Choosing a show bridle for the hunter ring

When I signed Riley up to go to hunter breed shows this summer, I knew I'd need a hunter bridle. I managed to borrowed one for our first show of the season (Riley @ his first show, left). But Devon is coming up, and I don't have a bridle. I agonized about what to do, and my husband finally just said "buy one and sell it on Ebay later." Words of equestrian wisdom from my normally frugal husband. Okay, I'll do it.

I did a lot of research -- on Web sites, COTH (of course), and other boards. I talked to vendors at Rolex. I decided what I wanted to purchase. Then, the Tuesday after Rolex I got a call from Equisearch -- I'd entered many drawings at the trade fair, and suprise! I won a Stubben hunter bridle. Great news, but doesn't it figure?

At any rate, here is some of the research I did. Hope someone finds it useful, but more importantly, please send in corrections or suggestions. I rode hunters in the 70's and 80's, but at this stage in my life I'm admittedly an outsider -- not involved in the hunter world.

Color
Traditionalists would say the preferred color is havana--a medium to dark brown. For the hunter ring stick with darker colors for darker coats and greys/whites; chestnuts, buckskins, and palominos could go with a medium brown or dark tan. You don't want a light bridle on a dark horse -- doesn't this just look wrong? The bottom line is what color complements your horse, but err on the side of darker rather than lighter, stay conservative, and not too reddish. Some bridles have padding in a contrasting color, which can create a rich look. If you want contrasting padding, aim for subtle contrast.
Here are sample leather colors (pre-oiling), but different manufacturers' colors will vary. For these two sets of swatches, note the difference between the newmarket color on the left vs. right. To my mind, London, Newmarket, and Royal Oak in their unoiled state are colors for chestnuts and lighter. Black is rare in the hunter ring but sometimes you see it on greys. The leather should match the saddle, or come pretty close.

Leather quality
Ask the manufacturer, or the sales person, specifically where the leather comes from. Ask if it is vegetable-tanned or chrome-tanned (the former is preferable). Find out if it is treated with anti-fungal and/or antibacterial agents. The best quality leather will be British, Swiss, Italian, French, English, or German leather. Argentinian leather is popular too. Britain's Sedgewick tanneries are reknowned for their quality leather, and several U.S bridles (Ovation, Aramas) use leather from the U.S. tannery Wicket & Craig. Indian leather used to be very poor quality, but recently Indian tanneries have begun using processes similar to those in the UK. This can lead to confusion. A bridle may be stamped "English leather," which may mean it's made in the UK, or it may mean the leather was produced in India using traditional British tanning methods. A bridle's leather could come from one country, it could be assembled in another, and sold in yet another. In the end, it may be easiest to go with a bridle maker's reputation. Ebay has a helpful guide to judging leather quality.

Fancy stitching vs. plain
Contrasting stitching is very popular right now, usually white or off white but black/brown is also available. Stitches should be dainty, even, and tight. Stitching is very flattering on plain-colored horses; horses with flamboyant markings may not need the embellishment.

Padding
Padding adds to the "depth" and substance of the bridle, and it's comfortable for the horse. Some padding is made of ultra-soft calfskin. Horses with larger heads look better with a padded, "taller" browband and cavesson. Sensitive horses may insist on padded crowns, but keep in mind that some bridle companies (Vespucci, Peter Wylde) offer specially designed crownpieces that are horse-friendly. As for the nose and browband -- if your horse has a very small or delicate head, go with either a narrower leather or skip the padding. Again, go with what looks best on your horse's head.

Round-raised, square-raised, and other detailing
A matter of personal choice, or rather choices (Courbette's has examples of at least some of the options -- scroll down page to see them). Larger heads tend to look better with a more prominent bridle (padding, square-raised). Some companies offer an "ultra-raised" option.

Width of straps
If a bridle is listed as 3/4" in size, the measurement seems to refer to the cheekpieces. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Several Web sources indicate that the standard noseband is 7/8"; cheekpieces are 1/2" to 5/8"; browbands 1/2 to 3/4". Some companies offer extra-wide straps for large heads, or extra-narrow straps for smaller heads. For example, Aramas and KL Select each have a thicker bridle with a a noseband 1" or wider. The Arc de Triomphe offers a bridle for smaller heads (Elegance), and Bobby makes a triple-stiched bridle and an extra-thin bridle with a noseband of only 1/2" (see English tack section of eqtack.com).

Hardware
The best bridles will have brass or stainless steel hardware -- not nickel plated. Herm Springer makes buckles for many of the better quality bridles. If you're considering a modestly priced bridle, check the buckles and the stud closures to make sure they will hold up.

Reins
Before ordering, always check to see if reins are included. Reins are usually 5/8" laced. Some have raised sections near the horse's head, often with fancy stitching. You can buy calfskin reins reinforced with nylon -- think Arc de Triomphe makes them.

Quality of craftsmanship
When examining the quality of mid-range to higher end bridles, I noticed these differences. The keepers were often fit better (not too loose or tight); edges were more finished/bevelled on better bridles; Stitching was more attractive and even. Generally the attention to detail was greater, with leather shielding to protect the horse from buckles and metal that might contact their skin; the leather was more rich-looking, supple, and let's face it, more expensive-looking. Evaluating a bridle is a sensory experience. Examine it closely, touch it, bend it, smell it. You don't want the leather to be too soft, you can run into problems with stretching. Unless they've already been oiled, leather should feel slightly stiffer when new. However, a really stiff bridle doesn't conform to the horse's contours--very unflattering to the horse.

Conservative vs. Trendy
In the hunter world, fashions change, but in very subtle ways. Fancy stitching on the noseband and browband is accepted. Blingy rhinestones, not so much. The Antares bridle has a silver button, and decorative stitching on the crown -- a bit of a departure from the classic hunter bridle. The USHJA bridle available through Dover won praise from George Morris (reports a COTH member whose horse was complimented). This is a sure sign that the USHJA bridle is a classic, and incidentally, it was the bridle I'd selected to purchase before I won the Stubben.


BRIDLE CHART
Disclaimer: Prices are estimates based on casual perusal while Web-shopping.
Some bridles listed may not be strictly hunter style.

Manuf.	Fit	Leather	Price	Comments
Bobby	Runs small. Pony-O/S	Manuf. in India, with English-like leather	$150-$180	The higher the number, the better the quality; owners claim they're indistinguishable for top shelf bridles; Many choices, including extra thin, triple-stitched, heavy duty, and braided. Lower-end bridles may bleed.
Nunn Finer	Runs small. Pony-OS	Made in PA Lancaster Co.	$150-200 w/reins	Popular among eventers, but they offer hunter styles too. Considered a very good bridle and a good value
Ovation	Runs big. Pony-O/S	English or American leather	Around $200 or less, w/reins	Ex. $150 Fancy stitched snaffle; A good solid bridle by all accounts.
Harmohn Kraft	Offers pony, arab, quarter, horse, O/S	India, English-tanned leather	Around $100 or less	Some owners report that they bleed; leather quality fairly good, considering price; Americana line is popular
Herve Godignon	Pony-O/S	French	$300-$400 w/o reins	Great quality; Paris is popular hunter style; see Athena for an example of great detailing
Peter Wylde	Cob, full, O/S	French leather	$300 w/reins	Sold exclusively from Dover; fine (1/2" cheek pieces); external noseband strap to relieve pressure on the horse’s poll
Hadfields	Runs small. Pony-O/S	British	$350 w/o reins	Conservative design; exceptional handcrafted quality; holds up well.
Antares	1 (cob), 2 (horse), 3 (O/S)	French designed, headquarters in MD	$500 w/reins	Rather showy by hunter standards, with buckles rather than stud, a silver button on side, and detailing on the crown. See picture for examples
Beval Bridles	Pony-O/S	U.S. based; leather unknown	$300-$500 w/reins	Company has great reputation, a variety of styles; Many hunter style options, includ. wide cavesson.
Edgewood	Runs big & it stretches. Pony-O/S	Made in New Mexico; Vegetable tanned leather	$200-300 w/o reins	Leather stretches; do not over-oil; many size/style alternatives
Arc de Triomphe	Pony-O/S	French with Herm Springer stainless steel	$300-400 w/reins	Super quality; variety of hunter bridles, including a calfskin bridle for sensitive horses and riders. Options are well-described on Web site.
Dover	Pony-O/S	British-made	$250ish Wellington $150ish Circuit	Saratoga is most popular; Westport is good for finer heads; G. Morris likes the $300 USHJA bridle (not sure if it's Dover)
Pessoa	Pony-O/S	American leather	$200-300 range w/reins	Fairly good quality for price; some say price is not competitive.
KL Select	Slightly generous cut; Pony-O/S	English leather	$250 range	Red barn bridles very popular
Vespucci	Pony-O/S	Italian leather, but made in India?	$300-350 level with reins	Take a look at the hunter series. Nice single padded crownpiece.
CWD	Pony-OS	French	$300 no reins; over $400 w/reins	Great quality from a fairly new company. See the removable flash
L'apogee	cob-O/S	French company, but their bridles are made in England of Sedgwicks leather	$300 range, w/o reins, or $500 w/reins	High quality. Rich dark brown, described as similar to Jimmy's
Dyon Bridle	cob, full	British-made, some neorpene in anatomical design	$400 w/ reins	Anatomical design (some neoprene) or regular
Jimmy's 21st century bridle	Pony- O/S	Made in Nevada	$799 with reins	Very expensive, see picture. Designed/manuf. by Jimmy Wiebe, former pro rider.
Courbette	cob, full	U.S.A based	$200 range with reins	Many options for hunter bridles; good bridle, good reputation
New Cavalry	Cob, full	U.S.A?	$300-$400 range	Wow! which is not to say "Buy!" for the hunter ring; Web site lacking info
Aramas	Pony-O/S	American leather, chestnut	$200-$250 w/o reins	Very good quality, reasonably priced; usually chestnut colored , with options such as ultra-raised" and extra wide.

RESOURCES
Evaluating a horse bridle from horse-tack-opinions.com

What makes two bridles look so different? from Charlotte's Saddlery

How to fit a bridle from Frances Kelly Bridles

Bridle Guide from Renaissance on COTH and TOC

Show ring fashion from Horse Channel

Jeffries bridle sizing