Hudson's Tack and More

07/30/2026

Happy Thursday! Yesterday, Hudson’s was visited our long time client & friend, Lisa, & her paint boy, Jack!
Lisa & Jack have been working with McKenzie of MK Horsemanship for some time now & there were some behaviors that McKenzie wanted a second opinion on & felt were saddle fit related. And she was right! 👍
Since we were scheduled for a refit of Lisa’s WINTEC 500 HB, we co-ordinated a joint fitting & lesson to see if we could get to the bottom of Jack’s responses to tacking up.
This is something Hudson’s does quite often…co-ordinate & communicate with other equine professionals to help a client. And we have a blast doing it!
What a trainer & a saddle fitter see together, sometimes helps to narrow down an issue or come up with answers to help both horse & rider. ❤️
Lisa’s saddle was out of balance & needed adjusting for sure. While Kristina worked on that, McKenzie worked with Lisa & Jack for their usual ground lesson. Then, we tacked up Jack with minimal issues & away they went for Rider Up! 🐴
Lisa got her full lesson & saddle fitting in one shot! This was so helpful to everyone. We also recognized some other issues, like Jack hating his bit, contributing to his behavior.
Kristina & McKenzie will both be back next week to work on things with Lisa & Jack again!. This was one cool appointment, despite the heat! 🔥
Thank you to Lisa for her continued support of Hudson’s AND MK Horsemanship! Great job, Jack! That was a lot for one day. Can’t wait for our next session! ❤️❤️

07/29/2026

Happy Wednesday! Yesterday, Hudson’s traveled to Sheboygan, Wi. to see Angela & her QH/Fjord cross mare, Babe!
Angela had purchased this WINTEC Pro Stock with swinging fenders back in May & it was time for a recheck.
These ladies have some big rides planned for the rest of the year. So we are glad we came! Not just cuz we love seeing these 2, but Babe had definitely changed shape to the bigger & better! (Not that she wasn’t awesome to begin with.🥰)
We got to work adjusting the saddle to Babe’s new buff shape & balancing the seat for Angela. Away they went for Rider Up!
It’s amazing to see how horses change within just a few short months with a well fitted saddle.
Bigger trapezius & stronger back muscles, more athletic, open & balanced movement, and overall better performance are just a few of the things we saw change with Babe in just 60 days. She also stopped bucking on the lunge. 👍
Angela was kind enough to offer Miranda a short ride on Babe, which she really enjoyed! ❤️
Thank you for your continued support of Hudson’s, Angela! We love coming to see you & all the progress you have made with Babe! Happy trails! See you in the Fall! ❤️

07/28/2026

Happy Tuesday! This weekend, Hudson’s visited with Erika & her Foxtrotter cross boy, Ghost! Ghost has been off due to the heat & Erika knew it was time to get his saddle checked & refit. She rides him in a WINTEC Pro Endurance in a Wide so it was easy peasy to get him adjusted & on their way for Rider Up.
He was such a good boy & Erika felt balanced & comfy! Ready to start attacking those trails now that the heat is starting to subside a little. 👍👍
Here is a side note to this appointment…Let’s talk about the 1,400 lb 14 hh gorilla in the room…Ghost.
He is a Foxtrotter/Mountain Horse Cross, which typically have a rounded shape in the body & neck, flat back & big b***y. The issue with Ghost’s shape is that it is out of control.
Last year, he was diagnosed with a Low Thyroid, meaning his Thyroid is under active & his Metabolic system does not regulate correctly. This results in a cresty neck, fatty deposits throughout his body, being overweight & lethargic, sometimes a little crabby & uncomfortable, and lack of self carriage.
We are certainly not judging this sweet boy. He is getting all the care & meds he needs under a vet’s supervision, but a huge burst in grass growth has him backsliding with his weight.
We look at him & say, “Wow! That’s a fat horse!” But, in reality, he has a metabolic condition that causes this. Putting him on meds & managing his diet with lots of work helps control this condition.
As saddle fitters, we see plenty of horses in our area with different Equine Metabolic Syndromes, such as the dreaded Cushings, but this type seems to be emerging more & more.
If you feel your horse has some of these symptoms, we urge you to consult with your vet & get some testing done to rule out if your horse has EMS or Low Thyroid. 🥰

07/27/2026

Happy Monday! Recently, Hudson’s was in Madison to work with Dawn & her sweet chestnut Saddlebred mare, Roxie!
Roxie has been fighting an uphill battle for quite some time coming back from a myriad of health issues & Dawn has been putting in the work to get her healthy. Dawn reached out to us to come evaluate Roxie’s saddle & if she needed something different, which was a big Yes.
This was our second appointment & we found a winner! This Bates All Purpose Plus with an adjustable gullet is going to be able to change as Roxie grows & changes as she rebuilds & gets stronger.
Dawn felt comfortable & secure as soon as she sat in it & away they went for Rider Up!
Saddlebreds are built just a little bit different with high head carriage & flashy dynamic movement. Dawn has been a Saddle Seat rider for a long time & this saddle is a good crossover for her to choose which seat & position she would like to ride in, as Saddle Seat is typically very “chair “ seat.
Dawn had commented how hard Roxie has been to turn & transition. Not anymore! Soft turns, easy transitions, open movement & great focus are just the beginning of the improvements we hope Dawn & Roxie experience.
Roxie is on the road to recovery in so many ways! We can’t wait to see how Roxie will be moving & responding to Dawn when we are go back to check on them in the next week or so. We hope it’s nothing but great news on how Roxie is improving!
Thank you for reaching out to us, Dawn, & congratulations on your new Bates saddle! Nothing but positive vibes here for a recovering Roxie! ❤️

07/26/2026

Happy Sunday! Yesterday, Hudson’s traveled to Lamplight Equestrian Center for Equifest as VIP guests of Purina!
We watched the Purina $35k Grand Prix & it was AWESOME! They had an exciting final round Jump Off & congrats to the winner, who is from Rockton!
The athleticism & dedication required for this sport is just mind blowing! 🤯🤯
We had a blast hanging out with Purina in their cabana next to the course. Thank you to our Purina rep, Cori Westaby, for inviting to be part of this event. Here our some highlights from our day!

07/25/2026

Happy Saturday! Hudson’s works with many specialist equine professionals, both for our clients and our own horses.
Today, we would like to spotlight & give thanks to our local KT taper, Brandi Kent of Kentland Equine from Shullsburg, Wi. !!
Our own little grey 25 yo Arab mare, Maggie, was diagnosed with severe arthritis in both her rears in May. 🥺☹️
With the help of our vet, farrier & nutritionist, we have been able to manage Maggie’s condition & work towards getting her proper life & pain management. In June, we added KT Taping to Maggie’s care regimen just to see if it would help.
The difference in just 6 weeks with consistent weekly tapings with Brandi has made a HUGE difference for Maggie!
She has been walking better, needed less pain meds, noticeable reduction in swelling in both legs, and is just happier all around! ❤️
Brandi uses different taping techniques depending on what each week’s focus could be & explains why she has selected it. We have trusted Brandi with our horses KT Taping needs for over 3 years and this is why. Plus, our horses love her!
If you are struggling with pain in your horse, we highly recommend considering adding KT Taping to your horse’s care. It can make a real difference! If you are in our area, please give Brandi a call. Thank you, Brandi!! ❤️❤️

07/24/2026

Happy Friday! Last week, Hudson’s visited our client, Elena, and her bay TB boy, Tanner!
This dynamic duo is at the start of their jumping career & Elena is in the process of considering different saddles. Elena loves her Prestige dressage saddle she got from us last year, so we brought a Prestige Versailles Jump for them to try. She liked the look & found it very comfortable. The tree fit Tanner great so we saddled up & away they went for Rider Up!
Great jump sequences in the pics. Tanner moved openly & had the proudest look on his little face. He is still learning, but look at him doing it! Great job, Buddy!
We are still awaiting Elena’s verdict on if it’s a winner for her, so stay tuned to see what she picks! So awesome to see you & Tanner kicking turf! ❤️❤️

07/23/2026

Huzzah! Hudson’s will be there for our 3rd year as a vendor in the Exhibition Hall!
We are all signed up & starting to plan. We are already laying out our booth floor plan & shopping for giveaways.
May seem a little early, but it will be here before we know it. So mark your calendars! 📅

🐴 More Than a Horse Fair—A Commitment to the Equine Community.

At Midwest Horse Fair, for 45 years we've been dedicated to providing the ultimate experience for equine enthusiasts through education, exposition and entertainment.

What makes our mission unique? The net profits from Midwest Horse Fair are returned to the equine community through programs of our parent organization, the Wisconsin Horse Council.

Visit the premier destination for the equine community and help support the future of horses and horse people.

📅 Save the Date!
April 16, 17 & 18, 2027

Enjoy the Ride. Together, we're creating memories while giving back to the equine community. ❤️

Blain's Farm & Fleet Menzel's Amish Shelter & Fabrication Tribute Equine Nutrition Nutrena Feed Purina Horse Yonder Horse Triple Crown Feed

07/23/2026

Happy Thursday! Yesterday, Hudson’s tested out a new piece of equipment we may start using during our saddle fittings-
Equine Thermal Imaging!
This innovative, handheld piece of technology shows heat signatures of any part of the horse. We tried it on multiple horses for specific reasons to see how this thing works.
We checked Maggie (Grey with KT Taping), who has been lame in both rears with some swelling, and Wanda (Black), who was our control horse presenting with no issues.
We then went for a ride & checked both Lance (palomino) & Rome ( chestnut) for heat signatures from girth & saddle. We learned that WHITE means the highest temp, while deep orange & purples means cooler temps.
Based on what we saw, this is definitely a tool we are going to add in the near future to our toolbox! Thank you to Erika for bringing her Equi Optimus Imager for us to try & for a great ride! ❤️

07/22/2026

PSA: Hudson’s will be CLOSED this Sat., July 25th to attend the Grand
Prix in Chicago!