From trailer to trail with just a few snaps!

We were happy to hear from Sarah and her horse Paige, who recently reviewed our quick change halter bridle. The traditional halter bridle allows you to swap between halter and bridle with just a couple snaps.

Our traditional halter bridle is great for trail riders because it helps them go from trailer to trail, but Sarah and Paige reminded us its versatility is also great during the trail ride itself.

I’m enjoying the halter aspect of the bridle for other reasons though. Twice now when on our trail rides we’ve had to dismount and hand walk because of the terrain. Both times I unhooked my reins from the bit and attached them to the halter lest I accidentally drag on her mouth.

See the rest of Sarah’s review at her blog, A Soft Spot For Stars.

Go From The Trailer To The Trail!

It’s a new month, which means it’s time for a new tack giveaway over on the Two Horse Tack website. In April, you’ll have the chance to win a single-color beta biothane halter bridle.

Springtime means more trail rides. Many trail riders, whether recreational riders or professionals, want tack that’s light, comfortable, and versatile for their explorations through field and stream. That’s why we designed our traditional halter bridle with snap-on bit hangers. You can switch from halter back at the trailer to bridle in just a few seconds. When you’re using the tack as a bridle, you still have an O-ring below the horse’s chin (as you would on a turnout halter), which means you can lead or tie without having to change gear.

Like all our beta products, the traditional halter bridle comes in sizes mini horse to draft and in your choice of 14 colors. Don’t forget, you can also pick up a pair of matching (or contrasting) beta reins to go with our halter bridles.

Signing up for our giveaway is fast and free, and there’s no purchase necessary. Get your entry in today.

Meet the Buyers: Lindsay’s Motivation

Welcome to our new Meet the Buyers series, in which we introduce you to real riders like you who use our products every day. We’re kicking off this series with customers of our new Green Bean Endurance product line, which we made especially for the endurance beginners starting out their season with Green Bean.

Two Horse Tack announced our new partnership with Green Bean Endurance last month and since then we’ve enjoyed meeting fellow pleasure riders who have delved into the world of endurance. One of the first Green Beans we met was Lindsay and her horse, Mow. Mow is a 13-year-old Arabian gelding and first crossed Lindsay’s path 4 years ago when she went looking for a second horse. They actually met via Craigslist!

“I went to ride him and fell in love with his beautiful face! Our first year together was a little rough but once we learned to trust each other it’s been so much fun,”Lindsay told us.

Mow turns out to be a real character. He’s a fan of picking up sticks and tossing or twirling them through his paddock like a puppy and will rear and romp in the process.

Mow showing off his Western bridle with snap-on browband

In more serious moments, the pair have enjoyed dressage, trails, and endurance together. Trails are Mow’s favorite–Lindsay tells us he actually slows down when they turn around to go home, trying to prolong the experience. Lindsay and Mow are on a roll, having completed their first 50-mile ride together and aiming to complete back-to-back 50-mile rides this season. Their current training focus is going their own pace and not getting caught up in rushing through, which has got to be tough.

We love cute or clever horse names, but when Lindsay told us Mow’s show name, we had to admit it was one of the best we’ve come across. Mow enters competitions as Motive VIII (pronounced “Motivate”).

Mow and Lindsay ride with our Western bridle with snap-on browband, and Lindsay told us she loves how versatile it is.

“It’s SO EASY to adjust!” Lindsay told us. “The first time I put my new tack on my horse I only had to move a couple of buckles before we were ready to hit the trails. I love how versatile the western bridle with snap browband is too. I can use it alone or with a halter underneath!”

Like the sound of versatility that will get you back on the trail faster? Pick up your own western bridle for just $30.

Meet The Models: From Rescue Horse To Faithful Partner

We’re proud that our Two Horse Tack models come from so many different breed backgrounds. It’s fun for us to learn more about various breeds of horse, and fun for us to meet the challenge of fitting tack to a wide range of needs. But we’re just as proud to outfit those horses whose heritage is a bit..less clear.

One of our tack models is Solly, who his person Miranda thinks is probably some mixture of Appaloosa, Quarter Horse, and may have some type of gaited breed thrown in. Miranda found Solly back home in Alabama, and knew very quickly she needed to get him out of his living situation.

“He was extremely skinny and was very weary of people,” she told us. “He wasn’t fond of people touching him.”

Miranda took him home with a few question marks. Besides his breed, she had to take a guess at his age, which at the time was probably four or five years old.

Now, four years later, Miranda says Solly has turned around.

“We began to build trust and put weight on. He was the best decision of my life thus far,” she told us.

Solly, short for ‘Solitaire,’ is a versatile horse who loves trail riding, jumping, and running barrels. He also does tricks–Miranda has taught him how to lie down on command, which was a big moment for the pair in terms of building trust. As prey animals, horses are putting their full trust in their humans when they agree to lie down on command because it renders them unable to flee in the event of some unexpected danger.

Next on Miranda and Solly’s list: riding bareback and bridleless. Solly is happy to work with Miranda, but she says he’s even happier to do so when she shares some of her snack with him. He’ll eat potato chips, pizza, apples, and even sweet tea!

Solly modeled our quick change halter bridle beautifully

Solly may not be registered anywhere, but for Miranda, his kind heart, his love of his work, and his determination to please means more than any paperwork. We’re proud to have Solly sporting Two Horse Tack!

What’s that? Our leadline attachments

Ever look around at your tack room and think ‘I wonder if I can use bailing twine to make that bridle do what I want it to’? We’ve probably all been there. In our case, we realized that sometimes riders using English bridles might need to lead their horses without clipping a rope or line onto the bit–especially out on the trail, or heading to or from a ride. While we love our halter bridles for this reason, we get that the need to switch back and forth is not as great for some as others. That’s why we sell a leadline attachment.

This handy little piece can convert any English bridle into a halter when needed–just thread the loop through the throatlatch of your bridle, and buckle the metal ring into the noseband. Ropes can clip onto the metal ring, just as they would on a halter, without yanking on the horse’s face.

Pretty simple, eh? And it’s affordable too. Get your own.

Summer Reading List: We Heart Halfies!

Here’s another item from our reading list: Adventures with Shyloh. Allison documents her journey with her 7-year-old Halflinger mare, Shyloh. It’s so cool to watch how a horse’s personality expands as their training expands, and Allison has done a fantastic job of illustrating the way their relationship has changed.

Allison and Shyloh recently took one of our halter bridles for a test drive. Allison, Shyloh, and Allison’s kids loved the feel of the bridle, and the easy grip of the reins. Shyloh can be difficult to fit, but Allison found that our range of sizing options made it easier to pick a choice that would work for her. Not only did their bridle fit perfectly, Allison is excited to use it when they begin trial riding.

Be sure to add Allison and Shyloh to your summer reading list!

A study of our halter bridles

If you’re trying to decide between our two varieties of halter bridles, our four-legged friend Sue has a few suggestions for you. Sue was kind enough to model both our traditional halter bridle and our quick change halter bridle. Both options obviously switch between bridles and halters, but they do so differently.

Traditional halter bridle

Here we see the bit out of Sue’s mouth with one bit hanger attached. Couldn’t be simpler!

The purple and black halter bridle is our traditional variety, which has bit hangers which clip onto the cheekpieces. As Sue is showing us, it takes a couple of quick seconds to switch between turnout and trail ride. This style, as the name implies, does have a more traditional look (it comes in single-color varieties as well, in addition to bling and reflective varieties).

Quick change halter bridle, which is really a three-in-one!

The orange item that Sue is wearing is the quick-change style halter bridle. Just unsnap the browband and lift the headstall and bit off the horse. As you can see, you’re left with a Western headstall and a turnout halter. When the pieces fit together, you have a halter bridle. The quick change style comes in all the same color, bling, reflective, and even camo options as the traditional style.

The quick change option is great for Western riders because it includes the headstall, but ultimately it comes down to which style works best for you and your horse. We can assure you that both are great, and equally maintenance-free! Just wash any of our beta pieces in soap and water to get them looking as good as new, no conditioner required.