straps want to pull forward against his facial crest so I’m not sure a smaller noseband would be a good solution. I’m just not happy with how it fits and I’m not sure a different size of the same bridle would be an improvement…
3 Likes
