Just bought an adorable Lusitano - he’s small but his cute Baroque nose is enormous! I swear his head is almost as wide at the nose as it is long. I have a full size Macrider bridle that fits him everywhere but the noseband. Even on the last hole, it’s a tad tight. If I went up to extra-full, I think it’d elsewhere be too big on him.
I’m new to the Iberian guys - what are some good suggestions for their big ol’ noses? Thanks!
No idea, but you can ride without a noseband until you find one.
I had to ride without a noseband at first 😂
My PRE def has this head. He wears a BR rolled leather bridle for his snaffle in Full and a Schockemöhle Venice for his double, also Full. The Schockemöhle has a generous noseband, so perhaps their snaffle bridles would too.
I tried Bridle2Fit (the customer service was a bit rubbish) when I was looking for a drop and none of their nosebands were big enough. Otherwise, these types of companies where you can piece together something would work.
I’m not a fan of Eponia, but the bridle I had from them also had a roomy noseband (Frost bridle).
A Full size browband just fits him, so no oversize needed, but browbands are so easy to find nowadays.
Not sure how short yours is in the neck, but I found using Cob size reins (from PS of Sweden, in this case) quite suitable. Just the right length and doesn’t leave so much extra when you shorten the reins.
Just order a new noseband. This one comes in WB size. Measure the length of what you have, add 2-3 inches or whatever and check with seller before ordering. https://www.horseloverz.com/english-…crank-noseband
You should be prepared for the saddle situation also. They tend to be shorter backed, and will likely need a saddle with shorter panels.
Hah! I know they can be kind of huge while also being small. My 15.2 mare has a very typical big head/jowl (and XL ears). I did find that a full size Kieffer Anja Beran fit her quite well off the shelf. I now use a Passier Blu snaffle bridle which I think gives her more room for her ears.
For you, I’d just switch out the nose band and ride without in the mean time.
Thanks, all! The way the MacRider “on-top” works, it’s hard to switch out pieces - I’ll probably just get a new bridle. These are helpful tips.
Definitely preparing for a tricky saddle hunt too…hopefully the Dresch saddlery rep can come out soon. I used my saddle to try him and it’s not a good fit at all, but he was very chill about it.
Flexible fit allows you to customize sizes. My horse has a very oddly shaped head and this brand was perfect. Great quality for cost.
A friend just got a Delfina bridle for a tough to fit horse (short cob head, but w-i-d-e OS forehead). Really nice bridle, and helpful service.
Check out Solo bridles. Many of the models are pictured on Iberian horses. https://www.soloequine.com/collectio…ressage-bridle
I’ve been looking for a new bridle for my recently-imported Lipizzan, and came across the Fairfax bridles while searching COTH. I initially had wanted to get a Solo bridle, but their stock is low due to tanneries being closed because of the virus, and I was told that the drop I was interested in probably wouldn’t be ready until the end of the summer. I went back to researching, and that’s when I came across the Fairfax. Texting now with a friend who’s also a trainer whose horses love them: https://www.fairfaxsaddles.com/bridles/performance-bridles
Ooooh I’m going to see if I can find one of these.
The Fairfax is flippin’ expensive. I own one of their (overpriced IMO) saddles and like the look of one of their bridles, but man, is the price really worth it?
I have an Albion KB that works well for my PRE
I just got a Fairfax last week for my oddly shaped horse and we both LOVE it. I got it from Hastilow and had to wait for an extra-large crown to go with the cob cheek pieces but it fits … well, like a custom bridle. Everything lays flat and stays where it should and she is very happy until she tries to lean on the right rein and can’t find a place to brace 
FWIW, Amber at Hastilow has been great to work with.
AWG, thanks for that info! Did you have someone come out to measure for you, or did you measure for it yourself? There is a distributor coming to my area, but not until next month; I’d rather not wait so long to order, if I could feel confident I’d be getting something that fit him.
Also, did you get the drop noseband or the cavesson?
I use Franken-bridles, mostly made of Albion parts: WB sized nose bands and those scoopy anatomical browbands for their broad foreheads. I like the Albion bridles because they are independently adjustable.
More saddle makers are making saddles that are PRE-friendly. You’ll want something that has a wide base-of-withers. Ryder makes saddles that are very roomy and generous in the channel. Albion also has trees that fit most PREs well.
I had a Fairfax with the drop for my previous horse. Current horse is not baroque, but has a kind of rectangular head, and the noseband juuuust fit her. The way the drop fastens is also really fiddly. I think it would have driven me up the wall trying to do it up on a daily basis. Miss Oatmeal Box Head ended up in a full size PS Sweden crown and cheekpieces with an oversize Montar Adapt noseband, which is basically the same design as the PS Sweden Pioneer. IMO, they achieve more or less the same thing as the Fairfax drop without being so fiddly to put on and adjust.
I have two Spanish-bred PREs. One has a very classic Baroque head without an unusually wide nose, and he goes fine in a Schockemoehle (I know I spelled that wrong) anatomical. For the other, who somehow looks elegant yet has bones like tree trunks, I eventually gave in and got him an Otto Schumacher semi-custom, which allowed me to mix and match parts, so I could get a horse size bridle with a warmblood size noseband and throatlatch (which he also needed). I was also able to design it, which I have to admit was very fun! They are expensive, but at the recommendation of a PRE trainer I got it through Classic Dressage in the UK, and even with overseas shipping it was much cheaper than if I’d bought it from a US source. He gets a lot of compliments on it. I eventually got him a double from them too.
Neither of mine required any particular special saddle fitting, but neither is especially short backed, and both are fairly large for the breed.
CU@X in Wellington worked with me to fit a Montar bridle to my Luso. Full crownpiece and nose band, cob cheeks, oversize browband… (Full crown so the ear cutouts are in the right place). Tota Comfort Systems bridles will do the same, aslo carried by them. Sarah was great to work with.
So sorry to have gone MIA for so long! I did the measurement myself … if I could have had someone else do it, I would have. I’m rarely confident about those kinds of details. We got a cavesson noseband. I’ve got an update, too. Turns out my mare’s head is so oddly shaped, she needed that XL crown piece, but it rested close to her TMJ. The saddle fitter commented on how much she liked the bridle (different brand altogether), but noted the placement. Fixed it with a sheepskin crown protector and voila.
At least you know I’m still using it
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