Why build your own bridle is good for your horse…
If you’re a member of any equestrian-focused Facebook groups then you’ll probably have seen people asking for advice on the right saddle brands and sizes for horses with high withers, short backs, slab sides and a lot of other quirky back shapes. It’s accepted without argument that horses need their saddles individually fitted to suit their back.
But, until recently, lots of riders were expected to select from ‘pony, cob, full and extra-full’ bridle sizes and that one of them would fit their horse perfectly. But that’s just not the case for so many owners. A large head and small muzzle, or vice versa, can cause issues, as can a small poll space or very large ears! Of course, there are buckles all over a bridle which can be adjusted, but we know the buckles themselves need to be situated away from sensitive areas on the horse’s face and skull, so having them too high or low isn’t ideal. So, what’s the solution?
Here at Elevator Equestrian, we wanted to give our customers the ability to pick and choose the right size of every part of the bridle to get that perfect fit. We know that simply choosing from one of four sizes of bridle doesn’t work for everyone, and leaves horse owners frustrated. We also try to spread the word far and wide about the impact of a poorly fitting bridle on horse welfare and performance, so we decided to offer people more options.
Along with our clever website designers, we created our ‘Build a Bridle’ tool for the website. This tool means you can choose a cob-size headpiece and browband, then combine it with longer cheekpieces and a larger noseband, if your horse has a delicate head and then a long, Roman nose. The Build a Bridle tool tots up the cost so you can compare different options and choose the one which suits your budget best. We have a bridle fitting guide on our website which helps our customers choose the right size they need for each part required, and our team is always ready to help if you have any questions.
The Build a Bridle tool is available across all our bridles, not just the new collection, and there are ways to customise the appearance of the bridle as well as the fit. All the elements – headpiece, browband, cheekpiece, noseband and reins – are available in black or Havana Sedgwick English leather. There’s a wide range of browband styles to catch your eye, from plain or padded leather to wave browbands, patent or white piping and diamante decoration. Cavesson nosebands can be chosen to match the browband, with plain, padded, piping and patent options.
Together with our Elevator Elite bridles, which have been designed to offer a range of ergonomic noseband options and our new and improved anatomical headpiece, the build a bridle function means that our customers horses will be able to do their jobs in total comfort.