
Breyer at the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event
Come say hello at the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend!
Babyflo sports a faux-nylon gymkhana bridle.
Whether it's barrel racing or apple bobbing, gymkhana events are both popular and fun. As with most events, there’s some customary tack that will enhance your model entries.
Gaming saddles are typically streamlined to be lightweight and to allow the horse complete freedom of movement for the best times. While optional, breast collars, tiedowns, and protective leg wraps or boots are frequently used. Any type of humane bit or hackamore is allowed. With all this optional equipment, riders often color coordinate for a fun and flashy look that’s also very functional.
With these tools and supplies, you can make a bridle.
By following these directions, it’s easy to make a colored faux-nylon headstall with a mechanical hackamore. It’s perfect for gymkhana, but can also be used in roping, drill team, and outdoor scenes such as natural trail and ranch work. Choose ribbon that matches or complements your tack, rider and horse. Please keep in mind that these measurements are for an average Traditional size Breyer and may need to be modified slightly to fit a specific model.
You could purchase pre-made hackamore shanks, such as from Rio Rondo or The World of Model Horse Collecting, and skip the step of making them from wire. However, if you don’t have time to place an order, are on a budget or just love DIY projects, you can make your own shanks.
A top-down view of the mechanical hackamore shanks.
When everything is dry, put the bridle on your model and adjust it. The noseband of the mechanical hackamore should be a little below the cheekbones. Use tweezers to hook the curb chain snugly onto the S-hook. Buckle the throatlatch so it fits snugly, but not tight. Put the reins over the neck and position in the rider’s hand or wax into position if not using a rider.
Voilà. Your model is ready to speed his way through the next gymkhana course in style!
Using the same basic pattern, LV Integrity’s bridle has a few upgrades: Rio Rondo shanks, curb chain with leather strap ends, conchos on browband, and 4-strand braided reins. Tutorials for how to make braided reins can be found online.
Idea!For matching leg wraps, cut strips of vet wrap self-adhesive elastic bandage 1.5 cm wide by 10 cm long. Wrap around the cannon bone & press tight. It comes in a variety of colors and is available at most tack and feed stores. |
Tips:
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Materials:
About 30” of satin ribbon, 2 or 3 mm wide
Silver necklace chain, 3 cm long
2 buckles
20 gauge silver wire
24 gauge silver wire
About 5 cm of leather lace
Scrap of fleece fabric
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Tools & Supplies:
Ruler
Needle nose pliers
Tweezers
Hobby knife
Wire cutters
Clothespins
Fray Check
Tacky Glue
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Come say hello at the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend!
Check out the winners of our latest coloring contest!
Enter for your chance to win a one of three Breyer test run models!