Brassy Bit Tack + CL Custom Saddles

08/31/2026

Wise words 💙

💙When Your Horse of 20 Years Isn't Your Horse Anymore💙

I frequently get contacted by people looking for their next horse after riding the same horse for 15 or 20+ years.

And my advice is this....

Work on yourself first.

There is something incredibly special about working with one horse for that long. You know exactly how he likes to be saddled. You know how much leg it takes to move his body. You know which trail he'll hesitate on and which mud puddle he'll walk through without looking twice. You know how to catch him, lead him, load him, and ride him.

You've spent years learning each other's language. And that partnership is something commendable. You should absolutely be proud of what you have built.

But when its time to learn a new horse...

Knowing one horse extremely well isn't the same as being skilled at riding many different horses.

Without realizing it, we adapt to our horses just as much as they adapt to us. We develop habits. Our timing changes. We compensate for their weaknesses, and they compensate for ours.

If we aren't regularly taking lessons, riding different horses, and putting ourselves in unfamiliar situations, our adaptability can quietly disappear.

Then we go shopping for a new horse and suddenly every horse feels wrong.

One is too sensitive. One doesn't respond to your leg in the way that you expect. One walks too fast. One doesn't stand exactly the way you want for mounting. Maybe you've never had to catch a horse from a herd, navigate a busy trail ride, or manage a horse who responds completely differently than your old partner did.

It's very easy to start believing you simply haven't found the right horse, and sometimes that's true. But sometimes the horse isn't the piece that needs more preparation.

🔹️The rider is - - - You are.🔹️

So before retiring your longtime partner and beginning the search for another, invest some time in expanding your own toolbox.

Take lessons. Ride as many different horses as you can. Work with a trainer who can identify habits you may not even realize you've developed. Put yourself in new situations. Practice becoming adaptable again.

It will feel uncomfortable—and that's okay. You're learning a new language after speaking the same one for 20 years.

Your next horse will never be your old horse, and he shouldn't have to be.

The best thing you can do for that new partnership is arrive with enough skill, adaptability, and openness to learn who this horse is—and build your new partnership together.

Happy Trails, 💜 Abbie

Photo credit to Nels Norquist Maple Leaf Photography

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

💙💙

There’s so much pressure in the horse world to do it “right.” Pressure to look a certain way, keep your horse looking a certain way, move up faster, jump higher, show more, win more, spend more.

But none of that is the point… is it?

Your version of being a horse girl doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Maybe you want the big goals. Maybe you’re happiest hacking around, taking lessons, obsessing over your horse, and buying another pair of breeches you definitely didn’t need. Heck, maybe you don’t want to ride at all. At the end of the day, this is supposed to be something we love.

So go on. Enjoy your horse. Enjoy your silly little life. Be the horse girl you want to be. 🖤🐴

08/24/2026

This is an interesting study with shocking results. We’ve heard of track trainers/grooms using soda, but never expected the results to be more than just antidotal! What do you think?

🔗: https://equimanagement.com/research-medical/research/cola-might-help-treat-gastric-impactions-in-horses/

Historically, gastric impaction in horses has a poor outcome. Researchers at Utrecht University retrospectively reviewed cases of gastric impaction to evaluate whether treatment with cola was associated with improved survival.

Of the 125 cases included, 57.6% were discharged from the hospital. Horses treated with cola had a greater likelihood of survival: 82.8% vs. 35.8%. Non-Friesian horses treated with cola had 90% survival.

08/18/2026

When you have us come out for a fitting, we always start with your existing tack. It helps us create a baseline and also gives us the opportunity to try to use what you already have on hand; as suitability, safety, and affordability is always our goal!

When we start with your tack, we also do a quick once over to identity any red flags. This older jump saddle had a huge red flag, though it made getting eyes on the head place quite easy! Not only did it have this big hole, two rivets were completely sheared off! When the head plate is compromised, it’s time to retire the saddle!

08/15/2026

We are offering one of our personally owned trailers for sale! 2022 Sundowner Charter SE Two Horse. This lovely trailer had been well kept! Only hauled locally and mostly stored inside! Oversized/WB two horse straight load with a ramp, walk through doors, roomy tack room, and easy to pull! Asking 20k obo. Title in hand!

Partial trades considered (non eating things). Message for more details!

08/14/2026

Every single flex treed saddle receives a very thorough inspection! Why? Because they are built with much lighter materials, which shortens their lifespan. This particular saddle appears to have been worked on by another saddler. When it was reassembled, there were screws set into the bar rather than above (into the swells). Those misplaced screws then fractured the plastic tree.

Flex trees are constructed a bit differently than most western saddles. It’s imperative that saddlers understand that and adjust their process accordingly.

08/12/2026

Our faithful shop helper, Sh*tten showing off a recent order of girth converters!

These are a great option for English riders who dabble in the occasional western ride! We make these in house! If you’d like a pair, they are $50/pair!