Ooo! Lovely! My pandemic splurge was going to be Ariat dress boots, throw caution to the winds and buy full retail instead of waiting for a sale. And then everything Ariat evaporated this winter. So I have an unfulfilled tall boot desire.
Things in Canada are priced about 30% more than in the US depending what the exchange rate is doing…
I outfitted 4 of mine in multiple brand new Rambo blankets this year, and new Walsh leather halters. My baby horses are near fitting into their old blankets so I needed more blankets anyways - the halters were a splurge for sure!
I really want a new helmet. And have been debating on an air vest - lots of young and athletic ones in my string right now and I’ve entered my thirties, I don’t bounce as well!
Everyone at my barn has them and they love them! I’ve been looking into the shells/vests…ahh so tempting. Really adds up, but so pretty!
Oh those La Mundial boots look gorgeous!! There’s a rep that comes to one of the local shows and they have a pretty good discount… but I’ve been scared off by reviews that fitting can be a challenge and that customer service is lacking if something goes wrong. How was your experience? (obviously you have 3 pairs, which is a good sign 
)
I’m a sucker for brown tall boots so I’d be an enabler in that regard 
Ohhhh my god 
those are so pretty…
I really like it - I was using a Black Knight one for years which did the job, but fiddling with a zipper behind me while on horseback was always annoying. The Butet is easier to use and looks & feels gorgeous.
@Ponyplusaninch 
OhEmGee! Those are gawjuss!
I may consider replacing my 30+yo custom Vogels.
Rationalization: Not replacing, giving them a well-earned rest. 
My splurges were a new (to me) saddle and an Ogilvy half pad. I had so much back pain while I was riding and the half pad took it all away! Now time to twiddle my thumbs until I receive my own in the mail…
I also bought a new Samshield Premium off of eBay that happened to still be in its box. I wouldn’t count this as a splurge though as it was due to an unfortunate and ill-timed fall.
I just signed the paperwork to purchase a new horse trailer. Not sure if that is an pandemic splurge because if things don’t open up soon it may not go too far this year.
…reconsiders decision to purchase new half chaps and thinks about getting a pair of LM boots instead…
Those are GORGEOUS! My lovely Vogels still fit and all, but they’re old and pull-ons and not fancy and pretty like those boots are!!!
I REALLLLYYYYYY hope the half chaps are fun/fancy! If they are, stick with them, if not, please reconsider your life choices 
I have a pair of Pinnell custom half chaps, and while they were a huge splurge when I got them, 12 years later I’m still in love with them.
So I have had nothing but good experiences.
That said, I remember the reputation they had back when I was a junior… Then they rebranded and I stepped away from riding for seven years and just forgot about the horror stories.
As a number of my equestrian acquaintances on FB can attest to, I panicked when I ordered the first pair and it dawned on me “LM” stood for La Mundial. “What have I done” was the prominent thought.
But the service was fabulous. The boots arrived a week earlier than expected. I got regular updates on what was happening. They even changed part of my order a few weeks into production (I wanted different piping). The rep did a great job fitting me. For the second order, they had all my measurements. And despite all the chaos will holiday shipping and the dumpster fire that FedEx has been in my neck of the woods, they still came in a fairly timely matter (two extra weeks. I wasn’t concerned. They can’t control FedEx, although I wish they’d use UPS…)
My two cents is that all the custom boot companies have their horror stories. I really can’t think of one brand where I haven’t heard a story that made me grimace. And it definitely comes down to who’s measuring you for fit. Makes a big difference.
And for those still riding in pull-on boots—lord, I was too, but holy cow the convenience of zippers. And the zippers are waaaaaay better than they were 15 years ago. Totally worth the splurge for good fitting, functional, easy to wear boots.
To be honest, I was one of the people scammed by La Mundial in 2012. Went to a barn, got fitted for the boots, added some extras, and then the rep left the company with my money. Never knew this until a few months later when I called to ask where my boots were - they had no record of my order. I ended up getting 3/4 of my money back and never got anything back to cover the extras.
HOWEVER, I think their customer service has changed DRASTICALLY. If I didn’t get a pair of Parlantis that fit almost like customs in lieu of La Mundial boots, I would definitely try to order now from them. I’m still tempted… even though I have doubts that I will ever horse show again. I would say go for it if you are interested!
If you are looking for well priced custom boots from overseas, I highly recommend Pioneer boots, sold through Equizone. I got my pair with birthday money last year, and they are AMAZING! especially for the price. I got them after $900 fb pony recommended them, and I’m trying to talk myself out of going back to get a brown pair. Equizone was super responsive to all my questions, and I was able to customize the top of my boot, and I honestly love them…
For reference, these are the ones I got: Atena boots
I still can’t figure out what would get me excited - everything is just so blah right now…anybody have recommendations on “life-changing” breeches? I always try to be economical, but maybe I should splurge on a higher end pair? I’m curvy, so I always have problems with the Animo type lines…
Please help me out of this funk!!!
Pikeur full seat leather, just don’t do the stupid latex/grip/legging thing. My husband has ones with knee grips that I gifted and while he raves about the fabric he is reporting that the grip is underwhelming and slippery. My own pair is a large (176) children’s size that I bought for 90eur (a lot of money for a student!) in my early twenties while still in Europe. The breeches have stretched together with me and I’m entering a new decade soon so the return on investment has been unlike any other
Cavallo are also fantastic breeches and a bit cheaper than Pikeur but can be a bit of a hit/miss from a fit perspective. Cavallo Chapionesse that is built for skinny and tall dressage riders just feels tight in the wrong places (otherwise close to as good as Pikeur from quality and fabric perspective) so I reserve my pair for days when the bloat factor is low. Other models are more forgiving and can report that my fleece lined winter Cavallo breeches are pure perfection (they literally make me happy when I put them on!) and they’re the same size as the championesse model. 
I honestly never liked the animo stuff. Years ago when it was all the rage I tried a bunch of things at tack stores but the fabrics just felt a bit too techy and the fit too skinny similar to Cavallo. Also I needed to size up at least 2 sizes, which wasn’t doing service to my self esteem I do know people who would wear nothing else so it’s worth doing your own research.
I haven’t ridden since last June because I was pregnant. I had my daughter (child #2) on Christmas Eve 2020. I still haven’t been on a horse yet because my trainer is out of town and I don’t own a horse of my own. That hasn’t stopped me from splurging.
I have bought two new sunshirts from It’s A Haggerty’s and they are extremely nice.
I also bought a new to me Butet saddle yesterday. Its an '03, but I’m still really excited about it. I also bought a new to me pair of stirrup leathers, some stirrup covers from Tether Shield and a second pair of black magnets for my Flex On stirrups that I got last year. I bought one set of magnets thinking I could switch out one magnet from each stirrup and it didn’t work. The test stirrup magnets that came with them were bright green. All of my most recent purchases should be arriving next week. Just in time to be moved from my current house to my new house that we close on March 12th. So maybe the house counts as a pandemic splurge too.
It’s all your fault…I was thinking about this thread and decided if I were to splurge on something it would be a lovely pair of brown boots. On a whim I searched Facebook for “brown Dehners” and found a gorgeous used pair for sale that appear to be my size 
. Just sent payment!!!
You won’t regret it - my brown dehners are to die for. Fingers crossed they fit like custom!
My favorite splurge is by far tack, and I really have a problem with splurging on bridles. I absolutely ADORE a pretty, high quality bridle.
I also like to have nice saddle pads (my last splurge in this area was a custom Wilker’s pad with a monogram on it, which I love!).
I’m a sucker for anything customized as well. Engraving, monogramming, custom colors, etc.
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