Sponsored rider Christie has been putting the PresTeq FaySport Bridle to the test
When I opened the package I thought the PresTeq Bridle looked pretty unusual and being really honest I was worried about how it would on as it looked rather bulky but I was intrigued to test it out! What I did like was the feel of the bridle as it had lots of gel padded areas.
I fitted it following the useful picture guide, it looked much better on!! I actually quite liked it. But I thought it needed some sparkle so I decided straight away that I would order one of the ShineBright brow bands if she went well in it.
I schooled her in it that first day and she went beautifully, relaxed and stretching into the contact much sooner than she usually does and felt more stable yet light in my hand. Was it the bridle or just a coincidence? I would have to ride in it a few more times to pass a verdict.
Reading up on the technical aspects of the bridle the horse’s comfort is at the forefront of their design. The head piece is cut away for the ears and has two large gel pads which sit either side of the Atlas and a bridge of leather which goes between the gel pads. This seems to minimise pressure over the head piece, the rings that the cheek pieces clip to are elasticated which I believe also help reduce the amount of bit to poll pressure. The gel padding continues down the side of the bridle which looks and feels like it would add extra comfort for the horse and prevent rubbing.
The brow band connects onto the bridle with press studs so doesn’t loop under the head piece like traditional bridles meaning the head piece remains flat and smooth when sitting on the horse. It also means that it’s quick and easy to change the browband without needing to take the bridle apart, in fact you can change the browband whilst the horse is wearing the bridle! I got the ShineBright Swarovski crystal brow band and it is simply stunning! It comes with its own sleeve to protect it, which can be easily put on and taken off with its Velcro wrap around design.
The nose band also has gel padding on the section which sits on the nasal bone, the curved design keeps the nose band and any pressure away from the sensitive facial nerves. It is fastened with a stainless steel clip and adjustable for fitting with a small buckle, the flash strap has the same fastening and adjustment system. So once the bridle is fit it is easy and very quick to put on and take off. The flash is different from traditional flash nosebands as it doesn’t come into the middle of the nose band, instead it avoids the fleshy part of the nose so that it doesn’t restrict nostrils which I see so often with traditional flash straps being fitted too low and too tight. Having no throat lash means that airway restriction can’t happen in that area either, these two features maximise the horse’s ability to breath normally.
The cheek pieces clip onto the bridle with a small buckle system for fitting adjustments. It also comes with optional elasticated Velcro straps which stabilise the bit by attaching the bit to the ring on the nose band, this feature also helps distribute the rein pressure more equally. Because of these cheek piece clips, the bit can be detached from the bridle at one side and the bridle put over the ears very loosely, then the bit put into the horse’s mouth and secured lastly which is very useful for horses that don’t like their ears touching. This way can be done much quicker with the PresTeq FaySport than with traditional bridles.
I’ve been using this bridle for three months now on a couple of different horses and I absolutely love it! It has made notable improvements in the way of going in two very different horses. One being ‘fussy’ in the mouth and often ‘hides’ behind the contact by shortening her neck, in this bridle she is much more consistent in the contact, with a more relaxed jaw and longer neck which keeps her softer over her back and more able to come through with the hind leg. The other horse usually gets strong, heavy in the bridle and can become argumentative, when wearing the PresTeq she is much lighter in the hand with a more even contact. I put this down to being more comfortable due to the more even distribution of pressure. We have a young horse in that we are currently breaking, he will be put into this bridle with the optional bit stabiliser as it will train him the rein aids in a gentle way. The bridle has been used 5 days a week on at least two horses and still looks like new. If the young horse also goes well in it, I will be purchasing another one!
If you enjoyed Christie’s review, you may also be interested in our Lockdown Horsey Activities HERE
