Horse Tack Bridle
A standard bridle usually consists of a headpiece, browband, noseband, throat lash (or throat latch), and reins. The cheek pieces and reins of a standard bridle usually attach to a bit, to facilitate communication with your horse as you’re riding, lunging, or leading.
The headpiece which goes over the top of the horses head at the poll area and runs just behind the ears can come as a plain piece of leather or with comfort padding. Some bridles also shape the headpiece to go around the ears.
The cheek pieces of the bridle attach to the headpiece at one end and to the bit at the other end and can be adjusted to suit horses with different face lengths. The noseband runs round the circumference of the horses face and is used to keep the horses jaw closed. The browband runs horizontally from just under one ear to just under the other ear and is used to prevent the bridle from slipping back from the horses poll.
Some bridles come with fancy browbands which are raised or covered in diamantes or patent leather to make them stand out. Finally, the reins attach to the bit and the rider holds these, most bridles come with reins however some do not as there are a wide variety of reins from plain leather, plaited leather, rubber covered, half rubber covered etc. There are a number of different types of bridles including plain cavesson bridle, flash bridle, grackle or figure of eight bridle, hunter bridle and double or Weymouth bridles.
Bridles come in a variety of different colours, the most popular being Black and Havana (Dark Brown). Other colours you may come across include Oak, Australian Nut and Tan to name a few. Although it makes no difference to your riding which colour bridle you choose nearly everyone chooses to match it as closely as possible to the saddle and other leatherwork they use. Different manufacturer’s shades of colours do sometimes vary slightly; this can be due to the method a particular manufacturer uses for dying the leather or the colour of dye they happen to use.
Most riders choose either black or brown colours for their horse’s bridle, to match the colour of their saddle. However, thanks to innovation in material technologies, there are so many other colours available to fulfil your matchy-matchy dreams!
Here at Discount Equestrian, we’re proud to stock only the finest quality bridles from leading equestrian brands based in the UK, Europe, and beyond. There are so many wonderful bridles just waiting to be discovered in this beautiful Horse Bridles collection, such as:
Heritage® English Leather Comfort Bridle – “The Heritage English Leather Comfort Bridle showcases a classic cavesson noseband with sophisticated crank adjustment. This English leather bridle also features a comfort headpiece, with extra soft padding around the ears. A stylish yet innovative design eliminates the pressure surrounding your horse’s head, making it the ideal bridle for sensitive horses. Sold with rubber-covered reins. Available in several of sizes ranging from pony and cob to full and extra-full.”
PS of Sweden® Paris Bridle – “This is a bridle designed for experienced riders who prefer the use of a powerful noseband instead of a harsh bit. Ideal for strong, forward going horses, this bridle combines the function of an English drop noseband with anatomical design to alleviate uncomfortable pressure, offering plenty of stability without causing discomfort. Featuring a super soft pillow built-in, to reduce pressure, this bridle offers an optimized fit around your horse’s nose. The headpiece has an air gap over the highest part of the neck, to give maximum freedom for sensitive nerve tracks, muscle attachments, and ligaments within the neck. Cheekpieces benefit from elastic Cradles™ that allow the bit to be suspended in your horse’s mouth, further relieving pressure across their poll.”
GFS® PS Grackle Bridle – “These beautifully crafted bridles feature a shaped and padded headpiece that alleviates pressure points across your horse’s poll by distributing pressure evenly around their head. The noseband fastens to the headpiece on both sides, which allows the noseband to sit centrally in its optimum position. The noseband is also padded, to enhance your horse’s comfort. Available in black and Havana.”
IV Horse® Super Pro Leather Bitless Bridle – “Constructed from quality leather, this Super Pro Leather Bitless Bridle is designed with a poll, nose, and cross-over arrangement for the provision of complete yet gentle control. This bitless bridle, with its double-loop structure, controls your horse through steady pressure instead of relying on a bit, allowing your horse to enjoy a natural head and neck carriage without resistance.”
We also stock an amazing array of market-leading products in our fantastic Horse Tack range that enable you to select specific parts of the bridle, if you wish to build a bridle yourself, including Browbands, Cheek Pieces, and Reins. If you’re in need of a bit, we recommend visiting our fabulous Horse Bits range.
Should you need any advice about choosing the right bridle for your horse, or you require advice about correctly fitting your horse’s bridle, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Discount Equestrian team – we’re always happy to help!
