D.I.Y.

I have always preferred to do things myself rather than pay someone else to do them for me. Partly because I often know exactly what I want and it is either cost prohibitive to have someone else make/ do it the way I want OR my standards are so exacting that nobody would make things my way. For my last few projects I have noticed that in the end the cost may be about the same as just buying the item. For instance, in the fall I made a pair of riding breeches. They are exactly what I wanted. They cost about the same as buying a new pair, but they fit me so much better than any others that I have tried on. I adore them.  They are worth every penny and more importantly every ripped out stitch I did whilst sewing them.

I am currently making myself a new bridle. I could have just bought one. But all the ones that I looked at had things I did not like. The less expensive ones had places that I thought might rub the horse's head. And the more expensive ones were, more expensive. I have just finished the top half of my new bridle, and am quite pleased. More hardware is on the way to enable me to finished the noseband and cheek pieces.

This is an endurance based design of a side pull, a type of bitless bridle. I am making it in hopes that it will fit both of "my" horses. It is made out of a urethane dipped nylon webbing. Yes it is bright green. All the hardware is brass and it just looks lovely.

The strap at the left side is the chin strap. It will have a 2 part noseband.

detail of the headstall