Giveaway Time, Courtesy of Dream Horse Studios!

This is a very exciting post because it marks our very first giveaway contest on this blog! Read to the end to find out how you can win a $75 gift certificate to spend at Dream Horse Studios just by sharing!

Frequent readers of this blog are probably aware that I don't like to mention brand names. The important thing is to have clean, conservative, well-fitted tack and clothing rather than a particular "stylish" brand. Having said that, there are still some brands that tend to be particularly suitable for showing or that are good to know about for their value and innovation. Today's post involves the latter.

Dream Horse Studios takes a different approach to tack, with a focus on quality, good design and affordable prices, while at the same time offering options for those wanting something that stands out. I've been drooling over their Calypso boots, an outer shell in a choice of conservative colours (patent or leather, it's up to you) with a coloured calfskin lining in your choice of five fun colours to give the appearance of piping when they're worn. Imagine boots with the same colour of lining as the trim on your saddle pad and fly bonnet!

The Calypso boots in patent leather with red lining

If it's a classic look you have in mind, several models are available for you to choose from at prices below what you might expect to pay at a tack shop, and made from English leather, to boot (no pun intended!).

Cambridge leather jumping boots

They also make extremely colourful boots that would be fun for schooling, as well as a variety of other products ranging from beaded halters, belts and dog collars to bridles and decorative browbands.

A rainbow of fleece-lined Carnivale boots

Dream Horse Studios has now taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for an expansion of their product line to include a complete selection of bridles, girths, breastcollars, and more.

Donations start at only $1, and there are fantastic reward packages available. At $50, for example, you will receive a beaded leather bracelet with a custom engraved stainless steel or brass charm. For $100 you can receive a padded leather stable halter in your choice of size and colour; how often can you even purchase a padded leather halter for that without also helping a promising new business? To top that off, for just $25 more, you will receive a raised leather halter in the colour of your choice complete with a custom engraved name plate!

Additional rewards include sets of boots, bridles, show sheets, shipping boots, girths, breastcollars and more! How often does a Kickstarter campaign offer rewards at prices that are similar to what you might pay for something in-store?

Check out the campaign here!

Now to the even more fun part, the giveaway! In exchange for spreading the word about their Kickstarter campaign, Dream Horse Studios would like to offer you a $75 gift certificate, valid on any of their products. All you have to do is share it in one or more ways, and you can share it daily for extra entries! For an additional entry, you can also "like" Dream Horse Studios on Facebook and keep up to date on their goings-on.

We'll be using Rafflecopter for the giveaway. If you aren't familar with it, it's a way of keeping track of your entries and randomly drawing a winner. You can sign in either with your name and e-mail or with your Facebook account. I will only e-mail you if you have won the gift certificate.

Each day, you'll have three options for sharing the Kickstarter campaign, and you can use anywhere from one to all three options every day. "Liking" Dream Horse Studios on Facebook is good for one additional entry to the contest only once during the contest period.

Entries will close at 12:00 a.m. on November 6, 2013, the final day of the Dream Horse Studios Kickstarter campaign. The winner will be revealed on November 7.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November 7th: Congratulations to the winner of the giveaway, Anne G.!