Bridles Part 4: Brand Names and Quality

Ho boy. This is a big topic.

There are lots of different kinds of leather finished in lots of different kinds of ways. Different people prefer different things, so you really have to know what you're looking for here. I'll try to give you a basic rundown.

First things first. Whenever you hear someone say that leather is "nice for the money", read this: "It's shit, but I was expecting that." Do not put your rose colored glasses on and say, "wow, nice leather MUST BUY NOW".

Now. You can buy a new bridle for anything from $35 to $800+. You can buy a used bridle for anything from $1 (free isn't buying) to $800+. How do we differentiate what to spend and why?

Low End Bridles

Izzy models a Collegiate bridle

This is a broad category including brands like Collegiate, SS Tack, or the low end Smartpak line. There are cheaper bridles out there, but as a leather snob and a tack ho, just know it hurts me enough to talk about these and I am not going farther down the line.

These bridles are a step up from the "made in India" stuff that you see really cheap. Those usually look like plastic painted brown and they never get better. Given enough time and care, these bridles can be sort of ok. We're looking in the $70-$150 range here, really.

They won't feel nice straight out of the bag, but given enough time and care, they can be sort of ok. They make nice starter bridles for people who don't care about the tack as much as they do about the performance. You're usually looking at cheaper/thinner leather, unfinished edges, less careful stitching or dye jobs, minimal cool features, and rudimentary hardware.

They will get the job done, but they may not be your forever bridle, mostly because eventually, they will fall apart. Stitching and leather is important, people.

Mid Range Bridles

Izzy in the Bobby's

I define mid-range as $180-$280ish. These bridles tend to be made with better leather and more attention to detail, but they frequently miss the finer points of life. Recognizable brands include Bobby's, Ovation, Nunn Finer, and the Dover Circuit line.

There is a lot of variation here--Bobby's has high end and low end bridles. I dislike their low end and find their high end to be tolerable, but nothing worth going out of my way for. Ovation bridles are priced at the low end of this range, but the extra features they have--finished edges, padded monocrowns and the like--lead me to put them here.

Courage wears Nunn Finer

Nunn Finer is event world classic. It's a rough and ready look with durable, American-made leather. They hold up, but they aren't as polished and pretty as some prefer. That said, they look great on a wide range of horses are are easy to dress up with a little flare if you need something fancy.

Courage in the Circuit

I'm not in love with the Dover bridles. I know I sound like a hypocrite since C-rage rocks a Circuit figure eight that I actually quite like. Here's the thing: I paid $25 for it on consignment. The leather is nice for the money and the design works well on Courage's tiny little face. I just can't see paying almost $200 for a new one, especially since the leather isn't mind blowing, the features really aren't that cool, and the design only works on some horses.

Mid range bridles serve the incredibly useful function of not blowing the wallet out of the pocket while doing their job very well. The leather is passable to nice-ish and there are a lot of options out there. Extra details are available, but usually at a premium. The result is that many mid range bridles work for a lot of faces, which is not the case with our next type.

High Mid Range Bridles

Not his look

This is the non-sexy name for all those bridles that just aren't quite high end with a price point still makes me blink. I'd define the price range as $300ish-$400ish. Most of these brands feature nice quality, finished leather that doesn't really have the "rough" side you see on cheaper leather. The stitching is a little tighter, the extra features are a little nicer, and a little more attention has been paid to all the details.

Five Star Tack is a new-ish company that hits this range. They have cool designs and features and nice leather, but the bridles run almost $300 without reins. For the discerning rider with the right horse, they can be a great choice, but the intricate styles just don't suit every face.

Hadfield is better

Vespucci is one brand that people seem to like and I just can't get behind. Their special features seem like more of a PITA than actually useful, the leather stretches like none other, the price point is high, and the designs don't appeal to my aesthetic at all. In my mind, nothing about them is worth the price. Obviously, your mileage may vary--lots of people buy them.

This range also encompasses the Edgewood/Hadfield/other niche hunter bridles. They are nice, but pricey and you have to pick and choose what's going to work for your horse's face and your pocket book.

I'm not as sold on this range of bridles. To me, the price is too high to justify my usual buy/try/sell routine and they are just not right for every horse. If you're shopping for a specific horse and are in love with a certain model, it's not a bad option, but if I'm going to spend this much, I guess I'd rather just snag something used from our next category.

(drumroll)

High End Bridles

$500+

To those of you who saw that number and promptly freaked out, this range is not for you. That's ok. Nothing offends me more than people who drop this kind of money on a bridle, then don't like it. OMG I WOULD KILL A REASONABLE SIZED ANIMAL FOR THAT AND YOU DON'T CLEAN IT??? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

That said.

Cuna and the Antares. I think it works.

This price range brings you the nicest stuff out there. Padding galore, intricate designs, gorgeous detail, custom options, leather to die for. Again, you must be careful that the look you're getting is right for your horse, but when the leather makes you drool and you'd sleep in the padding, well, hurray!

You're looking at brand names like Antares, CWD, Devoucoux, and the like.

There are more, but I have to stop looking at them now or I will have a meltdown and go shopping. Ahhhhhh it might be too late.

The beauty of the high end bridles is that they hold their value well and can be obtained for about the same price as the high mid range bridles if you're attentive on used tack sites. It takes a little looking, but they do come along. ;-)

This is probably enough of a monster post for any given day. I hope you've enjoyed the range of bridles I've been able to put on my horses through the years. ;-) It's hard to do brand reviews when you have a rule about all-original photography on your blog, let me tell you.

What did I miss? Who has other fun bridle experiences to share?

Balance

A little green

So much of my ride on Courage right now is forward-constant focus on driving from behind while being responsive to my leg. It takes a high degree of concentration from him. Given his drive to always be the best and my desire to have a pleasant horse to ride, I have to be conscious of how often I'm pushing buttons. 

Courage wants to do well and gets anxious when he's in trouble. That makes him tense and hot. I want riding to be productive and fun for both of us, so I find ways to diffuse the tension. It's really fun to have a buddy to ride with. We take long on-the-buckle walk breaks to chat and trade off standing still in the arena to photograph. 

He is the best at relaxing

And that helps our balance. Courage gets to take mental breaks while I enjoy myself and neither of us gets overwhelmed. Plus redheadlins happens to be our riding buddy and she helps me work through things, which is totally cheating. 

Because Courage is learning a whole new job, the mental balance is just as important as the physical balance. In order to help him become the horse I know he can be, I have to address the horse he is right now. 

Driving from behind, yes, but I have to also let him be the best at rhythm and relaxation. 

Breaking Things Up

Look at that fancy horse!

Courage has been going really well for a green horse starting back in work after taking the winter off.

That said.

My brain is a little in this panic mode of "FIX ALL THE THINGS" because you know, you wouldn't want to show up for your first lesson in six months and look like you hadn't had lessons for six months... yeah, overachiever problems.

Anyways. Although he was doing well, I wanted a little more experience in the saddle and I wanted to see how he looked from the ground. I also wanted to have a mini lesson after watching him for a bit and feel the improvement, but the weather wanted to pour down rain and drown us, so we compromised.

Redheadlins hopped on him for a Sunday afternoon ride. I tacked him up and handed him off and HOT DAMN does my little man look like a fancy ass jumper right now. So proud.


The video is kind of fun--his good moments are very good, though his green moments are still pretty green. It's a good reminder to me that I am making progess with Courage, but these things just take time. His body feels great now, but he has to learn all the nuances of being a sporthorse.

Dat canter doh

And yeah, no idea why I was getting all angsty and pushing for more. For six months off the track (with almost 3 months off in a field), he looks great.As he progresses, his good moments will get longer and closer together and his green moments will be less.

We're currently on a bit of an enforced break due to the world being super soggy, but I'm already dreaming about what to do when the ground dries up.

Ammy Hour: Meet Lindsey!!

XC schooling

I'm slowly trying to get myself organized again, which means we're back to meeting the most interesting people in horses: the hardworking adult amateurs who pay all the bills, hold day a day job, and still kick ass and take names on the weekends. Meet Lindsey of Alchemy Eventing, who agreed to be our featured ammy today, 

When I first sat on him (before he was mine):

1) You’re at dinner with work colleagues. How do you introduce yourself?

Probably very shyly, something like: "Hi, my name is Lindsey." Yup, that's probably it. If they are prodding for more I'll tell them I'm 25, a third year law student and am working at a local firm that specializes in defending lawyers. (Yes, that's a thing...)

2) But what you really meant to say was this:

I'm sorry I'm so socially awkward- I'm working on it. Once you get me going, though, I can be a rather loud and fun kind of girl. I love my job and I'm happy to find a career I can enjoy, but at the end of the day I really just do it to finance the horse addiction.

I have a horse, and he's pretty much the only thing I talk about on facebook and instagram so don't follow me on either of those things if you don't want a million horse posts daily. I use to kind of hide my horse life, but then I grew up and realized I didn't care about being cool and it was the one thing that really mattered to me. My horse friends are my best friends and I'm happy with that!

I am also a terrible procrastinator, I sleep too much, I'm a coffee addict, and I'm a terrible over-thinker (which tends to make me my own worst enemy.) I'm a Virgo to a T (although I don't truly believe in astrology) - I dream of the day when I own my own barn and can have everything in it's perfect little place. (Yes, I'm OCD). I'm also a bit of a closet nerd. And while I do enjoy dressing and looking feminine, at heart I am really a tom-boy and would rather get dirty and be out in the wilderness any day!

His first Combined Test:

3) What discipline do you ride/compete?

I have done just about everything... My Grandfather bought me a pony when I was six and I was hooked. I rode that little mean paint thing all around his land, pretending to be an Indian or a Cowgirl or whatever I wanted to be that day.

I was also in the 4-H pony-club and eventually started taking lessons and showing. My first horse shows were on an old appaloosa named Apache. We did the whole gamut of classes together. When I was 11, I got my first real horse. He was a quarter horse that was abandoned at someone's farm. He had been a heeler before I purchased him, and every time I was at an AQHA show a cowboy would recognize him as "Dino, Alpo's old heeler" and try to buy him off of me! (Apparently he was a fantastic heeler). He and I did 4-H and AQHA together, doing all of the classes- halter, showmanship, trail, western pleasure, western horsemanship, hunter under saddle, hunter equitation, barrels, poles- oh my goodness, it was exhausting! But barrels and poles were my favorite and we were the 2000 Regional champions in both!

One day I started setting up odd jumps at home (a PVC pipe on the top of two construction cones, anyone?) and learned my quarter horse loved to jump- and so did I! I started to get lessons and show in the hunters and jumpers. He was fantastic and won pretty much everything. Unfortunately we had to put him down in my Junior year of college, but I was riding in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) on the college team, which kept me involved with horses.

When I graduated college, I worked for a year a privately owned thoroughbred farm. That's where I met my current trainer who gave me the opportunity to event. I'd always wanted to, but never had the means or money. One show and I was ADDICTED. The little mustang I half-leased took me all the way to the AECs in my first season! I couldn't have been more thrilled.

Cross-country:

4) Tell us about your horse and how did you meet him?

My current horse is a 5 year-old thoroughbred by Devil's Triangle and Ray's Best Gear. Devil's Triangle is out of Devil's Bag who has sired some really nice race and event horses. He's a dark brown bay (er, as I like to call him to make him sound fancier- a mocha chocolate latte bay) with two white small socks and a white snip on his coronet band. He's also an over-thinker, like his mom, and this can cause him some trouble as well. But this also means he's very intelligent, loves to jump, will tolerate dressage as long as it's not the same boring stuff over-and-over, and will eat ANYTHING. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about him when I got him, but he quickly won my heart over and I plan on him being a forever horse.

I met Wiz during 2010-2012, when I worked as a farm manager for a lady who, coincidentally, is a lawyer but also owned about 25 horses. One day she brought this scrawny little pony-looking thing up from the lower field. Wiz was a 2-year old then, absolutely tiny, with bite marks all over him. She brought him in because he was getting beat up so bad in the herd. I didn't think much of him at first- he was tiny, an ugly color because of his sun-bleached coat, and when you tried to walk him through a gate he would stop right in the middle of it and would NOT move, no matter how much you pled/begged/beat/coaxed. It was really quite frustrating. He also tried to lay down on you every time you picked his feet- I really had to work a long time with him on that.

Part of my job was helping break the babies, and eventually I started doing ground work with Wiz and a few of the other 2 year-olds. Out of all of them, Wiz picked it up the fastest and in just a few days he was walk/trot/cantering in a circle by voice cues. He also seemed to have the most natural stamina, which was promising for an eventer, and he was not scared of anything and loved to bravely explore. He was actually a little *too* clever, and was known for breaking out of his stall at night or pulling himself under the fence, running amuck, and then dragging himself back under the fence back into his pasture for feeding time. I have pictures of him laying on his side under the fence calmly eating the good grass on the other side!

Anyway, my trainer and I started to really kind of like him, and the owner eventually offered him to me for free, saying I had worked hard for her and she had too many babies and she'd rather him go to a good home. While I tackled my first year of law school, he went back out in her pasture for a year to grow some more. In May of 2012, I finally took him "home" with me (aka, to my trainer's barn) and officially called him mine!

His barn name was "Wizard" (which I hate, but it stuck)- but his name on his coggins was "The Devil's Alchemist." I didn't care much for having the word "devil" in his show name, but I liked the idea of "Alchemy." When I looked in the dictionary, one of the definitions was: "any process of transmuting a common substance, of little value, into a substance of great value." I believe in the power of the name, and I thought the name "Alchemy" was very fitting for a 4 year old unbroken TB who had yet to do something. I had great hopes of turning him into something "of great value." Thus, I registered him with the USEA as "Alchemy."

5) What have you done together?

So far not too much, since he's really not even been under saddle for a whole two years. We also had some set-backs last fall when he was diagnosed with EPM and then after treatment struggled with a month-long bout of cellulitus and scratches, which I think very much was caused by his EPM treatment since cellulitus is an over-reaction of the immune system and he has never had that before or after. I gave him a very slow rehab last fall, doing about a month of just easy walking/trotting and then slowly trying to start putting it back together. I have to say it made a big difference, and our dressage work so far is much improved.

Despite the draw-backs, Wiz tickled me to death with earning a 6th at his first event ever, with only one stop in the stadium and one on xc which were very honest "I don't understand!" stops. BN was so easy for him, though, that we moved right up to Novice next. We did three more novice events and he continued to blow me away with his work-ethic. He LOVES shows and his whole attitude changes when he steps off the trailer.

But all things considering, I couldn't be happier with what we've accomplished so far. He has given me confidence I never thought I'd have. I had a bad fall during my time in IHSA that rocked my jumping confidence, but he's helped me regain that. For a long time, I would be scared to even jump 2'. But I can now jump 3'6" without blinking on him. (I'm not pushing the height with him, though, until he gets a little older). And for that, for helping me regain my confidence, I'll always be grateful.

6) Where are you going together?

I would be thrilled if we could conquer prelim together and he may even have the capacity to do more. He absolutely LOVES to jump (a little too much, maybe) and has a very powerful hind-end. We need to continue to develop his front-end and reach through his neck and back, but he definitely has the raw talent. Once he learned to start connecting, dressage has actually come fairly easy to him as well. He's a great combination of obedience and sass- he tries very hard to understand what you're asking and please you, but he also has enough sass to keep things interesting (and sometimes admittingly frustrating!) My trainer recently got to jump him on xc and remarked that he had the "pissy attitude of an upper-level eventer," and later, while discussing the xc round, that he had a great jump. So, I really think at this point he may top out at prelim or he may decide he wants to go even higher! Although he's so young, at this point I'm just taking it slow and letting him tell me when he's ready to move up and what he wants to do.

For now the plan is a Novice at Southern Pines in March and a Novice at River Glen in April. I thought we would be doing Training in April, but that plan got put away when he came out fresh this spring for our xc schooling. Apparently he's a little too fond of xc and we're working on establishing that he can have fun AND stay relaxed and listening. I'd rather stay at an appropriate level and wait until all of the pieces are together before moving up, so novice it will be for the spring! I will be taking a few months hiatus to study for the BAR exam, but will likely do a few more events in the fall- and he may be ready to move up to Training by then. Like I said, I really will just wait and listen for him to tell me when he's ready :)

7) How do you finance the addiction?

Before I got Wiz, I was catch-riding everything I could and working off lessons at my trainer's barn. When Wizard's breeder decided to give him to me, I took him and had NO idea how I was going to pay for him. Luckily the stars aligned and a week later I received a phone call from a Graduate Assistantship position I had applied for. It had nothing to do with law, but I was desperate to figure out a way to pay my law school tuition. Luckily, I landed the job and most of the monthly stipend goes towards my horse... I live at home and try to be really careful with my money in order to budget properly. I also still work off part of my board, work off lessons, and started working part time for a firm over the summer. Luckily, that firm offered me a position so that's how I'll afford the addiction starting this fall! (Funny story: When they asked how many hours I'd want to work if given a position, I told them I would work hard but I still wanted to have enough time to ride and compete- and they were willing to work with that schedule and hire me! How cool, right?) I will be relieved when I don't have to juggle school with a million different jobs to pay the bills. But in a way I'm glad I had to- it kept me humble and I'll be looking for ways to pay it forward in the future, as I can't thank all the people that have helped me out enough.

His first Novice:

8) How often do you ride?

Unfortunately I do not have a lit or covered arena right now, so a lot of it depends on the weather and light. I've been struggling to make it out three times a week lately with the sun setting so early! However, as it stays light out longer and the weather gets better, I am trying to make that more like 5-6 in preparation for our show season.

9) What’s the single biggest thing that helps you achieve your goals?

I've always been personally driven, ever since I was a kid. I'm a virgo and a perfectionist and I hate feeling like I didn't meet my goals. Sometimes I am like this so much that I have to tune it down. I don't think I've ever outwardly been a bad sport, but I know I've had to reprimand myself for inwardly being a bad sport!

But I am very competitive with myself and am always seeking perfection. I'm realistic enough to know that achieving those goals takes hard work, in and out of the saddle, and imagining the feeling of accomplishment I'll feel whenever I achieve my next goal pushes me through the hard days.

Also, as practical advice, I've always found that visualization really helps me improve. If I want to get better at something, visualizing the goal and achieving it really seems to help me. I will ride my dressage test over and over in my head starting weeks before an event! The night before stadium or xc, I'll imagine myself riding the course flawlessly (even if I don't know the course). I really think these kind of mental exercises can really help center you and prepare you mentally for the task at hand!

His first Beginner Novice event:

10) If there was one thing you could say to people getting ready to join the ranks of riding (or re-riding) adults, what would it be?

Be prepared for all of the time and money it will take from you. Be prepared to make lots and lots of sacrifices.

My social life is 95% at the barn. I don't get to wear many nice new clothes, I don't drive a fancy car, and I still live at home as a 25 year old (although once I graduate law school I will hopefully be moving out). Even the most understanding of significant others may occasionally get frustrated with how much time and money you put into the sport. And I feel like that is the general consensus among Amateurs.

A horse is not a basketball you can put down when you get bored with it and pick it up later. Even when you're financially strapped, or physically exhausted, you have to regularly make time to care for a horse, you have to keep finding ways to pay for the one million random expenses that always seem to crop up.

And if you're not prepared for all of those commitments, it's probably best just to half-lease a horse or just take lessons. And there's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone has to be super competitive to enjoy the sport. Don't bite off more than you can chew. In fact, actually, DO half-lease a horse for six months to a year before you consider purchasing a horse. It will help you get your feet wet and get use to the time and monetary demands of horse ownership, and help you determine whether it's really for you in your new adult life. Even though I had owned a horse when I was younger, I half-leased a horse before wiz, and that helped me realize that even though the time and money demands were tough on me, it was really worth it to me.

(Although some days I do fantasize about quitting it all and instead back-packing around Europe, wearing designer clothes and driving a nice car... but I could never actually do it haha!)

Finally, don't let anyone pressure you for more than you are ready for. While it's your coach's job to push you, you still have to be able to speak up and let them know when you just aren't ready for something in particular. In the same vein, don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. Find your niche, find what you enjoy doing, and do it. Don't let anyone tell you to do otherwise. I've known many people who hated showing but did it because they felt pressured to do it, and eventually burned out and stopped riding completely. That's really sad to me! Horses can add so much to your life, so make sure not to let other people take that enjoyment from you.


11) What are your horse keeping arrangements?

I keep my horse about 15 minutes away from my house. It's a good little barn with two four-stall barns and three pasture boarders in a front paddock. The barns are really nice, the horses get great care, and there's a nice sand arena. I do miss having an indoor though and more individualized paddocks! The eight horses are turned out in one big paddock and Wiz has gotten a little herd-bound. Altogether, though, he's enjoying the new place and he looks fantastic. He likes his "stall-time" to chill out and relax and has, surprisingly, gotten along with most of the herd. (In the past, he's constantly been on the bottom of the chain and picked on!).

12) What is/are your long term equine goals?

If I'm dreaming big, I'd love to make it to Rolex one day. I'd also love to be able to incorporate horses into my real job one day- whether that means making a career change or just having some kind of side business or working part-time and riding part-time in a competitive sense. I always thought I'd hate doing horses as a job so I never pursued it, but when I graduated college and worked for that farm I found out I actually really, really enjoy it and regretted accumulating the college debt I accumulated, which has kept me from trying to make a career out of it. However, I'll always be looking for my "out" or a way to incorporate a career and horses in some fashion. Even if I never actually get to make it some kind of career, just being able to ride competitively (and by that, I mean in the big leagues!) for a year or two would make my life.

I'd also love to be able to create some kind of team for "Alchemy Eventing"- basically helping individuals with less means work their way into the horse world and competition world. I've had so many people give me opportunities, I'd love to pay it forward. I love the idea of "alchemy" as "transforming something of little value into something of great value." Alternatively, I'd like to get involved with or start one of those programs where you have troubled kids work with rescued horses. I really do believe working with horses is one of the most empowering things a young-adult can do.

Realisticaly: I'll probably continue to ride as an amateur, I may make it to Intermediate some day, maybe even beyond. Who knows if I'll win anything. And if I can continue to ride until my death than I'll consider myself a pretty lucky woman!

13) Bottom Line:

While some days being an amateur rider can be down-right exhausting and frustrating, I would not person I am today without it and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have met so many wonderful, wonderful people through my equestrian endeavors and now have so many to call friends. It's my passion and it's what gets me out of bed even on the days when I'd really rather not get up and face the world- since, let's face it, some days life can be hard. A horse is the best therapist there is. And if you get too cocky, horses are always great at humbling you as well. Most of all, I am just incredibly blessed to be involved in such an amazing sport with such amazing people and such amazing animals.

And if you feel that same way but come from limited financial means, like I did- DON'T GIVE UP! It does take lots, and lots, and LOTS of hard work, but if you work hard and are grateful and have a good attitude, people will recognize it and give you breaks. They really will. It's so rare to find people who are truly dependent and will go above and beyond in their work, so if you can be dependable and do the job better than expected, people will appreciate it. If you are humble and don't complain and take any opportunity you can, doors will open. It may be hard work, but it's worth it.



Thanks for participating, Lindsey and Wiz! :-) They're one of my favorite pairs to track with. Are you an adult ammy who wants to be featured? Know someone who should be? I'm always looking for stories of people like us having fun in the horse world, whether that's backyard riding for making it on the show circuit. Contact me through the conments or via email with suggestions. 

Throwback Thursday

I'm convinced this is one of those things people do when they have nothing else to say. Let's find out.

But she was beautiful

The first horse I ever owned was an Oldenburg mare by the name of Isadora. I got her with a host of issues as a basically unstarted 5 year old who knew she was bigger than the people trying to handle her. I sold her her three years later because I realized that she was just way too much for me to handle.

It was such a tricky process. I'd never dealt with crushing physical fear before and I was always just trying to turn the corner and work through it. I hung on until the very bitter end and I almost walked away from horses because I was so miserable.

I've never thought of myself as a proud person, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I needed to admit I was wrong. Fear had become my new normal and I didn't understand that there was another way to live.

And I was terrified

Besides, Izzy was the baby of the mare I'd adored in highschool. I always planned to have her forever. There was no part of my world where Izzy was going to go away, ever.

Letting go of her was incredibly hard. I was living with a "do or die" mentality and I stuck it out through major set backs, painful injuries, and I was always convinced that things were about to get better. We moved in with my favorite trainer because I knew I needed help.

With the trainer, I always felt like we were so close. I was riding better and pushing myself harder and getting closer, but I was still just flat out terrified. Every time I needed to ride a horse, I felt sick. I loved horses on the ground, but I didn't like riding and I was petrified of jumping.

That was my normal.

<3

It wasn't until a kind old red man ambled into my life and turned everything I thought I knew on it's head that I realized there was another way to live. I sold the mare, bought Cuna, and my life has never been the same. It's not that I loved Izzy less--it's that I love Cuna more. I let Izzy find a home where she could be appreciated for who she was and Cuna was everything I ever wanted.

It took every second of Cuna's two years with me to undo all the damage that I did by hanging on to Izzy. Even now, I occasionally have a little anxiety about riding Courage. It's not that he's done anything to earn it, but he's put together a lot like Izzy and that can catch me off guard.

Say hello to C-rage

I'm still very proactive about my confidence. I don't ride horses I don't trust. I push myself and do things to cement the fact that Courage is a new character in my life and just like it isn't fair to him to impose an idea of Cuna, it is equally unfair to treat him like a potential Izzy.

I'll probably never have that fearless abandon and unshakable confidence I thought I had before Izzy, but now that I've been down that road, I know how to make better decisions going forward. It's why I'm a happy horse evangelist. Really and truely, if you aren't happy and loving every minute with your horse (and you're an adult ammy), you're doing it wrong. Life is too short and confidence is too hard won to spend time on an animal that is anything less than fun and safe for where you're at right now.

Ok, well that was fun. Maybe we'll do it again some time.

It's Sparkle Time!

I mentioned in my tack post that C-rage got his very own sparkle browband, but I didn't go into detail because I didn't have my hot little hands on it just then.

Well, now I do.

After Amelia did such a fantastic job with Cuna's browband, I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. I contacted her and we got to work.

ALL THE SPARKLES!!!

For those of you who don't know me well, I'm not an artist and color stuff stresses me out. I am NOT GOOD at that sort of thing, not at all. So I had an idea of the colors I wanted and picked out a couple beads that I liked, and then Amelia did this:

I told her I loved them all, then promptly asked for a combo that she didn't even put together yet.

Photo by Dark Jewel Designs

She came up with this:

Yes. I love it.

And that's when we started on strand two.

For the uninitiated: Dark Jewel Designs sells custom browbands with interchangeable bead strings. $40 gets you one browband and two strings. And yes, you read that right. $40. I have no idea how that woman makes any money, but I love her.

(Full disclosure: Cuna's browband was provided free of charge. I paid for this one because I loved the first one so much.)

Photo by Dark Jewel Designs

Again, we went through the process of cool patterns and designs and colors. I picked a string from her first assembly and loved it. She even emailed me pictures of the mostly-finished product to make sure it came out the way I wanted it.

Omg. Yes!

Not gonna lie, I squealed when the package showed up at my house and even photographed the unwrapping process because I was so excited.

And the sparkles are even prettier in person.

Sparkles and fabio hair

I've been trying to coordinate sunshine and a camera person, but it's February and one photographer is in school while the other lives out of state. Here's what I've got so far:

Courage rocking the chocolate and teal.It's his look, definitely. I love these colors on him and the browband is classy with just enough eye-catching sparkle. I'm thinking we'll rock it in the jumper ring.


And who can forget those navy sparkles? I have yet to really capture just how they glow in the sun, but it is gorgeous.

Conclusion: If you want sparkles, you want Dark Jewel Designs. They're on Etsy here and you can follow them on facebook here. I definitely recommend checking out the facebook page--if you want something shiney and are on the fence about the design, you can look through all the completed commissions and see what strikes your fancy.

Totally want to steal this

Progress

Calm and classy

Let's just say it's been a rough few weeks in my world. When I found the time to go for a ride on C-rage,, I was so overwhelmed that I was basically non-functioning. We'd cruise around and he would be very good, but we weren't accomplishing anything.


I took his stunning lunging picture last week and I realized that I wanted that same balance and cadence under saddle.


So I rode a little better.

 And Redheadlins took video.



I appreciated the time she put in to it, and I decided that I wanted to take it up another level. In the video, I just see a horse that could do so much better and a rider who's ineffective. 

Dat face doh

I wanted to cheat and sneak in a trainer ride so I could still just cruise around while he's even more perfect, but the universe foiled my plan.

Instead, I found myself hopping on in arena traffic. He came out a little snarky and even gave a buck when I tapped him behind my leg with my whip. C-rage for sure!

We both took that as incentive. I rode him forward into a steady contact and reinforced my leg with my whip to get him more responsive. We cantered before we trotted to get his back loose.

Every stride, I asked myself, "What about this ride is different because I am in the irons?"

Making a difference

If he got stiff or rushed or fell behind my leg, I would make a change. We circled and did sepentines. We were both actively engaged in the ride.

He did some of his best work ever. Period. Flatwork is so ridiculously easy for this horse.

We wrapped up our ride with a little hack around the field.

When I got off, I was in a much better place mentally. Life will spin out of control anytime it feels like it, but I can take my little corner and actively make it better. With Courage, I don't have to settle for the status quo. Why just let him be my respite when together we can add just a little bit of relaxation and control?

I don't know what I'd do without my little man.

Eating My Words

I hate lunging horses. Mostly I hate how boring it is to watch them run around in tiny circles, unless it's not boring, which means then I cringe and try to get them to stop before they hurt themselves. In my purview, it puts a lot of wear and tear on a horse and I have trouble balancing that with any solid training benefit.

So when Redheadlins told me I needed to be lunging Courage once a week, I pretty much blew her off. I made sure he sort of understood the basics in case of emergencies and called it good.

Besides, he's this incredible calm, talented horse with an awesome work ethic. Why waste time lunging?

Fancy

Well...

This.

I thought it might make sense to spin my freshly clipped horse around on the line, given the ten degree temp drop and gusting winds.

Initially, I was thinking some lunge/ride combo, but we ended up working through voice commands (whoa is apparently a hard one) and then I just threw his little lunging aid on for a few minutes.

Hot damn.

Am I right?

Looking pretty darn good

I know you're just seeing still shots, but I absolutely loved watching him find his balance without a rider. I still didn't push the issue, but he's so much more comfortable cantering on a circle now, too. I'm not suer if that was a body thing or a brain thing, but it's definitely an improved thing.

By the time we were done lunging, I thought he'd probably done enough for a horse who was on his second day back in work.

You're just jealous of his punk rock hair. AND SPARKLES!

I never, ever thought I would say this, but I'm actually a little excited to keep developing this concept this year. I want to try out some Vienna reins or maybe a Pessoa system? Not sure. It looks like it's going to be a great way to educate him about contact and using his body.

If I'm going to lunge, I want it to be a productive training session. We've pretty well hit the limit of the usefulness of the harbridge martingale, just because he's carrying himself so differently now. Any thoughts? Who lunges and wants to recommend a tool?

Here Goes

A very strange thing happened when I curried Courage Monday: I got covered in long, sweaty, gross winter horse hair. I hadn't had that sort of experience in several years, because I've been at show barns where we rode through the winter and body clipped all the horses.

By the time I put the saddle on, I was covered in hair and itchy and Courage still looked gross.

bare naked pony

I had time to run out to the barn early Tuesday morning, so we just went ahead and took care of that problem.

I debated a few different clips, but decided to just go ahead and take it all off. Spring is on the way and riding weather is here again. It's time to get rid of that nasty long hair that just holds in dirt and funk and get ready to be beautiful again. :-)

That mane. Has to go.

I'm a little bummed that I took his stars off, but I was worried that he'd shed out awkwardly and look bad. Well that, and it was taking forever and I didn't want to take the time to clip around them.

Obviously, the next project is his mane, yikes! He's sensitive, so I only pull it when he's warm after work. I'm hoping to get it done soon, since you know, I can actually ride now!

I know a lot of people don't like to clip into the new year for fear of screwing up the incoming spring coat. To that I say I show clipped a bright bay gelding at the end of March (or was it early April?) and his coat was great.

See? All at once

And yes, I know that clipped horses still shed. It's just less overwhelming and disgusting when they do it.

Now bring on the sun!!

We're Finalists!!

Stop the presses! Courage and Lindsey are finalists in the "smooch your horse" contest at Eventing Nation!

Go vote here!! 

With his little French mustache

You might think this is proof that we've gone absolutely batty in winter weather. You'd probably be right. Vote for us!!