PS of Sweden Bridle Review
(I added a small update to this post on December 29th, 2021. it’s at the bottom)
If you use Instagram and have a lot of horsey stuff on your feed, you’ve probably noticed that horseback riding has become a lot about accessories. Many riders and “influencers” put a lot of emphasis on looks, matching colors and pretty items.
I am a simple girl, really. Plus, I am too old for this shit. I prefer my clothing, my furniture and my working tools (computer mouse, keyboard, pens, notebooks, etc.) to be functional and of top quality. Looks is much less important to me. Still, I wanted a new bridle for Talo, and it was my birthday, so I decided to splurge and got some PS of Sweden stuff – a bridle, a saddle pad and a jacket.
Their products are pretty. That much is true, and I have no complaints there. Buying stuff through their site is easy, and they ship worldwide. Here lies the first issue, though – they only ship UPS. Now, if you live in Europe, that probably won’t be much of a problem. But I live in Israel, which means that when the package gets here, there’s a LOT more money to pay, including some over-the-top commissions that make the purchase even more expensive than it was in the first place. You won’t even know how much more you need to pay until the package arrives (unlike Amazon, who tells you upfront how much shipping and customs will cost). This exclusive shipping method may get you the goods really quickly, but it also makes buying from PS of Sweden VERY expensive.
Still – a big price tab doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy an item. My main problems with PS of Sweden were customer service and the quality of the bridle. When you buy a bridle, you get only the main part – no reins, not throat latch. I didn’t notice the throat latch issue until minutes after I placed my order. Naturally, I immediately sent an email to their service, asking if they can add the throat latch and bill me.
I don’t remember when exactly they answered, but they claimed the order has already been processed and I can’t add anything to it. I had to order the throat latch separately and pay another exaggerated delivery charge (plus taxes here). Their service was polite but very unhelpful – they didn’t offer any solution and basically shrugged me off. It was very disappointing.
I could forgive all that if the tack would have been perfect. It wasn’t. While the jacket is lovely and warm (although it lacks inner pockets, which is a big disadvantage) and the saddle pad is thick and well made, the main thing – the bridle – wasn’t up to par.
I bought the Paladin bridle, which goes for around 300 dollars, without reins or a throat latch. The bridle fit Talo well. The leather is nice and soft and it looks lovely. But after a while, things started to fray and break down – the “magic flash” got dislodged, because it was connected with a single stitch. I had to improvise a fix. The inside of the rein loops started to fray after just a few uses and I had to stitch them back to place. The inside of the reins started to smooth out, so the grip wasn’t as good as it should be. There was also some glue coming out of the seams area of the noseband. All and all, the bridle feels really fragile – and the problems started just a few months after I’ve started using it. I take very good care of my leather tack, and I’ve never had such issues with bridles, saddles or shoes. Really, compared to much cheaper, simpler bridles, the PS of Sweden bridle a real let-down. For this kind of price, I expect a near-perfect product and an excellent service.
Finally, a few days ago, the cheek pieces on the bridle tore – each in a different place. Now, that’s no one’s fault, it was an accident. Ordering this part has set me back around 200 dollars with the additional costs, and it’s simply not worth it. PS of Sweden doesn’t offer any repair service, and frankly, with these costs – I’m pretty sure it won’t be worth it.
I really wanted to like their products. When something is top quality, I don’t mind paying a lot of money for it. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. What they have is pretty products that aren’t very sturdy, poor service and costly delivery. And that’s why I won’t be buying PS of Sweden again.
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Update, December 29th, 2021:
A few weeks back, Talo managed to rip the PS of Sweden bridle. He stepped on the reins and the cheek pieces tore. One of the buckles of the noseband tore off, as well. I have spare cheek pieces, but when I went to the PS of Sweden website to see how expensive is a replacement noseband, I saw they are not selling bridle parts anymore. They have reins and straps under accessories, but they are not selling nosebands or cheek pieces like they used to do. This means that if your PS of Sweden bridle gets torn or damaged, you can get it repaired or but a complete new one. At this price range and mediocre quality – I am not going to bother.
Currently I am using our old and faithful Waldhausen bridle, and bought a BR bridle as a spare.
