I would pass… not very good quality at all.
Wish they would tell us where they were made, and more about the company.
[QUOTE=mvp;7981274]
Thank you all for your reviews!
I’m already not a fan/not used to black tanned leather and all the buckles on dressage bridles. None of 'em, not even very expensive ones strike me as being as lovely as an expensive hunter bridle.
I would rather buy one beautiful bridle than endure each day with a bridle that looked and felt bad. I grew up riding with the tack chosen by other people, sometimes trying to care for it well despite it’s being poor quality in the first place.
It is one of my adult vows/gifts to my self to Never.Again.Have.Crappy.Leather.Anything.
Very Joan Crawford to be sure, but it doesn’t hurt anyone. I just can’t find anything but wire hangars in dressage bridle world.
Oh, is a Kavalkade in the same “meh” category? I ask because I think the name is cheesy, but I think I remember cleaning one for a trainer that was pretty good. And I gotta say, I have cleaned Keiffers and similarly-priced bridles. I don’t think they are lovely for the price.
That’s how I got on this “cheap” bandwagon. I thought that maybe there was no soft black leather to be had anyway, so why pay $300 for stiff and too many buckles that are hard to clean well?[/QUOTE]
mvp, we are sisters in so many ways, including our regard for beautiful tack.
I heard a lot of mixed reviews on FSS on this board, which gave me pause before buying, but I took the plunge and like the two I bought (one snaffle, one double.) I had the comfort of having seen the one my trainer purchased before I made my decision, and so I felt like I knew what to expect.
Like you, I am partial to the quality of my favorite hunter bridles, and had not found anything comparable in black at that point - so figured, why spend a fortune if “this is as good as (black tack) gets.”
The leather on the FSS bridles is not spectacular, but I would say it is Beval-ish. (As in the current Beval, not the nicer, older stuff.) My FSS tack is definitely nicer than what I have seen in, say, the range of bridles offered at Dover, such as the Schockemohle stuff.
That said, I did recently find a truly spectacular quality dressage bridle, which I recommend to you without hesitation, and that is the Antares. I bought the double, but they make a snaffle as well and the leather is to die for.
I recommend you invest. You, of all people, will love and appreciate that it was worth every penny. https://www.smartpakequine.com/antares-double-bridle-4721p
I have had it for almost 5 years now, and it gets used at least 5 times a week. Held up very well, keepers all stay, stitching is tight, color has stayed true, padding is soft - and with regular cleaning and conditioning - the leather has stayed soft and supple.
Here it is on my horse - almost 5 years after purchase.
I too have been tempted by those fun colored FSS bridles - but decided by just looking at the Ebay pictures that the leather is clearly rough, indian junk.
I have an FSS for about 2 and a half years now, using it almost daily. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the bridle for the price, but it is definitely not what I would consider truly high end. I was just looking for a fun, decent schooling bridle though. I do get a lot of compliments on it. It’s held up really well and is still in excellent shape. My one complaint is that the leather definitely stretched, but it seems to have settled now. Unfortunately the reviews are so mixed that I would be hesitant to recommend people to it in the future–but I personally have had a good experience.
[QUOTE=Lucassb;7982132]
I recommend you invest. You, of all people, will love and appreciate that it was worth every penny. https://www.smartpakequine.com/antares-double-bridle-4721p[/QUOTE]
Haven’t there been a few threads with Antares quality issues? Last I checked the quality was on par with a $200 bridle and the sting was that the company did not back their product – it’s over in the Smartpak thread that’s been popular the past few weeks.
Honestly, for the price, if you spend an extra $100, both the higher line for Passier and Kieffer are drool-worthy. Their basic line is nice leather, but spend an extra $100 and it’s a completely different feel. If you really want a beautiful bridle (at Antares price too) check out Otto Schumacher bridles. The older ones can go for cheap because they usually are not well cared, for but they are sturdy and last forever. I managed to luck out and caught one at a consignment tack store last year - I have never met a rolled bridle that felt as sturdy and resilient as mine. It needed some TLC but polished up beautifully, and is very well crafted. Here is a picture of it after some serious TLC (browband is part of the original bridle BUT was harrowed and stones inlaid).
It is very beautiful in person and every OS I’ve seen I’ve known a mile away.
Those Antares bridles look gorgeous for sure, but they cost $600! :eek:
And I wish more bridles came without reins. I hate the snaffle reins most bridles come with (thin flat curb rein is usually okay), and I tend to replace them with something else ASAP (usually ThinLine). It irks me to have to pay beaucoup $$$ for a bridle with reins, and then spend more $$$ to get the reins I want (and of course, that is exactly why most retailers only stock bridles with reins - they know most folks are going to buy reins of their choice to go with them).
Luckily, dressage judges and clinicians don’t care how much your bridle costs, or what brand it is, or where it was made, or how long you have had it, etc.
Whatever you do don’t custom order the FSS ones on eBay. I custom ordered extra long ones and never received them. By the time they were “supposed” to be delivered they no longer qualified for any eBay guarantees and eBay did nothing about it. I bought them from bridleboutique,
[QUOTE=DownYonder;7982660]
. I hate the snaffle reins most bridles come with (thin flat curb rein is usually okay), and I tend to replace them with something else ASAP (usually ThinLine)…[/QUOTE]
NO KIDDING! I don’t use ThinLine, I like the KL Select Pebble Grips, but otherwise, I have grumbled the same thing a million times! I guess for brown bridles, it makes more sense since there are a zillion different shades of brown, so if you want a match… But black is black is black, and I have given away so many laced black reins in my life - if I could have $10 for each pair, I could buy one of those $600 bridles, hahahahaha…
I got an FSS bridle last year to do dressage and low level eventing in. I got it because it was cheap, but to be honest, I wouldn’t buy one again. One thing I noticed was that within a month, the leather started cracking on the throatlatch and chinstrap, where it buckles. This happened even after conditioning. The dye also wasn’t great. The color was definitely uneven. I considered sending it back, but I decided to keep it because the cracking was mostly superficial and I honestly didn’t feel like dealing with the seller again. Whoever the seller is, they’re rude as all get out. I asked one question about sizing, and got a really rude reply.
If I had to do over again, I’d probably get a bridle from Bobby’s. Since buying the FSS bridle, I’ve used tack from Bobby’s on other people’s horses, and I really like it. I also swapped the reins out on the FSS bridle, because the reins the bridle came with were pretty crappy.
[QUOTE=beowulf;7982547]
Haven’t there been a few threads with Antares quality issues? Last I checked the quality was on par with a $200 bridle and the sting was that the company did not back their product – it’s over in the Smartpak thread that’s been popular the past few weeks.
Honestly, for the price, if you spend an extra $100, both the higher line for Passier and Kieffer are drool-worthy. Their basic line is nice leather, but spend an extra $100 and it’s a completely different feel. If you really want a beautiful bridle (at Antares price too) check out Otto Schumacher bridles. The older ones can go for cheap because they usually are not well cared, for but they are sturdy and last forever. I managed to luck out and caught one at a consignment tack store last year - I have never met a rolled bridle that felt as sturdy and resilient as mine. It needed some TLC but polished up beautifully, and is very well crafted. Here is a picture of it after some serious TLC (browband is part of the original bridle BUT was harrowed and stones inlaid).
It is very beautiful in person and every OS I’ve seen I’ve known a mile away.[/QUOTE]
I have not had any quality issues with Antares and have had many of their products over the years; I personally have one of their original hunter bridles which is stunning quality, and the double I just purchased was equally spectacular. The leather in both cases is considerably nicer than anything else I have seen so far. I consider myself a leather snob, and both these bridles are comparable in quality to the Hermes and Jimmy’s bridles of old, IMO.
I suppose everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes to tack. I personally haven’t cared for the Passier bridles that I have seen, even the more expensive ones. I’ve only seen older Kieffer bridles and they weren’t well cared for, so can’t judge them.
I’ve gotten two LOVELY bridles off of Ebay from a Scotland tack shop (can’t remember the name; I think the seller was bridleboutique). The bling show bridle has a patent padded noseband and bling browband. It is gorgeous, the leather is supple, the buckles are high quality and including shipping, it was around $150. And it included leather reins.
[QUOTE=sorrelfilly721;7983689]
I’ve gotten two LOVELY bridles off of Ebay from a Scotland tack shop (can’t remember the name; I think the seller was bridleboutique). The bling show bridle has a patent padded noseband and bling browband. It is gorgeous, the leather is supple, the buckles are high quality and including shipping, it was around $150. And it included leather reins.[/QUOTE]
Wow SendenHorse - might be the same person I got mine from. Guess I got lucky! The bridle’s are both nice and have held up well. One is a working bridle I’ve used almost every day for 5 years now and the show bridle I’ve been using for about a year and a half and it too is as nice as it was new. Here’s a pic of it just the other day (I was trying it on my cob sized furry monster to see if it would fit her too - bought it for her much larger warmblood friend).
I’ve had one of their padded dressage bridles for, oh, about 7 years now? It’s held up well despite being used daily. It’s not a $500 Passier but it is nice quality leather, and was a good buy for $100. For that matter, it would have been a good buy at $200.
Seems like there is a wide variety of experiences with this Ebay seller. I am quite happy with both the snaffle and the double I got from FSS; I particularly like the patent nosebands and have had many compliments on them at shows.
While I do think the Antares leather is nicer than the FSS, there was quite a significant delta in price. I think I paid around $125 or so for the FSS bridles; the Antares was $600 so I would expect there to be a difference!
FWIW I have also gotten just the browbands from FSS and my Antares double is now sporting a bit of bling from them; I am super happy with it.
I like my FSS halter from this seller, but I bought for looks not longevity.
FSS= Free Spirit Saddlery.
I purchased a Rhinegold double bridle from the Scottish outfit and like it very much. I liked the crown design – padded and the noseband & bradoon hanger thread over the crown, eliminating pressure there. Replaced the browband with a pretty POH one and a set of reins that I prefer. Pretty nice for the price!
[QUOTE=Lucassb;7984122]
While I do think the Antares leather is nicer than the FSS, there was quite a significant delta in price. I think I paid around $125 or so for the FSS bridles; the Antares was $600 so I would expect there to be a difference![/QUOTE]
Totally agree - for $600, I would expect superb leather! 
[QUOTE=MysticOakRanch;7983100]
NO KIDDING! I don’t use ThinLine, I like the KL Select Pebble Grips, but otherwise, I have grumbled the same thing a million times! I guess for brown bridles, it makes more sense since there are a zillion different shades of brown, so if you want a match… But black is black is black, and I have given away so many laced black reins in my life - if I could have $10 for each pair, I could buy one of those $600 bridles, hahahahaha…[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I have God knows how many pairs of those cheap web reins that tend to come with bridles. One day, I will gather them all up and donate them to a riding camp or something.
