Eponia Gatsby Dressage Bridle: A Rare Review

Pretty boy, showing off the goods.

It's no secret that I'm not much of a tack snob. I've been more interested in training my horse and saving for shows than spending money on the new pretty thing that comes along. I do like to buy new things, but usually my restrictive budget keeps my purchases on the utilitarian side.

That said, I've been casually looking for a new bridle for a long while. My snaffle bridle, affectionately dubbed "The Frankenbridle", was in need of replacement. A few of its parts (the oldest ones, naturally) were beginning to show their wear. It wasn't really show quality any longer, though I found myself showing in it often.

The Frankenbridle, in all its glory.

I was set on looking at bridles at Rolex this year, though I didn't expect to find a dressage one I liked. My list of must haves was rather long and suprisingly complicated.
1. Must have a thick plain caveson. No dangling flash attachment.
2. Must have a nicely padded crown piece.
3. Pretty browband that would look nice with my show things.
4. Rolled or at least flattering straps. Nothing that looks like it belongs on a monster warmblood overwhelming my horse's face.
5. Under $200.

Turns out that's a tough checklist to fulfill. However, Aimee succeeded. She dragged me to the Eponia USA booth immediately, where I saw The Gatsby snaffle bridle.

Oooh, ahhhh

I immediately saw that the bridle fit all my needs. The noseband is lovely, and the flash totally detachable. Plus the browband is made of beautiful champagne and yellow sparkles that will be beautiful on my chestnut and with my yellow-highlighted show coat. Still, I wasn't ready to pull the trigger. I kept telling myself that I already have a functional bridle that is just fine.

Then two things happened.
1. My mother offered to go in on the bridle with me as a birthday gift.
2. I realized that my current snaffle set up cost me only $25, and by god it was fine to spend some money for once.

So the next day I went back and bought it.

My joy in torturing Lyra for photos knows no bounds.

Once home, I wasted no time trying it on Pig.

He was maybe less than pleased to play the model.

I had bought the cob size, because the browband measurement was correct. However, when I got on Pig, I didn't love the way it fit.

He just was upset I wouldn't let him nap...

The crownpiece pinched his ears a bit, and the caveson was too short over his nose. While I've tolerated a similar fit from his $25 noseband for a few years, I was pretty annoyed that a more expensive bridle had a similar problem.

So I contacted Eponia, and they were awesome. They told me to pack up the bridle, and they happily would exchange it for a full size. The exchange was quick, and in no time I had the full size home and ready to go.

I love it.

Seems he likes it more, too.

The leather polishes up nicely, but the padding and styling is where I think this bridle really shines. The padding is luxurious. I could poke the caveson padding all day long, it's so squishy. And even the browband is padded!

The noseband wins me over every time I see it. I love that it is tapered at the sides, so it's not too bulky under the bit. With a horse like Pig, every inch of space on his face is needed. That tapering is very helpful, and flattering.

Eponia includes web and rubber reins with their bridles, but I swapped them out for my trusty thin rubber Nunn Finer reins. The quality on the reins is nice, however. I think I'll swap them out on my double bridle, where I was using the original Frankenbridle web/rubber reins for the snaffle.

I removed the flash, and I think the bridle looks stunning without it. The impression from the flash attachment has gone away quickly with regular use. So while you see it in these photos, it is not permanent.

Anyone with a horse between cob and full size should feel fine going up to a full. Pig's ears have a ton of breathing room in the full, and he still has some adjustment space on the cheeks. The noseband is wider across his nose, too. If I could make one adjustment, I'd probably ask for cob sized cheeks to replace the full size ones. That would help make things a bit shorter on the sides. However, I think that's just being picky.

Room to think and pretty crystals, too!

What do you think? Was it a good investment? Would you like an Eponia bridle, too?