Saddles:
Bates Caprilli Event, 17.5 medium/wide
I love it. Finally the perfect fit for long thighs!
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Bates Hunter/Jumper, 17 medium/wide
It's like riding a sofa. And somehow it miraculously manages to not get dirty very fast, which is nice for little clean-freak me.
It has the CAIR panels, which when fitted correctly I believe they really can be beneficial.
Collegiate dressage, not sure what "name" the model is, but it has the gullet-exchange system and it is well balanced. It's comfy, but some days I feel like a need a little more support than it offers, especially when doing lateral work or lots of extensions.
NEW! Ryder Legacy dressage, 17.5 medium--wide tree. It was love at first sight. I saw it on consignment at a tack shop, but then a week later when I went to go look again and possibly buy it, it was gone. I was devastated. Until a few days later on craigslist I come across an add for dressage saddles for sale. I still wanted a new one, so I called and she said "come have a look!" so I did and THERE IS WAS. I took it home right then and there. Seriously though, it is heavenly. Very correct seat and flaps, classic styling, nothing really stand apart except for the fact that is the most comfortable saddle I have ever sat in.
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I have a plethora of schooling bridles, all are quite cheap. Paris Tack, Suffolk, Pinnacle, and a Stubben. However, the Stubben is cob-sized and therefor sits in the bottom of my trunk. Silly. Mostly flash nosebands, one figure-8 and two french cavessons.
Among my nicer bridles is a Circuit flash bridle, HDR padded & stitched figure-8 bridle, HDR padded fancy-stiched hunter show bridle, and a Crown flash bridle in black for dressage with fancy shiny browband!
I also have one of almost every style of english breastplate. Elastic polo-style, 5-point, regular hunt-style, heart-shaped all-elastic, jumper breastgirth. I only use the 5-point and the heart-shaped, so I really should get rid of the rest. But you never know when the current style will change and you'll want that old one back, or maybe your favorite one breaks and you need a spare? Either way, I'll probably end up keeping them all.
I just LOVE synthetic girths. Don't get me wrong- leather is lovely but for everyday use GO BUY A TEKNA. or even a Wintec or Ovation, I've had those too. But Teknas are definitely my favorite, very leather-look but all the benefits of a wintec-type girth. And the jumper styles have those handy buckles for martingales in case yours doesn't have a snap on it ;)
I have a full set of Woof cross-country brushing boots, and a full set of Woof club brushing boots, both black. Very high-quality and easy to care for. Also 2 full sets of jumping boots by Roma (open-fronts and fetlocks) one black and one white. I find them just as useful as Eskadrons, but HEAPS cheaper. One full set of Intec Adelaide fleece boots (black with white fleece lining) for dressage, one pair of leather open-fronts, and like 10 sets of polos. And bell boots. I think those darn things multiply in my trunk. Over the years I seem to have acquired 3 pair of thick-bottom pull-ons (white, black, and plain/orangey-brown/gum/whatever), 3 pair of velcro-on (2 black one white), and a black pair of the fancy Pro-Choice no-turn Ballistic. I do like those.
Saddle pads? Like a bajillion. A couple Roma, Centaur, Dover, PRI, Tango. One Mattes dressage pad I found for FIVE FREAKING DOLLARS at tack sale. so it has one little black rub mark/stain- its mostly covered by the saddle anyway! Also, a Fleeceworks half pad, an off-brand half pad, and a Kavalcade (kavalkade? kalvakade? I dunno...) saddle-fitter pad with the fancy shims and whatnot.
Theo is also decked out for any weather. He has a Rambo supreme heavyweight turnout with detachable neck cover, Rambo mid-weight high-neck turout, Rhino turnout sheet, Honeycomb blanket liner/shipping cover/cooler, Rambo high-neck fly sheet, Wool/acrylic blend high neck cooler, and a polarfleece quarter sheet. He also has Cashel fly boots and fly mask with ears/extended nose. His shipping boots are my favorite ones I've found yet- made by Horsewear of Ireland (like Rambo/Rhino/etc.) and they've got fleece lining and they're very fitted.
My tack trunk is actually not a tack trunk, per say. I found at my local Home Depot and it's made by Stanley but it was only $55 or so and it holds EVERYTHING. There's also a very handy pull-out handle so you can move it easily (it has wheels too). Why buy the $500 version when all it's going to do is get dirty in a barn?
