fall haul from smartpak

SmartPak sent out an email blast last week about a special Fall Haul sale for existing customers, and quite a few folks in the blogosphere mentioned it. 

I suspect that I was not the only one susceptible to such marketing gimmicks lol. 

So I ordered some stuffs!! Yay!! It's a little early in the game for full reviews, but I want to share anyway.

Piper Full Seat Breeches

I *finally* pulled the trigger on the Piper breeches that were sitting in my wish list for months. I ordered the merlot / dark grey variety. 

I'm still figuring out how much I like them, and might have more to say later. But some first impressions:

• They definitely don't look great with my brown suede half chaps - but I suspect they'll look sharp with black tall boots
• The weight is nice for moving into fall, and I'll likely be able to layer in the winter
• They REALLY show dust and dirt, tho it wipes away easily enough
• Sizing is true, but so are the tales of woe re: gapping. This isn't a deal breaker, tho, bc nearly everything gaps on me and I usually wear belts anyway
• So far I *think* I like my Tredstep Symphony knee patch breeches (same price point) slightly better
• Pockets - esp butt pockets - aren't for everyone. But I am first and foremost a practical gal, so I love me some pockets. And these are deep and sturdy enough to hold things like my phone while I ride

Rockin' SP Fleece Cooler

I ordered this in size M for Isabel (74-76') since a few reviews mentioned having to return for a bigger size... and it looks big to me. What do you all think - should I size down to the small (72")? Or try it with a saddle underneath first?

It seems like nice quality, though, and everything is super reinforced so I think it'll last. My plan is to use it when we trailer around in cooler weather, especially since I have a stock trailer (tho I may know someone who can retrofit plexi-glass windows on it...).

Compositi Premium Stirrup Irons

Lastly, my new stirrups. This purchase was inspired by a review on She Moved to Texas. Specifically - she mentioned that the lightness helped her leg stay in the right place and that she felt less likely to lose her stirrup. In my never ending struggle to find my seat at the canter, I've been losing my stirrups a LOT, so I wondered if these would help. 

SmartPak doesn't carry the same exact version that Lauren reviewed, but has the same brand. This version also lets you choose what color you want the foot pad to be. I wanted black (was sold out), and thought briefly about purple... but ultimately settled on a more conservative gray. 

I like the look, and felt pretty comfortable in them. But my test was not ideal since I switched out the stirrup leathers to my old ones from my hunter days (thinking I'd keep the owner's stirrup irons and leathers together for easy swapping in case she'd prefer to stick with her own stuff) - and the leathers were WAY too short for how I like to go these days. To the point of needing extra holes punched. 

So another few test rides are needed for a full assessment. My initial feelings are pretty positive though - and I definitely like the lightness combined with the shock-absorbent and grippy treads. 

So that's my haul. Is there anything here that you'd definitely like to hear more about? And did you take advantage of the sale too??