Double Crown Bridle

[Does’ Leap]

Has anyone read about this bridle in the latest issue of SFJ? As an aside, I recently had an accident with a pneumatic nail gun: I was nailing a bottom plate to a series of studs when a 16d nail fishtailed around a knot and went through my index finger and into the bone on my middle finger:eek: My hand is sore, but fine. This experience combined with the fact that I have had a couple of close calls with bridles slipping off in the past has lead me to rethink safety. I am wondering if others have had bridle issues and what your thoughts are on the double crown bridle. How about other steps folks have taken to make what we do safer for ourselves and our animals?

George

[mitchmaine]

hi george,
i always run the throat latch on my bridals through the cheek ring on the halter and it has (seems) always worked. i have a horse now who can shake a halter and it seems like he always has one ear free. but he hasn’t ever rubbed both off.

[Does’ Leap]

Hey Mitch:

I used to do that has well but have since stopped using halters under bridles as I had a Zimmerman’s harness make a conversion piece to make a halter/bridle combo for me. When I wrote I had a few “close calls”, it was the same scene as you – a bridle coming off one ear. I think that even if a bridle came clean off, I would expect the horse to just hang out and wait until I can put it back on. Then I read that article about steady horses taking off under the direction of experienced teamsters.

I think that more than various safety mechanisms, safe work is about how I approach the work itself and my expectations of myself and my animals. For example, asking animals to stand quietly and not rub is probably more effective than any safety bridle. That said, there are times when I (and my animals) get tired and careless. Combine that with some other unfortunate, random factors, and accidents can happen.

I called the harness maker in the SJF article to see what the double crown bridle conversion piece costs – $45 + shipping. That is a little more than what I want to pay so I am checking with Zimmerman’s harness. I will post the price here in case anyone is interested. The only other things I do to tighten up my work with horses (safety-wise) is tie the horses together just below their britchen (most do this anyway). I also have welden on grab hooks on the back of my forecarts so that I can wrap a chain around a tree to the grab on the forecart. I did this mainly for convenience as I can pull their bridles off and secure them without having to tie their heads. But I think that my horses can get in less trouble being secured this way for extended periods compared with being tied to their heads.

George

[Mark Cowdrey]

George,
Will you post a photo of your current setup please? Also price info from Zimmerman’s on that halter/bridle conversion?
Thanks,
Mark

PS
I have done the same thing with a nail gun, putting up ceiling strapping. Lesson: Keep my non-trigger finger 6″ or so away from business end of the nail gun.

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Mark:

Here is a link for the halter/bridle: http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?4670-Bridle-Halter-Combo&highlight=halter+bridle

George

[Mark Cowdrey]

Thanks George, a perfect example of posting a link to a past thread as discussed elsewhere!!!!

Interesting. I was assuming that it was a halter turned into a bridle, not the reverse. So obviously needs to be a noseband type bridle.

Thanks,
Mark

[Does’ Leap]

Here is a picture of the double crown bridle add-on (pictured in back of the throat latch) I ordered from Zimmerman’s harness (phone 717.354.5667). They are made out of beta and I paid $25 / unit including shipping (she will also make it out of leather). At that price, (less than half the price of the source listed in the Small Farmer’s Journal), it seemed like reasonable insurance to me.
[IMG]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5bx0Sf1gvuo/UIp0fbt9vnI/AAAAAAAABjs/tHyMMRjdqKo/s1152/P1040080.JPG[/IMG]

[J-L]

Now that is a great idea!

I believe any of us that use horses a lot have had a bridle rubbed off (or at least part way). I have a horse that will get hers half way off no matter how tight the throat latch is. I’ve had talks with all my kids and helpers about that situation.
It seems like this happens more during haying season with all the sweat and flies. I think I will get some bridles set up this way.

[Does’ Leap]

@J-L 37179 wrote:

It seems like this happens more during haying season with all the sweat and flies. .

Haying season is the only time I have had a problem – hot, sweaty, tired and flies – not a good combo. Let me know how you like them.

George

[grey]

Knock on wood, but I’ve never had a problem with my bridles coming off; not even partway. I don’t tie them to anything they could rub on, though. When they are hitched, I hobble my horses rather than tie them to something. I have an allergic horse that will rub the barn down if left to do so. I am obsessive about not letting my horses rub their heads while tacked up – whether in harness or under saddle – and I try to make them as comfortable as possible. This includes brushing their poll to make sure there’s no debris up there, parting their forelock from the mane behind the bridle and running the forelock forward in as neat a bundle as possible, sometimes even braiding the forelock if it will be a long hot slog of a day, sidechecks, comfortable tack, and vigilance. The only thing my horses can reach to rub a bridle off is each other or the neck yoke.

[Anonymous]

I used to have a sleigh ride horse that could pop his bridle off soo fast. Luckily he knew whoa and I would let one of the happy tourist kids hold the very ends of line line and then I would walk up and put it back on. I just read that article too and I was wondering about that. It seems like a good idea, it may be another thing for the horse to want to rub off though.

Jared

[J-L]

We had a dirty hot summer this year and I mowed and raked with four different teams. All of them had days hard enough and long enough that they were wanting to rub at one time or other. Occasionally when you’re lookin at your mower or pulling a clog out, that one mare would rub on her team mate and get her bridle off one ear.
My son worked one team on the #9 that were good, solid horses. He didn’t listen to the old man about snugging up the throat latches and had a bridle rubbed off. Good old horses stop and put it in park when he said whoa.
The horse flies here will damn near pack your horses off some days also. This modification seems like it’ll be worthwhile to me.

[Author]

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