Before we get started it’s important to note that, despite the volume of product I own, I am not in fact sponsored by Arion. It would be a lot cooler if I was, alas I am not anyone important, I’m just an enthusiast.
ya know who’s important though? this guy.
I still get very regular emails from people asking me about my Arion, if I like it, how the ordering process went, etc etc etc. Lately I’ve also been getting people asking if I know anything about their accessories too, so I figured – ya know what, let’s put everything I know into one post. That way it’s searchable and easier for everyone, plus there are quite a few things I have that I’ve not actually mentioned or talked about before.
Let’s start with the biggest thing.
I love her ❤
I have a 17.5″ monoflap cross country saddle with a forward, regular length flap in brown buffalo leather with black glitter piping around the back. Some of you may remember that this is not my original saddle – the first one had a very small, minor flaw at the bottom of one flap, and Arion re-made my entire saddle. Not only remade it, but the rep came out to check the fit (it had been almost a year and Presto is young, so she wanted to make sure that the specs were still right) and decided to order the new one with a slightly different panel because he’d packed on so much topline. So basically, they remade me an entirely new and updated saddle a year after my original purchase (and didn’t take the old one back until after my new one came, so I was never saddleless) and that’s my current saddle, which I’ve been riding in since this spring.
Here’s where I have to back up a step and say that when I was choosing a brand to order my very first brand new saddle from, customer service (or lack thereof) was the reason that multiple brands didn’t make the cut. I’d seen too many firsthand horror stories of disappearing reps, saddles that didn’t fit, brands that blamed the client or the horse, big restocking and repaneling fees, etc etc. It’s nightmare central out there. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to try to order a new saddle when I was shopping because it made me so nervous.
stunner
I had it narrowed down to a couple brand options when we went to Kentucky in 2022, but I wanted to talk to them and get a feel for their vibes. You know what I mean, right? The vibes gotta be good. Not snooty, not aloof, not cagey, not condescending, not dismissive. Anyone who has shopped for saddles before, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. I also wanted to check out Arion HST, a relatively new-to-the-US brand that I’d heard about but hadn’t seen in person yet.
And y’all… while the other brand’s vibes were somewhere between sketchy and meh, the Arion vibes were immaculate. Everyone was very helpful, very knowledgeable, and the saddles were beautiful. To add further incentive, their turnaround time for custom was 1/2 to 1/3 what a lot of these other brands were quoting, and the price was lower too. I got hooked up with a rep and within a couple months had tried some saddles and ordered one for myself. Did it feel a bit risky going with a lesser-known brand? At the time, maybe, but I was hoping that my gut instinct was right. Clearly it was, because here we are a year and half later and I’m a big Arion fan. The vibes were correct.
Aside from their dedication to customer service and making sure that everyone is happy, the saddles are just really freakin nice. I find it a lot more comfortable (for the horses and myself) than my Devoucoux and I think the balance is considerably better than the Voltaires I sat in. Hillary, who’d had a Voltaire before, borrowed my Arion one day and soon after ordered one for herself. They’re just really lovely saddles, and I feel much closer to the horse in the Arion than I did in anything else.
Hillary got sliver glitter, it’s chef’s kiss
Presto loves their shoulder-free panel design, there was an instant difference in how he moved, and he’s always looked and felt great in his saddles. Y’all know he gets chiro and bodywork regularly as part of his general sporthorse maintenance, and he’s never been even a hint of backsore (knock on wood) plus he packed on an insane amount of topline after getting this saddle. It’s why we had to change the panel, but it’s a good sign that the tack is right!
When I got my saddle, I also nabbed some accessories, namely a saddle pad (which is well-loved, much-washed, has seen a lot of Florida sun, and is therefore a bit faded by this point, but still in great condition otherwise) and some stirrup leathers. I’ve been really happy with both. The saddle pad has a nice waffle lining that seems to be comfortable for the horses. Also, can we take a minute to appreciate the fact that Arion’s colors are navy and white, not like… green and yellow or brown and teal or red and black or whatever else is trying to assault my eyeballs. Just a nice navy. My retinas thank them greatly for that.
this saddle pad has done it’s time
My leathers still look brand spankin’ new, too, hardly any wear at all, which is fantastic considering how soft and lovely they are. They’re lined calf, so no stretching, and nice and soft so they don’t rub or damage my saddle. I mean yeah, I got a buffalo saddle so that it would be more resilient (and so far it definitely has worn like iron) but still… she deserves some nice soft leathers. She bougie.
In all seriousness, it’s because this is my very first brand new saddle and I want to do my best to take care of her so that she lasts a long time.
Hillary has some of their stirrup leathers too, but she got the wide stability ones. I haven’t tried that style yet but I know she’s been really happy with hers too.
stability leathers
Since then I’ve added a couple other Arion accessories to the line-up. Last winter we got one of their figure 8 bridles, which I really like. The leather is soft, the crown is nicely padded, and the nose floof is the floofiest. All very important requirements.
floof
Their sizing runs a bit generous I think (pretty common for French strapgoods) but it works on Presto, and it’s held up nicely. The leather is soft, but not so soft that it feels oversaturated or mega-floppy, and so far it hasn’t stretched, which is a common problem with some brands.
I think the Smartpak modeling gig went to his head a bit
I also picked up a set of their training boots when I was at Kentucky this year. They’re really lightweight with a mesh lining, and a really simple design. the elastic straps are very light and thin but strong, and they velcro onto any spot on the outside section of the boots. They’re definitely the quickest and easiest boots in my collection to put on, and they wash up really well. Granted, Presto the boot destroyer did reach down and rip one of the straps off on like his second time wearing them. I wish I could say he’s never done that before, but uh… he has. He’s a serial boot killer. I got the strap sewn back on and they’ve been doing a-ok since then, under close protection from Presto’s mouth.
simple, clean look
I have yet to get something from Arion that I haven’t liked. I almost bought dressage leathers at Kentucky too but my budget was like “hahaha no”, and I’ve had my eye on a stud girth for quite a while (I do legitimately need one now), which might be the next addition. I don’t even want to THINK about having to replace my old dressage saddle yet, but I know that’s probably coming within the next couple years… when it’s time, Arion will be first on my list to try.
And a perk of buying anything from them is that I know without a doubt that if I had an issue with anything, I believe 100% that they’d fix it or replace it. Having talked to and interacted with so many of the reps, as well as the owner of the company, they’re just really dedicated to getting it right… something that has become a rare quality in this industry, especially with the French brands. With big purchases like these, having confidence in the brand is a major selling point.
I feel like I’m emerging from the battle that is Black Friday, covered head to toe in soot and bleeding from multiple places, dragging an axe behind me. I’m never prepared for making that dang list and have a lot of mixed feelings about it. Alas, we survived another year and lived to tell the tale, and I don’t have to think about it again for like 11.5 months. Delighted.
I had to go back through my phone pictures to remember last week, it was a bit of a blur. On Monday Argo went on his first XC adventure, down to Naked Horse with Freya and Henry. The general plan was to walk him around, lunge him over some logs and ditches/bank/water, and see what his vibe was. True to Argo form, his vibe was “yes, and?”:
Wow Argo. Much effort.
I mean don’t get me wrong, for him he was definitely on his toes in a new busy wide open environment, but his version of that is extremely mild. He walked and trotted over some logs, I led him up and down a bank, and popped across a small ditch. None of it was that interesting. Then I handed him over to my friend Lija, who was on Henry, so she could pony him through the water.
Admittedly I thought that the water might be the thing about XC that Argo wasn’t so sure about. He’s a clean horse, not particularly playful or overly curious, and those types sometimes just really don’t want to go in the water. So ya know… color me shocked when he eagerly took himself in. Not a single bit of encouragement required.
Henry just loves showing all the babies how to horse
If anything he really seemed like he’d love to roll in it, so had to be encouraged to keep his head up and keep moving. Overall though, easy peasy, no hesitation. Good boy Argie.
After that I decided to hop on, since it had been so uneventful. We stood around and watched Henry and Lija for a bit
Henny just out here racking up more members of his fan club every day
And went off exploring, trotting and cantering over some little logs, popping over the ditch, and trotting back and forth through the water. He was not impressed.
goodest orange
He was a little wiggly when it came to the stand-still-and-wait-your-turn part, but not bad. Stuff like that is to be expected. I thought that in general he handled it really well, especially because this venue is on a sorta-busy road and several times some very loud trucks rumbled by. No reaction. He cared more about what was going on in the barn behind the field and wanted to be a little nappy heading away from it, but there wasn’t much of an effort on his part.
On Tuesday we checked off another ArgoAftercare item with a visit from Auntie Jenn, the best and most favorite bodyworker. She’s married to Maya Black and they just came back into town for the season, so I had to have her out ASAP for Presto and Argo. She thought Presto felt great, strong in his muscles but not tight. Argo was obviously considerably more tight obviously, and she worked a lot on his neck, shoulders, and SI region. Argo slept through the entire thing.
snoozy Argyle Socks
I feel like every bit of work we do on him makes him look just a little bit better, so seeing the incremental improvements is nice. Confirmation that we’re headed in the right direction, at the very least.
On Thursday morning I took Presto over to Majestic to gallop, his first one since he’s been back in work. Because duh what else would you do on Thanksgiving. Mostly we just did slower gallops – slower and shorter than his normal peak fitness sets anyway – but at the end I let him sprint up the long hill. He feels great, and really propelled himself up that hill in a way I haven’t felt from him yet.
wheeeee
And then on Friday, Hillary and I left early early to head down to Wellington to visit some friends. You may remember that the owners of the farm where I lived in Texas moved to their Wellington property full time when I moved to Ocala, and I had yet to make it down there to visit them. What better time than a holiday weekend? The drive wasn’t too bad, about 4 hours (a lot by Florida time but a drop in the bucket for Texas time) and we rolled into town about mid morning.
bougie
I had not been to Wellington before but it was pretty much what I expected. Definitely horse world central, but a very very different feel and atmosphere to Ocala. It’s beautiful, for sure. When we got to the farm we got a tour, ate lunch while we watched Michelle Gibson school some horses, and then headed out to a couple tack shops. Because why not hit the Wellington tack shops on Black Friday?
First up was On Course Consignment, which was massive and overwhelming even without the added effect of all the people. So much stuff. So many people. I didn’t even know where to look. I tried on a shad that I loved but it was still a bit more than I wanted to pay, and a gorgeous Samshield show coat that I definitely would not let myself purchase but really wanted to. With an unlimited budget I could have done some real damage in there. Alas, we’re in frugal mode, so all I got was a pair of white Pikeurs for $20. Those were a steal.
Then we headed over to Tackeria, which is also A TON OF STUFF. I almost bought a dressage whip there but my brain prevailed and I put it back.
After that we headed back to the farm and I hopped on JB, who some of you may remember. He and Presto grew up together for a couple years in Texas and were the absolute Shenanigan Duo. JB is now huge and stunning and definitely seems to have retained some of his cheekiness. Sounds familiar.
BabyJayBee
The next day we had some breakfast, watched Michelle with another nice young horse, and then hit Tacknrider on our way out of town. They had a lot of brands in store that I’ve only seen online in Europe, so it was nice to get to see and touch things in person. Then we hopped back in the car and headed home, which took considerably longer with all the holiday traffic. Did not love.
To cap off the week, yesterday Presto and I had our first jump lesson in two months. He was very excited to be back jumping, but was overall a good boy.
ok there buddy
Argo got a week off, with everything going on, so he’ll be back on the roster this week! And Henry of course, he’s still getting ridden too. You’ll be shocked to hear that this week is already full. At least there’s no time for boredom?
Hope everyone had a good holiday and scored some Black Friday deals!
Who’s ready to set some money on fire in the name of Black Friday???
Or, if you need to make it sound responsible and intelligent, we can call it “stocking up on essentials and buying holiday gifts while things are on sale”. Whatever you gotta tell yourself in order to feel less financially irresponsible. I’m not here to judge.
Either way, welcome to the Equestrian Master List of Black Friday sales for 2023. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Here we go with the usual spiel: some of these sales are already active, others won’t be live until later in the week. I’ve included date info where I can, but if you’re not seeing the sale yet, just try their page again later. What I’m publishing today (Wednesday) is very much just the tip of the iceberg – I’m tracking dozens of different sales that will be releasing their info later in the week. Keep checking back here, new ones will be posted AT THE BOTTOM BY DATE ADDED so they don’t get lost in the mix. Happy Shopping!
***Just a PSA, because apparently I have to say this… if you are a business owner who’s sale is NOT on this list and you would like it to be added, please just send me a polite email with the information for your sale and I will happily add it. I am just one person trying to do this as a public service in my spare time, so naturally there are plenty of sales I won’t see. Kind notes are always appreciated! Rude ones are not.
If you value the (many days of) work that goes into making this list and want to help keep me caffeinated so I can continue to update it frequently (dopamine for errybody!), I appreciate you the extra mostest.
Riding Warehouse – 20% off for horse and rider, plus various brands discounted and up to 75% off clearance items through 11/28.
Majyk Equipe – 25% off storewide plus free Santa bonnets with every order over $150 and some bigger discounts on seasonal items from 11/22 through 11/27.
Ride iQ – 30% off first membership payment for any membership type (so $90 off annual, for instance) on 11/24 and 11/25 with code TGIF30. Note – you must redeem this via the website, not the app.
Higher Standards Leather Care – EXCLUSIVE TO THIS BLOG get 20% off your order from noon EST on 11/23 through midnight 11/27 with code ARGO.
Corro – 20% off Veltri Sport, Horseware Ireland, EquiFit, Back on Track, Baker, Equifuse, Cavalor, Kunkle, and Walsh. Up to 40% off blankets. Buy 2, get 1 Free Infused Equestrian products through 11/24-11/27.
HKM Sports Equipment – buy two products get 10% off with code BLACK-2, buy 3 products get 15% off with code BLACK-3, buy four products get 20% off with code BLACK-4
Equisite – Lucille breeches 50% off plus get a free Otto belt; spend $300 get $50 off, spend $400 get $75 off, spend $500 get $100 off through 11/27
Anatomeq – 15% off Fit blankets, AirSupports, and PoloPillow liners, 10% off Perfeq jumper pads, dressage pads, Airguard brush boots, apparel, and more through 11/28.
Le Fash – 25% off Le Fash 2023 shirts, Cavalleria Toscana, and Tee shirts with code Black25, 15% off Samshield, belts, home, outerwear, sweaters, and tops with code Black15, and an extra 15% off already reduced sale items with code Extra15. Some exclusions, and free gifts.
Smart Grooming – 10% off orders up to 50GBP, with code BLACKFRIDAY10 15% off orders from 50-200GBP with code BLACKFRIDAY15, and 20% off orders over 200GBP with code BLACKFRIDAY20.
Nupafeed – Cyber Monday ONLY get $39 off 5 liter Magnesium Daily Liquid, $27 off 3 liter, $22 off Magnesium Paste.
Laguso Equestrian – new deals each day during Black Week (check the scrolling top banner of their website for deal and code)
Rose Hip Vital – 50% off storewide plus free express shipping with code BFCM2023
Schwarze Equestrian – up to 70% off storewide with code BW2023 during Black Week
11/23 UPDATE (8AM EST)
Luxe EQ – use code BlackFriday23 at checkout for 15% off, plus up to 40% off sale items (Samshield, Animo, dada sport, Cavalleria Toscana, etc)
Ride Equisafe – 40% off Equitheme, 30% off Cavalleria Toscana, 20% off For Horses, TKEQ, and Weather or Not, and 10% off Penelope. Plus all purchases over $200 get a gift card for 10% of the total purchase price. Discounts applied at checkout. 11/23 through 11/27
Hypostore – 30% off on 11/23 with code EARLYBIRD, some exclusions. Starting 11/24 get 30% off Kentucky and Dy’on, 20% off KEP, Trust, Ego7, Veredus, and Samshield, and 15% off Kask.
CANTER California – 30% off their eBay store from 11/24 through 11/26. All proceeds go to the care of the OTTB’s in their program.
Spur of the Moment – 25% off pre-made browbands and spur straps, 20% off custom browbands
Ruff Riders Co – limited codes available: two customers get 50% off with code 50BF, three get 40% off with code 40BF, four get 30% off with code 30BF, and five get 20% off with code BF20.
Uhlan Equestrian – 25% off storewide plus up to 70% off select products
Arista Equestrian – additional 20% off sale collection with code BF23
Vanner House – 20% off storewide with code EarlyBird20
Equilab – 50% off one year of Equilab premium from 11/24-11/27
Achieve Equine – Buy any Iconic Equestrian Original 2-IN-1 Saddle Pad and get a free Olympic White Original 2-IN-1 Saddle Pad now through December 31st.
Quick Knot – up to 25% off with code BLACKFRIDAY2023
USEA – 15% off USEA apparel from 11/24 through 11/27 with code BLACKFRI15
Struck – build a bundle and get 20% off through 11/27
Rider’s House – 25% off Vestrum jackets and dog coats, 30% off eQuick and Back on Track
Espana Silk – 20% off all orders through 11/27, plus save $10 off Gift Packs with code BlackFriday23
Worldwide Tack – 20% off storewide with code SHOPPINGSPREE through 11/28
Agile Equestrian – Free barn store set up ($150 value) through 11/27. Trainers get 10% commissions back of profit. 15% off custom sunshirts (discount at checkout) and free shipping over $80.
Draper Therapies – saddle pad sale plus free shipping with code freeship
Thanks for visiting! If you value the (many days of) work that goes into making this list and want to buy me a coffee, I appreciate you the extra mostest.
Whew, what a week! Last week was jam-packed, in a good way, and we even got some rain in the middle of what is Florida’s dry season. Bonus.
hello buddy
Last Monday Argo had his first chiropractic appointment with our favorite sporthorse vet. She’s the same one that saw him week one for his gastric scope and she said she thought he’d gained a little bit of weight since then. I’m not sure I see it yet (he wasn’t particularly underweight to start with) but I’ll take it. I had a feeling the chiro would be very needed, given how tight he is, and I was correct. I’m not sure how much he enjoyed the appointment – he kind of just stood there with no comment – but the difference in the range of motion through his neck and body was immediate. He’s much less stuck in his front half now for sure. The notes for all his adjustments this time were “Left neck C3-C6BL. Right neck C3BR. APR. T14-T18 P, PL. LPI”. So ya know… basically all of him.
We were going to go for a hack afterward and I took a few minutes beforehand to trot and canter him to see how he felt. Definitely better. He for sure had increased range of motion through his body, and more suppleness from left to right. I think he’s still got a ways to go (and prob needs some massage to accompany the chiro) but it seems like we’re on the right track.
The two fresh-OTTB’s together for the first time
On Tuesday morning we went on a XC field trip to Majestic Oaks. I took Presto, Hillary took Freya, and Kathleen took Henry for a spin. He was delighted to snack on her offering of pastries (Honey Buns) and add a new fan to his club. She rode him great and he had a superb time bebopping around.
wheeee
On the Tuesday trip I just hacked Presto and he hung out with Freya, who was a little excited to be there on a cool day. We went back to Majestic on Thursday with our friend Emily, and that time Hillary rode Henry. I popped Presto over a few things, mostly the ditches. He did the half coffin and then I turned around and went through the Modified route, which was ditch, 2 strides, bending line 5 strides to a corner. He was excellent and feels really good. Fingers crossed we can get back to lessons this week maybe.
back to the zoom zoom
The rest of the week I flatted Presto and just kind of played around with Argo. At this point we’re still learning each other, and I want to spend enough time with him so that he knows I’m his person and he’s safe with me and I’m the leader. We did some groundwork one day, he did some lunging another day to work on his voice commands (which are pretty darn super now, he’s a fast learner) but mostly we just… hung out. I groomed him, we meandered around the riding field handgrazing, and we walked around the property just investigating things. He walked over a tarp and through a puddle, and spent some time napping with his nose smooshed into my head. It’s important for me to feel like I have a good bond with my horses and that at the end of the day, we’re friends, so that’s what we’re doing – making friends. I think it’s time well spent.
Frenns
Happy llama
On Friday Presto and I headed over to Steph’s to partake in a Smartpak photo shoot that was happening at her farm. Not gonna lie, I was dreading it. I do not like having my picture taken at all, despite having done a few stock photography sports modeling gigs in the past for running and cycling. I let myself be pressured into participating and strongly debated having an urgent illness instead. Alas, I did it, and it wasn’t that bad. I actually kind of liked the first shoot, which was mounted. We just walked back and forth from different angles for like 30 minutes. The second shoot I did not love, mostly because the pants for that outfit were about to crush the bottom of my ribcage. At least I had Presto with me for both, and he also got used in one more set of shots as well. The boy is gonna be Smartpak famous in the spring!
I can’t really share pics from the shoot yet since it’s unreleased items and new colorways, but here’s a pic of Presto between shoots getting a change of outfit.
His crew
Despite his face he actually LOVED this gig, he was an absolute ham for the camera and seemed to relish being the center of attention. A total shock, I know. Everyone was very nice and props to Smartpak for using some “real rider” models rather than just the standard professional models. And we got some gift cards and swag items, so ya know… bonus. After the shoot Presto and I went for a hack with Holly and Nacho where Presto strongly debated trying to eat Holly and/or Nacho but did not succeed. All around good day.
On Sunday I swung aboard Argo again (ride number 7, although two of his rides so far have just been hacks) and he was his super good self as usual. I think the groundwork and stretches, along with just time and settling in, are definitely helping, he feels better and better every ride. He had some really lovely moments coming down into my hand and carrying himself forward and light.
Good boy Argie
He’s not strong enough yet to hold it for very long but he sure is trying, so he gets a big shiny gold star. We walk/trot/cantered both ways (he got both leads first try) AND – he jumped!
boy genius
First we trotted a pile of poles on the ground, then half a crossrail, then a full crossrail. After the second hop over the crossrail he landed in a nice canter so I just let him keep carrying it around and popped over the crossrail again, and he was really good. We ended with that and he got many cookies. I still haven’t quite figured out what his forte might be yet (we’re still solidly in the “discovery” phase)… part of me is leaning toward trying to aim him for the field hunter division for RRP, but it’s still too early to tell. I know he’s quiet and simple and has a super rhythmical and lovely canter, so we’ll see where that takes him.
As of today Argo has been here for 3 weeks! Tomorrow our favorite massage person is coming out to continue with Argo’s post-track care plan… I’m excited to see how that goes for him. It’s also Black Friday week, and yes I’ll have a list of sales up this year as well – probably with the first round posted on Wednesday!
Patreon folks, today is the last day to sign up for our group Secret Santa if you want to participate, and you have Argo’s week 2 vlog on your dashboard!
breedrideevent.com 