Product Review: Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle

Mia models the Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle from World Equestrian Brands. Photo by Jenni Autry. Mia models the Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle from World Equestrian Brands. Photo by Jenni Autry.

When it comes to choosing a bridle for your horse, there are seemingly endless options. From a kaleidoscope of noseband styles to a plethora of crownpiece shapes available in today’s market, you can pick and choose a bridle that fits your horse’s unique needs. If you’re like me, it’s all too easy to get bogged down in the overwhelming number of choices. How do you narrow it down?

It helps to start by looking to a trusted brand name, like Vespucci, a line of bridles and quality tack pieces carried by World Equestrian Brands. Vespucci combines an innovative, ergonomic design that prioritizes the horse’s comfort and performance first, and it doesn’t hurt that the bridles are beautiful to look at, too.

Peter Menet began designing Vespucci bridles after he extensively studied the anatomy of the equine head, pinpointing which areas are most susceptible to facial pain and injury. That journey spurred Peter to nearly reinvent the traditional bridle. Vespucci combines the biomechanics of the horse in motion and pressure points on the head to harmonize communication with the rider.

bridle details

A closer look at the features I love on the Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle. Photo by Jenni Autry.

World Equestrian Brands is proud to introduce Vespucci’s newest line of bridles: the Veritas series, which features luxurious padding on a single crownpiece, select premium leather and stainless steel buckles. These bridles are designed for comfort, style and performance, and EN had a chance to test these features firsthand with the Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle.

Right out of the box, you can tell instantly that this bridle is nice — more than nice. The quality of the craftsmanship and attention to detail set the Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle apart from other competitors in the same price range. It’s a bridle that quite simply will make your horse look like a million buck and make you feel like you’ve taken your game to the next level.

The bridle features beautiful stitching that instantly makes it a head-turner. The luxurious padding starts at the single crownpiece and extends down to the ergonomic figure-8 noseband. Since the padding feels soft to me when I hold it in my hands, I feel much more confident knowing it feels comfortable for my horse when she wears the bridle.

The awesome padded crownpiece on the Veritas Fancy Figure-8 Bridle. Photo courtesy of World Equestrian Brands.

The awesome padded crownpiece on the Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle. Photo courtesy of World Equestrian Brands.

There’s also no metal in contact with the horse in this bridle, which boosts the comfort factor. Speaking of metal, one of the absolute best features of the bridle in my mind is the stainless steel buckles on the cheekpieces, which make switching out bits a breeze. Some buckles can get stuck and create a headache, but the quality of these sets them apart.

The Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle is not sold with reins, but Vespucci cares a full line of reins that can be paired with the bridle. I personally love the Vespucci Rubber Reins with Buckles as a complement to this bridle. Not only are the reins leather-lined for safety and feel, but they are super flexible right off the bat. I can’t stand stiff rubber reins (who can?) and these have never let me down.

reins 3

A closer look at the Vespucci Rubber Reins with Buckles. Image courtesy of World Equestrian Brands.

One more thing to note is that Veritas bridles are made of beautiful, vegetable-tanned leather that is sourced in the U.S. and not dyed. It’s soft right out of the box and does not require excessive oiling. World Equestrian Brands recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain alcohol, which can cause leather to dry out and crack. Instead, sparingly using a product like Amerigo Soft Oil will protect and maintain the bridle for years to come.

The Veritas Fancy Raised Figure-8 Bridle retails at $375 and comes in brown or black, horse or cob size. (My 16.2-hand Thoroughbred Mia is wearing a horse size in the photos, and I did end up needing to punch additional holes. If you horse has a more refined head, the cob size might be a better fit.) Click here to check it out in the World Equestrian Brands Online Store.

The Vespucci Rubber Reins with Buckles retail at $154, are 54-inches long and come in black, brown or oakbark. Click here to find the reins in the World Equestrian Brands Online Store.

Click here to visit World Equestrian Brands, which carries Vespucci, Amerigo, E.A. Mattes and Equilibrium Products. You can shop all of these brands on the World Equestrian Brands Online Store at this link, and be sure check out their full line of products in the 2016 World Equestrian Brands catalogue.