Tracey contacted me recently to ask about my made to measure bridle service for her horse, Elfie.
Elfie
Elfie is a 16hh coloured cob mare with a HUGE head, which means that an ‘off-the-shelf’ bridle does not fit her correctly unless Tracey buys two different sizes and piece them together to make one bridle that fits.
If you’re having the same issue then you too might be better off with a bespoke made-to-measure bridle made by a professionally trained saddler, as it will often cost the same as a designer brand bridle but instead you have a choice in the design and the colours to use.
Bespoke Bridle
Tracey decided to purchase a bespoke bridle so that she could have everything she wanted in one simple design.
Tracey loves the colour orange and wanted her bridle to reflect this so it matched her orange saddle cloth and stirrup irons.
Another desire was to have a shaped headpiece, a wider noseband at 2.25”, a v-shaped browband and plaited reins, all in a good quality black leather with tangerine orange padded leather and orange stitching.
At first I did what you have probably just done [wrinkled up my nose whilst muttering the words eeeew!] but alas that was the colour’s Tracey wanted and as a designer and creator I had to go ahead with her wishes.
Yard Visit
I arranged to visit Tracey and Elfie at their yard, so that I could measure Elfie in person. We discussed the noseband and browband design as well as the cut-away headpiece.
Tracey decided to have a Swarovski orange and crystal v-shaped browband as well as a plaited leather v-shaped browband too; one for every day and one for best.
British Materials
As a professionally trained, traditional saddler I have chosen to use only the very best of British leather and fittings as the quality is the best you can get.
Yes, I know you can get cheaper leather, but it does not necessarily mean it is the best leather and will last the lifetime of your 4 legged friend.
I pride myself on using just Sedgwick leather for all my bridle work. It’s strong and hardwearing and been the leather choice for saddlers for over a Century.
All the metal fittings I use are forged the traditional way in Walsall, West Midlands. Their strength and durability is the best in the country and I know I have the support of the manufacturer if things were to ever go wrong, which is something that is not always available with foreign imported materials.
Handmade
The process of making the bridle is a very personal one because I know every stage the bridle has gone through. I hand cut all the leather pieces, I tack it all together, I hand stitch it and finally I finish and condition the bridle in the end before taking it back to the horse and owner and fitting it to make sure everyone is happy with it.
I was so pleased to see this orange and black bridle on Elfie and to hear how much Tracey loved it was confirmation enough that I did my job well.
Thank you Tracey and Elfie for choosing me to design and make your new bridle.
“Want to book your own yard visit?”
If you would like to book a yard visit to discuss a made to measure bridle then contact me directly [here].
