Blogger Gift Exchange

Another year, another Blogger Gift exchange hosted by the lovely Fly on Over. This was so fun last year and this year was just as stellar!

I was a terrible Secret Santa and will fully admit I am still waiting on Santa's workshop to make the gift I got my person! Damn Santa and USPS postal system. I am sorry to my person. Please don't hate me!

However, *my* person was truly wonderful in her gift to me and Bacardi. AND got it to us on time, gah, feeling awful.

My Secret Santa was from Alison from Thrifty Equestrian and I LOVE my gift.

I had stated that I like bridle tags and anything OTTB and she took that hint and sent me a BEAUTIFUL black & gold OTTB bonnet. Not only playing into my love of bonnets, but the very classy OTTB logo.

Hello, its me.

Despite looking like a spooked goon, Bacardi approves! He really did not want to stand still for pictures and I literally took about 50 to get ONE good one. Spunky lil shit.

You might also notice in addition to the gorgeous bonnet, a new bridle.

I blame SprinklerBandit for this even though she knew nothing of it until after the fact. Not only is she one of my enablers, I saw the sparkles and instantly thought of her and C-rage and it was decided.

My new favorite obsession is stalking Tack Trader on FB...like, religiously. Daily. Sometimes hourly.

But its paying off. Literally.

Most things I find I don't even keep...I flip. I didn't mean to do this until I bought a Pessoa girth while girth searching and decided I just didn't quite like it enough to keep. It was beautiful and perfect and brand name... I made about 75% profit on that transaction and sold it within 30 minutes of posting it. And now I can't stop. Pretty fun hobby.

However, I also have found some really great stuff for Bacardi on there. It takes some searching and lots of messaging, but its worth not paying full price for brand name tack. I also got BFF Extraordinaire & Yankee a present from there as well. Its addictive. I love it.

The bridle is a Horze brand, which I was very skeptical about since I haven't heard the greatest reviews about their gear and from the website it looks a little cheesy online. But at half the retail cost (or more!) I got this for wicked cheap. I couldn't believe it when I found it and spent about 3 seconds debating before I snagged it up.

Waiting is the WORST part of this and I felt like it took days to arrive (it didn't, I'm impatient for tack packages).

Finally, it arrived and I was quite stunned at the quality. I pulled it out of the box in excess, but while putting it together I discovered soft and supple leather and surprisingly quite well made. It seemed sturdy, and I fully appreciated the buckles for the bit instead of that damn hook shit. As a mono crown, I was 100% sold and the fully padded soft broadband and crown suffice for the princess and his precious head.

B has the WEIRDEST sized head...think giant forehead and tiny nose. Cob size straight up did not work (ALL of Yankee's tack) and Oversize was way too big. I noticed he seems to prefer Fig 8's and they fit him best, with his special face. My Stubben full size Fig 8 I just bought for jumping was *slightly* too large in the noseband and I had to have my leatherworker guy take it in since it was also a mono crown and one can't just punch holes in those. I was nervous about the buying the full size dressage bridle, but it worked! Not a fan of where the lower Fig 8 buckle sits but he didn't seem to notice. I love it.

Apparently thinking there were horse eating monsters hiding in every corner

BECAUSE SPARKLES. When in doubt, sparkles. But lightly, not a huge fan of massive bling. Its perfect. I love it. Now my set for Bacardi is complete and he has his OWN tack. I love my Yankee, but his stuff just barely fit B and I feel better having secured tack that looks great, fits and is Bacardi approved.

I hopped on for 20 minutes today as well, slowly recovering from a lack of all physical activity (gym, riding & yoga) for two whole weeks. My hips were feeling it, but the ride itself was lovely.

behaving

Despite the frigid cold & spooky nature on the ground, he was calm & relaxed for his warm up lunge and we went through mounted WTC both directions twice with a little bit of counter canter work as well. Highest of praises to the Red One.

Thanks again Alison for the bonnet and praise be to Tack Trader!