Hey guys! I am new here so let me know if this doesn’t fit. For my birthday I am going to buy my horse something really nice. I would like something that holds up for a long time and for use on a lot of horses. I am currently deciding between upgrading my bridle (from an ovation regular bridle) to an anatomic Fairfax or Vespucci or getting him the ecogold flip half pad. He has a good back, gets regular chiropractic adjustments, has a fitted saddle, etc. It is so hard to decide! Do you have any opinions on what may be more worth it? Another note is that I will be having a change of life soon and may be taking off to college to ride many horses (and may end up selling my horse). I want something that I can use for all my future horses. Thanks for your advice and attention!
Good quality leather work lasts years and is generally a great investment.
If you are thinking ahead, a good bridle that is a standard size and fit will last for many horses.
I would not buy a pad. If everything is perfect now it will only mess up his saddle fit. And there is no guarantee you will need this pad in future. Your college horses may need all kinds of pads and shims and bump up pads to compensate for multiple saddles and riders. But they are unlikely to need this particular pad. They are likely to need an even more expensive pad that does something different. Because horses. 
In your shoes I would opt instead to buy a bunch of really nice riding pants and sun shirts! Can never have too many when you are riding a lot of horses daily.
Ah. The clothes are a great idea as long as the OP is sure she has stopped growing and won’t be putting on weight.
If OP is say 22 and going back to college, no problem.
If OP is 16 or 17, they may very well fill out over the next couple years and the clothes won’t fit.
I got a couple of gorgeous expensive coats when I was 18, a leather trench and a sheepskin, both very fashionable then. And in 2 years my actual shoulders had widened too much for the coats. Very disappointing.
A real splurge would be the equimassage or whatever you call the thing that looks like a lunging roller.
When I look back at my collection over the last 30 years, there are very few items still in regular use after multiple horses/years. My lunging surcingle was a gift for my 16th birthday, and is still the only one I use. I have an old wool plaid cooler, roughly a size 81, that has been worn by many, many horses over the years, and an ancient matching irish knit. I also have a newer wool quarter sheet that is generic enough to fit almost everything.
A much newer addition, but many horses have worn my Back on Track quick wraps for shipping, shows, or stall rest.
Nearly every horse has ended up with a new saddle, bridle, girth - and nearly everything else - saddle pads, wraps, boots, blankets, etc. wears out before I can really consider it a long-term investment.
If you’re heading off to an IHSA/NCAA type program, a well-fitting helmet and boots are a must, and a pair of small spurs and a stick. And if you are able to show, basic equitation clothes that fit nicely - breeches, white shirt, solid dark coat. A few of the NCAA programs do matching team shirts and jackets, so if that’s where you’re headed, you can skip those items.
You’ll also want a good barn bag seals up tight and fits your boots and helmet for when you need to bring your riding clothes to class with you.
A high-quality bridle in a horse size is a great choice, I know lots of riders in their 30s still using their bridles from their junior years. Even if it’s no longer in style for showing, you can use it as your daily bridle and have something trendier for shows.
Any needed upgrade to helmet or boots would be my first priority, even if it’s not quite as fun as a new bridle And if you’re going to be a working student, a few extra sun shirts/schooling breeches in professional tones is a good bet. If you’re going to do IHSA, updates to your show clothes makes more sense… but you might want to wait til school starts to see if your team has specific requirements.
Skip the half pad - the technology changes all the time and every horse will need something different.
I am in my 60s, and still using a bridle from my junior days.
I agree with the sunshirts and breeches idea.
My longest lasting purchases have also included some really good quality rope halters and lead ropes (useful for every horse and still in excellent condition after 10+ years hanging off paddock gates) and a Soless H-Visor to protect my skin
we have Baker Blankets from the 1950s, still in good to excellent condition as we have not needed them much at all since moving south from the great frozen north…but they sure are nice to have
I’d agree with buying a new helmet if you need one as a top priority. Maybe some safety stirrups as well. These technologies do change over time, but you can still be safe in the meanwhile.
For stuff that will last, I’d agree that a high-quality bridle is an excellent choice, and you can round that purchase out with the beginnings of your own collection of bits! (I’m being only slightly snarky: every horse person has multiple bits).
A nice collection of brushes is also a lasting purchase. My personal favorites are Haas brushes.
Haas brushes are sooooo nice! I should ask Santa for some.
