Wishlist

I am extremely happy to say that for the most part I have all of the tack that I need for Katai right now and it all fits, is in good shape, matches (at least for the most part), and works well. This means that I’m mostly able to focus on what I need/want which is absolutely wonderful since I used to feel like a homeless person when I went to the barn wearing old, baggy, stained t-shirts and old, baggy, stained breeches that sometimes had holes in them. Since then I’ve come a long way and have six, yes SIX, pairs of nice breeches that fit and don’t have stains or holes. I’ve also been stocking up on polo shirts, from Goodwill mainly, and have five or six nice tops to wear to the barn but let’s face it, that’s not a lot especially in the summer when I don’t dare wear a barn shirt more than once before I wash it. So I’ve been doing some shopping :)

 

Katai:

Thankfully right now I only have one item on my tack wishlist and that is for an ergonomic girth from Total Saddle Fit. 

http://totalsaddlefit.com

Katai’s girth groove and size mean that she always hits her girth with her elbows on every stride. I’ve tried several different standard girths in different lengths, thicknesses and shapes and she has the same issue with all of them. Luckily it doesn’t seem to bother her much and she doesn’t show any rubs or marks but to me it looks like it would be uncomfortable and I don’t want to wait until there is an issue to try to fix this. The girth I’m using right now is very low profile and long enough that when she is girthed up she doesn’t hit the buckles but it still looks really uncomfortable. I don’t particularly have trouble with the saddle riding forward on her and it pretty much stays where I put it but I think this girth would be worth a try especially with the 30 day 110% money back guarantee.

 

Of course if I decide to go this route it will mean that my girth was more expensive than my pony but hey, if it works.

 

Me:

SmartPak Wishlist:

Horze Wishlist:

Can you tell I like socks?

Tonight I had another excellent ride on Katai. She was so so good and although I lost steering and forward at various times she also tried the whole time and didn't get so sensitive and upset about my minor corrections when I tried to tell her that something she was doing wasn't what I was looking for. She is getting really strong too so she gets less frustrated when I ask her to do things that used to be hard for her.

Just look at that nice foamy mouth!

Material Girl

Sometimes I feel materialistic when it comes to my pony and I feel the need to explain even though I know I don't need to.

I do love my pony for my pony and even if I had the same worn English saddle with a towel under it as a saddle pad and a mismatched bridle like when I was growing up I would love her just the same and would enjoy riding just as much. I am not into horses because of products or as a shopping opportunity they are simply a part of my soul.

However, I don't buy much for myself and when I do its normally practical. I love name brands but I can rarely afford them so I almost never buy them and while I do have a weakness for Victoria Secret I rarely buy myself anything fun as far as clothes or shoes go.

I also don't have any other expensive hobbies and even my computer was a good deal and relatively "cheap", in fact the only thing I have that is really nice is my iPhone.

When it comes to Katai though things are different. I save my money so that I can buy her nice things. Mainly its because her comfort and health actually depend to some extent on my ability to buy and use things that fit her and are comfortable and well made. I'll be fine if I wear work clothes from Target but my pony's back won't be ok if I buy her a cheap saddle.

Its also because its fun. Not only is it fun to shop for cute, nicely made, adorable things for her but it is so nice to see her in nice things and to feel proud about how she looks. Probably this isn't so different than parents buying their kids nice things but since I don't have any my pony gets to be nicely outfitted.

I bring this up partially because I did some shopping on Cyber Monday and bought another weight of blanket, finally I think I have the different weights that I need, a new girth and a pair of socks for myself. Partially though its because reading through posts it seems I have a lot of things I want for her. Most of them are things I need for example the girth I just bought was because neither of the ones I have right now really fit her. One is too short so she keeps hitting the buckles with her elbow (ouch) and the other is too slippery and doesn't have enough elastic so I slip all over the place. Having a unique sized and shaped horse means that I'm constantly searching for things that fit and work for her small frame.

And there is the fact that I can finally afford some of this stuff.

Growing up, as I said before, I had almost nothing that I wanted and very little that I needed to actually be able to outfit a horse properly and comfortably. Much of it was a quick fix or was borrowed from a friend and I always felt like I needed something or wanted something. It is so nice to finally have a good job and to be able to afford the things that we both need to be able to function together as a good horse and rider team :-)