# Bridle and saddle colour?



## Acadianartist

I think we've found a good jumping saddle for my daughter and Harley. It's a Stubben Roxanne. They compete in hunter/jumper. Problem is, his bridle is black. Saddle is deep brownish red. What colour bridle should we get? Havana? Are there brown bridles with a reddish tint?

She really wanted to stick with black, so we're also considering having the saddle dyed. Has anyone done that? We would have it done professionally of course. Thoughts?


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## ApuetsoT

Each brand has a different name for their colours, so I don't really know a colour to suggest. Don't dye the saddle though. Brown tack is traditional in hunters and if you want to resell it you will narrow your market. The bridle doesn't have to be 100% matching since they are far enough away from each other. It shouldn't be too hard to find a bride that colour.


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## horselovinguy

Oakbark, nutmeg are two colors that might work well and complimentary of not only the saddle but for horse and rider.
Black is not a favored color in the hunter show ring...
True jumpers, anything pretty much goes for colors.
I think of black as a dressage color seen, not hunter nor equitation _regardless_ of the horses color.
It is brown tack.

Looks like a nice saddle.
I've ridden in some other style of older Stubbens and really liked them.
I actually think Harley will look stunning in this saddle and complimentary bridle with his coloring.
I have a flea-bitten gray myself and he looks gorgeous in both my darker English saddle and my mid-colored western.
Fit that saddle on a _*white*_ fitted saddle pad and :eek_color:..._yow-za..going to pop!!
Enjoy!!
:runninghorse2:....
jmo...
_


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## Acadianartist

Yes, I agree that brown is traditional hunters, but my daughter is really leaning more towards jumpers. Still, I think it would be a real shame to cover up the rich colour of that beautiful leather. I like the reddish hue in it. 

So I guess I need to buy a brown bridle now! Will look at the colours you suggest @horselovinguy. Thanks!


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## Acadianartist

So other than brown being the dominant colour, are there rules about what a hunter/jumper bridle needs to look like? I'd like to get a really nice, good quality bridle for Harley. Was thinking that since I'll be in Italy in June, I could check out some tack shops there and maybe get something special. But will they allow fancy browbands? Or do I have to limit myself to fancy stitching? What about those V shaped browbands? Will those be allowed?

Like I said, she prefers jumpers to hunters, but if we go to a show, she signs up for everything she can just for practice, and that will usually include a couple of hunter classes, so I'd prefer to have something acceptable for both.


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## Golden Horse

You need to check the rule books for who ever is organizing the shows.....and or talk to your trainer...


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## horselovinguy

Rules are probably somewhat different USA to Canada and circuit/show series dependent sometimes.

For hunter here...
No drop noseband or flash allowed. _{If you buy this kind of bridle make sure you can remove the flash strap.}_
_No "bling"_ technically on the browband but I've seen small clinches style run the width of it lately.
Some use brass hardware, over stainless...personal preference.
Most use a laced rein, some plaited for increased grip ability.
Square raised, half-round, plain flat, fancy stitched are all choices you can pick for "looks"...
If you use a stitched design brow and noseband then make sure the thread is white...it looks nicer and looks "clean".
Some divisions will mark down for the large square saddle pads...a fitted white is classic and you will never go wrong with it and it makes anything "pop".
No boots or polos in the judged show ring, period.

Hunters is still supposed to understated quiet elegance...
Today much of that is forgotten or overlooked, but it is what it was about.

Jumpers....pretty much anything goes.
Your problem is going to be your daughter if she warms up using hunter/equitation classes must abide by those rules since jumper divisions is less strict with "dress-code"...
:runninghorse2:....


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## Avna

Whatever you do, don't tie his mouth closed with some faddy flash or figure eight or whatever noseband. 

I met a couple of people riding up my road yesterday, just mosying along on a gentle hack, a couple of hunter type horses, both with all kinds of gear on their faces, for why? Just walking up a road, for pete's sake. 

I like hunters in simple traditional brown tack with a at most a dressy stitched plain noseband. Try and find such a thing! 

My unhumble opinion, as always.


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## horselovinguy

Avna said:


> Whatever you do, don't tie his mouth closed with some faddy flash or figure eight or whatever noseband.
> 
> I like hunters in simple traditional brown tack with a at most a dressy stitched plain noseband. Try and find such a thing!
> 
> My unhumble opinion, as always.


Totally right...conventional noseband only..I forgot that one. :|

_I agree Avna_...simple traditional tack I like best on any horse no matter the class discipline or saddle used.
_*See the horse*, not the do-dads and stuff junking up the pleasing picture being told of quiet communication.
_
I'm not humble either in my opinion on certain things.. :icon_rolleyes:
:runninghorse2:....


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## ApuetsoT

Canadian rules are pretty mcu what HLG said. Plain bridle with French cavasson. No bling, straight browbands, raised and fancy stitch ok. No two toned bridles(unless subtle). Reins have to be leather.


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## Acadianartist

Thanks all! I would never dream of putting a flash on Harley. I hate those tight nose bands. Not trying to stir up controversy or anything, but my horses will never have their mouths tied shut!

Ok, so simple, but elegant. Classic look. NO two-toned (good to know because saddle is two-toned so I might have been tempted). No fancy rinestones (only half-kidding). Straight browband. 

We always used leather laced reins. And thanks for the details @horselovinguy. We do have a shaped white pad, but we ONLY use it at shows because otherwise it wouldn't stay white very long. 

I'd like something that looks more delicate because of Harley's small head. This one is pretty, and on sale: 

https://www.doversaddlery.com/circuit-sngl-crwn-gp-hntr-brdl/p/X1-12894/


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## Sp00kyl00n

I'm in the UK, so different rules and regs. Colourwise over here the reddest leathers are called oxblood if that's any help. The plainer the better, let the beauty of the horse do the talking.
I prefer black tack on my lad, but I can't show him anyway so it makes no difference to me. He's a 17.2hh ex-racer and loses the plot if he hears a tannoy.


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## Golden Horse

Sp00kyl00n said:


> I'm in the UK, so different rules and regs. Colourwise over here the reddest leathers are called oxblood if that's any help. The plainer the better, let the beauty of the horse do the talking.
> I prefer black tack on my lad, but I can't show him anyway so it makes no difference to me. He's a 17.2hh ex-racer and loses the plot if he hears a tannoy.


You have no idea how different!! There is nothing like the hunter ring over here in the UK...


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## horselovinguy

Look at square raised to highlight his features.
Padded or contrast colors can mean wider brow and noseband, that could hide and overpower his face.

Look at Arabian tack too as that is usually intentionally made narrow to emphasize the sculpting of the face bones.
Something like this with narrow, neat and refined...
_https://www.doversaddlery.com/ovtn-...HB67KxOIrMsph9BvULFuw1jZnKgWp8jEaAiWzEALw_wcB
:runninghorse2:....
jmo...
_


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## Acadianartist

Sp00kyl00n said:


> I'm in the UK, so different rules and regs. Colourwise over here the reddest leathers are called oxblood if that's any help. The plainer the better, let the beauty of the horse do the talking.
> I prefer black tack on my lad, but I can't show him anyway so it makes no difference to me. He's a 17.2hh ex-racer and loses the plot if he hears a tannoy.


I don't know what a "tannoy" is, but wanted to ask whether they make bridles in oxblood red leather over there? Seems like it would look snazzy on Harley. I find brown, well, boring. Yes, I know, that's what hunters is supposed to look like. But a reddish tint might be nice.


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## Kalraii

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this saddle. And the colour is so striking against your boy. But surrounded by English hunt culture over here haha. I know nothing about saddles but it's classic. I do personally prefer black saddle cloth with black saddle, stirrups and bridle tho. I am looking to Bling Katie up in a non-trashy way. But I would absolutely kit her out something with this colour. I've not seen a saddle with so much red before!


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## Avna

My new fact for the day: a tannoy is a loudspeaker in Britain. Like Kleenex, Tannoy is a manufacturer whose product name became the noun.


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## my2geldings

Acadianartist said:


> I think we've found a good jumping saddle for my daughter and Harley. It's a Stubben Roxanne. They compete in hunter/jumper. Problem is, his bridle is black. Saddle is deep brownish red. What colour bridle should we get? Havana? Are there brown bridles with a reddish tint?
> 
> She really wanted to stick with black, so we're also considering having the saddle dyed. Has anyone done that? We would have it done professionally of course. Thoughts?


If black is what she wants to go with (Also my preferred color for tack usually), then I would have it died. Black will give it a nice look and will make it look good as new. Dying a saddle is only $90-100 to do so it's probably your cheapest option rather than buy a new bridle, and she will have the color she wanted. The other option which I dont recommend because its a pain, is to dye the saddle yourself. Not hard to do, but its got to be done properly and it takes a while to do.


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## Chaz80

here in the uk hunter/jumper bridles are mostly brown/havana with a flat noseband,depending on the size of your horse they are usually 2" flat for ponies and 4-5" for horses
they have plain browbands or plaited ones if you have plaited reins
like this one....


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## Acadianartist

my2geldings said:


> If black is what she wants to go with (Also my preferred color for tack usually), then I would have it died. Black will give it a nice look and will make it look good as new. Dying a saddle is only $90-100 to do so it's probably your cheapest option rather than buy a new bridle, and she will have the color she wanted. The other option which I dont recommend because its a pain, is to dye the saddle yourself. Not hard to do, but its got to be done properly and it takes a while to do.


I've convinced her not to dye it black. Honestly, I think it would be a shame to cover up that beautiful red. And while I realize it's not terribly expensive, and there is a Western saddler who is very close to me and could no doubt do it, I worry that we'll loose that beautiful shine and depth. And she's 13. Her opinion will likely change next week.

So a reddish brown bridle it is.


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## ClearDonkey

Acadianartist said:


> Thanks all! I would never dream of putting a flash on Harley. I hate those tight nose bands. Not trying to stir up controversy or anything, but my horses will never have their mouths tied shut!
> 
> Ok, so simple, but elegant. Classic look. NO two-toned (good to know because saddle is two-toned so I might have been tempted). No fancy rinestones (only half-kidding). Straight browband.
> 
> We always used leather laced reins. And thanks for the details @horselovinguy. We do have a shaped white pad, but we ONLY use it at shows because otherwise it wouldn't stay white very long.
> 
> I'd like something that looks more delicate because of Harley's small head. This one is pretty, and on sale:
> 
> https://www.doversaddlery.com/circuit-sngl-crwn-gp-hntr-brdl/p/X1-12894/


This bridle is very similar to what I used to use on my Half Arabian, until we got to upgrade to a fancy Vespucci bridle :loveshower: It looks like it is thin enough not to over power his face, which is a great thing on Arabians! If your current bridle works now, you can keep it as a practice bridle, and reserve the new bridle only for shows, just to keep it extra nice. For the longest time, as a lot of Arabian trainers do, I used a training clip-on bridle, with a cavesson put on underneath, with split reins, as my everyday training bridle.


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## ClearDonkey

Chaz80 said:


> here in the uk hunter/jumper bridles are mostly brown/havana with a flat noseband,depending on the size of your horse they are usually 2" flat for ponies and 4-5" for horses
> they have plain browbands or plaited ones if you have plaited reins
> like this one....


I wish these were more common in the US/Canada, but I only have ever saw one when I inherited a box of old, moldy tack. I loved the way it looked on my horse's face, but it just doesn't fit in any showing that is done in the US right now, probably because of the lack of Warmbloods and Cobs :|


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## Sp00kyl00n

Sorry for delayed reply had a hectic week. Yes a tannoy is a loudspeaker public address system. If he hears one he thinks it's race day and starts spinning and rearing, total fruitloop time. 
I've looked through loads of leather stuff and the colours for oxblood seem to vary immensely, but this is the closest to what I have always seen it as.


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## AnitaAnne

Agree with buying a bridle to match the saddle, would not dye that saddle black...

I have always loved the quality feel and look of Bobby's tack. Not maybe as well known as other brands, but the leather is so lovely, supple yet strong. The stuff lasts forever. I have a two toned black/brown Dressage bridle that was purchased for my appendix. Will try to find a picture of it on him, even though a different style, you can see the quality. I prefer the ss buckles but not sure if that is allowed in Canada

Here is a link, if you are interested. Think this would look fabulous on Harley with that saddle

https://www.bobbystack.com/product/1101-l/


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## Acadianartist

Thanks @AnitaAnne ! Will have a look.


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