Awesome Tack haul!

 Today I went Black Friday shopping with Luke. But not the typical shopping in retail stores- instead it was to answer a Facebook ad...

It was nearly a 3 hour drive there but SO worth the trip! We stopped for lunch in Tomah WI at a bar n grill which had the best Bleu cheese burger I've ever tasted, and such huge portions. Luke actually got carded cuz he ordered a beer, and it was funny cuz he usually never does. Great place to eat! 

We had such a huge score on this Decker style pack saddle, for $400, which we split the cost 50/50. 

Then she offered all kinds of incredible bargains- Luke got a Dr Cook bitless bridle for $20. 

I got a Rembrandt Dressage saddle for $100, with peacock stirrups and leathers, pads and Girth.

The boots she threw in for free!

 I also got 3 leather cruppers for $5 each.

 Then she gave us a whole tote of halters and lead ropes and miscellaneous stuff so she didn't have to pack it (they were moving to MO by xmas) and a purple saddle stand. 

It was so generous and I absolutely cannot wait to clean up and try out this new gear.

Pedro & Viggo Milestone

 Today the colts were gelded and had thier wolf teeth removed as well. Glad to have it all done in one surgery. They'll get pain meds for a couple days but all looks great.

It was sunny but cold all day, which was great cuz no mud then. 

The vet also determined thier age to be 9-10 months. It's so awesome to finally have that mystery solved. At the same time, maybe they would have gotten thicker necks had I put it off till spring. But since they're sharing a pen with fillies, I really don't want to deal with early pregnancy or anything like that. So it's fine. 

Now it's just a matter of letting them heal and then they can start getting more education. 

INVENTORY- ENGLISH TACK

 Starting with bridles- and any matching breastcollars are noted with *

                       Hunter/ All Purpose Bridles

1. Weaver Leather Fancy Stitch bridle & reins. Horse size. Havana . Has Full Cheek Snaffle with copper mouthpiece bit.    *

2. Weaver Leather Square Raised bridle with laced reins. Oakbark.  Horse size. Has Full cheek Snaffle with copper mouthpiece Bit and matching Bit keepers 

3. Weaver Leather Square Raised bridle & laced reins. Horse size. Oakbark. Has Offset Western D Snaffle with copper mouthpiece bit

4. Older, Flat Hunt bridle from 1960s. No reins. Oakbark. (Pictured together with #5)

5. Older, Flat Hunt bridle from 1960s. No reins. Oakbark . No reins (Pictured together with #4 )

6. Gatsby english bridle pieces- to make complete bridle. Cob size. Havana. Has DaVinci Figure 8 noseband, also Havana. Has TABELO Ring Dogbone Snaffle bit, stainless steel . No reins. 

.

7. Gatsby english bridle pieces to make a bridle. No Cavesson. Cob size. Havana. 

8. Collegiate Fancy stitched padded bridle & laced reins. Horse size. Oakbark.  Has Collegiate Figure 8 noseband. Quarter horse size. Has Western Offset Dee Snaffle with copper mouthpiece bit. This was Twista's bridle 

9. Collegiate Plain Raised bridle & rubber lined reins. Quarter horse size. Oakbark.  Has Korsteel Full cheek Snaffle bit. This was Twista's other bridle. *

10. Secondhand. Unknown brand but high quality Plain Raised bridle with Flash. Has laced reins. Horse size. Dark Oakbark. Has Offset Western Dee Snaffle with twisted Sweet iron and copper mouthpiece 

11. Suffolk (Secondhand) Fancy stitched Bridle and laced reins. Horse size. Havana . Has Stainless steel O rings with copper mouthpiece bit 

12. Suffolk (bought new) Fancy Stitch Raised bridle and laced reins. Horse size. Havana. Has D bit with Stainless steel and Copper Rollers

13. Gatsby Square Raised bridle with laced reins. Cob size. Havana. Has Western Offset Dee Snaffle with copper mouthpiece bit.  Bought for Tango and she never got to wear it.

14. Gatsby Square Raised bridle with laced reins. Cob size. Havana. Has TOBELO Double Ring 3 peice Snaffle bit with Lozenge

15. Gatsby Square Raised bridle with laced reins. Cob size. Havana. 

16. Gatsby Square Raised bridle with laced reins. Cob size. Havana 

17. Gatsby Square Raised bridle with laced reins. Cob size. Havana 

18. Gatsby Plain Raised bridle with laced reins. Horse size. Havana 

19. Gatsby Fancy Stitch Raised bridle with laced reins. Has Collegiate Figure 8 noseband. Horse size. Havana. Has Dee Snaffle bit with copper mouthpiece. 

20. Gatsby Plain Raised bridle with laced reins. Horse size. Havana. Has Korsteel 5.5" Full cheek Snaffle with Slow twist mouthpiece 

21. Secondhand Unknown brand 

22. Secondhand Unknown brand 

                     

                Hunter/Eventing Breastcollars

1. Collegiate Plain Raised breastcollar. Horse size. Oakbark 

2. Weaver Leather Fancy stitched Breastcollar. Horse size. Havana 

                

          Miscellaneous Hunt/Eventing English Tack

1. Wintec All Purpose Straight English Girth. Size 46. Brown.   Have 2 of these.

2. Wintec All Purpose Shaped English Girth. Brown. Size 46. Have 2 of these.

2. Collegiate Plain Raised Cavesson. Quarter horse size. Oakbark 

3. DaVinci Fancy stitched Figure 8 noseband. Cob size. Havana 

4 DaVinci Plain Raised Figure 8 noseband. Cob size. Havana (Currently on a Gatsby Cob size bridle - #6 in the list above) 

5. DaVinci Plain Raised Figure 8 noseband Horse size. Havana 

6. Gatsby Fancy Stitch Raised Cavesson. Horse size. Havana 

           All Purpose and Jumper Saddle Pads

1. Roma Waffle Weave AP pad. Hunter Green with Burgundy piping

2. Roma AP Pad. White with royal blue trim

3. 

                          Dressage Bridles 

1. Weaver Leather Dressage bridle with Flash & laced reins. Horse size. Black with black padding.  Has Korsteel Offset Western Dee Snafflen or Pinchless Snaffle. Also has dropped browband that I created with glass pearl and silver rhinestones. Browband for this bridle has white ribbon tied to it

2. Corbette Dressage bridle. No reins.  Horse size. Black with black padding.  Has cheap Snaffle bit that needs replacing 

3. Not sure of brand but high quality, older Dressage bridle with laced reins. Conker color with white padding and padded crank noseband. Has bit.  This was Dusty's bridle. 

4. Dover Debut Dressage bridle with Flash & web reins. Cob size. Black with black padding. 

5. DaVinci Dressage/ Eventing combo bridle with Flash and web rubber reins. Black with black padding. Horse size. Has Sweet iron O ring Snaffle bit 

              Miscellaneous Dressage Tack 

1. Collegiate Black Dressage breastcollar with white stitching. Horse size 

2. Wintec Black Dressage Girth. Have 1 regular Straight in black and 1 long Straight Black 

3. Curved padded browband, with pearls and silver rhinestones that I sewed onto it. Currently on the Weaver Leather Dressage bridle 

4. Nylon string Dressage Girth

5. Black felt and elastic Dressage Girth 

6. Black polo wraps by Weaver Leather 

           Dressage Saddle Pads 

1. Roma Dressage saddle pad. Black with white piping.  Diamond quilting 

2. 

Gearing up....

 My goal is to have a wall of bridles all fitted and ready for use. With many different styles of bits , in many different styles of tooling and colors. 

For Western and for English bridles.  

And different sizes as well naturally, 

And with the horsebarn getting fixed up next year, there will be a tackroom to design!  And it's finally gonna be a dream come to life. 

So I'm going to get organized and take inventory of what all I have and what all I need for bridle hangers and so forth. And those will probably be a DIY project. 

A bit of pressure

 Seems to be the current vibe lately, and so I'm just gonna dump my thoughts here for now. There's just been so much going on lately and the basics are getting done, but it's not leaving much energy left for otherwise. Still waiting on a few ewes to lamb, and the hogbarns are a bit of extra work now. Cim injuries are being handled but it's discouraging at how slow healing is. I try to stay positive but it is hard sometimes! The colts get a bit of attention daily but lately Cim's been the focus , and hogbarns. 

  In the house, I worked 1 Sunday afternoon on a needlework- first time anything artsy since Oct retreat. That gets me down too, cuz there's alot of beautiful things to do but I'm just too tired lately. Maybe it's aging, maybe it's giving up coffee, and maybe it's blood pressure pills now- or a combination of all 3. But it leaves me trying to dog paddle through everything and trying to stay "connected to the joy " as it were.

Been trying to get violins ready and that too was a high to low. Cuz a freind of a friend was supposed to be this great violin fixer and such. And while he is very talented and kind, essentially it was a waste of my $ to have him do stuff cuz "it's good enough, don't worry about it ' is the style. And while that works for him who's been playing for decades- it's not for me as a beginner and is certainly not good for my instruments as I am learning from an actual Luthier.  Sigh. Besides poor alignment jobs he's scratched and dinged my violins too and pretending not to notice. 

The ones I'd had him fix up are also all rigged to his style of fiddler playing and his preferences- so he went ahead and modified them quite a bit, and even used broken parts to do so, cuz that is all what he had on hand  after he ruined my bridge on one. 

 Twice now this freind talked a big talk about something but reality was sub par and an expensive lesson. It almost seems like a pattern now that they want to be this source of grand opportunity for something really great that I'll "owe" them for- but it's actually nothing like all the hype they do. And a big let down that just costs me wasted time and money. I will have to be wary in future of any big ideas they have- chances are its a big deal in thier head and nowhere else. Moving forward,  Gary was a nice guy, very kind and talented, but I won't be letting him monkey with my violins any longer. Visit with? Sure. But not messing with my stuff. 

At the end of the day it's still my instruments and my $. I'll be money ahead letting a professional take care of stuff rather than people who have bigger confidence than what thier abilities actually are. I guess that can be said for the freind too. 

I want the violins in good shape and to begin lessons again.  Hopefully after Xmas. 

What I need to get cracking on NOW is painting ornaments for Xmas- usually I'm done by Halloween but not even started yet.  I'll tackle that this Sunday if Jeff doesn't scramble the plans. Weekends are like that though. 

I also ain't been spending time with mil either. She's either been horrible bitchy or overly sweet and since I do not trust her I ain't believing that she's had any change of heart. It's nothing but spider and the fly when she's being nice. She's been over a couple times now and fn just walks into the house like she fn owns it. And then expect everyone to drop what they're doing to pander to her. 

I'm looking forward to shitty weather when she won't leave her house.

Her reason for yesterday visiting was to ruin Xmas by announcing Robin and her family are coming for Xmas. Big fat hairy deal. But we'll all be expected to be as excited about it as they are and par the course- it'll be nauseous stress for us over nothing but abject stupidity.  

She also dropped big hints about Xmas decorating " all those boxes to get out" and I just played dumb. I wasn't volunteering to be at her mercy for that shit. She enjoys doing that with other people- she only enjoys bossing me around, so I ain't wasting my time. She'll find some other "volunteer " and make a great fuss over them for my sake- intending to make me jealous or shamed it should've been me. It is to laugh. 

I'm just done with her and all her bullshit . 

Dr's orders to cut stress and she's 95% of it. 

So that's the way it has to be and finding joy is paramount 

Sometimes it all gets overwhelming and then it just puts me in freeze mode where I don't wanna do anything with any of it, even the joyful stuff cuz there's a backlog of chores and housework screaming instead. And it just gets a spiral. 

I really need to refresh my brain 

Things with Jeff are great. Things with Jake and Luke are great. The house, though messy, is still a haven, a place of peace, for all who live in it. I comfort myself with that fact cuz it could be obsessively cleaned like mils (when it's really not, that's an act) but not be a haven for anyone. Just a cold display of stuff -and anxiety with eggshells to walk upon. 

There's also some planning for future, where I'd be working at Liz's store in Osage . I dunno the details yet as she has to figure out things, but it would be nice I think. It wouldn't interfere with the hogbarns schedule and be nice to get out for a couple days.  And she's willing to work around my farming schedules too, which is great. As January gets closer I'll know more. 

And I ain't saying anything to mil about it either. She doesn't need opportunity to sabotage my plans. And she would buck at the idea of my not being available 24/7 for her real, imaginary, or self inflicted problems and bullshit. It's been proven in the past. I no longer give her ammo to destroy me with. 

But working would take time away from my colts, I will have to figure out a way to compensate that. And yet at the same time, it would be only a few days a month so it's not terribly much either. But I'd have to configure everything else too. Still, I look forward to it. Next week I work a day as well and that'll be fun. It's sure different working in a "fun" store where people come to find joy and pretties - than it was working in Healthcare where people didn't really have a choice but to be there. 

I think I'm quite ready for another adventure.....

Tack WishList ENGLISH

 And here goes for the English gear Wishlist 

1. Jump poles, posts and cups 

2. Full seat breeches 

3. Paddock boots

4. Tall boots, Ariat

5. Dressage saddle pads in a rainbow of colors (except lemon and neon orange) 

6. All purpose saddle pads in the same color ranges 

7. Splint boots 

8. Matching Bell boots 

9. Oakbark english bridles in Horse size and Cob size 

10. New stirrup leathers black dressage

11. Peacock stirrups 

12. Waxed linen cord in various colors to match manes and tails

13. A bigger TACK CLOSET  for all the English bridles - or perhaps one for Horse size and one for Cob size 

14. Black Dressage cavesson, Horse size 

15. Weymouth bridle 

16. Snaffle bits, various mouth peice. 5". Need 5 for the Cob bridles and several for the Horse size 

17. New stirrup leathers, various shades of brown to match saddles 

18.  Gatsby  Plain Raised english cavesson, Cob size, Havana 

19. Brushing boots, black

20. Training surcingal and long reins

21. 5 Point Breastplate 

22. Bling browbands for Dressage in these colors- Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald and Diamonds . Straight and U band style. Cob size & Horse size 

23. Stirrup covers. Or pattern to make my own. 

24. 

Tack Wishlist - WESTERN

 So why not make a list of horse things I'd love to get, need to get, and really, it's all needed you know....

1. Weaver contour wool pad 1" thick . Black. and a White as well. 

2. Contour wool pads, 1" thick, in various colors and patterns. Any color except lime green, orange or yellow unless they're just a bit of accent color. 

3. Bell boots. Black. Purple. Turquoise. Pink

4. Roughout chocolate saddle- either Wade or colt trainer 

5. Purple sports medicine boots. Solid, no prints

6. Turquoise sports medicine boots. Solid, no prints 

7. Rawhide accent headstalls, reins, and breastcollars in light and Medium oil finishes 

8. Horsehair mecates in black/ natural and sorrel/natural  and tri color

9. Various snaffle bits 

10. Various Western D ring "pinchless" bits

11. Tooled headstalls 

12. Barb wire tooling, medium oil finish Pulling collar 

13. Basketweave medium oil finish Pulling collar 

14.  Bosalita, 1/2" and 1/4" and mecate for each 

15. Rommel reins of good quality 

16. Saddle strings to make bosal hangers

17. Bickmore Leather care products 

18. Tack sponges

19. Sunflower tooling breastcollar and bridle

20. Sunflower tooling Saddle 

21. Wade saddle in roughout leather 16" or 15.5" with bucking rolls 

22. Ranch saddles 

22. 

Summer Tack haul...

 It's been a great summer/fall for getting new gear! 

First up were a series of english bridles that typically go really cheap on clearance at State line every summer. These would be the Gatsby english bridles of various styles. I had been waiting for this sale because I wanted to get some Cob size ones. When they were selling for $22 I grabbed a few- these were Square Raised bridles in Cob size.

 With them I also ordered one in Horse size, and then a DaVinci Horse size Eventing bridle which was $35, and a couple 3 piece snaffle bits. The DaVinci bridle looks nice, and is very padded, but the leather is not as nice as the Gatsbys. We'll see how it does. 

These will be a more appropriate size for the colts that'll be up and coming in the next couple years.

How exciting it was to get these nice bridles so cheap! They seem to be a nice leather and for the price,  I can have fun training my colts with them. 

Later I ordered again just cuz it's such a great deal, and got 2 Figure 8 nosebands (Cob plain and Fancy stitched) of DaVinci For $8 each. These match the Comfort Event bridle I'd bought earlier, or I can put them with Gatsby bridle pieces.  In that order I also bought a couple of english pads for $6, lilac and purple. And a couple more Gatsby english bridles cuz they were still $22. 

I also bought a Suffolk Debut dressage bridle from Dover Saddlery, in Cob size, for $55.

 

 

A few weeks later I ordered again, this time it was Gatsby bridle pieces that were clearance at $5-8 depending on what what pieces they were. So I got several components to build my own bridles for even less total than the $22. (Although they don't have reins). So I used the Figure 8 Cob noseband for 1 and the rest I'll put together when I get more time. I also got a Plain Raised bridle in Horse size cuz it was on clearance for $19.99. I haven't even taken it, or the other bridle pieces, out of their wrappers yet. Update- here is one I assembled with the Figure 8 Noseband by DaVinci  and a 3 piece snaffle.  

And I still keep looking cuz there's a variety of horse breeds here now that will need thier stuff and it's finally to a point in life where I'm going to have it cuz I worked hard for it.  

In fact end of summer and fall so far has been nuts- I haven't been in the Studio much to go through Horse stuff and now I am feeling like I should get it organized again. Especially this new stuff, and the stuff I dug through to give to Luke for his horse. It's all just been sitting waiting. 

Other bits n bobs have been halters & ropes, and billets for saddles. 

About a month ago I found a nice saddle on fb and bought from a nice lady up in MN,for $400. It's beautiful and been well cared for. It has basketweave tooling and rawhide swells and cantle. Very comfy. I'll be using it as a go to since my old one can't be repaired any longer, or if it fit Luke's he could use it- but he ended up buying a used Circle Y that he loves. 

Lastly, I found my dream saddle last weekend and drove nearly 3 hours to get it.  It is a Rocking R. It's a Wade. With bucking rolls. It's medium finish.  With barb wire tooling. It's a 16" but the bucking rolls make it fit like my normal 15". It also came with its back cinch and a matching breastcollar- which was personalized " J L" but I don't mind- its the guys' initials after all. I plan to use it for a pattern too. 

Boy is it heavy duty, but it is SO NICE. 

My favorite maker, and a style I've wanted for decades (Wade) . Back when I ordered my Rocking R customs, this was to be my 3rd one. But life happened and I just couldn't afford to and then the company folded. They're back again, but this is an older one from years ago. 

It's been well taken care of, but I'll still give it a good cleaning when I get time this winter.

I also bought a saddle rack to hold these new saddles in the basement. Sadly it's wobbly but it'll do for now. 

Next summer there'll be a great new tackroom to set up and everything will have a proper place! I'm already saving pics of tack rooms online and watching videos of other people's tack rooms and DIY ideas. 

Rhapsody and Waverly Fall horse sale

 And our horse family got bigger ! 

Luke and I went to the Waverly horse sale this fall, with Rhonda. Rhonda bought 3 Gypsy Vanners- well 1 purebred stud and 2 crossbreed fillies. 1 of which she offered to me and I bought her from Rhonda then. 

Luke also had great luck and got himself a nice broke QH gelding.  So we all came home with awesome horses! So let's see pics!  

 

I named her Rhapsody soon as we met. And she is a doll! Gypsy and Quarter horse cross.  She was listed in the catalog but had wrong number sticker on her, making her appear as a stud colt in the catalog and she went cheap. However Rhonda got that mixup sorted out. Rhonda had bought her cuz she wanted the buckskin paint filly she'd already bought to have a friend and not panic.  But really didn't want another horse so was eager to sell. And it all worked out, cuz for years I'd been telling Rhonda that if I was gonna buy a Gypsy Vanner I'd rather buy one from her. And then it actually happened! 

And here's Rhonda with her filly, now named Tawny 

Tawny is staying here till Rhonda gets her colts weaned. She's very cute, but her personality is rather stand offish,  and she has no qualms about kicking/ striking anything she doesn't like so it's a bit hard to trust her. Though I'm trying to make friends she's not as friendly as the other 4 colts here. Her and Shanti are always duking it out who's boss- must be a Buckskin filly thing lol. And poor Rhapsody who towers over everyone, is bottom of the herd.

And I think Rhapsody might be blue roan instead of black- she has alot of white mixed in and her coat looks so much like Tango and Kaz's and they were both roan.  I guess I will know for sure in the spring! 

And then Luke and his QH, now named Anduril.. 

I love seeing how much fun he's having with this horse