Well, I said we were going to spend the mortgage payment, and that's exactly 
what we did!  (I should take Richard to the tack store more often -g-)
Came home with an Abetta black western saddle, red and black saddle blanket, 
Thorowgood AP english saddle, girth, leathers, quilted saddle pad, and 
gorgeous, black (leather) Courbette raised snaffle bridle (I NEED one for 
Fiddle too!).  Also various and sundried buckets, lead ropes, etc., D-ring 
copper roller snaffle.
I had a very hard time getting over my snobbery of leather vs synthetic. 
However, once I saw the huge price difference, and that these synthetics are 
made pretty well, and will be easy for Richard and the girls to care for, and 
don't look too bad...ad nauseum...I gave in (g).  Had never heard of Abetta, 
but after much discussion and asking of opinions we decided to go with it.
Shiloh arrived yesterday...she's so quiet and calm it's almost unbelievable!
She sure ain't too pretty (but don't tell Richard that!), but she's about the 
sweetest horse I've ever encountered.  Fiddle totally freaked out when she 
arrived, but they seem to have settled down OK.  Having Shiloh here only 
accentuates Fiddles tendency to become hyper at a moment's notice (g).
It occurred to me from somewhere in the recesses of my brain that you 
probably could call thsi horse a strawberry roan.  I was calling her a red 
roan...but she looks kinda like a strawberry blonde....has a lot more white 
on her than I'd first realized.  She has one ear that kind of cocks funny and 
here eyes are set a little closer together than I'm used to seeing (g), and 
it all gives her a kind of goofy but "I'll love you forever" look. She's 
rangy and leggy and long backed, and she won't win any beauty contests, but 
Richard is so in love with her it's funny, and I know she's the  kind of 
horse the girls will love and more importantly, trust.
Anyway, I had fun shopping till I dropped in the tack store (State Line)!
(God, I've even given in to going to State Line!  How the mighty have 
fallen!)  Found out the other day from a guy who used to do catalogue work 
for them that they were sold out to PetCo...the Microsoft of pet supplies!
Well, gotta run...got two horses to take care of again, and the puppies are 
crying to go out!  Ah, yes!  Life is back to normal!
Meg  
 
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