As a zealous and concerned horse rider, you want to make sure that each piece of equipment you use is appropriate and doesn’t cause the horse or the rider any discomfort. This holds good for the bridle: choosing a bridle for your pony is not a problem to be treated trivially, and you should take many factors into account when doing this.
Horse owners are keen on talking about the pros and cons of leather bridles versus synthetic ones. Plenty of them have extremely powerful views on this matter. Some of them like the feel and strength that comes with the best leather bridles, while others lay great store by the lightness and dexterity of synthesised bridles, which are also extremely easy to scrub. A lot of horse riders are fine with whatever is available.
Traditionally, tack for horses, whether saddles or bridles, has been made from leather. Leather is considered stylish and of lasting quality, and because of this, is regarded as a good buy. Leather has great durability mixed with great looks that means a bridle of leather can last a long time and still look good as it ages. Well maintained leather becomes soft and flexible, and does not rub, deteriorate or irritate, which are qualities some synthesised materials have. Overall, the great majority of people consider leather to be the superior raw material for bridles. If your interest is in showing and competition, then you’d be smart to purchase a leather bridle instead of a synthesised one.
It is true that leather sometimes costs lots more than synthetic material. Handiwork is a major element of the cost to leather products. You don’t get much craftsmanship with synthetic material.
At the day’s end, what should steer you when you purchase anything for your pony is this rule of gold: always buy the best quality that is available. Let cost be the less important consideration. You may land up paying rather more for a leather bridle, but that bridle is going to outlast and outperform the synthetic ones!
In some examples, synthetic bridles do have their uses. They’re used often in equine sport events like endurance, where it’s very important to load the horse as lightly as practical. For the same reasons, synthesised bridles work better with young and as yet not entirely broken horses. Synthesised material is also really easy to wash and maintain, typically a wipe with a bit of cloth, sometimes wet, is satisfactory to get the synthetic bridle clean and shiny again. However , synthetic material does have a tendency to look worn or frayed much faster than leather, and if it is continually washed, it may twist or warp and look uneven. While this should not affect the bridle’s efficacy, it does take away from the sort of smart look that you wish to portray when you’re on your horse.
The selection of bridle eventually lies with the rider, and you must base your decision on the use you intend to put your horse to, and at all points you shouldn’t forget: get your pony the best stuff that you can.
Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about equestrian products
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