Saddlery work

[mallt]

A couple of Mondays ago Ariel broke the headpiece (piece that goes behind the ears) of her bridle. Unfortunately you can't buy the individual pieces of a bridle, fortunately I know how to make them! 
Luckily the headpiece is the easiest part of the bridle to make. As Ariel's bridle is a show bridle the throatlash is a separate piece, this meant I didn't even need to sew on a buckle :) I also lucked out on having a piece of black bridle leather that was long enough & the right width.

 

Here's the old broken headpiece alongside the new:



When she broke the straps, she also bent the buckle pins on the two cheekpieces (pieces that run along the cheeks & attach to the bit).
Before I straightened them out:


& after:


For those of you who have ever wondered how a bridle goes together here are the steps:
First the headpiece threads through the browband & the cheekpieces attach both side. The throatlash is attached to the offside of the bridle (the nearside on a horse if the side you get on, the offside is the other side). All laid out before:


& put together:


The bit is attached with hook (sometimes buckles-see the reins later)
Open (sorry it"s fuzzy):


& closed:

Both attached:


The noseband threads through the browband under the head piece. This is a simple cavasson noseband with a flash loop (flash strap not shown):


Bridle all together with the reins attached:


How it fits onto Ariel's head:


& labeled!