About the tester: Alica, who grew up in Germany, joined Redpost in 2021 and is known for her passion and in-depth knowledge about everything equine. She competes her horse Luna in dressage and showjumping and Luna is in foal for 2023 so will be taking some time off ridden activities.
About the product: The Collegiate ComFiTec Grackle Bridle is a smart design crafted from high quality European leather. This bridle offers high levels of comfort featuring an anatomical headpiece with super soft padding which distributes pressure evenly and comfortably. There is also padding on the nosepiece for added comfort, and the fleece panel is removable for easy washing.
What were your first impressions? “The leather of the bridle is very soft, and it felt like really good quality. I especially loved the extra wide poll piece which is extremely well padded.”
How was the sizing and fit? “Luna tends to be somewhere in between pony and cob size and I have always struggled to find a nice bridle to fit her well without having to mix and match some parts in different sizes. This one fits her lovely though! It is really adjustable, and I found it very easy to fit to her correctly.”
How did you test the product? “Because Luna is currently in foal, she is not doing as much work as she normally would. We mainly hack and school very lightly at the moment. This means she has quite a lot of left-over energy though which she likes to demonstrate by galloping away on the moors and getting a hold of the bit. I used to ride her mainly in a cavesson because she never really liked having a flash so I was not sure whether she would even like to be put in a grackle, but she loved it! She goes really nicely in it in the school and because it stops her crossing her jaw and opening, I can actually stop a little bit easier out hacking even in just my snaffle bit! I can’t wait for her to have her foal next year so I can see what she is like to jump in this bridle!”
What was your favourite feature? “It’s hard to name just one favourite feature of this bridle because I genuinely love the quality and looks of this bridle! As mentioned before, the leather is super soft, and the poll and nosepiece are very well padded which makes it really comfy for Luna to wear for longer periods of time. I also love the fact that you can remove the fleece pad to wash it. The bridle comes with a leather nose patch you can velcro on instead of the sheepskin if you are not a fan of the fluffy look or in my case, you can put it on when you need to ride but forget the sheepskin pad at home on the drying rack!”
Any other comments? “I feel like it is much comfier for Luna to wear than any of her previous bridles. When I took her bridles off, she would normally start rubbing her face but since changing her into this grackle she doesn’t do it anymore. I will be looking to purchase the Collegiate Vogue Anatomical Bridle in Black after she has her foal to match her dressage saddle as I love the look and quality of this one!”
