My new horse needs a new bridle. He has no issues or special needs. I just want the best, most comfortable bridle I can put on him. He goes in a KK snaffle.
it’s all subjective - some horses don’t care what’s on them, some do.
consistently, I’ve found the most comfortable set up is a bit they like, padded headstall and no noseband. The noseband applies the most pressure across the board and a tight or snug noseband causes not only jaw/bridge of the nose discomfort but poll pressure.
Obviously, one needs a noseband to compete.
Agreed that it’s subjective, as all horses tend to have varying levels of sensitivity. For example, my horse really can’t stand poll pressure, or flashes/dropped nosebands/cranks. We ended up with an Albion KB bridle. It works very well for him because it has a padded, shaped crown. However, it’s not a monocrown, so the hanger can still move independently of the rest of the bridle - he seems to go better in this set up than in the monocrown we tried, and I suspect it’s because this can help relieve poll pressure as well. It also comes with a lovely plain cavesson that is padded all the way around, which you can usually only find with crank nosebands.
For my tastes, I prefer it because it looks more traditional than some of the newer models out there, like Micklem, the Totacomfort, or the crazy-looking Stubben one.
I got my young horse a Tota comfort system bridle. I liked the reduction in poll pressure and the elimination of pressure on the TMJ. He has been great in it - soft in the bridle and very steady in the contact. https://thedressageconnection.com/tota-comfort-system/
My horse wears the Antares Precision bridle and really likes it. I can slide my whole hand under the crownpiece even when the noseband is tight.
I wanted the same thing. The best thing money could buy…oh wait except at a good price point. These are made out of Sedgwick English leather, generously padded, anatomically formed headstall, dual adjustability on both sides of the bridle. And soft but durable leather…how bridles used to be made. We have this below also the popular wave noseband in this color as well. Also in black with less padding for a rider who wants a more close contact fit.
http://www.theconnectedrider.com/horse-tack/bridles/synergy-english-bridle/
