From Bits to Pieces to the Whole Shebang

Okay. The browband works. The bits work. After a few tweaks, the whole thing has been given the nod of approval by my trainer. I think I can say that Speedy's double bridle is now officially in service.

I am really pleased with how it all came together.

This thing has taken me several months to put together and get just so. I am never taking it apart again. I'll unbuckle each strap to clean, but there is no way it's coming apart completely. 

The bridle itself is the "Grand Prix Double Bridle," a Harry's Horse brand, purchased from The Dressage Pony Store, whose proprietress is my good friend Valerie. It retails for $135 plus shipping, a real bargain for the quality that you get. I wasn't sure I would like the patent noseband, but it actually adds just a little bit of fancy that I didn't know I needed. The rolled cheek pieces and tapered crank noseband also help the bridle fit Speedy's smaller face.

The browband is also from The Dressage Pony Store. It retails for around $90 which is an outstanding bargain especially since it was a custom order from Europe. The crystals are Swarovski, and they do not disappoint!

The weymouth and bradoon are from Marcel Toulouse. The set retails for $74.95, which if you've looked at bits recently, is a fraction of what one bit frequently costs. I got both of them for that price.

It has taken me some time to decide which reins to use. Ultimately, I decided that I love the Thinline Reins so much that they serve as my snaffle rein. They're also from The Dressage Pony Store. Valerie's price, $95, beats everyone else's by a mile. For the curb rein, I am using an old pair of Beta endurance reins that I had hanging around. They're super soft, flexible, and drape really nicely. I paid around $30 for them, but that was more than 10 years ago. I have no idea what they go for now.

The price of a show sitting on his shaggy, winter face.

So what did the whole thing cost me? Around $425, but I am not counting the endurance reins as I've had them forever. I really didn't have any idea what the total was until just now. When you spend a hundred here and a hundred there, it doesn't seem like much. Even so, $425 is pretty low for a double bridle. Many double bridles will cost that before adding in reins and bits and fancy browbands.

Now, we just need to break it in.