[EquitationRider]

I just got a used Edgewood of Ebay and i would prefer not to use it everyday when it gets here! I would like to find a good quality schooling bridle without braking the bank!

Anyone have any thoughts on the Suffolk bridles? The price is good but i don't want something cheap thats not going to hold up. Any suggestions are appriciated!

[fxhillfarm]

We have two of them for schooling, the leather is VERY cheap; doesn't even feel like leather, more like plastic, but they have held up well and that includes rides in the rain.. I clean my tack after every ride and these never really oiled up nicely for me, they seem the same as the day i got them..

Anyway great, reliable bridle for just schooling.. plus the price is hard to beat!

[fxhillfarm]

We have two of them for schooling, the leather is VERY cheap; doesn't even feel like leather, more like plastic, but they have held up well and that includes rides in the rain.. I clean my tack after every ride and these never really oiled up nicely for me, they seem the same as the day i got them..

Anyway great, reliable bridle for just schooling.. plus the price is hard to beat!

ETA: I probably wouldn't bring one to a show; these are strictly home schooling bridles for us

[EquitationRider]

We have two of them for schooling, the leather is VERY cheap; doesn't even feel like leather, more like plastic, but they have held up well and that includes rides in the rain.. I clean my tack after every ride and these never really oiled up nicely for me, they seem the same as the day i got them..

Anyway great, reliable bridle for just schooling.. plus the price is hard to beat!

ETA: I probably wouldn't bring one to a show; these are strictly home schooling bridles for us

yeah i wouldnt use mine at a show either. i have my Edgewood. But i ride 6 days a week and would like something that can put up with it. I try to clean my tack after every ride although sometimes that doesnt always happen.

[fxhillfarm]

We ride almost every day of the week and at times used the bridles on multiple ponies/horses, I'd say go for it.. for how much they cost, it's worth a try to see if they would work for your situation!

[nomoregrays]

I have Dressage Extension's Euro Drop Noseband bridle.

http://www.dressageextensions.com/Pr....asp?KEY=20341

I've been using it almost daily for about 6 years now and it's held up very well.

Chris

[EquitationRider]

We ride almost every day of the week and at times used the bridles on multiple ponies/horses, I'd say go for it.. for how much they cost, it's worth a try to see if they would work for your situation!

i think i will. I wa just wondering if there were any other options. I have heard that they are hard to break in but we will see

[auburnhunter]

The HDR Pro line goes for around $120 or and is a nice soft leather that holds up very well. Make sure you don't get the Advantage line, which is cheaper, and is not anywhere near the same quality. You can usually price shop it on the internet and find good deals on the HDR. Good luck and happy shopping!

[onelanerode]

I picked up my HDR Pro for $80. It's a very good schooling bridle and the leather softened up very well.

[altjaeger]

I use the Suffolk model that I get from Dover for $39.95. In my experience it DOES oil up well. No judge is going to notice that you don't have a $300 bridle on instead of one of these. However, they won't last more than a year or 2 if used regularly.

[trinityhill]

I purchased a bunch of these for my schoolies for daily use and I am very very happy with them for that purpose. They aren't bad looking and will be fine for my students to bring the schoolies to the local shows in.

Millers has them for $24.99. They aren't listed as Suffolk but they came with Suffolk tags on them.

[jump4me]

I've used Suffolks, they are definitely schooling bridles... but I was happy with the performance for the price. Just clean with glycerine or a light conditioner often, and (mine atleast) became less plastic-y feeling and I used it daily for about 4 years and its still sitting in my tack room in case I need a spare

[headsupheelsdown]

The Collegiate bridles are around $100 and work pretty well for schooling. I have had good luck with mine.

[SarahandSam]

I have the Suffolk bridle and used it frequently--it was good because my horse was halfway in between cob and horse size, so I got one of each and mix and matched the pieces. They were stiff at first, but not nearly as bad as some of the other cheap plastic-y ones out there, and softened up well. I think they actually look pretty nice for such a cheap price.

Here are some close-up pics of mine on my horse at a schooling show...
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/39...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/41...600x600Q85.jpg

[theoldgreymare]

Bobby's. Got one from eBay (I think from Lauren's Tack Trunk) as a schooling bridle for a new horse for about $90. I can't tell you how many people have commented on how nice the leather is. It really is butter soft and the stitching is excellent. I've had Bobby's pony bridles before and they have lasted forever.

[ExJumper]

I'd get a cheaper Bobby's or one of the cheap SmartPak lines.

[spmoonie]

I have the Suffolk bridle and used it frequently--it was good because my horse was halfway in between cob and horse size, so I got one of each and mix and matched the pieces. They were stiff at first, but not nearly as bad as some of the other cheap plastic-y ones out there, and softened up well. I think they actually look pretty nice for such a cheap price.

Here are some close-up pics of mine on my horse at a schooling show...
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/39...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/41...600x600Q85.jpg

Love the hunter green coat!

to stay on topic, I would go with a bridle from the smartpak line.

[superpony123]

the plymouth bridle from smartpak.com is like $40, and from what ive been told the quality is extremely impressive for what you pay. they have a fancier one for $60. the harwich is a lovely bridle, looks just like an edgewood actually, and costs $100.

[SarahandSam]

Love the hunter green coat!

LOL... thanks! It may be old-fashioned, but I kinda like that shade. d;

[billiebob]

I have this Gatsby bridle that's held up to over a year of regular use (3-5x a week). I clean and condition it maybe once a month.....that's probably pretty generous, actually. It's much nicer looking in person, but the leather isn't like an Edgewood. Plus I found it on Ebay for $16--can't beat that!

http://www.horseloverz.com/Gatsby-Do...pr-124873.html