I purchased a Collegiate ComFiTec Bridle for Oliver two years ago, after hearing great reviews about the ergonomic fit. Oliver tends to be very sensitive, and throughout our 17 years together we have tried a number of different bit and bridle options. I can confidently say, of all the tack changes we’d made over the years this has had the biggest impact on his way of going.

 

Oliver has a very soft mouth, and had reacted negatively to any kind of flash noseband in the past, so I had ridden him mainly in a traditional cavesson.  I was hesitant to try anything with a flash or drop noseband, but after reading the research around the ComFiTec design I learned that the specific positioning of the noseband actually avoided pressure on the facial nerves, which can sometimes be irritated by a standard design. I was impressed with how immediate the result was. It can often take Oliver a little while to adjust to any tack changes, but within the first few rides I found him softening into the bridle, stretching his back, and all together traveling in a much more comfortable and relaxed manner.

 

The ergonomic crown piece offers more stability than a traditional headstall, and is contoured to allow the leather to sit further away from the ears to prevent chaffing or rubbing. The noseband is set on rolled leather on each side at the point of attachment, allowing the position to be moved up or down to ensure an exact fit. The full noseband, including the hardware, the browband and headstall are fully padded, giving additional comfort to the already supple European bridle leather.

 

We started out with the ComFiTec Fancy Stitched model, but upgraded this year to the Sheepskin Noseband. At 20 Oliver is no longer competing, so I decided to go with something with a little more padding since we’re mostly just hacking around the farm. The Sheepskin is removable to allow for easy cleaning, and can also be replaced with a plain leather lining - making it competition legal. Oliver is quite pleased with the upgrade, and is looking very stylish in the crystal browband too!