Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I love sparkly, beautiful browbands on other people's horses. A nice browband adds a touch of elegance and regalness to most any horse. Just not mine. It took me forever to finally buy a browband for Speedy's bridle. Everything I looked at was just too flashy. I finally found the one from Red Barn. It has a gentle curve with subtle pearls and stones. It suits both of us. I am finally feeling ready to buy Izzy's bridle a new browband. His bridle currently sports a browband with small clinchers, one of which recently broke off. Now that he's proven he can be a show horse, I am thinking that he has earned something a bit fancier. Since subtle is my middle name though, I am not necessarily the best judge of fancy. My fancy is usually someone else's plain jane. So, if I am actually going to really go for it, I need a bit of advice. What's the current thinking? Is it better to match your browband to your horse or to your jacket? I ride in a navy jacket (shown above) and don't see that changing any time soon. I like it, it's super comfortable, and it fits well. If I do decide to go for an upgrade, it will in all likelihood be another navy option, or possibly black. If I go for something that matches my jacket, reason would suggest that I should choose something in blue stones. The problem with that is that I just don't see Izzy in blue. I should back up. As many times as I've looked for fancy browbands, nothing, and I mean nothing has ever tempted me, so I never really pictured him in any color. Until recently that is. I was perusing the Dressage Pony Store's website and landed on Valerie's selection of full size browbands. This blue one, a pretty fancy number, started calling my name. At around $100, the price is within my ball park even though it's currently sold out. With Izzy's warm coat color, bucksin-esque in late summer, and a deep seal brown the rest of the year, I am wondering if he wouldn't look better in a browband that sported warmer tones? I am in love with this rose gold browband and feel certain that it would look stunning on him. But like I said, my equine fashion sense when it comes to bling is not really to be trusted, hence the plea for advice. But then I saw this one. It has the golden colors that I think would look fabulous with his coat, but there are also pale blue pearls that might work with my navy coat. This browband sells for $90. I don't love it nearly as much as the one above, but maybe in person it's so stunning that I'd be wowed no matter which one I was looking at.
So, what do you all think? Match the horse? Match the coat? Just how are these things done? Is buying all 3 an option? lol Not super helpful, I realize. ;-) So, if I had to pick 1 on the spot, I'd pick the middle one - love the rose gold tones and I think it would look great with navy and black jackets. The bottom one is a bit too yellow-y in that pic for me, but that is just my 2 cents! 9/9/2019 06:32:49 am
I also vote for buying more than one. LOL I actually saw Valerie, who owns the Dressage Pony Store, at a show yesterday. She also thought the rose gold BB was a good choice, and she said it is BEAUTIFUL in person. She's taking her store to the USDF/CDS Regional show next weekend so she's building up her stock right now. I told her to keep an eye out for the perfect BB for me. :0) 9/9/2019 07:08:44 am
I like the top one. I think the other 2 might blend in too much with Izzy’s coloring. 👍🏻
carol
9/9/2019 10:05:16 am
I thought the bottom one would be beautiful on his brown coat for contrast. But the top one is the one on just sparkly inner girl princess.
Cheryl
9/9/2019 09:05:54 pm
I LOVE the middle one...I do think it will look great with his coat color(s)!
Jen
9/11/2019 06:36:10 am
I vote for the middle one. It will go great with his coloring and a navy coat will set it off nicely too. 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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