Headstalls built to work hard- and last, do they exist?

[CLB15]

Any suggestions on brands or makers of well constructed headstall that is made to last? Finding a saddle turned out to be easy compared to finding a nice bridle!

I’ve had plenty of luck finding over oiled soggy bridles and brittle one-ply ones.
Do all Chicago screws become stuck or stripped? Does anyone use buckles that feel sturdy enough to actually belong on a piece of horse equipment?? Are snap but ends and quick-change bit ends as flimsy as they appear???

A durable headstall with browband, throat latch and buckle bit ends. No bling or tooling needed! Just a nice, simple headstall that is a step up from the inexpensive (decent but “light duty”) weaver and circle y’s I currently have

Local shops carry colorful nylon or cheap bedazzled options for those going through a cowgirl phase, but no real working gear, so I’m looking online but have already had to return a couple

Opinions appreciated!

[PeanutButterPony]

http://www.schutzbrothers.com/products/227/Laced-Harness-Leather-Browband-Headstall

Schutz leather.

Avoid anything w Chicago screws.

[rememberthenight]

I bought the smartpak browband headstall and have been very happy with it. I have been using it hard for about a year now, and it is great. It might run a bit small, it fits my arabs to horse sized horses, but it is a bit too small for for my big headed appendix.

[Raleigh_s_Mom]

Love, love, love Cowperson Tack headstalls and reins.

http://www.nrsworld.com/tack_horse_headstalls/browse/brand/cowperson-tack

[reinerspook]

It sounds like you’re looking for something like this one.
http://www.avilaproshop.com/catalog/browband-headstall-w-bridle-buckles

[cutter99]

Dennis Moreland Tack. KO Trading Company. Not cheap but well worth the money!

I NEVER, EVER buy any headstalls with Chicago screws, but if you do, clear nail polish or Lok Tite will keep them together.

[KIloBright]

They do exist, and many well known tack manufacturers produce them.
All of my working bridles are double stitched leather, brow bands and throatlatch, and reins attached with leather ties throngs

http://www.irvines.ca/product_p/7138.htm

[HorsesinHaiti]

In VA we have some Mennonite harness makers who can do very nice, simple, sturdy strap goods. Nothing like that near you in MA?

[AdAblurr02]

There are MANY great makers out there - who actually do use their own tack for work, and I don’t mean two hour trail rides or cruising around a show pen. RANCH work. My God, I must have fifty friends on FB alone who are custom makers who do it one piece at a time, the right way, made to last from great materials, and I’ll include myself in that category. Basically if you see advertising or it’s found in some catalog, it’s mass produced stuff of variable quality.
Sounds like you have discovered that, however
.

[NoSuchPerson]

I bought a Tucker mule bridle online because the trainer who started one of my mules under saddle for me refused to use the bridle I had because it had Chicago screws. Not that I blame him, as I’m not fond of them either, but there aren’t that many off-the-shelf mule bridles out there. The Tucker was the only one I could find in mule-size with buckle ends.

Anyway, I was very pleased with the quality of the bridle. Nice heavy leather and good hardware. I haven’t ever looked at any of their horse bridles, but you might check them out.

[CLB15]

Wow, thanks for all of the leads! Schutz I have heard of but many new ones to check out. I wish I knew of someone locally. I’m sure it’s a matter of asking the right people or doing the right google word search, but I haven’t come across any.
My current bridle is a dressage one that (barring any freak accident) i expect to last my horse’s lifetime, but I’m out of my league here. After thinking I’d done my homework, I’ve ordered- and returned, two hermann oak leather headstalls after realizing the good reputation of the leather is only part of the equation

[CLB15]

[QUOTE=AdAblurr02;7829183]
There are MANY great makers out there - who actually do use their own tack for work, and I don’t mean two hour trail rides or cruising around a show pen. RANCH work. My God, I must have fifty friends on FB alone who are custom makers who do it one piece at a time, the right way, made to last from great materials, and I’ll include myself in that category. Basically if you see advertising or it’s found in some catalog, it’s mass produced stuff of variable quality.
Sounds like you have discovered that, however
.[/QUOTE]

You must’ve read my mind! Now, I do live in eastern Massachusetts so admit I won’t be doing daily ranch work, but the quality of individually produced for that type of work is what I dream of! Do these folks have their businesses online or is it word of mouth (err… Facebook)?

[Tee]

Schutz is great - I have a headstall and set of reins and love them both. I have some good Weaver headstalls (they’re old tho, not sure if they’re still made as nice). Cowperson Tack is nice as well.

The newest Hobby Horse catalog has some really nice, quality looking working tack as well.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=CLB15;7829205]
You must’ve read my mind! Now, I do live in eastern Massachusetts so admit I won’t be doing daily ranch work, but the quality of individually produced for that type of work is what I dream of! Do these folks have their businesses online or is it word of mouth (err… Facebook)?[/QUOTE]

I googled saddle shops and came with a long list.

Did you try that, see if you have someone close that may make just what you want?
Some even came recommended by the BBB in their area.

It is hard to get a good feel for what a leather good is from an internet page.

Coolhorse catalog has many bridles, but going into their store here shows you what a real difference there is between them.
We bought a really nice, soft, not stiff, futurity style bridle from them (that is those with some detail in the middle of the browband, a knot or other such).
Won’t add a link because the owner is a personal friend and doing so could be considered a conflict of interest.

You can find those better bridles in Teskeys, Smith Brothers and such other catalogs also.

[PeanutButterPony]

You won’t be disappointed in Schutz leather products, even if they dare to have a catalog

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=PeanutButterPony;7829572]
You won’t be disappointed in Schutz leather products, even if they dare to have a catalog [/QUOTE]

Of course not.
My comment was that if someone can, touching the leather goods is the best way to know what choices you have.
If someone can’t, then catalogs are fine, of course.

If something is not what you expected, you can always return it.

[aktill]

Gear done right: http://www.caryschwarz.com/943/

[PeanutButterPony]

[QUOTE=Bluey;7829616]
Of course not.
My comment was that if someone can, touching the leather goods is the best way to know what choices you have.
If someone can’t, then catalogs are fine, of course.

If something is not what you expected, you can always return it.[/QUOTE]

I was not addressing you. I replied to Adablurr’s comment re; catalog.

[froglander]

I have a basic Weaver harness leather headstall that has aged nicely.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=PeanutButterPony;7829725]
I was not addressing you. I replied to Adablurr’s comment re; catalog.[/QUOTE]

Oh, ok, I wondered about that.

In Europe, when you studied to be a riding instructor, a horse professional, you spent some time in the saddlery, mostly repairing halters and bridles and breast collars and watching the master saddler cut leather and prepare it to be sewn.
We may be told to skim the edges and hand rub them and eventually were permitted to make halters if we became good enough.
We didn’t have any machines, did it all by hand.

The quality of today’s leather is way too different than we had over half a century ago.
Today, when you look at the edges, the leather fibers on the edges seem to start out dry and stiff, can’t hardly rub them down for a good full, clean finish.
It is harder to work with and harder to end up with a nice feeling piece, one reason so much out there is not as nice today.

I prefer double hand sewn leather with an awl and waxed thread, as it won’t unravel if one spot gets rubbed out, but the labor it would take to make everything like that would make the cost prohibitive for most.