pavilionpony Report post Posted June 18, 2008 Does anyone know of any tutorials or information on making more fancy bridles other than the plain ones or simply stamped ones? How about proper measurements? Yikes. Cindy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
$$hobby Report post Posted June 19, 2008 english or western? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pavilionpony Report post Posted June 19, 2008 Hi $$hobby, I prefer western if you know of any. Thanks so much for your reply . Just finishing up my first braided bridle, I'll post a pic once it is all the way done. Wow, is that alot of work. My hands hurt! lol. I'm just tired of the plain bridles, looking for something more interesting to work on. Cindy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
$$hobby Report post Posted June 19, 2008 Hi $$hobby, I prefer western if you know of any. Thanks so much for your reply . Just finishing up my first braided bridle, I'll post a pic once it is all the way done. Wow, is that alot of work. My hands hurt! lol. I'm just tired of the plain bridles, looking for something more interesting to work on. Cindy Hi cindy, sorry i cant help you on the western stuff. I do alot of repairs on english and see alot. but as you know the english stuff can be sort of bland. one thing you may want to ponder is the brow band. for a while i was making alot of brow bands with beadwork. I didnt do the beadwork but i incorporated them into the browband. i thougth they looked real nice, but eventually some of the judges DQed riders with them so they are not as hot anymore. but for just hacking around and looking nice should be fine. you could always try some english tack.. oh and i forgot to say, welcome. rc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hedge Report post Posted June 20, 2008 Does anyone know of any tutorials or information on making more fancy bridles other than the plain ones or simply stamped ones? How about proper measurements? Yikes.Cindy Hi Cindy, Try looking for Tom Hall's book on tack. He has numerous designs and the measurements to go with. I think the books are out of print but you can still find them. Looking forward to seeing your headstall. I did a full braided headstall based on one of those in Bruce Grant's book. Turned out pretty decent but had to rework it...the measurements for the cheek piece must have been for a draft horse! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grumpyguy Report post Posted June 28, 2008 Ran across your request for info today. I can't help with patterns but there are lots of elaborate headstalls around. Checkout saddlery and tack web sites like High Country Cowboy, Hitchingpost Supply, Buckaroo Gear, ect., online, they have some great products and they get good money for them. Seeing what other craftsmen do should help you with ideas for your own. I have taken the measurements from my own horses. I had three and one had a head as big as a suitcase! If I made it to fit him it would fit about anything in the saddle horse size range. Unfortunately I did not save the measurements and he passed on last February. I have an number of store bought bridles here though and if you don't have access to one I could measure the one I made. The store boughts fit my smaller horses well but barely fit the larger horse. I prefer to make them slightly larger as I have often found I will be riding other stock than my own when gathering cows and it's good to have a good range of adjustment. Other options would be to find a horse with a longer face and take your own measuments. The horses I have now are shorter faced. Generally the throat latches are one half to three eights wide. Brow bands and side cheeks range from five eigths inch to over and inch wide. (I preffer not to use Chicago Screws as I've had them come apart on the trail and lost the screw part. I usually use a latigo to do the job of the screws, never had one come apart.) The cheeks and brow bands are some times scalloped and shaped various ways. The poll pieces will also range from five eigths to over an inch wide. Some of the specialized rigs will use a built in cavisson or "nose band." While they look nice, I shy away from those as they add severity to the bits due to the horses mouth is held shut. When used with ported bits the horses mouth can easily be damaged. (I would never use one with a ported bit although I've seen it done.) I've seen plenty of wrecks, one in particular a guy was using roping reins with a cavisson and he got off and dropped the reins. The horse became spooked and bolted catching the reins in the brush. The horse suffered damage to his mouth. The guy had carefully started the horse and had worked hard to retain a soft mouth. The horse did recover but the point is the accident would have been much less tramatic for his horse had he used different equipment. My point being when building or choosing tack put thought into where and how it is to be used, make pratical design decisions to make the tack safe as possible for horse and rider. Seeing your work I can see you will undoubtedly come up with some great looking headstals. Making your own patterns is rewarding and add a full filling feeling of achievment. You as well are free then to share your patterns with other (or not) with out worry of anyone else's restrictions (ie: copy rights, patents and such.) There are books on making tack of various types at your local leather craft suppliers as well. Aslo the complete rig, headstal, reins and bit are what we call "a bridle" in the western terms. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorsehairBraider Report post Posted June 28, 2008 Hi Cindy - when I make a bridle, I just use an old one that I know will fit the horse in question for the measurements. It can be quite deceiving. I have a very beautiful stallion and due to his presence and movement people think he is a large horse - yet his head is pony-sized. Some stuff is kind of standardized, like most full-size horse browbands usually measure 12" from the top edge of the headstall over the forehead to the other top edge of the headstall, but the best thing is to measure the horse in question, if you can. I've had good luck with the Bruce Grant books, and I've heard great things about the Gail Hought books but I have never seen them myself. I also think these people: U-Braid-It have some good stuff, good books and so on with directions how to make tack. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slatercreek Report post Posted June 29, 2008 Look at www.mecates.com. Sara Hagel and her family (the Douglas') are from Sheridan, WY and she does some really awesome stuff with her bridles. No bling or beads, but some really cool, retro, ferruling, etc. Also, although it doesn't look great forever, rawhide or latigo braiding looks great on a headstall for several years as do spots and bullets. If you don't ride in really brushy country and if you are super careful about the way that you do your headstalls the "pretties" will last longer. You can look on E-bay for the Hall books as they are from here in Wyoming. Also the TCAA (Traditional Cowboy Artists of America) has some great stuff on their site. Look up rodeo sites as well as they always have pics (action) of all the trendy tack. Hope that this helps. Have a great day! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pavilionpony Report post Posted July 1, 2008 It looks like I have some books to purchase! Thank you to all for the information . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
