Nylon is an inexpensive material that can be used to create a horse headstall. Easy to clean and to match to your horse's hue, a nylon headstall can be a functional fashion statement.
Things You'll Need
- Bit
- 5 feet of 1 inch nylon for the headstall
- 1 foot of 1 inch nylon for the brow band
- 3 feet of 1/4 inch nylon for the neck strap
- 2 pieces of 3 feet of 1/4 inch chain for the chin strap, if desired
- 4 feet of 1/4 inch nylon for the chin strap, if desired
- 1 inch buckle for headstall, if desired
- 1/4 inch buckle for neck strap, if desired
- 2 pieces of 1/2 inch nylon for reins, 7 feet long
- 2 1/2 inch Conway buckles for rein attachment
- 2 1/4 inch Conway buckles for chin strap attachment, if desired
- Matches
- Knife or scissors
- Leather punch
Instructions
Determine whether you desire a basic or ornate headstall. For the most basic headstall, purchase only nylon and the bit of your choice. For a more custom bridle, buckles, and a chain chin strap can be added.
Determine if the materials listed will be the appropriate size for your horse. These measurements are for a medium, roughly 15 hand horse. To confirm material lengths, take apart a bridle you know fits your horse, and use it as a pattern.
Melt all correctly measured nylon length ends with matches to prevent fraying.
Using a knife or scissors, cut the 5 foot length of nylon into a 4 foot and 1 foot length. Melt the ends.
Attach the buckle, if you are using one, to the top of the 1 foot length. If using knots, tie a loop at the top of the 1 foot length.
On the right side of the 4 foot length, punch 4 holes large enough to fit the buckle tongue through with your leather punch.
Hook the 4 foot and 1 foot lengths together to make a U loop.
Take the 1 foot nylon strip and create a brow band. The brow band should have loops on either end large enough to slide up the headstall; leave room for the neck strap to loop through this connection, as well.
Slide the brow band up the headstall by threading the bottom of each side of the headstall through the brow band loops and moving the brow band up the headstall.
You now have the basic foundation of a bridle.
At the bottom of the headstall, attach one side of the bit. Remember, when the bridle is sitting on a table, the bend in the bit should be bending up, or away from the table, to property fit in the horse's mouth. Attach the other side of the bit.
Feed the neck strap through the brow band loops.
If you are attaching a buckle, punch holes with your leather punch on the right side of the neck strap and install the buckle on the left side of the neck strap.
Attach the chin strap to the bit. Loop 2 inches of 1/4 inch nylon to each side of the chain. Attach one Conway buckle to each nylon length and loop the nylon through the bit loop at a length long enough to comfortably fit under the horse's chin.
Attach the reins to the bit. The reins can be attached with Conway buckles or with a loop and nylon string.