Styling

I never really used to think much about how everything looked on my horses. As long as they were economical and functional I was happy. 

Then I bought a gray mare and a whole world of fashion possibilities opened up. I find myself looking at things and going 'ooh that would be pretty'. 

When I first started showing Carmen I had a plain black bonnet. It went well because her mane and tale were still quite dark. 

from back in 2017

Carmen is much lighter this year and the black looked a bit stark. At the test riding clinic Libby shared that judges don't like bonnets that contrast too much, it's distracting and can really emphasize if the horse is tilting their head. 

That gave me the push I needed and I decided to order a bonnet for Carmen. I contacted  Fun Bonnets via FB and ordered a new bonnet. I cannot recommend this person enough. She helped me figure out the colours and design (there are so many options).  I opted for silver gray with black cord flanked by two smaller white cords. 

She also explained that there was a ton of orders and there would be wait. I contacted her a couple weeks ago and whined asked if it could be ready in time for the August show. She responded right away and promised I would have it. 

And it's perfect. 

could only get one ear up for the photo

It blends in but ads a bit of contrast. The material is so soft too. I love how it goes with her browband. 

absolutely refusing to put ears up, no matter what. 

And from a distance it's great:

I now want to get more to match some saddle pads.......

If you are looking for a quality bonnet at a good price I would definitely recommend FUN Bonnets!

Also, on another note, my friend Cindy had a few clips of my last ride on Sunday. I was able to put them together to show the last half of the test: