What to do with sentimental horsey stuff?

[capstone]

Particularly browbands but also a few halters and embroidered saddle pads and other things. For various reasons, I don't really want to reuse them or get rid of them. But maybe I should.

Ynse was our first horse. I have a few things with his name on them as well as some pictures of him throughout our home. He took my husband to 2nd level before DH stopped riding. Now he's enjoying his retirement in Colorado. We had this pad embroidered for him the first time we went to World Cup in Las Vegas.

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Buenos Aires was the registered name of my Brio, if you remember him. I particularly have a hard time with his things because I lost him rather than him being sold on, etc. I also have most of his tail, which is still untouched from when the vet gave it to me. The halter came with him and interestingly when I was at IFSHA with Ynse one year, I had this pad embroidered for Brio. I also have his papers which have the word "Dead" written on the front in big bubbly cursive writing...

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And here we have the browbands of Ynse, Francesca, Brio, Donovan, and Kuper.

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[TeresaA]

That's a tough one and it depends on what want to do. For me I would use the saddle pads and halter -it would be nice to remind myself of my old horse while riding my current horse. The brow bands I might keep (to use) or donate to a local schooling show for prizes.

[Paints]

Have you seen hockey or football jerseys framed in a box frame? You could put the saddle pads in one with the embroidery showing and artfully tack the browbands on maybe with some pictures of your loved horses.

I have the same problem. There are saddlepads and brushes and browbands around my house too.

[Literiding]

For ex-military types, mementoes of past service and commands are often mounted in "shadowboxes" which can be wall mounted for display. Traditionally, a wall in the den is dedicated to the memento containing shadowboxes and command plaques and is referred to as the, "I love me wall." If you would like some ideas about shadowboxes, do a search on Amazon. They very greatly in size and depth and some of them are probably more properly display cases for wall mounting.

I would suggest displaying the items in shadowbox(es) mounted on the wall and perhaps an identifying tag(s) along with any ribbons associated with that horse. The shadowboxes and ribbons could be put on a dedicated wall in the tack room or more formally in a den or other public room in your house.

[Jan & PJ]

I agree with Paints and Literiding. Those items would make a neat shadowbox.

[boots-aregard]

Maybe this doesn't work so well with leather, but I've seen halters used as a pot hanger for a plant, and that seemed like a good 'memory' re-use. I don't associate browbands with a specific horse, so I don't have a recommendation for that. Turn them into bracelets?

[Hayburner]

For me, ( my retree is still alive) anything monogrammed will never be used on my new riding horse. They are his and mine alone.

My family has been advised that his halter, saddle pad, pictures, etc are to go in my casket. This goes for my dogs ashes, pictures, collars, last can of food.

Goodness, I hope there is room for me! Lol

No one would want them and I can't bear the thought of someone just throwing them in the trash when I'm dead and gone. I value these mommentos . since I no longer ride him, For now, his saddle pads are in plastic bags in my garage.

[Chisamba]

I would frame the saddle pad, and the favorite browband for each horse. I would find a nice place to hang then in my space. The other brow bands could be nicely framed together The rest i would probably use.

[avma]

I recently lost my mare...and I'm planning on mounting some nice bridle racks on a framed piece of wood, and then hanging both her bridle and halter on it. I was thinking of using fabric in the center of the frame...but now I'm thinking I might try and use one of her saddle pads in the middle instead. One of these days my husband will get around to building it for me. LOL

[greenhorse]

I was going to hang my boy's bridle on a nice wooden plague with his name engraved under it. Unfortunately, his bridle was destroyed by his mischievous younger "brother." I was pretty upset. I did manage to salvage the browband and a few pieces. Now, I plan I. Hanging his halter on the plaque instead. I say "plan" because on June 13 he will have been gone for two years. His halter and lead rope is still hanging in my bedroom. I miss him everyday.

[PaulaO]

Bob has been gone over 2 years. His halter and lead rope are still in the back seat of my car. I pitched several of his saddle pads and have the remaining few in a big plastic storage bin in the garage. His brush box, saddle, and bridle are in the garage on a saddle rack.

Those things are important to me but not enough to bring them inside, nor do I want to get rid of them. I did get rid of things that had no sentiment for me, like his fly leg wraps. His fly masks are hanging in the garage, just like they hung on his stall.

I like the idea of putting special browbands or saddlepads in a shadow box.