Back to Basics in Butet

Equestrian sport fashion has exploded onto the mainstream. Private labels and designer price tags have become the norm in a sport that is already out of many people's financial reach (Boss Equestrian, anyone?). It has become a sport where there's typically only two ways to success: you were born to it or you bought your way in.

Then there's the rest of us.

Nothing about my path to horse ownership was easy. If you're reading my blog, wherever you are in your journey, you know there have been quite a lot of lows, including my fair share of rock bottoms. Moments when there were horses we couldn't save or when injuries brought progress to a standstill. Those close calls and those catastrophic failures. And of course, in-between moments of self doubt and the harsh realities of bills that you can't pay. But those of us who are true equestrians tough it out and keep coming back to equestrian sports.

It's hard to keep coming back to a dangerous and demanding sport that requires undeniable focus, consistency, and commitment in order to master the complex skillset needed to be competitive. When you get to the biggest classes and the top arenas in the sport, horses are being funded by literal dynasties, corporations, and some other means I'd rather not get into.

In a sport where money talks, when you don't have money, you have to work twice as hard to get to the exact same place as the people who had the money or the bloodline from the beginning.

In equestrian sports, good enough isn't good enough. You have to be good enough, on a horse that's good enough, in a barn that's good enough, with a trainer that's good enough, and a near limitless bank account to fund it all.

You had better be on top of your horse care and maintenance as well as your own athletic performance and precision. And if you aren't prepared for that commitment, you had been have deep pockets to fund someone else taking care of the daily, monthly, and annual routines that are critical to keeping your horse in good health. You've got to show up every day, most especially on the days you don't want to. It's not a sport for the faint of heart.

I came from the school of hard knox. When I worked in Wellington, I always remember staring at the sign in the feed room that read "School of hard knox" and I used to smirk to myself that it couldn't be more true. I learned everything the hard way.

From body clipping a whole string of flighty 4-year-old Warmbloods, to many first rides off the track for the Thoroughbreds I've helped retrain, to now managing the sole care of my mare - including daily stall mucking rain, or shine, or snow – everything I have in this sport I've had to earn.

When it comes to the American hunter ring, tack comes with a hefty price tag. That is, if you want to buy things once instead of annually for the rest of your life. In recent years with the rise of "influencers" and nonsensical fast fashion social media trends, there's been a lot of pushback and criticism on the rules of fashion for modern hunter rings.

What most people seem to have forgotten is that in enforcing rules that create conformity, the competition becomes about the riding and not about the most memorable outfit. It is an attempt to even the playing field where tidiness and simplicity is valued over flashiness and uniqueness.

I grew up an eventer, pink and purple were my colors, but as a kid I saw a lot of scary accidents on the cross country course. From horses flipping over on top of riders, to horses sliding around a sharp corner and landing on a young rider's knee (that would never be the same again) – I was pretty convinced by the time I got to high school that I wasn't cut out for the hardcore nature of eventing.

After all, the cross country course is where Christopher Reeves had his infamous accident.

It wasn't until I got into high school that I started riding at a hunter/jumper barn that gave me the structure and the conformity that made it easy for a kid with social anxiety and not a lot of money to fit in.

It may sound silly, but sometimes less choices actually gives you more freedom in a sport.

When I purchased Unbridled Dixie at the age of three, I applied what I learned from my days riding Off-the-Track Thoroughbreds (OTTB)'s in Virginia and decided that I would let Dixie tell me what kind of job she wanted when she grew up. A lot of people purchase a horse with a specific activity in mind, which makes sense if you're buying an older horse that has been trained for a specific discipline, but part of the magic of working with and developing young horses is letting them show you what they're good at before you force them in any single direction.

As she continues to blossom, we are all pretty convinced she will make a fabulous hunter.

It's taken nearly two years to acquire all the correctly fitting tack and equipment needed to take Dixie up the levels. After a bad experience ordering a custom Devoucoux saddle that did not fit and being out the $2,000 deposit (talk about insult to injury), I knew it was time to get back to basics. In Butet.

The first time I sat in a Butet was the first time I could remember "feeling" the horse underneath me. I had grown up riding in a Wintec, later graduated to a Pessoa, but all it took was one time riding in a Butet (a size too small for me) to fall in love with the brand.

Butet makes the closest of the contacts with a classic, minimalist design. Butet saddles are known for their elegance, performance, and longevity. Many people don't part with their old Butets because they're not only functional, but maintain their beauty for generations.

It had been a while since the Butet rep had seen my mare, and I was excited to show her how much progress we had made. Now that Dixie is five, we've been able to take her training up a level and are aiming to start showing her this summer.

Critical to our success in the hunter ring? A saddle that fits us both.

I had been in correspondence for the rep over months and months in search of the perfect used Butet. Having lost so much money to Devoucoux, I no longer had the budget to buy a custom saddle. I was devastated and frustrated, but I had to face my reality and push forward regardless. She had warned me ahead of time she didn't have any used saddles for me, but that she would come out anyways to see Dixie in person so she knew exactly what to search for.

The moment the rep, Holly, showed up with a cinderalla-fit 2016 Butet (the year I was injured), I knew it was exactly what Matthew McConaughey would call a "green light".

Fast forward to two months later, and Dixie has blossomed in her new (to us) Butet. The difference in her attitude, her movement, and my ability to stay balanced has been night and day.

Saddles are an investment, but the way I like to explain it to people is that it's just like a running shoe. If you are running marathons in shoes two sizes too small or two sizes too big, you will not perform to the best of your abilities. And you'll more than likely end up injured in the process.

When it comes to the biomechanics of equestrian sports, riders need every advantage they can get in order to compete. Equipment matters and finding the right saddle fit for horse and rider is a critical component to creating a winning team.