So where has this bridle been? Well, it was such an expensive purchase that it's been hanging in my home office waiting to be used exclusively at shows. I did use it a few times, and I even bought a duplicate of the bit that I was using - a Korsteel lozenge bit, so the bridle was always ready to go.
The problem is that my fancy browband is on my schooling bridle, formerly a Micklem, now the recently re-instated SmartPak Plymouth. I also switched to the baucher bit, of which I only have one, so it was all just too much work to switch out the bit and browband for a show.
Somewhere over the past year and a half, my spending comfort level has risen. I think the transition to it's okay to use your good stuff on a daily basis started when I bought my Ariat Volant's for every day riding. Those suckers were pretty darn expensive, and I've used the holy heck out of them. I think I am getting my money's worth.
As I was thinking about getting ready for this weekend's CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC), I remembered that lovely bridle that was just hanging in my closet, and all of a sudden, I realized what a gigantic waste of money it is to never use it.
My mom certainly wouldn't want to know that it is hanging unused. She would much rather know that I am getting her money's worth out of it. I also realized that I take really good care of my tack. I clean and condition it regularly, so it's not like I am going to ruin it by schooling in it every day.
Here's to living the good life!