Black vs. brown dressage tack that is. I've always had black dressage tack (I grew up hearing that black dressage tack was the ideal) and I think it has an elegance to it. But recently I've started liking the look of brown dressage tack.
I think if I decided to have all brown dressage tack, I would get this bridle from Five Star Tack.
It is such a pretty bridle! This is the Star Hunter Bridle in Conker brown (which it of course no longer comes in), but there is a dressage version as well (black) that has the wider noseband.
Or this double bridle by Kate Negus that I found on ebay. I just love the aged color of this bridle. Not to mention that the brass fittings would look great with the brassy-gold Herm Sprenger bits you sometimes see.
As a dressage saddle I really like Antares. I saw a brown Antares dressage saddle on ebay that I fell in love with. It was gorgeous and it sold almost instantly. Of course I can no longer find any pictures of any brown Antares dressage saddles, but you'll just have to imagine it's wonderfullness.
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| I think Robert Dover's horse looks quite nice in brown tack |
What do you think? Do you prefer black or brown dressage tack? If brown dressage tack was more available would you buy it or not?
Stacey Kimmel at Behind the Bit did some great posts on brown tack (much better than mine!) here: Brown Dressage Tack Part 1, Brown Tack in Dressage Part 2, and Brown bridles abound!
I also love the patina on a brown saddle, part of the "special order" on my Ansur saddle was getting it in brown :)
ReplyDeleteMy main horse for the longest time was (still is) black-and-white. No brown for us. Heck, even my saddle pads were all black!
ReplyDeleteNow, my main horse is solid bay. I have a brown jumping saddle and a black dressage saddle. I guess I think black has a classier, more refined look? Especially with black dressage coat. But the brown looks nice too. I actually just got a chocolate brown saddle pad and I must say it looks pretty classy, even on a bay horse. I guess for me it just depends on the horse and the discipline as to whether I prefer black or brown tack!
I personally prefer brown and my current tack is all brown. I think, though, when I buy an actual dressage saddle in will be black just because that's more traditional and classier.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the horses color on which tack you use. I love the brown bridle on the gray horse. I mostly like brown since it is easier to find but black is far easier to match bridle to saddle but I ride hunter jumper and brown is preferred by judges (:
ReplyDeleteAll of my dressage tack is in brown, because A) I like the look, B) no black dye to rub off on your clothes, your saddle pad, your horse even, which is nice when it gets sweltering here in TX, C) I personally think, especially as far as bridles goes, it save a few bucks because some of the tack can be used across disciplines (brown bridle, girth, etc. for everything else but dressage). Also, the used Prestige I got fit my horse and I quite well and it came in brown. So brown it was! But it's very hard to find dressage-specific stuff in brown: your choices are narrowed and sometimes on the much pricier end.
ReplyDeleteI looked at some brown options when I was saddle shopping, but I just think it looks ick on black bays like Izzy. No brown for us.
ReplyDeleteUnless we're talking about my boots. ;)