Hi all! Found my perfect saddle, an older Prestige D2000 like brand new at the tack exchange, now I need a bridle but I’d like to find a simple black bridle with no flash. Is there such a thing. Don’t want to spend a fortune, don’t know that we will ever show because of my medical issues but I’d like to match at least 
Thank you!!
Sure. You can buy bridles with or without a flash. The flash is attached to the cavesson and is a removable strap. All you have to do is take it off. There will be a little loop left over, but who cares about that. If your current bridle has a cavesson with a flash and you have problem with having a little loop but no flash strap, you can always buy a cavesson that doesn’t have a flash attachment. Swap it out for the one that’s on your current bridle. Any black bridle will do and will match your black saddle.
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I know I’ve posted on other threads about this, but it’s honestly VERY easy to take a flash off of a bridle that comes with one. My horse does not need a flash, and actually kind of hates them. So I found a bridle I liked otherwise, and then just used a razor to cut the flash loop off of the nose band. Dab a little black shoe polish on the cut ends, and you can’t even see it. You only see it when you’re right on top of it, and looking for it. The padding has kind of settled enough to hide the spot. That was I think 5-6 years ago? I’ve never had to reapply the polish even.
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Eponia has flash attachments that are 100% removable and don’t have the ugly tab. The flash goes through a hidden part of the cavesson, it’s a neat idea.
I know and feel your pain. Eponia was the only bridle I could find that had a good compromise.
The others I’ve bought, I just cut the tab off – but you have to be very careful while you do it.
Eponia bridles start at about ~$200 which seems to now be the going price for even crappy leather. I’d put Eponia on par with Passier and Courbette in terms of leather quality so IMHO well worth the price. I love my bridle I have by them.
Agree with Nestor - so easy to remove a flash if you find “the perfect bridle” but it has a flash. There are a ton of non-flash bridles out there - especially French cavesson. If you want a crank, it is harder to find without flash - unless you invest in a weymouth. But a razor blade removes a flash super easily. If you aren’t comfortable doing that, take it to a shoe repair shop and ask them to do it.
Schneider Saddlery also has a bridle with a removable flash and the loop tucks up into the noseband so you don’t ever see it - but if you ever need that flash, say for another horse - you can access it. It’s reasonably priced too - about $179.00 - and the leather is quite nice for the price - they call it “Sedgwick leather” and I think it comes from England. Correct me on that, anyone - if you know otherwise - but it is actually a pretty nice bridle.
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I just got a pretty nice bridle with no flash for around $110, incl reins, from Collegiate. The quality is actually decent for the price. I ordered from the UK because the line has many more options there, including a drop noseband.
Yes, no flash, no crank, just a plain black bridle. Can I get away with using a plain black hunter snaffle bridle or is that a no no? Normally we ride with no noseband at all but I know that is a deal breaker!
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State Line Tack HDR Dressage Bridle .
Seconding Eponia bridles. I have one and LOVE it. Nice leather and anyone who’s seen it has commented on how lovely it is. I’m planning on buying a 2nd one.
A deal breaker from whom? If you don’t want to ride with a cavesson, don’t. Yes, a black hunter bridle is fine. Cavessons are only required in the showing, which you’re not doing. If you ever got to the point of competing, you can show in a hunter bridle if you want to.
Great, that makes life a lot easier. Thank you! I think I’m making this more difficult than I need to. But I will look into the Eponia, they sound nice. Thank you all so much
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If you don’t show, then you can ride without a noseband forever. If you do show you can put the noseband back on loosely and 99.9 % of horses won’t care or notice.
If you don’t want a flash, just take the flash off.
If you don’t want a crank noseband there is absolutely no reason you can’t just get a black hunter or jumper style bridle. Other than they can be a bit hard to find new right now.
I have two black Stubben bridles, regular noseband, both bought second hand, one as-new and one “well loved.”
I paid about $50 or $60 CAN each, which is less than a new cardboard feeling HDR at the feed store.
The black Stubbens work just fine as dressage bridles and are extremely good quality sturdy bridles. If you go to the German head main Stubben website not the North American you will see that every model bridle comes in multiple colors (so someone who wants a chestnut coloured dressage crank bridle would also be in luck).
Anyhow if you can get a lightly used second hand black Stubben, it will be fairly affordable and exactly what you want once you take the flash off
PS of Sweden’s are fully removable
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SS Tack used to have one with a fully removable flash tab. It did have a crank noseband. Honestly if you dont crank it, its just a padded noseband.
Last fall I bought a beautiful Bobby’s bridle–padded nose and, no flash. Got it off eBay. Rockhorsetackranch has several for sale and is great to work with.
KB by Albion makes a lovely one. I have one, in fact. No flash and I also chose the no crank option but if you want one you can have one . Gorgeous English vegetable tanned leather.
Solo equine has several black dressage bridles with no flash
I’ve been looking on ebay and all the online tack stores I know but does anyone know where I can buy a plain black padded caveson (non-crank) with buckles on both sides? My horse doesn’t like tight nosebands and if I leave the crank noseband loose it slides around. I’d rather just replace the noseband and not the whole bridle but it has buckles on both sides instead of a strap that goes over the poll.
My non-crank Albion is on a monocrown bridle so it has buckles on both sides, if that’s what you mean. http://www.albionsaddlemakers.co.uk/accessories/kb-bridle-range/kb-nosebands.html
