Annnnd I Shopped (again)

Didn't take long, did it!?  The Boy is also impressed with how few days can go between horsey shopping events...

High on our success from yesterday's ride, I immediately set off in search of P2's new Hunter Outfit. 
Texts messages went out, emails were sent.  All like-minded tack ho's were notified: "bridle shopping, any suggestions?"

If I had some sort of Tack Ho bat signal, it would most assuredly been pointed up at the night sky...

Tack Ho's UNITE!!!

ANYway......

I didn't want to spend a fortune, as I don't think this will be Prairie's "primary occupation" - more like her hobby (like scrap booking, or crocheting).  But, I also strongly despise cheap tack which usually results me in spending more dollars so that I enjoy touching whatever it is that I get - even if I only touch it once ever 4 months.  By "cheap tack" I mean crappy tack.  Inexpensive, good tack is encouraged.

Emails flew, many a web pages were opened and ultimately, I stumbled upon a great site (courtesy of SprinklerBandit) called Just Bridles. 

What I really like about this site, is that you can buy all of her bridles piece by piece.  In case your Tack Ho heart just skipped a beat - Yes, that means we can mix and match sizes and manufacturers for that perfect dream bridle that fits little miss donkey ears.

Also, she has flat rate $5.95 shipping.  And, when you call her to ask about rushing an order for your backyard-totally-rinky-dink-schooling-show this weekend, she's really, really nice and will rush your order for... that same $5.95 flat rate shipping. 

She also will tell you about all the bridles you have placed in your cart and what else she might suggest.  She steered me away from one of my selections because in real life it looks really flat and plain, then she scampered off to check her inventory and sent me a picture of a bridle she didn't have listed yet but fit the bill in terms of what I was looking for.

For the record I was looking for:
    DARK. dark, dark, dark brown....
    Wide nose band so P2 doesn't look like a moose.
    Not $400.

She came back with this:

I'm in a fight with Picasa and it won't rotate..

 A nice, chocolate, padded, raised little hunter bridle by Aramas.  This shows it with the extra wide crank cavesson which we got instead of the standard nose.  What's weird is that the cavesson has two hanger buckles (like a monocrown would), but it still has a little hangar strap that feeds through the crownpiece like a standard nose band... why? I don't know. 

To emphasize just how helpful the owner was, when I gave her P2's head measurements, she steered me away from just getting a F/S whole bridle and instead we ended up with:

C/S Crown
F/S Brow
O/S Cheeks
F/S Cavesson
O/S Reins

So either she's crazy, or she's the most helpful bridle person ever.  I'm crossing my fingers for the later. 

Because I prefer to "order once, return twice."  I threw in a backup option as well.  It just so happens to be way cheaper, but I'm less confident the leather will be as rad.  Still Dark, still wide nose banded, but lacks the padded crown and the crank.

Ovation- Dark Brown, Extra Wide Nose, Square Raised Bridle

It is only $160... So if it works, it's a great hobby bridle for the mare while she moonlights as a Hunter (at local, unrated, backyard shows).

Okay, that's it.  Still on the "shopping list" are martingale(s).  But my brain started to explode at the notion of deciding on what martingale I should get.  Clearly if we're rounding out P2's Hunter ensemble, she'd be needing a (matching) standing martingale, but realistically a running martingale is more necessary for our daily exploits... So, instead of frying my brain I tucked my wishlist back into my pocket and will save that shopping adventure for another day...


Da-na-nuh-na-nuh-na-nuh-na Da-na-nuh-na-nuh-na-nuh-na TACK HO!  (Batman theme...)