#plzshareunicornmagic RESULTS!!!

Edit: I intentionally leave world events out of the goings on for this blog. That said, last night's tragedy hits way too close to home for me. There is never a right thing to say or a best way to grieve.

I love me some fail photos and when Topline Leather offered to do a giveaway, it was the obvious contest choice.

actual quote. fo shizzle.

Let's do a top ten (ish) and count down to our lucky winner!!

Honorable mention: (because is it really a fail if it's an intermediate chevon)

Sup, @sprinklerbandits and @toplineleather are hosting a fail contest. And while my super brave and honest mare didn't bat an eye when I aimed her at the intermediate chevon, the size of the jump caught her a little of guard. And well. Here we are. #plzshareunicornmagic #nothowtodothis #donottellgeorgemorris #hewillcallmeasoupsandwhich #butprobablyworse #whydoesmyhorsejumpanythingatall #imfired

A post shared by Alyssa Kelley (@holybull79) on Sep 25, 2017 at 10:38pm PDT

10: (i applaud her enthusiasm and her photographer)

That one time I just wanted to jump the jump myself @sprinklerbandits @toplineleather #plzshareunicornmagic

A post shared by Rhiannon (@rhiannonf77) on Sep 27, 2017 at 4:56am PDT

9: (i love hampton too much to put him higher on a fail list)

Getting those late, downhill changes out of the way before the class! #plzshareunicornmagic @sprinklerbandits @toplineleather

A post shared by KayTay (@flyingleadchange) on Sep 22, 2017 at 1:30pm PDT

8: (damn girl. damn.)

#plzshareunicornmagic @sprinklerbandits @toplineleather No horses were harmed in the making! #fail

A post shared by New Equestrian Account (@diagonal_line) on Sep 29, 2017 at 5:04pm PDT

7: (oh nilla. you never disappoint.)

I couldn't pick just one #fail photo when Nilla has gifted me with so many. #plzshareunicornmagic #mulesofinstagram @toplineleather @sprinklerbandits

A post shared by Olivia @ DIY Horse Ownership (@diyhorseownership) on Sep 24, 2017 at 4:44pm PDT

6: ("movement not required at this level")

#plzshareunicornmagic @toplineleather @sprinklerbandits

A post shared by ✵Sierra✵ (@tr0tting_hooves) on Sep 28, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

5: (jan's original photo was sans accouterments but i think they add a nice flourish)

Thanks for the customization @toplineleather, I have my own rainbow spewing unicorn now! #plzshareunicornmagic @sprinklerbandits #pennsylvainapete

A post shared by Jan Snyder (@jan.snyder) on Sep 26, 2017 at 7:03pm PDT

4: (one of our contest organizers forgot to specify your insta needs to be public #itsme)

via Confessions of a Dressage Barbie

3: (this woman is my soul sister)

@toplineleather @sprinklerbandits #plzshareunicornmagic

A post shared by Lauren G (@custard_lauren) on Sep 26, 2017 at 7:43am PDT

2: (in high def omg)

#plzshareunicornmagic #fail The unicorn bits are so pretty!!! I would love to win one!!!

A post shared by Kay Anne (@k.anne.equestrian) on Sep 22, 2017 at 6:01pm PDT

1: OUR UNICORN BIT WINNER (she stuck this. how.)

This is the ultimate fail pic, right? 😂 This is me, maybe 2005, in the midst of disaster. Fun fact: I stayed on. 🤷‍♀️ @sprinklerbandits and @toplineleather are doing a fail contest, and this is my entry. #plzshareunicornmagic #didntdie #jumper #whathappened? #disaster #badeq #myequitationtho #americanwarmblood #mare #equestrianproblems #equestrianfail

A post shared by Nacho and Katherine (@onespicynacho) on Sep 26, 2017 at 9:37am PDT

Thank you to all our contestants!! Definitely check out the #plzshareunicornmagic on instagram. There are some real doozies!!

Winner (and runner-up omg you get a prize too!!) will be contacted by Topline Leather to receive their prizes directly. Thanks for playing everyone--I'll catch you next year!

CONTEST TIME

Y'all know Topline Leather as the supplier of some of my most luxe equine tiaras. I have (of course) ordered Zoe her own custom piece, but in the interim, something fun happened.

SPERKLZZZ

SHE GOT UNICORN BITS.

Ok, full confession, these came on the radar back when I still had C and I was SUPPOSED to get a cool one to review and then do a sweet-ass giveaway. Buuuuuut in the intervening time, I got a Zoecorn who of course can't wear normal horse sizes.

Which means no unicorn bit for me.

But y'all still get a chance to win a 135mm (basically 5") loose ring or eggbutt snaffle unicorn bit!

action shot!
photo by  JJ Sillman

The rules are simple.

Go on instagram. 

Post a fail photo (or video) with hashtag #plzshareunicornmagic and tag @toplineleather and @sprinklerbandits. 

Contest opens when this post is published and closes 7 days later, at 7am MST on SEPTEMBER 29, 2017. Best entries will be posted here with link backs to their social media account and the winner will receive a unicorn bit from Topline Leather. 

i want it

Ready. 

Set. 

POST.

SPARKLE FLOWERS

Baby Steps

I don't resent the time I invested in Courage. I learned so much from him that I can cross-apply to Zoë. SB-before-Courage would have said "you WILL stand in the wash rack", picked a fight, and made an issue out of a non-issue.

SB-after-Courage says "eh, we'll get there. I'm in no hurry."

Because as much as Zoëbird is a 180 from Courage in every possible way, she's also a living being. She's not a machine that mindlessly conforms.

plus she's wicked cute

So yeah, I could pick a fight with her about how the wash rack is NOT SCARY and SHE WILL MIND and DAMMIT YOU WILL GET THE HOSE AGAIN.

But I don't.

A post shared by Aimee Towell (@sprinklerbandits) on Jul 21, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

Because Zoë is a kind, sweet, smart creature and if I just take my time and show her that the hose is fun and the wash rack is safe, and hey! We eat cookies when we stand here! Pretty soon, the wash rack is going to be a non-issue and I will have built her trust in me instead of tearing it down.

I learned that attitude from Courage and it's infiltrated every part of my thinking about training horses. That's why even though I know Zoëbird has some quality training behind her, we started slow. I added one or two things at a time. I treated each item (saddle pads, boots, etc) like she'd never seen it before and let her understand each piece at her own speed.

And conversely, she's been pretty patient with me. We had our first session with my trainer yesterday. My trainer ground drove her (hint: they did great) and then she had me do it. Zoë is actually trained to drive and has pulled a cart even. SB, on the other hand, has never driven anything without wheels (hint: skill really doesn't cross apply).

We went slow and I made a lot of mistakes, but Zoë was Zoë and it was a positive experience for everyone.

I'm having so much fun with Ms. Zoëbird. She is absolutely the kind of horse I need right now.

And because of Courage, I can be the kind of person she needs too.

PS: last night, we stood in the wash rack eating cookies and I sprayed off her front legs with the lead line completely slack.

Rolex Part the Fourth: Parting Thoughts

We're going with a bullet pointed list here because 1) this is a lot of writing and 2) headcold+vertigo is not helping the higher cognitive functions.

adios

• 11/10 would go again right this minute--I had so much fun and loved the entire experience. 

Topline Leather represent!

• The people really made this for me. Well, and the shopping. If you hate people or shopping, this might not be your jam. Or your jam might be different than my jam. Either way. 

great dogs, too

• Covered seats=worth. it. For stadium at least. Especially if you're not from the special hell that is the midwest. Humidity=murder. 

stadium communal sweat pool

• I'd heard horror stories about lines and prices at the concessions, so we brought drinks/snacks and never visited the concessions. My observation was that as long as you didn't hit prime times, concession lines were fine. Prices were off the charts though. Think $10 for a drink. Yikes! 

free shots on xc tho

• Fauxbarrys (or the real thing) are a super smart idea if you ever leave pavement. That grass is long and thick and wet feet are not the funnest.

plus great shots

• Do your research! I'm a shopper, so I kinda know what stuff sells for. I got some killer deals on things I needed (gloves and shirts), did not regret buying some things that never go on sale (Eponia), and passed on things that had marginal-at-best pricing (LA MUNDIAL AND C4). No harm in paying full price if it means you're not paying shipping (or get to handle stuff in person), but gotta be smart. Or loaded. Prefer both.

yes plz

• If you're from the northwest, be forewarned that they don't really do coffee there (there=Kentucky generally). You will have to look harder to get your fix. Learn to love gas station coffee.

or drink not coffee

• A backpack or messenger bag was absolutely invaluable. I loaded it with snacks and drinks in the morning and then swapped those things out for purchases as the day went on. 

CAT BAG

• Parking is not that bad. Unless it is Saturday. And then it is THAT BAD. 

we've already walked a hundred miles AND THE CAR IS BY THOSE TREES

• Driving around the back roads and seeing miles and miles of beautiful black fences and rolling green hills was like being in fairy land. IF FAIRY LAND WAS BUILT IN HELL. Regardless, must-see experience. Plus your car likely has all-important climate control. 

Um... I think that about covers it? 

Bling It Like You Own It: Custom Sparkle Browbands

I have a thing for sparkle browbands. I have even had existential crises about having more browbands than bridles and which ones to use on more than one occasion. But instead of wallowing in sparkles and indecision, I'm going to put my in-depth knowledge of the browband world to work for you. I'm going to talk about browbands of many different styles and price points, and by the end of this post, your eyes might be seared out of their sockets by all the bling.

just a normal day

There are several price ranges for browbands--the affordable, $0-$65ish, the mid-range $80-$120ish, and then the high end love-it-or-leave-it $150+. I realize that my taste is not the same as everyone else's, but for their opinions, you'll need to read their blogs. Or they can comment below.

Dark Jewel Designs

i like options

First, let's talk affordable. There are lots of options in the >$100 price bracket. My hands-down, no-question, no-competitor favorite here is Dark Jewel Designs. Amelia runs the shop and is freaking amazing at what she does. I've reviewed her work before and in the times I've worked with her since, I've had equally excellent interactions. Per her etsy, a fully custom browband with two interchangeable bead strands will run you around $50 and if you have no taste (like me), she has albums full of finished work you can peruse and copy.

model shot

If you want something simple, changeable, or just want to dip your toe in the sparkle market, this is absolutely where to go. I've had my older browband from her for several years and it still looks fantastic. There are other people who knock off her designs, but they really aren't any cheaper and the service is terrible so I'm confused why that's a thing.

for every occasion!

There are other entrants in the >$100 crowd, but I have yet to be impressed with a single one. They mostly look cheap to me. Amelia hits the balance of affordable and classy, plus you get two great looks for one low price. I'll keep on sending people to her as long as she makes browbands. (And now stock pins and bracelets, I believe).

Browbands with Bling

pretty

If you want a little something more and can commit to a color, my favorite maker in the $85-120 price range is Browbands with Bling. Katharine runs the place in the way only a no-nonsense down-to-earth Jersey girl can. Actual quote: "You said [color] and I threw up in my mouth a little bit". She carries a range of pre-made designs and can customize on the spot.

so cool #puncentral

She's also been around for quite some time and is less likely to just fold it up and disappear like a more fly-by-night operator who comes and goes. I like the designs and the materials for her stuff and my overall impression is very positive.

fabulous

I got my browband from a booth she had at Rebecca Farm, but you can also custom order anything and she's great to work with. I did a custom order for my trainer around Christmas and had the product in my hand within days of finalizing the order. She offers straight, swoops, and v-style browbands. Mine is a V because it looked cool and I wanted it. My trainer loooooves this browband and tends to use it for all C's training rides, so it's gotten a lot of use and still looks fantastic.

Again, this is a wide price range and there are a lot of options out there, most notably the Equiture and PS of Sweden megabling look. I haven't had Equiture, have had PS and I'll say this: it's very flashy and pretty fun. I prefer a little more complexity to my sparkle looks rather than straight-up I'LL SHOW YOU BLING, but that's 100% a personal thing and ymmv.

the megabling look

Topline Leather

i have a problem

If you're committed to the bling life and want to hit the lux end of things, Topline Leather is where it's at ("lit AF" is the term, I think). A few old school bloggers out there might remember Meghann from when she was one of us, but now she's a supplier to the stars. Like. Legit. I think one of her browbands was at the Olympics? It's pretty awesome.

fancy!

Anyways. She carries nothing in stock and everything is full custom and if you come up with a new design, you get to name it. She also has incredible taste, which is perfect for people like me who never know what the hell we actually want. I gave her super vague guidelines for my first one ("i like sparkles") and she came up with my all-time-favorite browband, which is now called the Absolute Courage and yeah, Hawley Bennett has one for Jollybo. #sparklegameonpoint

#nailedit

The thing I love most about my Topline browbands is that I can ride in my dark indoor at night in the winter and they still catch every possible light and sparkle. LOVE. Need that. Meghann is gonna be annoyed if I don't put this in, so I'll say that she uses real swarovski stuff, not the easily-discolored and -less sparkly Czech crystals, plus everything is hand stitched. Her wait list is INSANE but oh so worth it.

Parting Thoughts

I've had a few other browbands from other makers here and there, but these are the ones I keep coming back to. Quality products. Solid service. Excellent value. Superb sparkle. I have placed more than one paid order with each of them and do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who asks.

PS and yes, if you're wondering, my hardest choice every day is WHICH SPARKLES GO WITH THIS OUTFIT. So many sparkles. So little time.

The Firstiest First World Problem

I've been in need of some distraction lately, so I'm sure you're all super shocked I turned to obsessing over tack. 

It's.... happened before... in case you were wondering why I all of a sudden have two patent leather cavessons and a new twist on a blue padded piece, well, that was last month's distraction that just happened to arrive. Don't judge.

Anyways. I have a lot of bridles. Despite what most people think, I'm not a hoarder and I like to keep my options open, so I'd like to have somewhat less bridles. That means I have to tally up the bridles/looks I have and then decide what stays and what goes.

Let's start easy--

BROWN BRIDLES:

Haha well our open show debut prompted this second-most-recent (I think? I lost count) addition to the collection.

yup

Horse size Dover Circuit bridle. Tobacco leather, fancy stitched, plain cavesson, traditional crown. Got it for a screaming deal and this reminds me, I said I'd do a craft project and dye it. Maybe next month. Don't hold your breath. 

Also in the brown category:

do you remember this one? Had it forever.

Cob size Nunn Finer figure eight in havana with stainless buckles. If you're sitting over there like "wtf sb I've never seen this bridles before", well, you have. It just usually looks like this:

frankenbridle

with the custom race noseband and sweet Dark Jewel Designs gameday browband 

OR

topline

this with the fancy Topline Leather sparkles and ebay-find cavesson for when mamma needs a standing, which is always. 

Believe it or not, that's all the brown bridles I own right now. Excluding my western bridle which is sort of tan colored. Whatever. It only half counts. You don't get a pic.

BLACK BRIDLES

Despite my early-life loathing of black leather, I now own quite a lot of it. I'll try to go in order of what I've had the longest, but my memory is only so good.

red barn

There's my Red Barn Capriole bridle, which I think was my first legit dressage bridle that was not PS of Sweden? I don't remember. Anyways. Very classic look. Very conservative. It's the dressage bridle your mother would want you to buy. Accommodates a flash (which I have) and the unused tabs really don't bother me. 

Shown here with my birthday browband from Browbands With Bling. 

I guess next up would be my dressage Frankenbridle.

topline

This bridle is some mishmash of random parts--I think it might be horse size bobby's crown, cob size bobby's cheeks, super legit retro noseband from an enabling friend, and of course one of my crown jewels, the Absolute Courage browband from Topline Leather. Yeah it's named after him. ;-) 

Hmmmm probably next would be Otto, who was already introduced via his own personal blog post, but here goes:

otto

Otto is of course a cool retro Otto Schumaucher bridle with a traditional crown and crank cavesson but no flash. Otto rocks the self-colored braid on the nose and brow and is the only bridle I own with no sparkles. Fun fact: I even bought a pair of plaited (not braided) reins to go with Otto because it seemed like the thing at the time. I like Otto. 

Then there's this contraption:

not my franken

A friend gave me a very fancy custom-made-for-her-horse patent monocrown noseband because it was not made well and didn't fit her horse. I had to borrow a monocrown headstall off her to try it on C. I left the flash on and added sparkles and if you notice he looks a little cranky, it's because even my superstar model OTTB eventually gets tired of head shots. Honestly, I really like the crown this bridle hangs on (but it's a little too big for C) and I'm less in love with the noseband? 

I dunno. Patent is new for me. 

But you can't just try one patent nose, can you?? 

I mean, I was pretty enchanted with the one I tried on C last winter. Noted: I never owned this bridle and haven't actually bought it for myself yet. Do love how it looks on his head.

Fancy!

So that one isn't/wasn't mine, but this one is. I call him Bachelor #1.

whoops

Let's just say I was stress shopping and there was potentially more than one bachelor coming home so they got numbers. Um. It escalated from there and I'll explain later. This is totally a knockoff of that super trendy Otto you see running around dressage shows. I found it on British eBay, tracked it to a uk tack shop I'd never heard of, and got a screaming deal on it. Padded crank, monocrown, decent leather, has a flash, yada yada. Did not love my shopping experience and didn't really have time to get enamored with this bridle. (Hint: if you want it, buy it from me or eBay. Don't waste you life at the tack shop.)

This happened next:

ooooooooo

See, I just so happen to be friends with my browband ladies and one of them heard I was looking for something cool and different and colored and custom and she sent me to Uisce Saddlery.  Never heard of them? Me either. 

However, another friend piled on with the recommendation and when I sent an inquiry on a specific item, the response was prompt, articulate, and polite. Oh and the price was KILLER. OH AND I GOT A FULL CUSTOM PIECE IN 10 DAYS. Not kidding. From inquiry email to product arriving at my door step was ten days. Quality is good, service was incredible, 10/10 I owe them a proper blog write up. 

But see, that's a lot of bridles for a horse who goes in one bit and a snaffle bridle and no flash and don't want his cranks cranked. Plus, as a working adult ammy, I'd like to have 1-2 (ok fine let's be real it's me) 2-3 bridles at the barn to maintain vs trying to clean an entire tack shop's worth of booty every couple weeks.

So. For a dressage horse in a snaffle bridle. What's your favorite and why? What would you sell and what would you keep? 

PS What if I just kept one bridle at the barn. Can you imagine? Would you even recognize me? DO PEOPLE EVEN DO THAT? 

Tack Hos Gone Wild

Hellooooooo internet... It's been a while. I'd say I've missed you, but sort been mid-crisis on a lot of things lately, so not so much on the internetting, much less the missing thereof.

Let's just say it's been an expensive few weeks.

Here's why:

One of my awesome browband ladies (I have two. Because ho.) contacted me a while back and offered to ship me a second that she'd made and disliked but didn't want to disassemble. Obviously, I said "yes".

topline leather goodies!!

Or something less professional and with more hearts and sparkles.

The only catch was that it was on brown leather and Courage only sort of has a brown bridle (and the browband on that bridle was purchased from my other browband lady for very specific reasons and I don't fancy taking it apart). Thus, I pressured Lindsey into helping me on the brown bridle 2.0 search well before the browband arrived.

fancy!

Courage somewhat-compliantly modeled several different brown bridles for me, then we threw on Lindsey's cool new dressage bridle for giggles.

less compliant

By the time we were done, my phone looked like this:

only one of many screens

And we'd definitely established that none of the bridles were quite right.

the pretties!

Then the beautiful browband showed up (love.) and I tried it on the brown bridle I do have. It's supposed to be a Nunn Finer figure eight, but I frankened it out long ago. Sadly, as much as I love my blue noseband with my blue and orange browband, it was uh... less than stunning with pink. 

eww

That started a flurry of searching for the perfect brown bridle at the perfect price, which netted me these things:

ebay steal: smartpak cavesson for $20

ETT-special plaited reins to match otto (wasn't looking, but hey)

invictus half pad because reasons and a coupon

Of those options, the one on top MIGHT solve my problem but apparently it was shipped by mule train. And then the mules went lame. And died. Or cannibalized each other. Probably all those options. Regardless, it's not here yet. 

I tried riding with the figure eight but due to some genius decision making that I'm going to blame on stress, I forgot to bring my running martingale out with it and let's just say that bolty OTTBs in the fall do not go without martingales. Particularly not when they aren't being ridden regularly and a storm is blowing in. See, I sometimes make good decisions, just usually not until a string of bad ones already happened.

fanceh

Which is to say. I barely saw my horse last week. I have a metric ton (actual figure) of fancy shit for him to play with. I've barely touched any of it. And basically every day is Christmas at my house until all this stuff shows up! 

Because once I got all pumped about bridle searching, I ran across a decent looking knock off of the modern Otto Schumacher bridle I've been drooling on since forever and then I ordered that too!

never had patent before

It obviously won't match the new browband, but I have a bonus black browband at the moment plus it comes with it's own and yeah, really can't explain this one other than to say I deserved it after the week I had. It's also not here yet, but given I ordered through a British tack shop in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I don't expect it til next week anyways.

I guess y'all can just be glad that I didn't also purchase this amazing critter from the hospital gift shop.

so stylish! such personality!

Trust me, I considered it.