Ready for battle!

Bayberry is ready for battle in her brand new war bridle. You may remember Bayberry as the winner of a recent tack giveaway contest with Two Horse Tack and the Behind the Bit blog. Doesn’t she look great?

Guess the breed, win some tack

We’re pleased to announce that we’re partnering with the Adventures with Shyloh blog for a fun new tack giveaway contest, which is perfect for readers of our Meet Our Breeds series.

Visit Adventures with Shyloh and guess the breed of the pictured horse, then choose the custom tack piece you’d like to win. Enter here.

Greetings from Baxter!

Lots of riders have “signature colors” for their horses, and Baxter is no exception. Baxter is a North American Spotted Draft. His person Cathleen says he’s “really hot stuff…unless he’s cooling his tootsies in the kiddie pool or at the beach!”

No matter what color combination you and your horse look best in, there’s a good chance we’ve got it in our online shop. Check us out!

We think Baxter’s dark coat looks extra stunning in his purple swag.

Congratulations to Bayberry!

You might be familiar with our Meet Our Breeds series, in which we introduce you to a few of our equine models and delve into their heritage. We’ve had the honor to

Bayberry

meet a variety of horses, large and small, but the winner of one of our recent contests was a new one even for us.

Meet Bayberry, who is a Georgian Grande. Georgian Grandes originated in the 1970s when a breeder named George Wagner Jr. sought to bring heavier bone back into Saddlebreds of the era. Robert E. Lee’s horse Traveler is a classic example of the bigger, heavier type of Saddlebred of yesteryear. Today, the Georgian Grande is a Saddlebred crossed with a draft or Freisian. Bayberry’s sire was a Freisian, and her dam was a Clydesdale/Saddlebred. We think the result is pretty stunning.

Bayberry’s person Adrian began working with Bayberry when the mare was three years old, at which point she was still unbroke. She also didn’t lead, tie, or allow her feet to be picked up. Bayberry is now seven years old and she and Adrian are planning to do their first show this year!

Adrian and Bayberry have won a war bridle from Two Horse Tack and the Behind the Bit blog (if you haven’t already started reading this dressage blog, check it out here). This bridle is great for a bit of extra drama in the schooling ring or any sort of

Our equine model here really didn’t need another ego boost about his looks, but the war bridle really sets off his features beautifully

costume contest.

Congratulations to Chincoo!

It’s not often that we, as central Kentuckians, encounter Chincoteague ponies, so we were excited to meet Chincoo, the winner of our latest tack giveaway.

Chincoo the Chincoteague Pony

Chincoo is a 14.2-hand 4-year-old mare who lives with Jennifer. Jennifer is still in the early stages of training with Chincoo, and is hoping the mare can get her back in the saddle after a few years away. She’s also hoping Chincoo can get her three children into riding.

One of the things that has held Chincoo and Jennifer back is a struggle to find tack that fits. Chincoteague ponies vary in height and build, and can sometimes have a heavier, almost drafty build. Others are more petite but might be taller than the average pony with the same head size.

Fortunately, Chincoo and Jennifer will have a custom halter bridle with snap-on browband headed their way. Since we make all of our pieces to order, it’s easy for us to change the proportions to fit a horse. The best way to get a custom fit when you order with us is to leave the height, age, breed, and approximate weight of your horse in the order notes.

Chincoo the Chincoteague with one of “her” children

Chincoo will enjoy versatility in his quick-change halter bridle, which easily converts between the two pieces–a great option for trail horses or a quick bareback ride around the pasture. Best of all, our beta halter bridles are maintenance-free: just rinse the sweat off after a ride and you’re done.

Our next tack giveaway will be for an English or Western breastcollar. Win a $10 off coupon on your next order just for entering.

British Invasion: Buckle Nose Halters

Whether out on the trail or tacking up for a cross country round, most of us have been in a situation where we’re switching from a haltered horse to a bridled horse. There’s that somewhat terrifying moment where you put the reins over his head, unbuckle the halter, and wham–he’s standing there, in a 100-acre state park, with nothing more than a set of reins between him and a gallop at liberty. 

Although most halters in the U.S. are pretty standard in their structure, European halters have a bit of variability that we appreciate. The buckle nose halter is very popular over there, often because of its aesthetics, but we like it because of the added safety feature–by unbuckling just the noseband of the halter, you can get the bit in your horse’s mouth without removing the whole halter from his head. No more heart-pounding moments of scrambling to get everything in place before he discovers his new-found freedom!

We’ve also found buckle nose halters are great for beginners who are still learning to take bridles on and off–or even for green horses who are learning the same.

It can be tricky to find buckle-nose halters here in the States, and even trickier to find one made of maintenance-free beta biothane. Our online shop carries this style in both leather and beta, for a reasonable $35. Give buckle nose a try today!

Another great contest!

We’ve recommended the Endurance Granny blog to our readers before, but here’s one more reason to read–they’re partnering with us on a tack contest!

All you have to do is guess Jacke and The Spotted Wonder’s time on their next ride to win an item of your choice (shipping to the US only). What fun!

Incidentally, if you haven’t already checked out Jacke’s blog, it’s a great resource for those just beginning in endurance riding. Sometimes when you’re starting out in a new sport, it helps to know you’re not alone.

Our breastcollars are popular choices for endurance riders–and they probably come in your color!