friday foto finish: tack + trees

Happy Friday, folks! It’s been a nice quiet week around these parts, but per usual I still managed to take an inordinate amount of pictures….

why yes, we do occasionally hack about in fly boots lol, why do you ask?

I’ll start with the “trees” half bc honestly, what is there really to say about another jaunt out thru the hayfields and woods surrounding our home barn? We’ve got a good “normal” circuit routine at this point, and try to get out as close to weekly as possible. Tho, realistically, it’s usually more like 2-3x a month.

you can almost see the start of changing seasons

We go with friends whenever possible, but often we’re solo. Which is nice in its own way. Doozy is a lot like Isabel was to hack: she is **marching, ma’am!** — and any attempts at slowing her roll are met with anything from mild annoyance to straight up indignation lol.

dropping down the valley to enter the low side of the woods

So ya know. Sometimes it’s nice to just hit the hills at our own speed lol.

hints of yellow already in the brush!

There’s been a log down by the creek bed for a couple weeks now, but actually we’ve been enjoying the “new” trail that’s cut into the high side of the woods. It’s still got a decent grade, but no straight up-or-down paths, plus the footing is loamy soil vs creekside rocks.

suspicious cabbage finally dying off for the season, much to doozy’s immense relief!

Anyway. After a couple days off post horse trial, we got going again with a relaxing evening hack, and then straight back to the salt mines while testing fun new consignment tack!

a strange purple-y pelt coming up thru the hay fields gives greater contour to the hillsides

Long story short, I finalized purchase of the Veritas Eximo. I like it and Doozy has gone well in it (especially compared to our various disastrous attempts at prior dressage saddle trials). I’ve wanted to get us into black tack for a while now, so. Here we go!

anyway. tack. imo this bridle looks more or less ok from the left side

Next stop was naturally to Maryland Saddlery to browse for appropriate accessories and accoutrements to complete the kit. Namely: Bridle, reins, bit, and saddle pad. And…. idk. I was happy walking out of the store, but am less sure now.

buckles and straps ‘n shit seem jankier from the right tho?

The bit is a very similar Myler to what we’ve been going in, tho it’s slightly longer (which I like) and actually has a very very small port (to which I’m more or less indifferent). The length factor, tho, really kinda puts me in a bind with bridle sizing. Doozy is technically a full / horse size — but could probably do better with cob cheek pieces. 

i like the sorta luxe flat black look of this noseband tho

I also don’t really like the crown piece on this bridle. For some reason, Doozy has kinda a weirdly large poll and I’ve ultimately preferred almost aggressively anatomic cutout / flexible crowns for her. Oh and the straight browband kinda bugs me too.

somewhat amazingly the consignment shop had almost the same spec myler we’ve been going in!

So idk. I like the simplicity of this bridle, and the leather is lovely… But it’s probably getting returned to the shop. Let me know in the comments if you think that’s a mistake tho!

oooh and a super nice pair of squishy soft Thinline reins that are a tad short but good ‘nuff!

I’ll probably keep the reins I picked up, tho. They’re technically the wrong length but that’s also probably why they were such a good price. They’re in great shape and feel lovely in the hand, so that’s good enough for me.

vote in the comments: is this color “ugly” or “elegant”????
(pls to ignore the brown stirrup leathers, thx!)
((am i the only one seeing uteri??))

The last bit of kit I picked up in this particular shopping trip was a schooling dressage pad. And I dunno guys… I like the fluffy quilting, and I think I like the color? Less sold on the gold trim, tho, ngl — esp paired with the white boots. Basically my goal is to be more or less understated.

she puts up with so much <3 <3

What do you think — should it all go back to the shop? Or would you keep some of it? 

And let’s not forget, I still need to think about leathers, irons, and maybe a different girth so those billets stop popping loose….