The droopy or V-shaped browband trend - flattering or not?

[Zu_Zu]

No thanks - prefer the conservative look ~

• extra carrots for ELLA !

[Dee-Vee]

I went looking for the “droopy” style before they became popular because I have an elegant Appendix mare with a baby doll head. The curve emphasizes her brow and expressive eyes. The challenge was finding a bridle that did not have a wide nose band or put excessive leather on her face to take away from her head. So definitely no additional embellishment through padding or patent leather etc. Because of This, we ended up with a Micklem with swapped out narrow brow band of quality crystals that flash fire. Very simple with embellishment at the right place. We get a lot of compliments.

I think you you have to figure out what looks best on your horse’s head. Envision him from the judges perspective of coming down the centre line. I want the judge to see elegant horse with a symmetrical blaze and expressive eyes, not a head wrapped and obscured by strap work.

[jill_h]

It took me a while to decide to get one but I like it. It seems to give a bit more room (which was the reason I got one) and on my big horse I think it looks really good.

[DressageChic2]

i really like the droopy ones but not so much the V shaped.

tbh i think almost every horse looks good in a rolled bridle with a wide noseband and droopy browband!

[outerbanks77]

@Dee-Vee

I went looking for the “droopy” style before they became popular because I have an elegant Appendix mare with a baby doll head. The curve emphasizes her brow and expressive eyes. The challenge was finding a bridle that did not have a wide nose band or put excessive leather on her face to take away from her head. So definitely no additional embellishment through padding or patent leather etc. Because of This, we ended up with a Micklem with swapped out narrow brow band of quality crystals that flash fire. Very simple with embellishment at the right place. We get a lot of compliments.

I think you you have to figure out what looks best on your horse’s head. Envision him from the judges perspective of coming down the centre line. I want the judge to see elegant horse with a symmetrical blaze and expressive eyes, not a head wrapped and obscured by strap work.

Do you have any photos? I have a baby doll head Appendix mare I ride in a Micklem as well.

[WNT]

Just from my experience with a persnickety horse, he preferred his browband a little big and saggy. If it was even the tiniest bit snug across his forehead or near his ears, he’d let you know what he thought about that. I finally found a second-hand clincher that had already developed a swoop and he was happy as a clam with it.

[Milobloom]

My feeling on tack fashions is they are all great! They put money into the horse economy which ultimately helps us all. But you won’t find any patent leather tack in my barn and I realized what I don’t like is browbands without a edge of leather, when the bling goes to the edge it looks unfinished to my eye and that makes more difference to me then the shape. My horses don’t currently have any bling on them but they have in the past.

[roseymare]

I initially thought that they look sloppy but am warming to them…

[Crash_Helmet]

@Silverbridge

In the case of my new horse, I purchased his bridles from the seller, and the double came with a V browband. I haven’t really cared for them in the past, and my most recent partner before this one was a Lipizzan with a solid white, concave head.

But this new guy is a dark bay with a star that sits right below where the “V” points. In person and in the sunlight, it looks pretty cool. So now I am a V fan and am thinking about getting one for his snaffle.

Wait wait wait… a new horse!? Did I miss this announcement somewhere? Details, if you’re in the mood to share. :winkgrin:

[keysfins]

@Silverbridge

I’m surprised that people aren’t commenting on facial markings so much as on head shape, as to whether the browband suits the horse.

In the case of my new horse, I purchased his bridles from the seller, and the double came with a V browband. I haven’t really cared for them in the past, and my most recent partner before this one was a Lipizzan with a solid white, concave head.

But this new guy is a dark bay with a star that sits right below where the “V” points. In person and in the sunlight, it looks pretty cool. So now I am a V fan and am thinking about getting one for his snaffle.

I’m very aware of markings, since my mare has a wide but irregular blaze, and she is black. A V shape does not work for her, but I have a U shaped Passier browband with two rows of light blue crystals on her snaffle. The shape works, and the color is not loud. On her double, I splurged and got this one, that is in the Jet-Crystal colors:

https://www.calevo.com/cgi-bin/calev…e/1110126.html

It is dark on the sides and light in the middle, so it isn’t a huge contrast going through her white blaze,

I made a mistake and ordered the Crystal-Jet version, which is light at the sides going to dark in the middle, which WAS too much contrast going through her blaze. Sold it today to a barnmate who has a horse with a lovely black head with no star or marks. So it looks great on that horse.