Of all the stuff I’ve mentioned doing on here lately, I’m pretty sure the only thing I’ve actually accomplished is going in circles. Does that count as progress?
The first thing is the blog rebranding. Most names I ruled out immediately, and all the others I talked myself into and then subsequently out of. Maybe the problem is that I don’t love any of them. Maybe the problem is that if you let me overthink it too much, I won’t love any of them. I narrowed it down to Chance Events and BreederRiderEventer (or EventerRiderBreeder or RiderBreederEventer or… yeah that’s a rabbit hole I went down for a few days). But then I sat down and wrote out a list of questions for myself.
Does the title alone give the reader a good idea of what the blog might be about?
Chance Events – No / BreederRiderEventer – Yes
Is it generic enough to have longevity, without being too boring?
Chance Events – Yes / BreederRiderEventer – Yes
Is it applicable to ME/what I do?
Chance Events – Yes / BreederRiderEventer – Yes
Could there be any negative connotations?
Chance Events – Not really? / BreederRiderEventer – Maybe
Is the .com domain name available?
Chance Events – No / BreederRiderEventer – Yes
Are the social media handles available?
Chance Events – No / BreederRiderEventer – Yes
If you google it do you get a lot of random unrelated crap?
Chance Events – Yes / BreederRiderEventer – No
Based on those I ended up nixing Chance Events. It DOES sound like an event planner, and indeed there actually is an event planner in the UK and an event planning decor company in the US by that name. The social media handles are taken and lots of random stuff comes up when you google it.
But it’s not like BreederRiderEventer (or EventerRiderBreeder or RiderBreederEventer?) is particularly flawless either. Based on the questions I asked myself I definitely like it more – no one else is using it, not much comes up when you google, it clearly defines what to expect before you even scroll down. I think my lone sticking point is the word “breeder” for fear that it would garner some unfavorable visits. That word means something else to muggles. Then again, I asked a breeder friend who has a blog with “BREEDER” and “BREEDING” all over it like 9 million times and she said that other than a stray random comment here and there, which she just deletes, she hasn’t had any issue. I already get those randos here anyway, so that wouldn’t be anything new.
I tried about 9000 combinations and ways to make Bloodlines & _________ work, but I never found anything I really liked. For now BRE (or ERB or RBE) is the front runner. Obviously I haven’t actually taken any steps toward making any of the rebranding work happen though, because I can’t even get past the damn name.
I put that whole thing on the back burner, hoping that if I just let it simmer there for a little while I’ll come to a decision. We’ll see. Instead I’ve spent the last week throwing myself into the “Next Saddle for Presto” quest (Presto Questo? Help me it’s been a long week.).
I came out of the gate running and full of optimism. I emailed a few brand reps, a couple local fitters, and a few fitters from out of the area. While I waited for responses I started looking deeper into the monoflap jump saddles for the different brands they carried, making a list of ones I wanted to try, researching the different options, scouring the internet for them, and being an overall stalker. And then the days started to tick by, one after the next, and NOT A SINGLE PERSON RESPONDED TO ME.
Until yesterday that is, when one of the brand reps responded with a simple “I don’t have any monoflap demos”. That was it. The entire message, beginning middle and end. No “lets see if we can find one for you to trial” or “here’s someone else you could contact”. Nope. Just an “I don’t have one”. Um, ok. Cool then. Uh… thanks… I guess. I’ll just, um, see myself out?
Yesterday afternoon a fitter from DFW responded and said she’d tentatively be down here in about a month and could put me on her list, although it might be a awhile before she firms up her plans. I said that was fine and asked her to go ahead and pencil me in, since I’m not exactly lining people up to assist me at this point.
I’ve gone so far as to friend request these people on FB since I’m not getting responses from their websites or business pages. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s being really annoying.
I do have a few more people on my list to contact, the second tier choices, if I don’t hear back from the first ones. I suppose I’ll give it another week before I roll to plan B.
So, ya know… basically I’ve accomplished nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. But, um, it’s not for lack of trying I guess?
breedrideevent.com 
I am constantly baffled at the number of people I have contacted – both horse related and home improvement related – that I want to give money to that never reply. I guess I am the only one that likes money 🤷🏻♀️
LikeLike
Seriously, I contacted about a dozen people to put skirting on the house and two responded. TWO.
LikeLike
Story of my life! This happens to me with big and small business. Even with all this Covid madness. I do know why this happens though. Everything I attempt to accomplish becomes a quest.
LikeLike
Saddle fitters are a whole sub group of their own it seems. We had one slated to come to our barn, and I asked about what the evaluation fee of the saddle would be. Could not get a response. Even when asked multiple times. They listed all their other service item prices on their website, but not that one. Long story short, due to lock down they cancelled the appointment on short notice. Ultimately I wouldn’t have used them based on the lack of communication.
As for your new branding, that is a bit of a quandary. It appears that you are on the right track. I know nothing about naming, etc. Can you use a tag line behind the name? Something like “Breed.Ride.Event. – enough said”. I am visualizing a mike drop at the end of that. If I come off slightly crazy, it’s ok. I am in Canada, surrounded by snow & cold and in a lock down situation with no where to go (besides the barn, for 2 hours at a time). 😀
LikeLike
I do like the Breed.Ride.Event. version too!
LikeLike
Love how that ⇧ flows!
And the initials have lots of possibilities graphically. Looks like you’re homing in on it 😀
LikeLike
and maybe tack a Repeat on the end? Breed.Ride.Event.Repeat –> cause there’s gonna be a Presto sequel someday, right?
LikeLike
Maybe the name choice will be easier if you tell yourself that it doesn’t have to be a one time, perfect, never changing again, choice. That is a hard gate to get through!
I’m sure you don’t want to change the name again. But it is not the end of the world if you do. So imo you can pick one and just see how it wears.
Just the initials “BRE” work for me! 🙂
The $900 FB Pony name as it is now is interesting and engaging. If I see it somewhere on the net, I want to find out more about it.
In all honesty, “BreederRiderEventer”, or any combination of it, probably wouldn’t reel me in, although it might others.
But maybe reeling in readers just off the name is not your blog goal. So really, I think you can please yourself on the name. I’m sure your readership will be on board with whatever you choose.
It’s your blog. The most important opinion is yours. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I went through the same thing with saddle fitters when I got my horse. Like you, it astounds me that people don’t even bother to reply when I’m trying to give them money! I have a new horse on the way, and I’m dreading dealing with saddle fitters again.
As far as the blog name, I kind of like the variation ehovius mentioned – BreedRideEvent rather than BreederRiderEventer?
LikeLike
I had a used MacRider on trial and while it looked like it would work, the wool was lumpy and leaving what turns out were raised welts on my horse’s back. The seller extended the trial so I could attempt to get a fitter out to look at it/flock it. In 30 days, with many emails, and a ‘if not you, can you recommend someone’, I got 1 real response. That person was my hero…and deserves his stellar reputation. The rest that told me:
1. I only know how to fit my brand (um fitting principles are the same…if that’s the case, you aren’t a fitter, you’re a rep).
2. You need to buy my brand even though we specialize in another discipline and only make one model in your discipline and it’s not what you want
3. I don’t cover your territory, with no help on who does
4. And the myriad other non-responses
Can go suck it. To the person I finally found, AFTER sending the saddle back to the very sympathetic seller, you rock! No pressure to by the brand, nothing but assistance. She’s been up a few times since. Bless her.
LikeLike
Of the options, I like the BreedRideEvent suggestion. It’s in the order of how things happen which satisfies my love for sorting things, and it rolls off the tongue nicely.
No suggestions on the saddle front, sorry. I bought Pammon’s used saddle from DFW though, and they were very nice to work with. I tried the Hermes first and hated it, and they were easy to do the exchange and refund and all that. Can’t speak to how they are at fitting, but they are professional at least.
LikeLike
What about “Bloodlines and Breeding, with a Chance of Eventing” (á la “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”). Or just “With A Chance of Eventing”/”With A.Chance of Eventing”?
LikeLike
Love your blog even if you think you have been going in circles. Pictures and video of the boys are always entertaining. ERB-this caught my eye bc its the same initials for tests used in some schools ( ERB’s measure reasoning and achievement according to them) Wouldn’t want you to be flooded with comments about those tests. Re; Saddles, a must have and a pain in the ass. I feel your pain.
LikeLike
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned Patty Merli, who is a bit of a legend on the East Coast and also one of the genuinely nicest human beings.
She fits all brands (can confirm, she’s probably done almost 10 brands for me) but does sell Black Country saddles. She just helped me find a used dressage saddle. There are lots of used monoflap Black Country saddles out there, too!
For $75, what do you have to lose?
http://pattymerlisaddlefitting.com/
LikeLike