I’m looking for a dressage bridle for my lusitano. He has a bigger head, but short in length. I’m looking for a black snaffle without a flash. Regular horse size bridles are too long. Cobs are too small noseband and browband. I don’t want to get 2 bridles and combine to get what I need. I have a pretty healthy budget. Any suggestions?
My solution for my Lusitano’s snaffle bridle was a horse size bridle (which I already had) with separately ordered cob cheek pieces. There are bridle makers who will let you mix-and-match pieces - I believe Jerry’s Harness Shop is one. FWIW, my snaffle is Bobby’s English Tack.
If you have trouble finding just what you want without the flash – just leave the flash off. That’s what my student does and no one’s said anything to her about it.
Or carefully cut off the flash loop.
I second Jerry’s Harness shop for “custom bridles”.
jerrys all the way. quality workmanship excellent customer service
Five Star Tack will mix and match pieces, and their dressage bridles have options for flash or no flash.
Schumacher bridles tend to run small, IMO. If you have a healthy budget, then fitting a bridle to your horse’s head shouldn’t be a problem. You won’t find a dressage bridle without a flash unless you are willing to construct your own. So your best bet will be to simply remove the flash. Otherwise, you’re looking at buying a nice padded cavesson meant for a double bridle and you can either a) buy the double bridle and remove the bradoon hanger or b) buy the cavesson and use it with a single-bit bridle.
Same with the browband. My horse has a wide forehead and he doesn’t fit straight browbands very well, yet he has a delicate face. I had to buy him a curved and wider browband that fits his forehead, because he’s on the small side of the “horse” bridles but definitely needs a “plus size” browband. You might have to do this, too.
You’re just going to have to buy a bridle or parts that fit your horse. Good thing you have a healthy budget. The horse’s comfort is paramount and if you buy quality items, they should last a very, very long time.
Good luck!
Another vote for Jerrys!!
I hate the thought of cutting off a flash of a new bridle. Rarely can you have leather sewn and it looks like new.He has a big enough head, I don’t want to add too it! ;O) His current bridle is a vespucci with cob cheek pieces. I"ve thought about getting a double and riding in just the snaffle. I take good care of my equipment. I have a kieffer 20 year old. Use it every day. Clean it up and show in it. I will look at Jerry’s to see if they have something that will it the bill
Jerry’s will make it to your measurements…Lovely bridles!
www.justbridles.com is going out of business, everything is marked down, and they have parts & pieces.
The only bridle my PRE has ever been able to wear right off the shelf was the cob size Vespucci.
[QUOTE=wondering;8840929]
I hate the thought of cutting off a flash of a new bridle. Rarely can you have leather sewn and it looks like new.He has a big enough head, I don’t want to add too it! ;O) His current bridle is a vespucci with cob cheek pieces. I"ve thought about getting a double and riding in just the snaffle. I take good care of my equipment. I have a kieffer 20 year old. Use it every day. Clean it up and show in it. I will look at Jerry’s to see if they have something that will it the bill[/QUOTE]
You don’t have to cut the flash attachment off. Keep the loop and just take off the flash. I have ridden/shown my last two horses without a flash but with the flash loop. If you don’t like the look, buy a separate noseband without a flash attachment.
I second Vespucci. For whatever reason, their line runs short through the cheeks and massive through the nose. In all sizes.
I had a TB that was a tried and true cob in every bridle from Kieffer to Crown (Dover)… and I tried a Vespucci on him and while the length fit, the circumference of the noseband was at least three inches too big. i couldn’t punch holes to make it fit because it was the figure-8 that was fixed so had to return it. They definitely run huge through the muzzle/noseband.
It was not a one-off incident either. I ordered a FS for my almost-OS horse with a very large/thick jowl and while the nose was huge and fit his noggin perfectly, the cheek straps were much too short.
his current bridle is a vespucci full size with cob cheek pieces. it’s on the top holes and still the crown piece ends overlap with the bit piece end. and the throat latch is about 5 inches too long. The brow band and nose band fit.
This little guy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I should measure and get a custom bridle.
his current bridle is a vespucci. Love it. It’s a hand me down from my tbred cross. The cobs have too small nose and brow band, and the full size is too long, even with cobb check pieces.
You might take a look at Smith-Worthington bridles. I just bought one of theirs, and it’s really nice leather. They also have extensive sizing information available so you’d know before you ordered if it would fit.
http://www.smithworthington.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=15&pg=1
i highly encourage you to look at Royal Sport’s version of the CWD bridle that has a detachable flash: https://www.bridlesandreins.com. I’ve ordered my anatomic eventing bridle from them and LOVE it.
Have you looked at Schlockenmoehl (or however you spell it). I have one for my Luso. Only issue I find if that the browband is too short… Lusos have such nice wide foreheads…
