Arabian Sized?

Living in a dressage-sized world with an Arabian presents the occasional problem. Appropriately proportioned bridles are hard to find. Less than enveloping dressage pads are hard to find. Even a girth short enough for Speedy's well sprung barrel can be tricky to find.

​So it was no surprise when the halter that Speedy won at the California Dressage Society Central Regional Adult Amateur Competition was a wee bit too big.

A little off the top, please!

I pulled out my trusty, if not very sharp, hole puncher and went to town. I punched new holes up the crown and several more along the chin piece. The halter "fit," but there was excess leather hanging everywhere.

We have a pretty reputable saddle shop in town that builds custom saddles and does other leather repair work, so I popped in on Monday afternoon and asked what they might be able to do.

Looks brand new!

In less than 15 minutes, their leather guy trimmed the crown piece, added stitching, dyed the stitching to match, and added a few more holes.

Equally nice!

With the crown piece taken care of, he next tackled the voluminous chin piece. He neatly trimmed the end shorter, dyed the newly cut leather black, and then added a few more holes.

The whole job was done quickly and cost me a very modest $20. He even told me to bring it back for any adjustments at no additional charge. Many thanks to the guys over at Granite Station Saddlery.

A much better fit!

I drove straight to the barn from the saddle shop and threw the halter on to check the fit. Speedy was eating, so he was less thrilled than I was.

He looks good in ANY color!

It's not often that I get so excited by a ribbon or an award, but this one is pretty special. I've won 3 coolers (1 for endurance and 2 for dressage), but I like the halter the most! I think I worked harder for it than the first place coolers.

Second place is AWESOME!

I prefer my rope halters as they can get wet and dirty without stiffening, so I am not sure when I'll even use the fancy leather one. I am thinking it might be fun to use at our show this next weekend, but for now, it's hanging in my office where I can enjoy it every day.

Thanks for being such a great teammate, Speedy G!