Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
First of all, if you're just casually stopping by, you might not know that Newt is my New Truck which just replaced my 19 year old Blue Truck. It was kind of a big deal to part with BT. She'd been in my life for a very long time. The only thing I've had longer than BT is my husband. I am not really a fan of bulky key chains, but I do like to have something hanging there. And since Newt is now part of the family, I wanted something attached to her keys that might help me recover them in case I ever lose them. I first found HalterTags.com way back in 2011. I ordered a tag for each horse's halter. Those tags are still going strong. I liked them so well that I later ordered tags for Izzy's halter and all of my blankets. Those too are still working just fine. So when I thought about a key chain for Newt, I immediately thought about a Halter Tag since Newt is really part of my equine family. While the brass tags are GREAT quality tags that seem to last forever, I must offer a bit of a warning. First, I wish I would have ordered Newt's tags in brass instead of harness silver as they are already scratched from putting on the rings. The scratch wasn't just cosmetic. I could feel it, and it was pretty sharp. I ended up using a sponge-type nail file to smooth out the sharp edges; I don't remember the brass tags being that "soft." The second thing is that these TOOK. FOREVER. TO. ARRIVE. I ordered them in the middle of November, and they only just got here. In fact, after three weeks, I finally emailed the company and asked whether they were on their way or not. I got a very quick and polite response saying that the Christmas rush had happened earlier than expected. In apology for my order taking so long, they generously offered me a second tag of my choice for free. I used it for my spare key fob. I very much appreciated the gesture. That's good customer service. Even though the tags took a while to get here, and even though I'm slightly worried that the harness silver might be too soft to really last, I really, REALLY like the tags. They're thin, small, light weight, and just "there" enough to put a smile on my face when I pick up my keys. And besides that, it's just cute that Newt has a halter tag.
I use halter tags/dog tags as zipper pulls when the animal dies or retires from work. Now, whenever I put on my purple vest, I also think fondly of Story, whose halter tag is on the zipper even though the mare herself died in 2006. Luna's dogtag is on my winter coat. It's a cheap smile, and I think I need a lot of those especially in winter. :-) Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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