In which I make some shopping suggestions for Small Business Saturday
Apparently, "shopping season" is just about to begin.
As I have posted (often) in the past, I'm not a big fan of that major December holiday in the Western World calendar...BUT I do live with Santa Claus, and there's no way (short of hiding under the bed, which gets a little sneezy after a few days) to avoid Shopping Season.
If you love to shop, or if you want suggestions to hand to your loved ones so THEY can go shopping for you, I want to make a few suggestions to help you make your season a little brighter,--and a little more socially responsible at the same time!
Suggestion #1: Don't shop at all -- Opt Out instead! I don't know if REI started this, or if they just picked up the concept and ran with it, but I love everything about the idea:
Instead of spending Your Welcomesgiving Day (a.k.a. Black Friday, the bigge$t $hopping day of the year in the United $tate$) with the crowds at the mall, go outside and play. REI made a big splash with their Opt Out campaign last year: they actually closed all their stores on Black Friday and told their employees to go outside instead. Apparently, this backwards-seeming financial decision paid off for REI, because they're doing it again.
Why not join them?
Go for a walk, go for a hike, go for a ride. Take a dog, or a kid, or a friend, or your whole family...or go by yourself. Give yourself permission to miss out on "money-saving opportunities" and take the opportunity to hang out out-of-doors and save money by not spending any.
If you just can't bear to go 24 hours without exercising your debit card, feel free to stop at a locally-owned restaurant and splurge a bit on dinner.
Suggestion #2: Celebrate Small Business Saturday
If you survive Black Friday with a positive bank balance, don't blow it: shop responsibly on Saturday! If you're looking for horse-y Small Business Saturday suggestions, of course I have some!
Here in the Swampland, December isn't our coldest month (that's January), but it is (usually) our wettest month. Therefore, the winter holiday is an excellent opportunity to upgrade riding raingear, either for yourself or for someone you love.
Small Business #1: Seamstress Unlimited (aka Joyce)
 |
| The Dragonwalker Duster, available in purple and other colors. Waterproof, breathable, lots of pockets! |
Joyce's business is truly small--sometimes just one person in addition to Joyce herself. That means that the attention to detail and quality control is far beyond what you will get from mass-produced gear made by wage-slaves in China. Joyce makes raincoats, saddle packs, and pretty much anything else that will hold still and lay flat under the monstrous industrial sewing machine in her shop.
Full stats for the Dragonwalker Duster are HERE. You can call Joyce and order your own custom-made raingear: (360) 740-5572. Tell Joyce that Haiku Farm says "hi!"
Small Business #2: Skito Saddle Pads
I don't remember talking much about saddle pads on this blog, probably because it's been more than ten years since I bought one!
 |
| This pad is finally starting to wear out after more than 10 years of heavy use. |
Tom at Skito is a longtime supporter of endurance and long-distance riders, and the saddle pads his company makes in Priest River, Idaho, really stand up to a lot of long-term abuse!
 |
| Because my horse is huge and dark, I asked Tom to design a special saddle pad that would keep her back cooler, |
The Dryback underside didn't work as well for the Toad, who was notoriously thin-skinned, but it's a brilliant solution for the Standardbreds, both dark mares with a tendency to "run hot." The mesh allows sweat to roll down the horse's sides, rather than soak up into the pad and create a warm, wet insulating layer.
 |
| My custom-built Dryback pad (back) with my even older classic Skito pad (front). I think I must have bought the classic pad around 2002, and I don't use it as often as the Dryback, but it's seen a lot of miles in 14 years! |
What are my other recommendations for saddle pads? I don't have any. When a product works great after more than ten years, why look elsewhere? I especially like this company's ability to customize the pad so it's exactly what I need --I do think I'll ask Tom to make a new top for the Dryback this year, though!
Small Business #3: American Trail Gear
I've never been secretive about my admiration for American Trail Gear. The company is tiny -- usually just two or three employees -- and they build great quality, beautiful biothane gear.
 |
| fistful of biothane |
 |
| closeup of the custom bling on Fiddle's bridle |
 |
| the breastcollar includes loops to secure glowsticks --soooo handy for night riding! (bear bells not included) |
 |
| Freya's new "raspberry" tack -- bright pink with burgundy overlay, made especially for a pretty, dainty little face! |
These are MY suggestions -- what are your suggestions for Small Business Saturday? The comment box is open!
Freya would look great in white. But something really bad happened - my white tack that is in storage is turning yellow. This happened to an old Zilco crupper I had long ago, it's not white at all anymore. And now it's happening to my brand new bridle: ( And my new Zilco reins are falling apart and you know how often I ride. I talked to Zilco and they said I must talk with the dealer, so apparently it's not the manufacturer's fault when their tack is messed up? I haven't mentioned the yellowing thing yet - just noticed that this week. OTOH I have a very old beta biothane white bridle with brass (yuk) and it's still like-new, perfectly white. I forget who manufactured that one.
ReplyDelete