Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
I think it’s pretty apparent that I’m entirely smitten with anything that is sparkly, shiny, or could be considered a statement piece. Because I will take any chance that I can to add just a little bit of extra glam to my day. Just adding one item to my ensemble for the day that registers in my ‘fabulous’ category adds a little extra bounce to my step.
Glam can come in many forms, from a simple pair of sparkly earrings, to my super “blinged out” ballerina flats. You may wonder where on earth one could wear silver sequined flats to; you’d really be surprised at the answer. I find that the silver sequin flats tend to duke it out with my Dubarrys as to which pair of footwear actually garner more compliments from random strangers.
But I digress. Pieces that add that extra bit of glam can be so much fun to find and to incorporate into my look of the day. However, I try to be careful with my choices. Exhibit A: some years back, I found myself eyeing up a (super) cute headband. It was fairly simple looking design, but what really caught my eye was the fact that the entire headband was wrapped in a red satiny ribbon.
I’m a red girl at heart — I haven’t always (and still don’t) consider red to be my favorite color. That is something that can vary from day to day, based on my mood. But if I had to pick just one color to represent my personality, that color would be red (cue Red by Taylor Swift to play in the background). Needless to say, adding the satiny Blair Waldorf-esque headband to my collection of accessories was a no brainer.
Inexpensive and flashy, that’s what struck a chord with me. The headband paired really nicely with many of my outfits, and it just infused an elegant pop of color. I was oh-so very smitten with that headband, and it soon became on of my favorite accessories. Which maybe was part of the problem.
It was nice while it lasted, really. But I still remember the sinking feeling in my gut that I felt the day that I picked up my headband and found that the red satiny ribbon had detached on the one end. And was starting to unravel. Cue bringing the palm of my hand up to my forehead, and just shaking my head.
The moral of this story? Glam is totally awesome to infuse into a look. But I try to not be too easily enamored with the glitz and glam of an item that I don’t really stop long enough to examine it and get a feel for it’s quality. Because I try to be selective and add pieces that won’t wear out at the drop of a hat.
Today’s watch words (yes, there are two today), are glamorous and quality. It’s hard to find those items that look great and are made to last, especially around the barn. Recently, I’ve found that elusive fusion of these two qualities in the Premiera Athena Bridle, which is carried exclusively by 20×60 in North America.
One day when I was chilling out on the couch after a long day, I inevitably found myself scrolling down my Instagram feed (because who isn’t more entertained by scrolling through Instagram instead of Facebook…I mean hello, pictures!). Anyway, I was scrolling and scrolling, when something caught my eye and I just stopped. And started to scroll back up to find the photo that I breezed past.
Because the picture that I snagged a glimpse of was of a horse that looked oh-so very stunning while modeling a lovely Premiera bridle. The brand was entirely new to me, so naturally I found myself wanting to learn more about it. I found myself navigating to 20×60’s Instagram page, so that I could get a look at all of the different style and color options of bridles and halters that Premiera offers.
Premiera bridles and halters are handmade in the Netherlands, and the collection offers the look and feel of luxury — but without the shocking price tag. Premiera products are made out of soft and supple leather that is of high quality. Plus, the entire line of bridles is now available in North America, thanks to 20×60.
After looking at option after option, I found that one of the Premiera bridle styles had really resonated with me, and that was the Athena bridle. The first word that popped into my mind when I looked at photos of the Athena was the word luxury (or just luxe, for short). Because it looked like the bridle version of high fashion made just for the equine.
The concept of ‘high-fashion’ tack for the equine is appealing to someone like me, with a penchant for all things elegant and stylish. And what better place to infuse a little bit of fabulous than the dressage ring (am I right…oh, I think I am…at least in this case!). So what features can the Athena bridle boast on that really help to set it apart, and make it that statement piece of your collection of dressage gear?
Perhaps the most striking feature of the Athena bridle is the sparkly and oh-so lovely curved bling browband. The browband is quite eye-catching, and offers a dazzling appearance without being too over the top. Though about equally as striking is the wide soft patent leather noseband of the bridle. The unique combination of bling, paired with the shine of the patent leather looks quite lovely.
Another great feature of the Premiera Athena bridle is the subtle closures — instead of buckles in plain sight, the Athena bridle is designed so that the buckles come together near to crown. Which in my humble opinion, helps to provide a cleaner, more competition ready look.
And what better reason to get excited to enter the dressage ring, then being able to step out with your horse sporting a luxurious looking bridle? It probably should go without saying that I was very excited to have the chance to try out the Premiera Athena bridle for myself – when the box arrived, I was so excited to open the top flaps to find a nicely wrapped bridle, in colored tissue that was sealed with a 20×60 logo sticker.
When I pulled the Athena bridle out of the box, I paused to enjoy the rich aroma of the leather, because who doesn’t adore the smell of a new leather bridle? I was pleasantly surprised to feel just how soft and supple the leather really was right out of the box. And this was before any oil was applied!
I examined the bridle, and found that the blingy browband was even more striking in person then in the pictures. The real crystals appear to be well secured within the browband. And then there is the 4.5cm wide patent leather noseband. I was definitely happy to feel the amount of padding that lines the noseband (and the rest of the bridle), in order to make it more comfortable for your horse.
The concept of having ‘hidden’ buckles is also a pretty cool one to me. It is definitely a new concept for me personally, and I like the idea of having a clean and crisp appearance, without any buckles interfering with the aesthetics. I was also very pleased that a pair of web reins was included with the Athena bridle, as I’ve found some other nice quality bridles are sold alone, and reins must be purchased separately.
When I went to fit the bridle to Ripley for the first time, I was unsure how easy or difficult it would be for me to get used to the buckles at the crown. While the first time just seemed different, I got used to it pretty quick with subsequent uses. Until it just became a concept that was pretty easy for me to work with.
The bridle fits Ripley beautifully, and I also like how nicely the wide patent leather crank noseband fastened . I find that I don’t tighten the noseband or flash overmuch. Ascetically, they both help to completely the look. I’m happy to report that the bling of the browband is very tasteful, and in no way appears to be overdone.
What’s more is that functionality wise, the Athena bridle has performed nicely, and has held up very well so far. The buckles are easy to fasten and unfasten, and they haven’t started to show war. The padding appears to do a nice job of keeping Ripley’s face comfortable during use. I also really like the functionality of the web reins with the bumpers, and I actually much prefer them to lace reins.
The browband of the Athena bridle has remained in fabulous looking condition even after multiple uses. And I also found that the patent leather of the noseband is easy to clean by simply wiping it off with a damp cloth. I was worried that I would have to hand the Athena bridle with extra care, and while I do handle it with care, it looks terrific, but I don’t get the feeling that it is too precious to be used. After all, it is a bridle that is meant to be seen!
Perhaps the most surprising point is this: while I find the Athena bridle to feel to be both oh-so lovely and of excellent quality, I still have difficulty wrapping my head around the price point. For being a bridle of such nice quality, that is handmade in the Netherlands, it is hard to believe that it boasts a retail price of under $200.
The Premiera Athena snaffle bridle is carried exclusively by 20×60 in North America, and is available in Black, Brown or Cognac, with either matching or white colored padding. Also, 20×60 offers a Horse Happiness Guarantee with an easy return or exchange program and they donate 5% of the net profits to horse related causes. You can find the Black version (with Black padding) that is featured in the photos here. And then take a look at some of the other Premiera bridles available through 20×60 right here.
Go Dressage Skillz (and Bling Bling). Go Premiera. Go 20×60. Go Eventing.