Blog Hoppin: Everyday Tack

Oh I do love a good blog hop. I had to jump on this one because 1) tack whore 2) pictures

It was then I realized that we don't have anything fancy. Like at all. Everyone's all, "PA of Sweden Revolution" and "blahblah fancydressagesaddle" and I'm like 'hai I get everything off eBay because I'm poor as fuck & use the same shit for schooling to show in'

It's fine though. Fake it till you make it right? 

So I bring you, a condensed, tack whores', ratchet version of "Daily Wear; Horse Edition". 

From the top down I suppose, starting with dressage. 

Eating my words, I will say my dressage bridle quite possibly was the nicest peice of ass I owned, & it might still be. I've now forgotten what brand, but it's from GER and was a 16th birthday present from my mother. She felt bad because she was overseas at the time and spent a lot to get me the bridle I had lusted after for years. What a good mum. I still adore it (I will never dislike the classic white on black combo), it just doesn't  fit Bacardi like it did Yankee. Pretty tight through the browband area. And I really want a PS ok. Leave me alone. This bridle is still hangin on strong at almost 10 years old, which is surprising considering I take shit care of my tack now, so no PS for us just yet. This devil has to be really falling apart first before I spring for a $300 bridle *grabs heart*

The reins were bought off eBay for $20 after the old pair disintegrated or died or got lost. I can't remember. 

His bit is a loose ring, French link. Nothing special. It might be thicker than normal. I found it in my tack trunk. He loves it. 

The flash was found in my old boarding barns' tack room. BO said I could have it after I lost the original. It's brown. Does not match at all. 

Sometimes in the summer we wear bonnets, because flies. Bacardi does not look attractive at all in bonnets. 

As mom would call him, my racist horse. Thanks mom.

please disregard horrible pad fit. Gotta love those "all purpose" pads

My saddle is a County, featuring BOT pad. Couldn't tell you what model. It replaced my super nice, very expensive Isabel Werth that was stolen right off my property. Guess where I got it? Yep. eBay. For like $500. Bargain shopping!

The stirrups are some knockoff brand I got on..you guessed it, eBay, with the leather for about $40. 

The County has managed to fit my shark fins well and I think it's really comfy. But I've sadly never fit in it and it's an 18 1/2.   This is my life. 

*ass so phat need a laaaap dance* rap music

Legs, Y U so awkwardly long?? 

It's also old AF and has a million scratches on it and is fading. I DO oil the billets and I attempted to feel fancy by installing a nameplate on the back. I still drool after those super nice, deep seat, knee roll saddles that might actually fit me. One day. One day. 

My TSF girth could be my second "most fanciest" tack thing I own, as it's a name brand, but I also got this off eBay for a discount. Fuck yeah. 

Side note, they are amazing and I love them. 

Recently, all I've been using is my BOT saddle pad for both disciplines, which I also got off eBay. SURPRISE. It's wonderful and Bacardi adores it. I also really love my Fleeceworks sheepskin pad. Its perfection. It also was a gift, so even more perfect.

For hacking and jumping it's also a simple set up. I've played around with several bits, and peices (har har tack humor) & came up with a sort of Frankenbridle. 

Clearly modeled here by the dorky Bacardi,  is some sort of Henri De Rivel core bridle- that was a gift.  Meaning the cheek peices. The browband I bought off eBay years ago for like $30. It's shiny.  The figure 8 is well over 12 years old and I have no idea what brand it is but I used it on my pony Spirit and it's still alive and well and useful. I want to say it came with a hand me down bridle. I found it in my trunk also. And then there's the bit. Also eBay. It was fancy at one point and I think retails over $100 but I sure as shit didn't even pay close to $30 for it. The reins don't even match and they are Stubbens I got at Rolex for $10. Overall, about a $70 expense out of my pocket. I'm ok with it. 

Bacardi is too. Because he's a horse and doesn't care. 

An added bonus, holey breeches and thousand year old half chaps

The breastplate is something special. Horribly ugly. To the point it's almost attractive. I got this gem at the Rolex Stubben booth as well, I want to say $40? I can't remember. I know it's wasn't much and I was like "I must have this horrendous orange atrocity". But it works nicely and has less straps than my 5 point. Which I also adore. And got off eBay. But never use anymore. Trends, they're fun. The lovely grab strap is just an old stirrup leather. 

You'll notice my reins, breastplate & boots all match my saddle. Apparently I like orange? Even I was unaware. It kind of just happened that way.

This saddle is the mistress to my Burney monoflap. I truly love the Crosby, but I am married to the Burney. I am overjoyed that the Crosby fits my horse and I get to use it again. Its been chillen in my garage for far too long. I barely remember where & when I bought the Crosby, but I want to say...eBay. And I remember it was $300. For a saddle that doesn't even come close to fitting me, it is damn comfortable.

The Burney monoflap ( not even pictured) is literally just a piece of flat leather to hold stirrups. I bought it off an ex-boyfriend for $600. I loved it but there is nothing there for support. None. No leg things, no deep seat. Just leather. It worked with Yankee, but this bucking bronco Bacardi...I learned a bit more on "stickability" lets just say. Thankfully that guy is now the one in storage.

Yankee modeling the Burney

Girth is some brand I dont even know. Maybe Professional Choice. Girth also isn't mine. Its also orange. I really didn't plan this.

The stirrups though. OH THE STIRRUPS. These are truly my god send. They were a gift as well and I am grateful because they weren't cheap. They're the newfangled light stirrups. Yanno, the plastic nano tech ones? Wicked comfortable. And for someone with chronic knee pain I can tell you, these bastards are worth the monies.

Stirrup love is real..I wanna marry those things.

Bacardi modeling the Burney, the 5 point and old bit. All old news for him

And then theres Bacardi's boots.

I generally use my Equiflex combo wraps. They can be seen in several pictures above. I now own 3 pairs and use them almost every ride. I also really love polos and have about 37 sets. Not even joking I have 2 bins full of just polos. Occasionally, he will also get booted with other random shit I own/collected over the years. I've got some open fronts. I've got some schooling boots. Could not tell you the brand. The only fancy boots I own are the XC boots that were all the rage last year that I've used maybe 3 times. I also quite literally have 1 bellboot from each pair of about 23 pairs of bellboots. Its fun. 

So thats really it. I am an esteemed eBay expert and all of our shit is pretty ratchet. But we make it work.

Dog tax