SB Selling Stuff

I have a whole pile of things I've been meaning to list for a while. I'll do my best to provide descriptions and sizes. If you want anything measured, just ask. I will definitely do discounts for multiple items, consider offers, and combine shipping. Prices do not include shipping. I only do US shipping because customs forms scare me. Contact me through the comments or fb if you're interested--I am not the best at checking blog emails.

Cob size turnout halter by Kentucky Leather. Havana with brass.
Tried on, never used. $40 
SOLD

Royal sports warmblood length reins--inside rubber with hand stops
Black leather, hook stud ends, have martingale stops. $20
SOLD

Western bridle with browband and split reins.
Western "horse" size, so runs smallish. $40
SOLD

Red Barn cob size Capriole bridle
Padded crank and monocrown.
RUNS LARGE, fits more like horse. $120 with inside rubber reins

Peacock Leather Cob size halter
Black with sparkle purple padding, stainless hardware.
Jaw not adjustable. Barely used. $60

Royal Sports clincher bridle. Regular cavesson, padded monocrown.
Black with brass clinches on nose and browband.
Horse size (runs large-ish?). Includes flexible rubber reins. Does not include bit. $60
SOLD

Ocala Tack Shack blue padded race noseband
Havana leather, diamond cut outs. Nice quality.
Horse/cob size. $35
SOLD

Uisce Saddlery blue padded cutaway noseband.
No crank. Cob size. Black leather, stainless hardware. $35
SOLD

Pagony dressage front boots. Brown.
Average horse size. $30

Majyk Equipe gen 1 dressage front boots.
Medium (average horse). Used a couple times, no sign of wear. $35
SOLD

Barnsby Diablo jump saddle - 18" M tree, minor cosmetic scuffs
Havana leather. Stirrups not included. $450
SOLD

Invictus half pad - white, not shimmable
fits under my 18" saddle
$140

Let's make a deal! 

Handy Hints for Online Shopping

As I mentioned, the campaign to pay for the Precious is ongoing. I have certainly done my fair share of buying online through the years, but now I'm doing more selling than normal. I've now compiled these experiences for your benefit.

don't sit in things you can't afford

For BUYERS:

1) READ the ad carefully. Some adds are shoddily written, but still contain a lot of the necessary information. If you have questions, by all means, ask.

2) Understand how offers work. If you don't want to pay the asking price but do want the item, it is 100% ok to contact the seller and offer the amount you would pay. That's negotiating. It's legit.

It is not ok to message and ask, "What's the lowest you will go?"

I'm struggling to explain what should be self-evident, but it's already listed for what I want for it. That is the lowest I will go. I'm not going to be like "LULZ JK actually only want a third of the price." No.

definitely try on boots that don't fit

3) Understand how offers work part II

There's making an offer and there's insulting the seller. I don't have a hard and fast rule here--on a higher end item that is fairly priced for the market (not for your budger--your budget is your problem), It's generally ok to offer about 10% less. That's not saying the seller will take it. Do not offer a tiny fraction of the price and expect it to go well.

Now if something has been sitting on the market for a while and the seller keeps dropping the price or adds an OBO to it, sure, shoot over a number. But if it's brand new? ;-) Give a good post a bump.

so much Back on Track!

For SELLERS:

1) The net result of a post bump is a post bump. Even if it's dumb.

I hear so many sellers complain about potential buyers asking stupid questions or tire kicking a facebook ad. Here's the thing--the way facebook works, even if it is the WORLD'S DUMBEST QUESTION, that bumps your add back to the top of the group and puts it in front of more people. So does your response to that question.

Sure, it can be annoying, but it's traffic and traffic gets things sold.

2) Price items fairly. This is a big one for me. I was raised by thrifty parents and I am the QUEEN of never paying full price.

Fair=fair market value. This is pretty easy to determine generally--what are similar items selling for? You have to compare apples to apples. Used bridle to used bridle, not used to new. My general rule on shopping for used items is simple: I'll pay about 60% MAX of the new price (unless it's a specific and trendy item with market value exceptions). The older an item is, the less I'm willing to cough up. The big exceptions here are trendy-brand (read: French) strap goods and saddles.

Saddles very widely--an in-demand used saddle can hold it's value relatively well, if it's the popular seat size and specs. Those ancient Crosby PdNs? STOP TRYING TO SELL THEM. Seriously. No one on the planet wants one.

3) Be clear and answer promptly.

In an instant marketplace, I want answers relatively quickly. I don't mean wake up in the middle of the night to answer a dumb question, but within 12-24 hours, you should be able to answer questions and pass pictures on to buyers. If you ignore a buyer, they're going to find something else.

I think I pretty well covered it.

All that to say, I'm moving a bunch of stuff to assist in paying for the precious, so if you need something, hit me up.

Why I Kept Him--Getting Through Hard Things Together

As most of you know, I am the first one to jump on somebody when they start saying things like "my horse is scaring me" or "this isn't fun". I have SOOOOO been there, I know what it's like, and I am a huge advocate for having fun with horses. If it's not fun, it needs to stop.

Which brings us around to these images:

flailing

spooking at grass sharks

not turning right

not getting on the trailer

just generally freaking the hell out

that one show where he tried to dump me in a lake

These time were not fun times, not even a little. They sucked. Most of them were this spring. I hate looking through pictures from this spring, so I threw in some sub-optimal fall shots to balance it out.

but why?

 All that, and yet I didn't sell his stupid bay ass him. What gives?

(Now in fairness: I tried to send him away, but there was a problem with the trailer and it didn't work out. I did not repeat trying to send him off.)

1. I was working closely with relevant professionals. 

To me, this is key. When I have questions about my ability as an adult ammy or my horse's suitability for me, I need advice from people who see this sort of thing all. day. long. Support from girlfriends is nice (and I have very horse savvy girlfriends), but at the end of the day, I need objective opinions.

This spring, I was working with three relevant instructors whose opinions I value. Two said "wait and see" and one said "oh hell you can do this. Get on."

we can always do this

2. I wasn't terrified.

This one is a bit harder to gut check just because until you've been terrified, it's hard to say what that's going to look like for you. As I previously had a terrifying horse, I can 100% tell you what that feels like. Courage's antics weren't fun for me. I was furious with him, deeply disappointed, hurt, whatever you want to say. I certainly didn't like bolting sideways and not getting on trailers, but those things don't give me that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach the way say, rearing as high as you can on the edge of a cliff in the mountains did. And no, you don't want to try that one. It's worse than it sounds.

and i know how to use a martingale

3. I had a support system that believed in us. 

Here's where those girlfriends come in. (And the fact that they're horse savvy matters). Redheadlins and Alyssa have actually known Courage longer than I have. Actually, I think Alyssa has known him longer than she's known me. Crazy world. Anyways. They both knew his brain and my abilities, and while they were clear that no one was mad if I wanted to move on, they thought I could do it.

never underestimate your gameday photoshoot

4. He's too damn cute.

I always tell people that I have to have attractive horses so that on the inevitable day when I want to shoot them (hey, this is Idaho), there is a reason that I don't.

I'm not kidding.

If some ugly POS horse pulled all the stunts that Courage did this spring, it would have been gone. Courage has a cute face coupled with a HOT DAMN styled body, which reminded me that there was a reason to keep pushing on.

Those reasons were enough for me to stick it out, but I also made a plan and stuck to it. I decided what my goals were with Courage and I worked to pursue those goals every single day--everything from "jump without fear over whatever I want" to "hack on the buckle around the farm". I think I set a timeline for Courage, too--the usual "if I'm not having fun by X date" sort of thing.

first clear jump round

first time real dressage ribbons

first championship

 I don't remember what date I set anymore. Courage and I got out there and did stuff together and even though it was rough going at first (yes, we did get 120 time penalties in our first event derby along with two refusals), we pushed through.

I'll be the first to admit that I form bonds with people or animals slowly and with my eyes open. Courage and I have had a lot of ups and downs, but I am so glad I have this little guy in my life. I had to make good choices and live through a lot of not-fun things this spring. Now we've come out on the other side and I have a really cool, really attractive little bay horse who works for me.

I know we'll have more rough patches--that's life with horses--but I'm confident we can deal with them. Together.

Finders Keepers

my little man

Courage and I have had some difficulties this past month/spring/fall/year/etc. After his infamous non-loading-incident, I was beyond frustrated. I felt like I'd put over a year of my life into this horse and all I'd succeeded in was making him go backwards in training.

When he came to me, the one thing he did know how to do was get on trailers.

Anyways. I was too frustrated to see straight and there were certainly credible threats of dog food and double deckers to Canada.

adorable even when he's naughty. and tired.

But. I told Courage (and a few trusted friends) that if Courage and I weren't have fun by the end of May, he was gone. I was done fighting with him and I wanted to actually have fun.

JenJ pointed out that my goals needed to be more specific than that.

I said that by the end of the month, I wanted him to hack quietly around the property, jumps small courses without being an asshole, and give me more good rides than bad rides. And I don't know, I had to want to do it again, because right then, I really didn't.

this was fun

So.

I started hacking Courage outside the arena almost every day. I learned to growl at him a little and kick him forward when he wanted to be naughty and I learned that if I do that, he really isn't that bad or dramatic.

I started setting jumps up and incorporating them into our routine more regularly. I learned that Courage is still a fun, kickass jumper who oozes talent.

this picture makes me happy

I kept a tally of every ride for the rest of the month. I learned that while I had two determinedly bad rides with very few redeeming characteristics, the rest were actually average to good.

It was rather serendipitous that our first show was the last day of the month. I did my best to set him up for success by hauling in a day early, but the point was, Courage showed me what he was capable of, and I fell in love with him all over again.

He isn't the easiest and he never will be, but he's the horse that still gives me the confidence to just keep on trucking in the hard times. I love seeing his gorgeous blaze face every day and I look forward to where the future takes us.

SB Tack Clearing House

You still can't come in the fort

I'm trying to clear up some clutter and function like a normal adult, so y'all are getting the first peek at the tack I'm reluctantly letting go. Email/facebook me if you're interested. sprinklerbandits at gmail dot com (or first name dot last name at the same email server).

Because it's mine, everything is clean and in good condition. It gets well taken care of and stored in climate controlled, smoke-free areas. I guarantee pet hairs. I can probably even figure out which pet they're from and they're all cute, so yay bonus!!

All prices include shipping. I take paypal and personal checks (as long as I know you more or less).

The 52"s. Teensy puppy not included.

Girths.
All have double elastic and roller buckles.
1) 48" fleece girth - $25

2) 48" smartpak fleece girth - $25

3) 52" smartpak fleece girth, shows some use - $20

4) Sold.

5) 56" fancy stitched leather circuit girth, barely broken in - $75

As modeled by Courage

Bridles.
6) Sold.

Pictured: Stubben

Saddles.
7) 18" Stubben Sigfried all purpose, medium tree. Quality saddle, well maintained. $325 shipped.

8) 18" Jimmy Wofford XC saddle by Harmon&Scott. Labelled #3 medium fit, but fits like a narrow. Great condition, one owner, lightly used, well maintained. Asking $550.

9) 18" Ainsley XC Saddle, wide tree. Gorgeous saddle, great forward flap for long legged riders. Love it. Billets and tree in excellent condition. $550.

Helpful Beagle not included

Saddle pads.
10) Ecogold triple protection half pad in brown. Retails for $165, lightly used, great condition. $100.

Full seats.

Misc
11) 78" irish knit cotton sheet in hunter green with navy trim. Sized as an 84", but used so shrunk to a more normal size. $20

12) Sold

13) Kerrits full seats with super soft fabric and somewhat segmented patches XL. Shows some wear, one tiny hole on a seam that should be easily fixable. $25



14) Kerrits microcord kneepatch tights in grey, L. Good condition, no obvious wear. $30

15) Kerrits microcord kneepatch tights in grey, L. Faded. $25

Bonus: Buy either or both of these and I'll throw in a tan pair with minor damage.






I think that's it for now. I reserve the right to add items as I find them. Feel free to make offers. I have pictures of everything, so email me or comment with your email address if you want a picture of something I left out.

Wherein Courage Almost Gets Sold

What farrier day normally looks like

I know you're all like "WTF SB, you tried to sell your horse?" 

The answer is no. 

But I seriously considered it. 

What I expected

You remember how Courage threw his shoe a week ago? Well, my life is an ongoing shit show (cross your fingers it gets better in two weeks!) and the farrier was booked up, so we just kept our normal scheduled appointment for this past Monday. No big deal, right? The little man is probably a bit body sore and five days off wasn't going to make or break us. 

I wrapped his foot in highly attractive duct tape with flying pigs on it (Thanks J!) and let him live his normal life while I dealt with other things. 

Then came Monday. I pulled Courage out of his stall for the farrier and was surprised to see that my little bay horse was showing the whites of his eyes. 

Huh. Never seen that before.

It pretty much went downhill from there. Despite neither the farrier nor I doing anything offensive or crazy or weird, Courage just progressively lost it. We were trying to keep things calm in hopes of his brain returning to orbit. I even took him back into a stall to eat hay and chill out for a good 20-30 minutes to see if that would help, and nope.

How bad was it?

Well. 

sorry

At the end of two hours, he had one shoe on and I legitimately thought I was going down under him on cement. Oh, and he was rearing/leaping straight up in the air every time the farrier picked up his foot. And kicking. 

We had to abandon the entire idea. We scheduled another appointment for Wednesday and I was given strict instructions to work that ****** down. 

But here's the thing: 

I'm an ammy. I absolutely 100% refuse to own an animal that behaves like this. Yes, I understand that I could just drug him every time he needs shoes, but I am not willing to go that route. A horse like that gets his ass sold down the road with full disclosure. I realize other people are willing to deal with that, but I'm not. 

It's dangerous. I'm not interested in dangerous. I don't care how talented Courage is and how much fun we've had. If this is a thing for him, or if he learned from the experience how to get out of a shoeing, then we're done. 

Plain and simple. I don't play games with this stuff. 

Now known as "riding weather"

The next two days, I worked the shit out of Courage. In one shoe. In a wet arena. Til he foamed. I don't really think I've ever just intentionally worked a horse down for the hell of it before, but it was very productive. I'd actually venture to that my pent-up rage made it very easy to be clear and directive and not take no for an answer from him. 

I rode like a total badass. "OH YOU WANT TO SPOOK AT THAT ******** WELL I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO SPOOK AT". I felt totally secure in the saddle and Courage was bloody brilliant. We had prompt, crisp transitions and correct bend and counter bend and leg yields both directions on and off the rail and lots of ring figures. I kept changing the questions which kept his brain engaged.

Correct work is exhausting

Honestly, those are probably the top two best flat rides I've ever had on him. He was light and connected and responsive and forward and even floaty. It was pretty great. 

And then the farrier came out again on Wednesday right after our ride. I had just enough time to curry the foam off and take some deep breaths so I wouldn't be channeling any extra nerves to him. 

And Courage dozed on a loose rope and was perfect. I probably could have ground tied him and walked away, but I still want my farrier to like me. 

So. Little bay horse. Not getting turned into hamburgers or sold. Definitely is going to step his flatwork up to the next level, though. 

Weekend Fun: Meet the New Guy

Courage says "HELLOOOO TRACK HORSE"

Those of you who follow me on instagram or facebook have probably noticed a new face started popping up last week. I mean, I always have random cute racehorses, but one was cuter than the others and then he was meeting Courage and going under saddle...

Yep. Dapple bay and all.

A couple of you have asked about him. I mean, it's hard not to. His face is ridiculously adorable and he's built like a champ.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Prisoner, pedigree here.

He's a Kentucky-bred 2007 model TB who we put the OT on last Saturday. He's something less than a stunning success on the track, netting just over $4,000 in four years of racing.

Yes, you read that right.

Looking cute on the back side

As I rule, I stay away from horses for sale on the backside because I want (almost) all of them, but this guy is special. I had my eye on him, and when his trainer said he was available, I immediately started taking crappy pictures of him and sending them to my good friend Ellie. I really can't be doing two boarded horses and a car payment, but this guy needed a soft landing with lots of love and Ellie needed something sweet and fun and pretty.










Because she is brave (and knows us really well), Ellie agreed to buy him even though she'd only ever glimpsed his adorable white nose over the stall for like ten seconds one time this summer.

Prisoner (working on the new name, ok?) moved in to Courage's barn for the next month to get nicely restarted. I think he's looking at much the same schedule Courage had--light riding through the fall, winter off, and then getting going for real next spring.

First ride off the track. HE'S SO FANCY I COULD DIE.

In the mean time, yours truly gets to play with him and take pictures of his cute little face. Redheadlins is doing the heavy lifting in terms of training, but Alyssa and I can do useful things too and of course Ellie will join us as much as her schedule allows.

He's aimed for a dressage/trails/open shows/all around type career and yes, Ellie assures me she will blog about him. Plus she is a kick ass photographer, so expect to be inundated with pro-quality pictures instead of my usual camera-phone business.

ERMEGERD KISS HIS NOSE ALREADY

If I had room in the budget for two, I'd never let this little guy slip away. He and Ellie are going to have so much fun together. I'm glad I got to be a part of his rehoming team and I look forward to their continued adventures together!

And yes, you can always count on me for Prisoner updates. This is my first time helping out with a resale, and he sort of feels like my little god pony already.