The Safety of Webbing Bridles

[martini55]

I would quite like to purchase a webbing bridle/reins but before I do I was wondering about the safety aspect. I have always had leather bridles/reins before, simply because I knew that in an emergency they would snap. But what about webbing? How safe is it- would it break if the horse stood on the reins?

[lizness]

I often wonder this, I would much rather have a leather bridle after incidents of being stuck in gates with a horse panicking, much rather bridle snap than horse

[Razzledazzle]

I would always go for leather..as you say ,you know in an emergency it would break, much safer. I always use leather headcollars too for the same reason. Maybe handy to have a webbing one if you ride out in all weathers though so as not to get a leather one wet for the sake of it. I'm a bit of a fair weather rider though...so not a problem I have..:o:)

[Sexy Sietske]

Some webbing bridles have plastic clips(cant remember where i have seen them), I would be more likely to use these if I was going to use a webbed bridle as the plastic bits would snap quite easily.

[No_Angel]

Yes they break! Maddie has broken hers by standing on it, the clips just give way.

[Yann]

Either the clips or the central buckle, which is made deliberately weak on the ones I've used.

[wonkeywoody]

BM and I had this discussion this afternoon. Her last horses' webbing reins snapped when he stood on them. My cheek piece buckle gave under strain.

We came to the conclusion that they would be tested before being marketed for that very reason.

[martini55]

Thanks! I've got my heart set on one from libby's so think I'll go ahead and buy it now :D

[x x Summer x x]

I agree, Ive seen some webbing bridles and they look so flimsey, although I did get a cottage craft one with reinforced eyelets, buckles, good reins and very sturdy. It also had plaited nose and browband think it was £13.50 from rideaway

[capalldubh]

Thanks! I've got my heart set on one from libby's so think I'll go ahead and buy it now

I am on Libby's webbing scawbrig #2. Yes, they do break ;) As Yann said, the buckles are not very strong, and it gave at the buckle. Horse was completely undamaged. BTW Libbys are lovely to deal with - the #1 scawbrig was a good fit, but the browband was too small. I said this when buying the second one and they made me up a new browband to measure for free :D

ETA it took a fair bit of yanking to get the buckle to go - a leather bridle would probably break at about the same point, so I would say not much different in terms of strength. They are pretty durable otherwise and have the wonderful advantage of being able to be cleaned in the sink with soap ;)

[lor]

I also had a libbys bridle that broke at the clips when Po pulled away from trailer after being spooked.;)