Balotade® Darco Anatomical Headpiece

Hardly anyone gives the headpiece a second thought. You slip it behind the ears and that is that. Yet the whole bridle hangs from it: the cheekpieces with the bit, the noseband and the throatlash. And all of that lands on one narrow spot just behind the ears.

Darco is wide, soft and shaped exactly there, and it clears the base of the ears neatly.

Why it is worth changing the headpiece

A narrow, flat headpiece presses on skin and nerves along a single line, and if it is stiff as well and buckled tight, the horse starts to defend itself: it throws its head up, goes behind the vertical, fidgets while being bridled. Before you start changing bits, look at what your horse has behind its ears.

How the Darco headpiece is made

All natural buffalo leather. Widened through the middle, it moves away from the base of the ears instead of pressing on them. Underneath it carries a thick, soft lining.

It fits the bridle you already own

The Darco is a perfect fit for every Balotade® bridle. Changing it over takes a moment and a few deft movements. If your bridle fits well everywhere except at the poll, this is the cheapest way to save it — cheaper than buying a whole new one.

What you get

• Natural buffalo leather — top quality, soft from the first day.
• A wide, shaped strap — the weight of the bridle is spread wider and clears the base of the ears.
• A thick lining on the horse’s side — in natural leather.
• A free-moving centre — the strap adapts to the shape of the head instead of stiffening it.