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I am very proud to be able to help others with their horses! My client wanted to get a custom headstall for her daughter's horse, who she said has been almost impossible to find a bridle that fit. Their existing headstall was too big with a much too small browband that they were using in shows. They requested a bigger browband to be made for it, which in turn, helped with the overall fit of the bridle and freed up their horse's ears. They also went for a second headstall to be custom fit for daily riding, which came out fantastic. The fit was better than I could have hoped for! When my client put the headstall on their horse, it was instant gratification for us all. Her and her daughter were so excited to get something that finally fit, and I feel so blessed to be the one able to help them. This is the fit of the headstall. I am so beyond happy with how it turned out!

Hello! I'm Natalie Ryan, owner of Double Barrel Custom Leather! My main focus for my business is to create western horse tack with the horse in mind. All of the tack I make, I design for the horse's comfort. I want to change the pattern in the western industry of flashy, bulky tack that doesn't fit most horses. I want to help be a part of the change from one-size-fits-all horses or the generic Horse, Cob, Arabian, Draft sizes that don't usually fit. All horses are different in anatomy to some degree and generic sizes won't usually fit in all areas. I am working in my local Oregon area to provide bridle fittings and offer custom fitting tack sets for local horses. It is my belief that a comfortable horse will always perform better than a stressed or uncomfortable one. I want to help people's horses and help make a difference in the western industry! This is my first bridle that I made for my horse. He is a small Arabian with a petite face and he has always been tough to shop for. So, I made my own! I still have a couple of adjustments to make, including making a new throatlatch because it needs to be longer. With this bridle though, he has had almost zero fussing and he is performing better with it as well! I want to be able to share this with western riders. I want to give them a solution to bridles and tack sets never fitting. I want to help alleviate common bridle issues and ear shyness that comes with ill-fitting tack. That is my ultimate goal as a leatherworker. Later this summer I also plan to enroll in bridle fitting classes to get my certification. This way I can be better informed and can do my job better as well as further educate future clients! On top of horse tack I also dabble in tobacco pipe accessories, wallets, and riding chaps! I also have more example work on my website! I also regularly post on my Facebook page!

looking to make a few single ear loop headstalls- nothing fancy but sturdy and clean for everyday ranch use. I have been thinking of using H.O. 7/8 oz. Bridle leather doubled up and stitched for strength then buttered and hot oiled for feel and durability. I am getting stuck on the ear loop. It seems your general store-bought options are "ok" and functional but I saw a couple in Vegas last year that were rolled, almost hiding the stitching. I really liked this because it was really really well-made. The extra steps to round off and roll the loop made it less stiff but almost seemed stronger- if that makes sense? In addition, I really like how it would lay on the horses head as opposed to the general flat,strap-like generic ear loops. Now my issue is I should have just bought it so I could dissect it and see how it was done. Has anyone seen a loop like this? Do you have any processes for making them? What kind of leather do you prefer for headstalls/ bridles and how do you oil yours for that supple yet durable feel? Thank you all in advance.

Does anyone have any good- moderately priced but high quality Concho & Buckle suppliers? Looking for 1/2"; 3/4"; & 1" size buckles and larger conchos: say 2" and larger? I specifically do not want them to look like the cheap Tandy stuff. Thanks

My first carved headstall All hardware - solid brass

Can anyone offer instructions on how to lace slotted conchos as seen in this picture? I've been staring at it for days and cannot figure it out! Thanks!

I am the owner and maker for Franklins Handmade and I do quite a bit of beading. I want to start making belts with the beaded inlay but I don't know how to. Thanks!

I've always wanted to do a headstall with beadwork incorporated. When asked to do a custom headstall for a special rope horse and to "do whatever I wanted", I took full advantage and tried this out! My friend hasn't seen it yet, and the pictures don't really do it justice, but I'm really pleased for a "first go" and learned quite a bit in the process!

Hello! I have just purchased my first TechSew 3650 HD (super excited about it by the way) and am planning on making headstalls, breastcollars, halters, etc. I have previously been using an old Singer that has done a great job, just ready to move up to the big leagues. I have heard about using a "saddle stitch" and a regular stitch.... what is the difference between the two? What is the typical thread size, stitch length, needle size that I should use for heavy harness leather from about 11-16oz thick for my tack? I have the needle that came with the machine, I believe they are 27 (if I am remembering correctly) and 207 thread. I remember there being a post about this but I cannot seem to find it to save my life. Any help you would provide would be great! Thank you so much!

Hi all, I've started a headstall/breastcollar set and plan on doing a partial overlay (to the border). I used my divider and measured the breastcollar pattern and subtracted the borders dimensions which gave me the size of overlay I needed. It didn't work as well as I'd hoped and I was just wondering if anyone had a different/better way to cut their overlay to the size they needed. Thanks! Jamie

Hi, I'd like to give my friend something special as a wedding gift. A custom tooled browband headstall with her horse's name (5 letters) on the left cheek. This will be used as a trail headstall so it should have some conchos, but not too flashy. Her saddle is basket weave, pecan in colour. I have a photo of it. I need it complete and delivered by June 29/13. Let me know what you'd want for this and maybe a link to some work you've done. This is a wedding gift for my best friend, so experienced leather workers only please. Thanks.

I'm working on a headstall and I've come up with a design questions. I'm hoping folks who have used one ear headstalls can give me some advice. Now, I've used a one ear... but some of them have two, one ear parts - if you see what I mean - and I've never used one of those. The lady wants this for her show horse. It's to have two, one ear parts on it. I was thinking of having these hooked together right in the middle at the top of the poll. Will this in any way affect the functionality of the headstall? Or would I be better off making the two one ear parts totally separate from each other, so that they could be moved to fit each ear? I'd sure appreciate any advice folks might have. I want her to be very happy with her headstall, but as I say I myself have never used a headstall exactly like this, so I am not sure about how it will work out. Thanks!