Spanish snaffles for the Doma Vaquera

Buckles made of burnished iron, firm cowhide, no throatlatch and a swinging Mosquero - that's what makes them Spanish snaffles. This article tells you everything you need to know about the traditional Doma bridle Vaquera .

Spanish Design Snaffles

Our vaquero bridles are available in up to 4 different leather colours. The buckles are traditionally made of burnished iron and start to rust over time due to natural oxidation processes. Therefore, it is best to maintain the buckles regularly by rubbing them with a cloth soaked in olive oil. Handmade from Spanish vegetable tanned cowhide, Spanish bridles combine durability with exceptional looks.

Structure of the Spanish vaquero snaffle

The Vaquero bridle makes do with a minimal number of leather straps. One crownpiece, one nose and browband - ready! The strap that runs over the neck, to which the bit is also attached, is very variable in length. Perfect for the long, narrow heads of Iberian horse. In our experience, however, it also fits a variety of other breeds from Cob- to Full-size. If you are unsure, we recommend that you compare the measurements of your existing bridle with the measurements in our size guide. You will find the size guide next to the respective product. And of course we will be happy to advise you personally.

Note: as only the relatively narrow crownpiece runs through the loops of the browband, the Spanish browband are comparatively shorter. It is best to compare the inside length of your existing browband, measured without the loops, with the measurements of our vaquero bridles.

Of course without flash

As is usual for Spanish snaffles, the noseband is integrated in all our models. This means that there is no separate noseband, but the noseband is simply passed through the loop of the bit straps. This makes the bit lie even smoother and gives the bridle a minimalist look. If you would like to use the bridle without noseband , this is also no problem. The only thing you won't find on our traditional bridles is flash .

Frontalera? Mosquero ?

Beware of confusion! The typical frontal fringes of the vaquero bridle are often referred to as frontaleras. However, Frontalera is merely the Spanish term for the browband. The frontal fringes themselves are called Mosquero . The Mosquero can, as with our vaquero bridles, be firmly sewn to the browband in the form of thin leather straps. However, these are also available separately for retrofitting bridles without Mosquero. They can be easily attached to any bridle with integrated leather straps on the back of the Mosqueros . For the production of the "retrofittable" Mosqueros three materials are commonly used. The Mosquero is often made from mane hair. However, it is also made from leather or silk.

Is the Mosquero pure decoration?

"Mosquero" is derived from the Spanish term "Mosca" for fly. From a functional point of view, the Mosquero serves as a fly repellent, as it swings with every step, kick or jump of the horse. At the same time, the Mosquero has a wonderful side effect. The pendulum shows whether the horse is walking in time. The more evenly it swings to the left and right, the better. Last but not least, it also serves as a decorative bridle ornament that can be used to embellish any bridle.

At Picadera you will find high-quality Spanish snaffles with integrated Mosquero, retrofittable ones in the browband in the Vaquero style without Mosquero, as well as Mosqueros horsehair and leather. And the matching Spanish bits are of course also available from us.