Dear Santa

[diaryofarider]

Frig, why does it always feel like I need a lot of stuff all at once? The truth is that my old winter paddock boots died last year after like 10 years of owning them (but I still miss them!!!) and my current paddock boots developed holes a few weeks ago. Well, they're not really holes, just deep cracks that leak. Anyway. I am also thinking I am going to need some new winter riding gloves. Then there's Trudi's front boots, which have velcro that keeps undoing itself, those are about due for replacement too. There are other things- supplements, show sheen (oh, it would be nice to have my horse less dirty...), fly spray, not to mention lessons again, someday, maybe? At least maybe the flies will die soon. :P
At least the blanket/breech/saddle/helmet situation is ok, well, except that one blanket has a tear....
Still, happy as heck for the riding I've been able to do this year, I'm not forgetting that, I promise.

Comments

[megfuzzle.livejournal.com]

Muck Company boots are my winter boot of choice. I wouldn't have survived Montana with out them.

[diaryofarider.livejournal.com]

Fortunately our winters are not as brutal as in Montana (*BRRRR*). I'll have to check them out though. I've had very good luck with my ariats, it's just that the poor old things are dying within the same year. :)

[(Anonymous)]

After my year of funemployment, I feel like I need a LOT of crap.

And the Young Sir just destroyed the beautiful dove grey velvet on my beautiful dove grey CO (by grabbing it in the trailer, not by dumping my ass in the dirt. So thanks for that, at least.) Which was coming due for replacement ANYWAY, but I was hoping to fit it in after a whole list of other things.

[greyskyridge.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Blundstones?

They are about half the price of the elite Ariats, are super durable, and don't have zippers/laces that take forever.

I was actually just thinking yesterday that when my Ariats die I will get Blunnies instead of Ariats just because they are cheaper and just as good.

[diaryofarider.livejournal.com]

How are they to actually ride in? They look a bit clunky. One thing I loved about my winter paddock boots was that they didn't feel any different in the stirrup. I have some cheapy ducks that I can wear for warmth but they are little clunky to ride in.

[greyskyridge.livejournal.com]

Honestly I have not ridden in them, so I am not sure.

My old boss swears by them and the main reasons I am interested in eventually switching is
a.) the lower price and
b.) that there isn't a zipper to mess with. I am trying to get better about switching out riding boots vs. work shoes and not going in the washstall/muddy paddocks with the riding boots, but what with the new resolution requiring the taking off/putting back on of boots in-between horses those 10 seconds of zipper-pulling are starting to look like a major hassle, lol.

Do give a product review on whatever you do get because I am interested in making a change eventually either way.

[greyskyridge.livejournal.com]

Also, now that you have inspired additional horse-product googling (damn you), this Blunnie looks sleeker than the others:

http://www.sugarriveroutfitters.com/product_details.asp?wgi=1&wsgi=338&pi=910

[diaryofarider.livejournal.com]

Hehe...
Those look nice, although for $160 they're not cheaper than ariats. I hear you about saving time- that's why I have been riding in paddock boots, (that and the fact that my dress boots are not new either).
I like zippers for winter, because my gloved/cold fingers do NOT want to mess with laces. I am not really a pull on fan for short boots (I know, picky picky) because I like a closer fit. I have had zippers in summer and been less of a fan because the top of the boots weren't padded and so dug into my leg a bit, though I see now some of them are coming with padded tops for the regular paddock boots.
My local tack shop is having a sale/tack swap at the end of the month (yay, payday) so I'm gonna check that out and I'm keeping an eye peeled for the next Dover catalog and coupons. Also I'm thinking VTO saddlery might do one of their 20% off everything sales again one of these days. Ebay is not looking great lately but that can change...
But I'll post what I get and give a review. :) I will say that my old ariat paddock boots have always been very comfortable (cept the digging when my legs were fatter on the summer zip paddocks) and I have owned 6 pairs of ariat boots since I was 15 and never felt ripped off. So yeah there is a brand loyalty thing going on. :)

[diaryofarider.livejournal.com]

Actually, I take this back. The insoles of my maestros are in 2 parts- I don't know why they did it that way, but I thought that was cheap and crappy. I think they do it so they can easily replace a part, but I think it's shoddy. I fixed it by affixing them to the boot permenantly with Zots (little sticky adhesive blobs) but that did piss me off. That does make me think twice.