Notes from Happy Riders

Equine blogger Amanda from Breed.Ride.Event was kind enough to give her opinion on BDD’s bridles…

“As a bit of a bridle snob, one of the first things I do when getting a new bridle is inspect the stitching… is it tight, even, and straight? That can tell you a lot about the quality of the manufacturing process, and there wasn’t a flaw to be found in the stitching of the Black Diamond Designs bridle.”

“As someone who also makes custom tack, Amy is always very focused on getting the best possible fit. You can tell, because she’s really nailed the measurements on this bridle. It always drives me nuts when the cheekpieces or the noseband are wildly out of proportion with the rest of the bridle (ahem… France…) but there’s definitely no such problem with this one.”

Read the entire blog post: Breed.Ride.Event

…and maybe follow her posts? She is very entertaining!

Thank you, Amanda, for your kind words!

Amy is amazing! All of her products are top quality, whether it’s the bridles and other pieces of tack she has manufactured, or the lovely strap goods that she creates herself. The leather is lovely and every piece is beautifully made. I’ve been riding for more than 50 years and her rubber-lined reins are hands down my favorite reins ever. Black Diamond Designs is one of the very few saddlers in the U.S. who know what they are doing with a sidesaddle. Amy did a terrific job adjusting the flocking on my saddle so that it fits my horse perfectly. Did I mention she works incredibly fast? She is also a top authority on all things sidesaddle and has helped me immensely as I’ve started in the sport.

Every time I order something from Black Diamond Designs, I am filled with excitement of what’s to come. I know that everything I purchase will exceed my expectations and play a part in some of my happiest memories with my horse. I recommend BDD tack to those looking for new bridles or breastplates for hunting and many of my sidesaddle items are from BDD. Amy’s restoration work is top notch, while preserving the historical nature of these sidesaddles and related items, so we can enjoy them SAFELY with our horses for years to come. For new tack, I especially love the rubber laced reins for hunting as well as daily schooling. When it comes to custom items, I have never felt more comfortable in an apron than in the ones I’ve had custom made by Amy. And her sidesaddle queens are elegant AND effective. I’m grateful for the quality as well as helpful knowledge that accompanies every purchase. The sidesaddle and horse world at large is lucky to have Amy and BDD a part of it!

I could not be more pleased with the balance strap “set up” Amy created for me. I have three horses that go aside in two different saddles – they hunt, show, and race… the tack accumulates quickly and I wanted to streamline. Amy took into account my horses’ needs, their natural weight flux, my saddles, and preferred breastplates and made two balance straps that serve my needs – no matter the horse or adventure! I really appreciate that she understood my tack frustrations and was able to make recommendations from her personal experience.

All I have to say is Thank God I connected with Amy when I was starting out side saddle. Honestly, if it wasn’t for her I don’t think I would have been able to get started or even continue sideways. She is a side saddle expert, pays attention to detail, insist on things being historically correct and is so easy and wonderful to work with. She is a natural teacher and so talented everything side saddle, that’s why I call her Amazing Amy!