So why buy a bespoke bridle?
· Many people struggle to find a bridle that both suits their preferences and fits their horse well. This is really not that surprising when you consider that most of us are often not a standard size or fit, and find that different manufacturers and stores clothes vary, and it’s inevitably the same with horses (and particularly with smaller ponies)
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· Frequently we see ready made bridles, even lovely looking expensive branded names which are either too big resulting in the buckles being too high up on the sensitive part of the horse’s face, or too small with browbands that are often too tight, causing the headpiece to be pulled forwards into the base of the horses ears.
· People frequently need to mix and match pieces of their bridles to try to achieve a better fit and this can be a costly exercise
· As well as the comfortable fit of the bridle there are the aesthetics to consider.
· The overall appearance of a horse can be completely ruined by a bridle that is either too fine, or too chunky. With a bespoke bridle the widths of every single strap can be suited to each horse to enhance its appearance and to suit it’s discipline.
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· Frequently we see ready made bridles, even lovely looking expensive branded names which are either too big resulting in the buckles being too high up on the sensitive part of the horse’s face, or too small with browbands that are often too tight, causing the headpiece to be pulled forwards into the base of the horses ears.
· People frequently need to mix and match pieces of their bridles to try to achieve a better fit and this can be a costly exercise
· As well as the comfortable fit of the bridle there are the aesthetics to consider.
· The overall appearance of a horse can be completely ruined by a bridle that is either too fine, or too chunky. With a bespoke bridle the widths of every single strap can be suited to each horse to enhance its appearance and to suit it’s discipline.
Here are some comparison pictures of two different bridles on the same pony.
The bridles on the left are their original bridles and the ones on the right are their bespoke Three Shires bridles.
The bridles on the left are their original bridles and the ones on the right are their bespoke Three Shires bridles.
On the left hand picture-
- the straight headpiece is digging into the back on the ponies ears
- the throatlash is too long even on the top hole
- the grackle head strap buckle is way too long and as a result is sat right up by the browband and putting pressure on the sensitive areas here
- the buckle on the jaw strap of the grackle is rubbing and causing a sore on the pony's jaw
On the right hand picture-
- the soft anatomical headpiece sits behind the base of the ears relieving pressure and allowing the ears to move
-the throatlash is the correct length and not drooping down
- both the grackle head strap buckle and the cheekpiece buckle are sat level with the back of the eye (this is a far less sensitive part of the head than further up where the buckles were sat before
- the jaw straps buckle onto a padded section that sits on the back of the jaw to prevent rubbing
- the straight headpiece is digging into the back on the ponies ears
- the throatlash is too long even on the top hole
- the grackle head strap buckle is way too long and as a result is sat right up by the browband and putting pressure on the sensitive areas here
- the buckle on the jaw strap of the grackle is rubbing and causing a sore on the pony's jaw
On the right hand picture-
- the soft anatomical headpiece sits behind the base of the ears relieving pressure and allowing the ears to move
-the throatlash is the correct length and not drooping down
- both the grackle head strap buckle and the cheekpiece buckle are sat level with the back of the eye (this is a far less sensitive part of the head than further up where the buckles were sat before
- the jaw straps buckle onto a padded section that sits on the back of the jaw to prevent rubbing
On the left hand picture-
- the shaped headpiece was the wrong shape for this pony leaning that it dug in rather than relieving pressure
-both the grackle noseband cheeks and the actual cheekpieces are way too long, putting pressure on the sensitive area by the TMJ
-the grackle itself was also too big round the pony's nose, meaning that the rings were pulled forwards towards the eye and there was a long excess of flap that sat below the bit.
On the right hand picture-
- the soft anatomical headpiece was designed so that it was the right shape for the pony, relieving pressure behind the ears rather than adding to it.
-both the grackle noseband cheeks and the actual cheekpiece buckles now sit roughly level with the back of the eye, taking pressure off the sensitive area by the TMJ
-the grackle itself is now the correct size for the pony's nose so that the rings can sit in the correct place and not rub into the eye.
- The grackle itself was made with slightly narrower straps than the original to give a better appearance as the original seemed a bit bulky on such a fine head.
- the shaped headpiece was the wrong shape for this pony leaning that it dug in rather than relieving pressure
-both the grackle noseband cheeks and the actual cheekpieces are way too long, putting pressure on the sensitive area by the TMJ
-the grackle itself was also too big round the pony's nose, meaning that the rings were pulled forwards towards the eye and there was a long excess of flap that sat below the bit.
On the right hand picture-
- the soft anatomical headpiece was designed so that it was the right shape for the pony, relieving pressure behind the ears rather than adding to it.
-both the grackle noseband cheeks and the actual cheekpiece buckles now sit roughly level with the back of the eye, taking pressure off the sensitive area by the TMJ
-the grackle itself is now the correct size for the pony's nose so that the rings can sit in the correct place and not rub into the eye.
- The grackle itself was made with slightly narrower straps than the original to give a better appearance as the original seemed a bit bulky on such a fine head.
How much am I able to customize my bridle?
I am able to customize your bridle in many ways:
· Size - my bridles are all made to measure, so every individual part is bespoke to ensure a good fit on even the most awkward of heads.
· Colour of leather - the majority of my bridles are made in Black, Dark Havana or Australian Nut. I am happy to source other colours but they are not held in stock.
· Colour of buckles – you can choose from Stainless steel or Brass Buckles.
· Length of reins or even down to the placement of leather stoppers on reins, with the spacing between them customizable to what you need.
· Noseband – my standard bridle prices include any of the following padded nosebands- flash, cavesson, drop, grackle or bitless. My hunter bridles include a plain flat hunter noseband in any width.
· Browband -my standard bridle price includes your choice of plain, plaited, laced, rolled, raised or diamonte browband
· padding is available in any colour but most commonly matched to the bridle
· flat or rolled leather (my prices are for a flat leather bridle, rolled cheekpieces, throatlash etc are extra cost)
I am able to customize your bridle in many ways:
· Size - my bridles are all made to measure, so every individual part is bespoke to ensure a good fit on even the most awkward of heads.
· Colour of leather - the majority of my bridles are made in Black, Dark Havana or Australian Nut. I am happy to source other colours but they are not held in stock.
· Colour of buckles – you can choose from Stainless steel or Brass Buckles.
· Length of reins or even down to the placement of leather stoppers on reins, with the spacing between them customizable to what you need.
· Noseband – my standard bridle prices include any of the following padded nosebands- flash, cavesson, drop, grackle or bitless. My hunter bridles include a plain flat hunter noseband in any width.
· Browband -my standard bridle price includes your choice of plain, plaited, laced, rolled, raised or diamonte browband
· padding is available in any colour but most commonly matched to the bridle
· flat or rolled leather (my prices are for a flat leather bridle, rolled cheekpieces, throatlash etc are extra cost)