A new bridle for Gina

Now that Gina's a legitimate jumping horse, I guess she deserves her own bridle. She has a lovely black dressage bridle to call her own, but my jumping saddle is brown and some inner part of me cringes at the thought of mixing black and brown tack together. Gina's been borrowing one of Moe's bridles, but it isn't really working out.

Bumming Moe's bridle, bit and all.

For starters, Moe's head is tiny. He wears a cob-sized bridle. Gina's head is much larger; the bridle is on the very last hole on almost every strap. I prefer to have some room to adjust if necessary. The other problem is that it's a figure-8. Gina doesn't need the figure-8 or a flash noseband. She goes very well in a regular cavesson. I suppose it doesn't hurt to have one, but the less leather I need to clean, the better.

Here are some bridles I'm considering: 

• Nunn Finer Event Bridle: I like the buckle ends, I like the plain, workmanlike style, I like that I can get it through work at a discount. 
• PS of Sweden Flat Out Revolution Bridle: Thanks to $900 Facebook Pony, I'm now intrigued by these bridles. I like the simple styling of this bridle and I like that the flash attachment is fully detachable. 
• Harwich Plain Raised Bridle: This bridle looks clean and classic. The price isn't overwhelming, either.
• Red Barn Kingston Bridle: Another plain hunter bridle, this is slightly darker and wider than the Harwich. It's available through work at a discount, too.

Making this list, I think my priorities come down to cost, simplicity, and the color brown. (I also wouldn't complain if it matched my Harwich rubber reins.)

So, tack hos: advise me! What's going to look good on Gina without breaking the bank? 

Viva Carlos Blog Hop: Bit it up

L. Williams and the majestic unicorn ask us: What bit [do] you ride your current beastie in and why?

For years and years, Moe went in a plain old D-ring snaffle. Why? Because the woman I bought him in told me he went in a snaffle, and I happened to have a D-ring that fit him.

Moe went all three phases in a D-ring.

Dressage (it's okay to laugh)

Cross-country

Show jumping

A few years ago, I lent Moe's bridle (complete with bit) to someone I played polo with. I moved before he returned it and although I offered to pay for shipping to have him send it back to me, I never saw it again. (He also kept my saddle. Rude.)

These days, Moe goes in a French-link eggbutt snaffle. It originally came with Gina. 

Moe seems to like the solidity of the eggbutt cheekpieces and chews on the French link a little bit more than he did the D-ring. Other than that, he goes about the same. Sometimes I think I need something that would provide more brakes on cross-country (and show jumping, too), but I find that a figure-8 noseband works just fine for us in show situations. Moe is strong and gets very excited, but he isn't wild and will usually back down after a few half-halts.

Gina goes in something very similar, a French-link loose ring snaffle.

I was introduced to this bit by my trainer, Anne, who loved it for all of her dressage horses. Gina likes it a whole lot better than the eggbutt she came with. She is soft and responsive in this bit, and although she gets strong over fences with it sometimes, she is usually pretty easy to settle with a half-halt or two. 

Viva Carlos Blog Hop: What Junk Is In Your Trunk?

Weirdly enough, I've been kicking around a "show me your tack trunk!" post for about a month, but never managed to get it posted. Happily, L. Williams of Viva Carlos fame used some kind of super secret psychic powers and hosted this blog hop! 

So what's in my tack trunk? First, here's the trunk itself:

It's a hunter green footlocker originally purchased to hold my belongings while I attended Girl Scout Camp for two weeks at a time every summer. Some time in college, I converted it to be my tack trunk. It's miraculously survived approximately 15 years of abuse from me. 

The trunk is covered in stickers: they range from bumper stickers from friends to freebies I received in the mail with various purchases. 

Well, of course I have to represent the Skyhawks.

What? I really like Metallica, voting, Pony Club, and agriculture.

The inside of the trunk looks like a hot mess, but I swear I know where everything is.

Here's what's actually in there:

1. Dover's Training Surcingle (purchased from work for $10) and rubber donut side reins purchased from Lauren at She Moved to Texas.
2. Ovation Schooler helmet
3. Mizuno Vintage Pro batting gloves
4. Polo wraps; kept in their zippered bags so I can find them easily (some are off being washed)
5. Short riding crops (I have two because I lost one, bought another, then found the original)
6. Ariat Air Grip gloves; technically my show gloves, but sometimes worn when the Mizunos get too hot!
7. Spare bridle that fits both horses, with spare flash noseband
8. Tack cleaning kit; just the basics to wipe down my equipment after I ride. Fiebings' liquid glycerin saddle soap, Lexol leather conditioner, and three or four sponges
9. Lunge line

My grooming kit and wash bucket are kept near the tack trunk. Most of my other extras (first aid kit, dressage letters, jump cups, granola bars for Moe) are either on a nearby shelf or in my horse trailer. The trunk typically doesn't travel with me to shows- it stays in the tack room and I remove things I'll need from it if I'm going somewhere.

I've loved seeing what everyone else has in their trunk!

Organizing a Tack Room

I've finally moved most of my tack from my horse trailer to the new barn. I've spent a lot of time organizing my corner of the tack room to make room for more stuff, so I thought I'd share some tips and tricks on how I do it.

• Wall-mount saddle rack: Years ago, my dad picked up several of these racks at a horse auction, and I'm happy to finally put one to use. (Horse auctions were a weekly Friday night outing for my family for several years.) They run anywhere from $11 (at Jeffers) to $25 (at Dover), but Beka at The Owls Approve posted a great DIY tutorial for a collapsible racks last month. Wall-mount racks are great because you can mount several in a vertical line without taking up valuable floor space. Be sure to mount them in a stud, though, or you'll rip a hole in the drywall.
• Tuna cans: For hanging bridles and halters up, you can't beat clean tuna cans. Dover sells bridle brackets for $4, but why buy that when you can get a can of tuna for $2, eat it, and use it to hang your stuff up? If you want to get fancy, you could spray paint the cans, but I just tacked mine up with a hammer and framing nails. (And obviously no level.) 
• Tack trunk: This small green trunk was originally purchased for me when I started attending two-week summer camp programs. It was converted to tack trunk duty in high school (so at least 10 years ago).  The trunk is about 30" long, 18" wide, and 15" tall. It's perfect for corralling all kinds of stuff: lunge line, polo wraps, helmet, extra lead ropes, equine first aid kit, human first aid kit. You can put a lock on it, too, if you're concerned about fellow boarders "borrowing" from your trunk! You can buy these at Wal-Mart or off Amazon for about $40. (Stickers optional.)
• Wash bucket: Even in the dead of winter, I keep my wash bucket at the barn. It's a plastic 5-gallon bucket used exclusively for bathing ponies. I keep all of my bathing supplies in it: pimply rubber mitt, sheath cleaner, shampoo, conditioner, sweat scraper, body sponge, face sponges, towel, etc. I never have to wonder where anything is, and keeping liquids in the tack room versus the trailer helps prevent freezing. (In the picture, it's also holding a bucket of Uncle Jimmy's Squeezy Buns treats and a stud finder.)
• Grooming tote: You know the grooming tote. You probably have one just like it. This holds the basics for me: curry comb, dandy brush, body brush, hoof pick, hairbrush, pulling comb, scissors, fly spray, hoof ointment, and hair detangler. 

I've been allotted some more space in the tack room since someone moved out, so I'm planning to bring in a plastic shelf unit. It'll hold the horse and human first aid kits to make them more easily accessible, as well as my dressage letter cones, jump cups, and any other loose ends. 

What kind of tack set up do y'all have? Have any neat DIYs?

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 11- Your Favorite Tack Shop

Day 11- Your Favorite Tack Shop

Who remembers when State Line Tack partnered with PetSmart and one could find horse things there? That was the best. I was extremely disappointed when that partnership ended!

I started riding in the days before online shopping was a thing; I remember when my parents ordered me a few items via phone order from a Dover Saddlery catalog. Most of my equine items were purchased at one of several nearby stores.

Growing up in southern middle Tennessee, I had a lot of tack shops at my disposal. There was The Tack Trunk, an english tack shop which carried both new and consignment items; my mother, ever the savvy shopper, found me many gently used clothing items there. Judy's Tack Shop in Franklin, Tenn., also played an important part in kitting out young Stephanie. It was mostly new items and perhaps a little rich for my family. They carried a huge selection of saddles that I ogled at every opportunity.

Of course, I could also count on my local Tractor Supply Company and the Maury County Farmer's Co-op for necessities like fly spray, dewormer, bot blocks, and saddle soap.

However, my go-to, very favorite tack store was, by far, National Bridle Shop of Lewisburg, Tenn. A mere 30 minutes away (as opposed to Judy's and The Tack Trunk, which were nearly an hour's drive), National Bridle catered to the gaited horse set. (Lewisburg is fairly close to the Tennessee Walking Horse capital of the world, Shelbyville.) While I had no use for patent-leather browbands or weighted ankle rings, I could use quality leather girths, breakaway halters, and splint boots. I think before every Pony Club Rally, I made a trip to National Bridle for tack sponges and new stirrup pads (seriously- have you ever tried to clean those?! Not worth it.)

Here in Oklahoma, I have an english tack store, The Horse Of Course, right down the road from me. It's alright, but somehow, it just can't compete with the memory of National Bridle. I haven't been to National Bridle in years, but when I close my eyes, I can still smell the leather, feel the cramped aisles, and see the bins of shiny browbands in every color under the sun. It makes me smile every time.

Colt's New Bridle

Colter has needed a new bridle since I met him. He's a big boy, clocking in at 17.2 hands tall, and his head is gargantuan. For reference, here is a picture of Colt standing beside me. I am 5'9".

The horse's head is the size of my torso, y'all. Notice he isn't wearing a noseband in the picture. That's because I removed it from that bridle- it was too small. The bridle he is wearing is a full/horse-sized bridle, and it didn't fit him at all. The browband was too narrow and the cheekpieces were set one hole up from the bottom. The throatlatch was always buckled on the last hole. Colt hated this bridle- he was reluctant to let me put it on him, and once it was on, he spent his time flipping and shaking his head in an effort to remove it.

Sharing a bridle with Moe or Gina was out of the question. Moe wears a cob-sized bridle that fits Gina reasonably well; they share a bit that is far too narrow for Colt's mouth. I have a couple of other bridles floating around in tack trunks and trailers, but all are horse-sized, as none of my horses have been giant warmbloods.

I emailed Colt's owner a few months ago about buying him a new bridle; he emailed me back to say he'd work on it. Colt's owner is a busy attorney with young children, so I don't hold it against him at all that he didn't find time to get a bridle shipped to the rider of his sat-in-a-pasture-for-five-years horse. 

I finally got around to buying Colt an inexpensive bridle from SmartPak about a month ago. It's the Plymouth Padded Fancy Stitch Bridle; at $70, I didn't feel like I was breaking the bank to buy a bridle for a horse that I don't own. (I don't foresee myself reusing this bridle on another mount; I don't plan to acquire any large warmbloods in the future.) I bought the over-sized, figuring it would be perfect for Colt.

Out of the box, it was soft, supple, and a beautiful color. It looked big, but so does Colter's head. When I took it out to the barn to fit it to him, I was extremely surprised at just how big it is. This bridle is legitimately huge. The browband juts out about an inch from Colt's forehead, but I think that's due to it being new and needing to be broken in some more. The throatlatch and cheekpieces are on the top holes; the bit seems a little low in Colt's mouth, but he appears to enjoy it. The noseband is adjusted about two holes from the top, but buckles perfectly around his nose. The reins are very, very long. 

Um, who knew Colter was so freaking cute?

Notice the browband. And the catalog-model pose he has.

Buckles at/near the top.

Ridiculously long reins.

The fancy stitching is very fancy.

Overall, I'm happy with the bridle. It fits Colter well enough (though I'll probably punch some holes in it all the same) and looks good on him. The leather is holding up well and is nice and supple. I'd recommend this bridle, but would definitely advise buying a smaller size than what your horse normally wears. I imagine the over-sized would fit a draft horse or very large warmblood just fine. I can't fault SmartPak for the size, really- I ordered it, and it is definitely oversized. They make a damn fine bridle for a damn good price.

As mentioned, I bought this bridle; SmartPak didn't compensate me to write this, but they did reply to my Tweeted picture of Colt in the bridle. That makes me internet-famous, right?

Non-Horsey Products Made Horsey

A magazine I enjoy reading regularly features a column on new uses for old things; I always enjoy reading about what new purposes people find for rubber bands, clothes hangers, and paper clips. It's as if these writers are MacGyvers of household products. I, on the other hand, have only used rubber bands to secure large piles of Johnny's mail that he leaves around the house, hangers for holding my clothes, and paper clips as stand-ins for my always-missing stapler. 

That's not the say I'm not full of tips and tricks- for the barn, at least. Years of Pony Club and living with frugal parents (and now supporting my horse habit with my own measly paychecks) gave me some interesting horse-related uses for distinctly non-horse related things. Without further ado, here are my very favorites:

1. Listerine

At Pony Club rallies, horses are expected to be scrupulously clean. Ridiculously clean. So clean you could eat dinner off the bottom of their hooves. This included zero dandruff in the horse's mane and tail. You can imagine that an animal which spends its life outside, exposed to the elements, rolling in dirt and mud, might have a dandruff problem. Normal shampoo is not enough, and dandruff shampoo is expensive. Use Listerine instead! (I imagine store-brand mouthwash works fine, too.) I find it's more economical to pour it in a squirt bottle and apply to the base of the mane and tail rather than attempt to pour it directly from the bottle. Leave it in for a few minutes, rinse, and you have a dandruff-free horse that also smells minty fresh. (I couldn't tell you if this works on people.)

2. Ivory soap

Sheath cleaning is just one of those things that my fellow gelding owners and I have to do. Sure, you can pay your vet to do it, but that definitely isn't cheap. Specialty sheath cleaning products like Excalibur exist, but are also expensive, and in my expert opinion, ineffective. (Trust me on this- we have 13 geldings at work who all get their sheaths cleaned regularly.) Ivory soap is gentle, foams easily, and does a good job loosening smegma. A three-bar package of this soap costs about a dollar, and you cannot beat that.

3. Batting gloves

I'm that person at the barn who always, always rides in tall boots, breeches, gloves, and a helmet. Even when I'm on a trail ride. Even when I'm taking one of the senior citizen horses at work out for a walk. Even when it's 115 degrees outside. (This habit stems from an unfortunate incident that spoiled my opinion of half-chaps for life.) I used to buy cheap riding gloves and blow through them every few weeks. A $5 pair of schooling gloves from Dover Saddlery isn't great out of the package and sometimes, they even come with the holes already present! I never wanted to drop serious money on schooling gloves, because that seems silly, and because at the rate I wear them, I didn't want to be spending $30 every other month. One day, I ran across fingerless bicycling gloves at Wal-Mart and bought a pair, thinking they'd probably do the job as well and look cool. (I was 15, what can I say?) The bicycling gloves were okay, but the palms were a bit too padded and the suede made it difficult to slip my reins. So I switched to batting gloves (mostly out of curiosity) and haven't looked back. At $15 a pair, they aren't the cheapest of the cheap, but they've totally changed my life. They last forever, feel exactly like a high-quality riding glove, and come in a plethora of colors for your cross-country needs. My favorite are these Mizuno Vintage Pros, which range from $13-20 a pair and come in 10 colors. 

4. Mink oil

Perhaps this is a little bit of a cheat- it's not exactly a non-horsey product. However, it seems like a lot of horse people are unaware of the existence of this super oil. Mink oil is made from the fat of minks and is frequently used in cosmetic products and leather care products. It's the best softening and waterproofing product I've ever found. My high school BFF and fellow rider Jacqueline introduced me to it- what a good friend, right? I've used it on stiff, dried-out bridles and always, always incorporate it into my boot cleaning. It makes leather soft and supple again and makes my boots so shiny I can see myself in them. Best of all, you can find it anywhere you can find shoe care products (like Wal-Mart)!

5. Skirt/Kilt Pins

Gold skirt/kilt pins are nearly identical to plain stock pins. Sure, they aren't as exciting as those stock pins the trendy hunt seat riders wear- all snaffle bits and horse heads- but they get the job done. They're fairly easy to find at sewing stores (like JoAnn), craft stores (like Hobby Lobby), and sometimes even Wal-Mart. Best of all, you can snag a package of two pins for about $3, while a single plain stock pin from a tack store is about $7. 

What non-horsey items have you repurposed for barn uses?

In Which Dover Saddlery Is Rude

About a month ago, I purchased some gloves from Dover Saddlery. They were on sale for something like $5 and I figured they'd make a decent pair of show gloves and last me through the rest of the year. I didn't plan on using them to school; I use regular old Nike batting gloves for that (and they're GREAT). When I received the gloves, I tried them on to make sure they fit and promptly left them on my kitchen table (which is also a shelf, you know). I dug them out when I was getting my show things together on Saturday night and tried them on again, just to be extra sure they would be fine for the dressage schooling show on Sunday. To my disappointment, the right glove left a nasty black powder all over my hand, and I could see the polyurethane coating flaking off the top of the glove. The little holes on the top of the fingers were ripped and stretched. The wristband elastic was baggy and stretched. All this on a glove I'd tried on once. (The left glove, by the way, was perfectly fine.) I emailed Dover to ask about returning the gloves. Here's the exchange I had with the rep:

From: Stephanie Peck (stejpeck@gmail.com)
Sent: Sep 25, 2011 12:59:58 AM
Subject: Return Question

Hello,
I purchased a pair of Flex Rider Suedetack gloves (item #X1-39152)
approximately a month ago (order #6200882) and am very disappointed in the
quality of the gloves. The left glove has no problems, but the right glove's
polyurethane suede is flaking off the top, palm, and inside of the glove.
The elastic wristband is baggy and not tight and some of the small holes on
the top of the fingers are ripped. I'd like to return the gloves. They
haven't been worn, but the tag has been removed; I am in possession of the
tag. Am I still able to return the gloves?
Thanks,
Stephanie Peck


On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 11:24 AM, Dover Saddlery - General <IS6053_18969@is.instantservice.com> wrote:

Hello Stephanie,

I can send you a label so you can send the gloves back, I apologize for the dissatisfaction. The gloves should not be falling apart so soon. Although you may want to look into purchasing a more expensive pair. The label will be coming via the mail and you can ship the gloves back using it.

Have a nice day!
Sincerely,
Aubrey K
Customer Service

WHAT? I should "look into purchasing a more expensive pair"?!?! While I'm glad that Dover is willing to replace the defective gloves, I am extremely offended that their customer service representative suggested I buy a more expensive pair. I feel like they're essentially telling them they know their lower-priced product is poor quality. Additionally, the gloves in question (here) allegedly retail for $15 when they aren't on sale! 

Shame on you, Dover!

G Isn't Lame!

Gina's mysterious lameness has passed. I longed her yesterday and while her front end looked fine, she seemed a bit stiff in her hindquarters.

What a nice face she's making. I think the stiffness is coming from a few different places. Her turnout is brick-hard, she hasn't been ridden in three weeks, and that arena is also brick-hard. I felt better about the stiff hind end after trotting her out for a few minutes; she seemed to loosen up and move normally. 

Encouraged by yesterday's longe work, I went out today to ride. She was the tiniest bit stiff when we first set off, but started to move out and feel normal after about a minute of walking. We spent a long time walking. I trotted and briefly cantered her both directions and she never put a foot wrong. I was really pleased with her attitude today; I half-expected her to freak out and try to murder me after three weeks off. She didn't (obviously). She was as relaxed and quiet as could be, going around on a very loose rein. Our only moment of spastic behavior came when I took her out on the sensory trail. We recently moved a couple of leaky water troughs out there to use as planters. Gina took one look at them and had a mini panic attack, staring at them bug-eyed and snorting. She reluctantly walked in a circle around them, continuing to eye them like they were going to jump out and get her. She eventually forgot about them and we concluded our ride. I hosed her off and hand-grazed her for about 45 minutes before returning her to the dusty dry lot. 

In other news, G's new halter came Tuesday. I think she looks pretty snazzy. 

Excuse my thumb.

It's Perris Nylon Halter in paisley, ordered from Dover Saddlery. As you can see, it's a very cute halter. My only problem with it is its size: it's huge. Gina is a fairly large horse at about 16.1hh and her noggin is by no means petite. I have both the crown and chin buckles on the last hole and it's still kind of baggy. It's an improvement on her old halter, though, so I'll be keeping (and using) it. Halter Hunt 2011 continues; I think I'll just look for a leather one at my local tack store soon.

Finally, a report on the barn Anne and I went to visit on Tuesday. It was nice. The paddocks were full of grass and had good fencing. The barn had large stalls with rubber mats, fans, and a large aisle. Some stalls had the option to leave a door open to the paddock, so the horse can go in and out freely. The hay looked fantastic; the barn owner feeds alfalfa in the morning and grass hay at night. There wasn't a proper arena- the barn owner told us she'd let it grow back to pasture since "no one was using it". Currently, it's a decent sized, mostly level fenced area that would suffice as a dressage arena or jumping ring. The biggest plus of the place was an adjacent property of 70 acres that boarders can ride on. It has ponds and streams and used to have trails that the owner had let go to seed because "no one was using them". That was kind of the theme of this place- no one uses it? Let it go! She told us the barn also had a wash stall with both hot and cold water, but it was currently blocked off by hay because...you guessed it! No one was using it. Other than that, the only thing I disliked was her feed. When I asked what she fed (because grain is included in board cost), she basically told me she feeds whatever is convenient and seems to be working. She mentioned using TSC's 10% sweet feed frequently, but said the horses were currently on some type of senior (I don't remember the brand). I told her I fed Patriot 12%; she said she hadn't heard of it. I said I got it at Mid-America in Talala, and she replied that she didn't really want to drive all the way out there to get feed for one horse. Hmm. I can't say I blame her, as it's about 30 minutes away from where the barn is. The only reason I go there is because it's close to work and the feed works really well for G. And don't get me wrong, I'm ok with switching feeds; I just need to know what I'm switching to so I can determine if it will work for G. I'm also ok with finding a feed that's more easily available in this neck of this woods; I just need to know the horse will get fed the same thing every day, period. Overall, it wasn't a bad place and I would feel comfortable with Gina there, provided the feed situation is worked out. 

There's another place in town that Anne and I are going to try to tour next Thursday. It's cheaper than aforementioned barn, but may not have the same amenities. I'm looking forward to it, though.

In other news, my mother is visiting for the long weekend. I'm going to try to squeeze in rides on Saturday and Monday mornings. My mom is a horse person and enjoys watching me ride, so I don't think this will be a problem. Maybe I can get her to take some pictures!

"Get something for Miss Gina"

"Get something for Miss Gina. Love, Mom" was the only thing written inside a card I received from my mother yesterday. The card also included a check; generous and, though it shouldn't have been, surprising.

I always forget my mom is a horse person. She had a gray Arabian gelding on whom she rode hunters for a few years- his name was Romeo. There is a picture somewhere of a very small Stephanie perched atop his little gray back. My mom rode intermittently throughout my childhood, although she gave up taking lessons in favor of toting me to lessons and horse shows. About twelve years ago she was riding around our farm aboard a Quarab gelding (my first horse-sized equine) named Buster while I poked along on Sadie, a pleasant Quarter Horse mare. Something spooked Buster and he threw my mom. She broke her collarbone and hasn't ridden since. She continued to take me to lessons and shows, often acting as a groom. She made sure my boots were dusted off and my pinney was on properly. She walked hot horses while I guzzled Gatorade after a hard cross-country round.

My mom met G last month when she came to visit; she was appropriately impressed and took an immediate liking to Gina. So I shouldn't have been surprised that she sent me some money with the instructions to buy Gina something nice, but I was anyway.

Onto the fun part: like most horse owners, I budget carefully to make sure my horse's needs are met. Board, feed, hay, farrier, worming, vet- I meticulously manage my money to make sure Gina (or Moe, or whatever horse I have) doesn't want for anything. (In college, when hours were low at work, I always went to buy Moe's feed before going to the grocery store. Sometimes this left me with $10 for food for two weeks, but Ramen noodles are ridiculously cheap.) My monthly expenses don't leave me with much leftover money for fun stuff, so I keep a list around for when a relative or friend asks what I'd like for my birthday or Christmas. Or for when I get an unexpected windfall.

Here are some highlights of The List:

Classic Leather Halter: I'm a big fan of leather halters. They look sharp, last a long time (if properly taken care of), and most importantly, will break! Sure, breakaway halters will do the same job, but I think they look tacky.

Plain Raised Bridle: I like simple bridles. The best bridle I ever bought was one purchased for $20 at a silent auction. Nothing fancy about it at all. With regular cleaning and conditioning, it lasted me for years until it disappeared after I loaned it to a former polo teammate. The bridle Gina came with is a hideous padded noseband monstrosity. It's black, which I hate, has a loop for a flash noseband (the actual flash is missing), and worst of all, has white padding. White. Talk about fugly. Needless to say, it looks disgusting. I would never, ever take her to a show in it. Thanks to my mom, I just might buy this very plain (but elegant) brown leather bridle.

Saddle Pad: Since the shaped saddle pads never, ever seem to be able to fit my saddles, it seems I'm destined for a life of square pads. I like that these come in so many festive colors. I'd definitely get the pink and green for schooling. And get it monogrammed. What?? That totally fits Gina's princess attitude.

Peacock Irons: The saddles I'm riding in these days are both on loan. One is a very nice, very expensive Passier dressage saddle kindly on loan from my trainer/friend, Anne. One is a relatively uncomfortable, extremely odd-fitting all-purpose saddle on loan from the equestrian center. (Most of my tack is on loan from them. Some of my tack was taken by aforementioned polo teammate- he has bridle, saddle, pad, girth. Other tack is in trunk in Tennessee, which my father refuses ship due to expense. So I'm having to piece together a collection, again.) The all-purpose currently has kid-sized leathers and irons on it, since most of our clients are children. The saddle is never used in the program, so I'm free to use it as I wish, and I currently wish to replace the irons with Stephanie-sized ones. Peacock irons are a must for me; Pony Club instilled a healthy fear of being dragged without them.

Tipperary Helmet: Pony Club also taught me that riding without a helmet equals certain death. While my Western riding friends have proven this to be sometimes untrue, I generally keep protective gear on my head. That said, I won't tell you how old my current velvet helmet is. (Side note: isn't Velvet Helmet the best band name ever?) It needs to be replaced and I've had my eye on this Tipperary for a while. It looks awesome and reviewers rave about its comfort and airflow. Sign me up, because it's 90+ degrees in Oklahoma.

There are a million other things on my list, including a lovely Stubben jumping saddle I've wanted for years. (I told Johnny that he should definitely get me that instead of an engagement ring, should the mood to propose strike him.) Will I buy any of the things on my list with this recent windfall? Maybe. But I'll probably just end up buying G a giant bag of carrots instead.