What's Up Wednesday

 

The weather has actually been cooperating and we've been able to get back to our regularly scheduled six day a week work week over here. Which I love, but maybe the horses kind of enjoy the extra day off here and there. But they'll get their wish potentially tomorrow anyway, so we can all be happy. 

Al and Shiny got to do some little jumps today, but they're boring now because I put all the fun fill away for the winter on Monday. 

Al actually seemed disappointed when he saw them on Tuesday. He likes fill apparently. But he was happy to bop around today anyway. Shiny doesn't care one or the other. 

Everyone is actually going pretty well this week. Eros is starting to feel more like his old self. I'm not sure what's changed, but I'll take it! I didn't let him jump though. Maybe next week if he keeps up the good work. Al seems MUCH happier now that most of the leaves are off the trees. I personally find it sad, but if it makes him happy, I'll be happy too. Happy Al, Happy Stacie. And Shiny is her usual unmotivated, but well behaved self. A former coworker friend of mine stopped by yesterday with carrots, and I've never seen that pony more excited. Girl loves her carrots. Now that it's not hot out I can start buying them more often again. Nothing more gross than hot barn carrots. 

Not much really to report on this week otherwise. Just a quick funny story. Al was turned out in the ring Saturday morning and was trying to get to the grass on the other side of the fence and accidentally removed a board.

What's funny is that he told me all about it. I was in the barn doing stalls, when I hear him whinny and come running to the gate to get me. Such a tattle tale. Even tells on himself! He's certainly been a tough horse for me to figure out, but I really do enjoy him and all his funny little personality quirks. Like when I feed hay, he always pops his head out for a nose smooch before turning to his food. He's probably the best communicator of the bunch. Of course that might be because the other two aren't as needy... Hard to say for sure. 

That's really it from here. Nice quiet week for us. Hopefully lots more quiet weeks to come! We like quiet. 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession is that I'm weirdly excited about staying home this winter. Though I do reserve the right to later hate this decision come winter time. 

I'm genuinely hoping to keep riding through winter, even if most of the rides in the dead of the season are just walk rides. All three horses could use a refresher on the leg means go concept and that's for sure something that can be accomplished at the walk. Not to mention lateral work. They could all use some brushing up on that too, and the walk is the best place to really feel if they're doing things correctly or not. And if not, we can fix it! I imagine we won't be riding six days a week all winter long, but that's also okay. I have a bunch of projects I've been trying to chip away at on Mondays, but a few extra days off throughout the winter will definitely help me get more accomplished on that list. 

I do realize that I will have to stay on top of my own fitness when the riding gets lighter. I'm told not to run on my knee, but walking is okay and so is bike riding. Obviously if riding is out, then biking would be too (plus my bike is still in the box it came in). But I might look into one of those things you can get that turns your road bike into a stationary bike. I do still have my treadmill, so probably walking will be my go to. I wouldn't need to buy anything to accomplish that. Plus I can do it in my pajamas. That's a win!

What do you all do for fitness when riding gets less frequent? I'm not a big fan of working out, so am always looking for things that are both FUN and good for me. I already do my PT workout twice a week (squats, lunges, and a bunch of resistance band exercises), so I'll probably increase that to three days when I'm not riding as much. But I could use some ideas for more cardio type workouts. (Busted knee friendly if possible.)

Thursday's Threads: Autumn Edition Part the second

 

As promised last week, Al is modeling our second Autumn themed outfit today. I think I like this one even better than last weeks. I won't ramble, let's get to it! Here's what he wore:

His winter coat is really coming in, and he's so dark now! I always forget how nearly black he turns come this time of year. So handsome! 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Homemade

He's wearing the same brow band you saw last week because I only made one horse size and one Shiny size of this one. Maybe next year I'll make one more. 

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes

Baby Pad: Ogilvy, embellished by me

I had to do a close up of this ribbon because it's so cute! The little pumpkin trucks! Love it!

Boots: Busse

These aren't the fanciest boots we have by any means, but I actually really like them. They're mesh, so pretty breathable, and they are nice and soft. The fuzzy part is just on the edges so they aren't too hot on the legs. 

That's Al's outfit, and here's what I had on:

So much Autumn in one photo. 

Helmet: One K

It appears that I need to clean the helmet... try to ignore that dust ring around the brim! Ha!

Sweater: Generic

How adorable is this leaf sweater? I love it, perfect for this time of year, and it's pretty much my barn colors. Even more perfect!

Belt: The Sugar Lady

I wore Rio's belt with this outfit. I still am so in love with how this turned out.

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

This color is called Saddle. I think I've mentioned this before, but the first time I saw them I thought they were hideous and couldn't for the life of me figure out WHO would ever want to buy them. Then a little later, I answered that question. It's me. I bought them. And I love them now.

Boots: LM Boots

I'm trying to wear these more. They are pretty comfortable even if they still make me annoyed just looking at them. 

 That's it for this week! I haven't decided yet what we're doing for Halloween week. But I think it may be a return to something we haven't done in a few years. Stay tuned!

What's Up Wednesday

 

We have redeemed ourselves this week with six days of riding all in a row! Back to normal! Mother nature played nice (kinda) and held the rain for non riding times like Monday and overnights. We have had a LOT of rain lately though so we've just been flatting due to squishy footing. 

I don't really have much to report on honestly. Things are pretty steady around here. 

Al is doing well on his new meds and I actually kind of feel like we're making some progress. His labs came back yesterday negative for EPM and Lyme, though the third value on the Lyme test is elevated which means he's had an exposure. My one vet doesn't feel we need to treat at this time, but I may anyway just based on past history. I am going to run it by my other vet for a second opinion and see what he thinks. He had mentioned at our last visit that he had a horse that behaved much like Al and they ran a course of high dose IV antibiotics and the horse was cured of his weird spooky behaviors. So I dunno. Could be the thing. Might not be. The tricky part with that treatment is that a vet has to administer the meds every day for however long they need it. (I forget how long it is.) Which might not be possible without sending him off to stay with the vet. Which isn't out of the question or anything, but it is expensive. So we'll see what he thinks when he sees the lab results. 

Eros still feels the same to me. I can't say that he feels lame, I don't think that's what I'm feeling. But he comes out pretty stiff in a different way that his normal, and his stride feels quite small. He does improve the longer he moves around, but I'm still being very mindful with how much we do. His Lyme titer came back in normal ranges across the board. On the one hand I expected that because he did feel like a new horse after the round of Doxy he had this summer. But on the other hand, I was kind of hoping I could blame this latest NQR-ness on Lyme. But we also ran an EPM titer. He came back with a very low positive for both values that they test for. Again this vet is comfortable not treating right now, but I'm not sure if I agree. He has been toe dragging which isn't unusual for him per se... but my farrier made a comment about how much his feet were worn the last time he was out which suggests to me that it's more than normal. That paired with his being kind of meh makes me think it might be worth doing a course of Toltrazuril. Like with Al and the Lyme, I will also run this by my other vet for a second opinion. Where with Al I'm not as positive treatment is warranted, I feel a little more strongly for Eros. But I'm not a vet, and I do trust BOTH my vets very much. So I'll see what they both have to say before making any decisions.

I had no reason to really suspect that Shiny had anything going on, but figured I'd pull both titers for her too because it's good to have a baseline. Her numbers came back great on both tests so that's wonderful. She's still a little on the unmotivated side these days, but like... Same girl. Same. Autumn will do that to you. I really need to start thinking about body clipping her. She's probably a little hot under her mountain goat coat that she's already grown. I actually did pop her over a handful of little jumps over the weekend. I think she enjoyed that. But not as much as she likes walking around the backyard. 

I'm focusing very hard these days on taking a deep breath and enjoying my horses and the barn work, and not stressing about how I'm not doing things "right" or I'm taking too long, or whatever other thing I've been letting get to me all summer. And honestly, I think it's working. I've been looking forward to riding each of them (most days) and not stressing about what time I get finished actually has me getting done earlier many days. Funny how that works isn't it? I'm also trying to do something fun once in awhile that's not horse related. 

So this weekend, I joined my best friend since childhood for dinner and then a show. It was a one man Edgar Allan Poe show that took place in a historic home. 

They required the audience be masked

Each audience is only 16 people max, so it was very intimate, and a lot of fun! (It was also inexpensive, which is my favorite kind of show.) I think as the days get shorter and the temps get colder it will be important to stay on top of making myself do fun things like this on occasion. To try and keep the seasonal depression at bay, ya know? 

Next week I have dinner plans with another friend plus it's Halloween on Friday, so those are definitely things to look forward to! I'm also hoping to have a jump day with Al and Shiny later this week or this weekend. The rain should stay away until next week, so it could happen! Other than that, not too much happening. 

How about all of you? Are things slowing down for you guys too? Or are you still full steam ahead with training?

Truthful Tuesday

 

I think I'm surprised by it every year, but with the days getting shorter, I'm remembering (and confessing) how solar powered I am as a human. I was late to feed breakfast both days this weekend. Why you ask? Because apparently my body doesn't think it should be awake when it's dark out. No matter how many alarms I set. I imagine this problem will end once we change the clocks... and if not, then that would mean I'm just plain lazy and not solar powered. I guess we'll have to wait and see for that answer.

Any of you having this problem? How do we solve it? Send help! 

Thursday's Threads: Autumn Edition Part 1

 

Honestly, I was riding today and just really perplexed as to why people love this time of year. The high was 54, the winds were steady at 15 mph with gusts up to 30. Yes 30. Leaves flying everywhere. And have I mentioned the flies? They're still here. Like desperate little blood sucking leeches. Highly unpleasant. But we all did the thing. Cause that's what we do! And despite my distaste for this time of year, Eros and I are celebrating autumn with our outfits today. Here's what E had on:

Note the windswept tail

Getting this photo was a challenge due to aforementioned flies. Most of the photos looked like this:

If it's gonna be cold and windy, there should be no flies! At least that's what Eros kept saying.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Home made

I think this is my favorite of my silly home made browbands. I do love autumn themes. Just not the weather. 

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Stubben
Baby Pad: Ogilvy, embellished by me

Earlier this year I needed an additional black half pad that was shimmable, and I tried to cheap out by buying an Ovation instead of a Mattes. But then it was too small for my saddle. So now that I was out some money, I definitely couldn't spring for the Mattes so I got this Stubben one. And it's okay. But honestly I've spent enough at this point that I could have just gotten the Mattes one I really wanted. So the lesson here is to just get the thing you want. Anyway, how cute is that leaf trim on the pad?

Polos: Catago

I really am a big fan of these polos from Catago in case you hadn't picked up on that. I have them in four colors. They are similar to back on track in their technology and are also breathable which I really like. If you're a polo user, check them out!

So that's what E had on, and here's what I wore:

This is basically like autumn camouflage. You can't even see me amongst the leaves!

Helmet: One K

I'm still a big fan of a brown helmet.

Sweater: Max Studio

I picked this sweater up on clearance last year after the holidays and then didn't get around to wearing it. But I saw it in the closet this week and was thinking it would look fab with my orange breeches. And it DOES! 

Belt: No brand

I had to toss my old orange belt strap because it was dried out, peeling, and cracking. But I found a new one on Amazon and it fits my designer inspired buckle perfectly!

Breeches: Vestrum

I got these breeches awhile back figuring I'd wear them twice a year and that would it (Halloween and Thanksgiving obviously). But it turns out, I love them and wear them pretty often. What a nice surprise!

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

These socks are a little more season specific. But I love them, they're so cute! And those are my Hunter clogs which might be my favorite shoes ever.

Boots: Horka

With all the wet and leaves everywhere I thought distressed boots were the only choice for this week's outfit. 

And that's it for this week! Al and I will have a similar outfit next week for Autumn edition part 2!

What's Up Wednesday

 

So USUALLY I ride all the horses six days a week. But not last week, that's for sure. Last week they were on the every other day schedule. That's just how it happens sometimes. They had Wednesday off due to weather, then Friday for the vet, and then Sunday for more weather. Some weeks it's like that if you don't have an indoor, and you know what? They're all just fine. No worse for the wear. (Or lack of wear as the case may be.) So obviously, I don't have much riding wise to chat about. But it's horses, so that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about! 

Autumn is autumning

Friday we had a scheduled vet appointment for fall shots and teeth. We haven't done teeth in awhile, though I get them checked every six months. Fortunately, they were all still in good shape and just needed a quick float. They all handled shots well too, so that was nice! The boys don't usually have much trouble, but before her weight loss Shiny always had a hard time with shots. It's interesting to see what she handles better now that she's lighter. I also had Lyme and EPM titers drawn. I don't put a lot of faith in the EPM titer after Rio (who's titer was always negative even when he couldn't stand up without a wall next to him...) but if it does show a high titer, that would mean something anyway. So doesn't hurt to check. I mean only the wallet anyway. 

Sunday I noticed that Shiny's paddock fence was starting to lean. I recognized that lean... And made a note to mention to my worker that we needed to replace at least two of those posts. (Spoiler alert: it was four.) They're still the old ones that were defective. I've been replacing them as they rot, so there are still a bunch of them around. Well... before I could make mention my helper sent me this photo:

Guess that couldn't wait. I blame all the rain we got Sunday and Monday. We got a ton, everything is still wet everywhere. Mother nature is all or nothing it seems like! The guy who installed my fence for me is in Florida right now, so I knew I couldn't call him for help. My worker who is capable of fixing this didn't have the time to do it. I've found that trying to dig holes is not something my knee approves of, so my options for getting this fixed in a timely manner appeared very slim. Fortunately, I had one more person to call, and he was able to get it repaired yesterday. Shiny was very relieved to have her paddock back. And the boys were relieved she was back down there. Neither of those two weenies would go to the far end of the ring when they were turned out without her down there. Even though that's where their hay was. For real! Weenies. I don't know what they would do without Shiny. I hope they appreciate her.

Eros has been particularly sassy of late. He always gets a little weird this time of year, and the elements aren't helping any. It's been cool and windy everyday, but at the same time, the flies are HORRENDOUS! Which is the stuff nightmares are made of for Eros. Add to that the lighter workload he's been having and he just doesn't really know how to handle his intrusive thoughts. I am wondering if he has Lyme again because that would explain his NQR-ness and this sudden extra spooky behavior. We'll find out soon enough. If it's not that I may hit him with some ulcer treatment and see if that helps. He's not like a psycho or anything, just a little extra. We'll figure it out I'm sure.

He has very strong ears.

Al's been... pretty good? I can't for the life of me get him MOVING, but he's using whatever parts of the ring I request. Not always super willingly, but he's doing it. And honestly that's a big step in the right direction. The back probably 1/3 of the ring is still a little too wet to work in, so he's getting a reprieve from full ring torture. Which probably is helpful for both of us if I'm being honest. Ha! I think I'm going to pack away some of the jump fill for the winter and set up a little course of trot poles and just a few single jumps for now. I think anyway. I'm not yet committed to such things. But I think having some poles with set distances might help me get him moving without him realizing it. And he's always better with a task to pay attention to. And pretty soon the ground will be too hard to jump anyway. 

Which brings me to my next topic. I can't remember if I've mentioned yet, but I think we're going to stay home this winter. The barn I went to last year doesn't have enough stalls for us, and there's really not many places nearby to even consider, let alone that have room for three horses. And I dunno. I could maybe use a little winter break this year. I have a bunch of projects to tackle in the house that I can't ever seem to find the time and/or energy for. And maybe a little break would be just the thing to reset Al and get Eros sound again. I figure I could ride Shiny in the snow, she's reliable. So she can get her exercise at least. We'll see. I can always change my mind later. Plus, you never really know what winter will be like. Some years it barely snows at all and stays mild. Of course that won't happen if I stay here... but we'll cross that bridge when we get it it. 

That's about it for this week. We don't have anything planned that's too exciting at the moment. And I'm really pretty content with that!