What's up Wednesday

Phew, time is flying! Wednesday already? Summertime is my favorite time of the year, but it sure is busy. Not that I'm complaining, I love having fun stuff to do and horses to ride. And I love the warm sunny weather.
I scheduled an extra lesson on Eros last week because there aren't any trainers at the barn the next two weekends. They're all up in VT at the show. So Thursday after work I headed over there for a lesson. It was probably one of the best I've had with him lately. Maybe things are starting to click?

We worked on some more hunter style courses instead of lots of bending lines and roll backs. While I do think all horses should be able to do those things, it's also nice to work on what we would actually be doing if and when we get to a horse show. Eros definitely needs to get stronger behind, I think I need to work harder smarter about getting him back on his hind end when we flat. He's fine when the jumps are 2'6" but he's really unloading himself when the fences are 3'. It's ugly and hard to stay with! I know he has enough scope for the 3' so I think it's likely a strength issue. That aside though, he was really good despite it being a little rainy and late.

Friday after work was back to my four legged kids at home. They both just flatted since they had the day off on Thursday. Nothing too exciting from those rides to share! (Never a bad thing!)

I had 4 manes and two tails to braid Friday night, but the customer asked to have one of them done in the morning before they left at 6:15. There was no way time-wise to do some and then go back if I wanted to sleep at all, so instead I just started late and braided through the night. I got done at 5:30 which was perfect, as they were just arriving to feed. Hopefully breakfast kept the horse occupied so he didn't rub.

It was a long night. I climbed into my bed at 6 am and slept until 9. You guys. I am WAY too old for these all nighters! Anyway, I dragged myself out of bed and went and ran some errands. My car's emissions were due, so that was my first stop. Then coffee. Then off to ride Eros. He was kind of funny Saturday. I had new reins I was using, and they were so slippery I felt like I couldn't get anything done properly. And he was oddly kind of forward and sassy. It was a weird ride, but not bad really. Needless to say, those reins are going in the trash.

Next I headed home to ride my other two and take care of Rio. I planned to start with Shiny, but when I pulled her out, she had a fat hind leg. I couldn't find any cuts or anything, and her tendons didn't palpate sore, so I'm guessing she just bumped her leg on something. I wanted to ice it, but when I was putting the ice boot on, she kicked out at me. I smacked her, which wasn't all that smart since I hadn't fastened all the straps yet... So she jumped forward and the boot slipped down. She proceeded to panic. stomp my wooden brush box to kindling, and break the cross ties. Fortunately, once the cross ties broke she gave up her antics and I stuck her in the wash stall. I figured she could stand there and calm down while I cleaned up the mess. And then I cold hosed instead of icing. We followed that up with a hand walk and some grazing. Finally I wrapped her up behind and tucked her back into her stall.

Next was Pammon! He was perfect for our ride and I was grateful given how tired I was! We just flatted and worked on things like my dreadful sitting trot.
Pammon enjoyed some grass after our ride too, and then it was Rio's turn for attention. He had a nice grooming and some grass.

I had a ton of stuff to do in the house (how does one person make such a mess?!) but I knew I likely wouldn't do any of it given my three hours of sleep. And I had really wanted to stop by the carnival in my hometown. So after I fed the horses and the pups, I headed over there for a few minutes. The carnival is a fundraiser for the fire department there in town which is all volunteer run. After the fire at my childhood barn when I was 14, I try to always come and support the carnival. It's the least I can do.
It was already dark when I arrived, which makes it look way more fun.

I wanted to play a couple games and eat some crappy food. So I did just that! I won a unicorn at the dart game and stuffed balloon dog at whack-a-mole. Then I ate some fried oreos and left. I don't think I was there even a  half hour. Ha! Efficient!

There were five... but I didn't snap a pic until after I stuffed some in my face.

And then I went home and fell asleep on the floor with the pups... I woke up at 4 am and went to bed. I really need to stop doing that!

Sunday morning I had another lesson with Eros. This one went great too, which is kind of mind blowing. I'm a little bummed I won't get to jump again for two weeks with him now that things are coming together. But that's pretty much the story of my life isn't it? Lol. It was pretty hot, and Eros was letting me know that while he was drying off from his after-lesson bath.

I skipped the farmer's market and just went straight home. I rode Pammon first. He was fantastic! I hadn't planned to jump, but decided to because I was feeling pretty good about things after my Eros lesson. Pammon was perfect! Everything was coming up out of stride, and he was landing softly and seemed like he was having fun. If I had more energy I would have gotten off and put the fences up some, but I didn't. Maybe this week!

Shiny's leg was still puffy, so I gave her another day off. We hand walked and cold hosed, and had some grass. Perhaps she did it on purpose to get out of working during the 95 degree weather?

Since it was so hot, I brushed Rio off quickly and then gave him a rinse before heading out for snacks. I think he was grateful!

I decided after taking care of all the horses that I had to skip the lake and do my adulting in the house. So I did some laundry and straightened up and that was the end of the weekend.

Monday was only half boring though! I worked in the morning, and then went to the Bronx in the afternoon to watch some baseball! I LOVE going to Yankee stadium, and Monday was a blast. It was hot when we got there, but by the time the game started the sun was low and it was the perfect temperature out.

And I got nachos in a helmet so that's pretty much all a girl needs right?

On top of a super fun evening at the ball park, mother nature treated us all to this view as the sun went down:

The Yankees were leading going into the last inning, but they managed to blow it and lose. So that was a bummer. But I still had a great time. It was another late night though. I got home after 1. Tucked in the ponies and then crashed for the night.

Kinda like this... but in my bed this time.

 Tuesday morning came FAST. But I made it to work more or less the same time as usual (which really isn't what you'd call "on time". I'm a terrible employee when it comes to punctuality in the morning...) I was hoping to ride both horses after work since Shiny's leg was looking better when I checked it Monday and also Tuesday at lunch time. But when I got home from work she had a big gash in it. I honestly don't know what's going on when I'm not home, but whatever it is, she keeps hurting the same leg! So I scrubbed the cut, cold hosed her, and wrapped it back up. It was very sore, so I didn't think riding was the right thing for it. What's another day or two off?
Pammon was perfect as always, though a bit lazy. It was still close to 90 when I rode him last night and humidity has been creeping up. Today the high is 91 with 70% humidity so I think it will be another easy ride. There are storms coming though, so it may be a day off... time will tell!
And that's about it for last week! How was your week? Do anything horsey? Lessons or horse shows? Tell me about it in the comments!

Truthful Tuesday

Today's confession is that I'm getting OLD! Ugh, you guys, a couple nights of not enough sleep, and I'm riding the struggle bus big time. It's funny how that sneaks up on you. But fear not, the horses have been ridden, the job is being done, and I even got a couple loads of laundry done! Due to said elderly issues, I don't really have much to confess today. But lots to talk about tomorrow on What's Up Wednesday!

Thursday's Threads

Outfit DAY! AND I have new boots to share! You may have already seen them on my insta story though... I'll start with that outfit since I'm sure you're all as excited as I am.

 

 TEAL! And gray. Classy combo, since one tones down (or up) the other.

Helmet: One K Defender Glamour

I bought this helmet right after I ordered the boots because I knew they'd look great together. It's a bit much for wearing in public... but at home it's totally acceptable.

Shirt: TK EQ

This is probably one of my top ten favorite tees. So true!

Belt: Rebecca Ray

Do you believe I already owned a belt that matches my boots perfectly?! Ok, yeah. I believe it too.

Breeches: Ovation Aqua X

You know when you go to the Riding Warehouse site to get supplements for your horse and then you find yourself perusing the sale section to get to $50 for $5 two day shipping? And then the next thing you know you've spent like $400 and no longer qualify for $5 two day shipping? Yeah. That's how these happened. Along with new stirrups and white mattes half pad for when Pammon finally shows.  Oops. But at least I remembered Rio's supplements too!

Boots: Celeris UK

This really isn't the best photo. In direct sunlight these are a funny gray, but they're actually gorgeous in person. So what happened was, April was a dark time for me with losing Jampy and all. So when Celeris offered a handful of 20% discounts first come first serve for Easter, I did what any irresponsible, depressed equestrian would do. I ordered boots!  And they just arrived this week. This is probably the last pair for a long while now that I have horses and hope to start showing again. I really can't say enough good things about this brand though. Yes, the lead time is awhile, but the boots fit like a glove right out of the box. Communication is great. And the quality is top notch. I've worn these just one day so far, but about half way through the second horse they were already pretty comfortable. I just found I have a matte gray pair of spurs that will look even better with these boots. Never know what you'll discover in my tack room!

So that's my riding outfit this week, but I have a cute work outfit too.

Cacti today! I didn't realize I had amassed something like 4 pairs of cactus shoes... It was tough to pick which to wear today!

Top: Modcloth

So maybe I should have ironed it... Whatever I sit at a desk all day. Either way, how cute is this top!?

Belt: C4

I believe this C4 belt was a collab with Smartpak. I have matching boot socks too!

Jeans: True Religion

I really love frayed bottom jeans for summer. They just look adorable without socks.

Shoes: Soludos

I was really waffling between these and a super cute pair of Kate Spade sandals. But the A/C is so cold in my office I decided to keep my toes warm. These matched the top a bit better too.

Arm Party!
Lefty:

I know it's a little uninspired... I must confess that I couldn't find some of the bracelets I had planned to wear today. SOMEONE didn't put them back where they belong last time. (It's me. I'm someone.)

Righty:

At least righty kept with the them! The string bracelet came from Zulily, and the bangle was from Ebay. And of course my Fitbit is on too!

So that's it for today. Any favorites? What do you think of the new boots?! What's your favorite boot brand?

What's Up Wednesday

This week was so weird with the holiday on Thursday. My work was open Friday, but there were like five of us here and it was such a waste of a nice day. What can ya do though, right? Adulting. Hopefully I'll get brownie points for showing up. Anyway, Let's look back at the week!
Since Thursday was a holiday, I got to spend it riding horses ALLLLL DAY! I started with Eros over at the boarding barn. He was perfect of course. We just flatted and it was a lovely low key ride.

Though he wasn't terribly enthused about coming out to ride...

Next I headed home to let the pups out. I had a 3 o'clock lesson on Pammon, but it was only noon, so I had a little bit of time. I rode  sat on Shiny before the lesson too so I could be all done after. We did a little trotting in the ring bareback, but mostly we grazed in the yard. #lazy

Rio had his groomies and some grass in between too.

 Anyway, trainer was ready a little early so that was nice, because I was too. I had a great lesson with Pammon! I let trainer know that I was struggling with the sitting trot, and also felt like I needed a little verification on pace. Everything feels really slow, but I'm not sure it actually is. She fixed my sitting trot in like two laps of the ring. Ok... maybe not totally fixed as some of the issue is weakness on my part. But she helped me improve it ten fold. She also helped fix how I was using my leg to make it more effective. (Spoiler alert, it's helped with Shiny too!)
Eventually, after all the much needed flat assistance, we moved on to jumping. We only jumped teeny little speed bumps, but it was so amazing.

Pammon really is some kind of saint. He doesn't peek at the jumps at all. You point, he jumps. Easy peasy. I found some longer spots, some ugly chips, some good ones. And he just jumped the thing every single time. He doesn't land and get strong. He doesn't try to pull me to the jumps. He JUST DOES THE JOB. It's exactly what I need right now. I am so in love with him.

moments before he nibbled me.

My homework is to keep jumping regularly and to start jumping a little bigger. Trainer is off to VT for a couple weeks, but she wants me to find a show for when she's home to take Pammon to. I'm not sure it's going to work out though. Trainer is only home for a couple weeks. Pammon is getting shots the Friday she gets back, and the weekend following there isn't really anything nearby. She may be grumpy about it, but I think it needs to wait until August.

I spent the evening at my dad's house enjoying some grilled food and fireworks on the beach. His town doesn't do a show anymore, but there are all kinds of private (rather illegal) shows all along the beach.

Friday was a work day, but I did ride Shiny and Pammon after work. They were both great. Shiny is getting a bit better with her canter transitions so that's promising.

Saturday was MORE PONIES! And I had to stay on schedule because our family lobster fest was that night. I flatted Eros in the morning, and then headed back home to work everyone at home, and graze Rio. After my great lesson on Thursday, I was feeling super motivated so I popped Pammon over a few more teeny jumps, and then I even jumped Shiny over a few crossrails! We had not yet done any jumping together, though I don't really know what I was waiting for. You guys. Shiny LOVES to jump! She took me right to it and jumped calmly each time. I'm so excited! She's totally everything I wanted in a backyard fun pony. I can't wait to jump some more fences with her!

Once everyone was cooled off, tucked back in, and fed, I showered and headed over to my dad's for Lobster Fest!

It's one of my favorite events of the year, because who doesn't love to gorge themselves on lobster?  Obviously I dressed for the occasion:

Don't stare directly at those legs... they are blinding.

After stuffing myself full of lobster, I stopped home to drop off the leftovers and change. I had one pony to braid before bed time.

And then it was right to bed because I had a 7:30 AM lesson with Eros. On a Sunday. Oy.
It was a decent lesson, same old issues. I get dragged around, but Eros is otherwise perfect. Lol. Someday we'll make some progress. Maybe. Either way, I still think he's the best dude. After my lesson, I stopped by the farmers market to stock up on veggies and cheese for the week. And that was when I saw the text asking me to ride Fefe. Oops, somehow I didn't see it while I was still at the barn. I had time though, so after dropping my goodies off at home, I went back to the barn.
Out of sheer laziness I rode indoors. Fefe is an ass walking back to the barn after you ride and I didn't feel like dealing with it. (Full disclosure... lol.) It was actually the best ride I've had on her. She gave me some really great trot work, even coming onto the bit and lifting her back. I was impressed, didn't think she had those buttons! The indoor was quite a bit cooler than outside too, so that was also quite pleasant.

AND then it was home to work the others and take care of Rio. And then I died. Lol. Not really. But I was definitely exhausted. You already know about Monday, and Tuesday we had nice rides again. Nothing really to report.
How was your week/weekend? Did you have a four day weekend? If you did, I'm a lil' jealous...

Truthful Tuesday

Too much of a wonderful thing, is probably still too much, isn't it? I went from riding only occasionally to riding every day. And it's wonderful! But it's also a little bit challenging what with the full time job, family obligations, and some rare sad attempts at a social life.

 The riding every day thing isn't so much the juggle, it's more the amount of horses to ride each day. Two after work each day isn't so bad, but trying to fit Eros into the equation at least one of those week days, is proving a little tricky. If I head over to the boarding barn after work (after I stop home to feed of course), then I don't have time to ride my horses at home. The last few weeks I've used any rainy days to do Eros since I wouldn't do mine anyway. This week though, no rain in the forecast. Which is awesome honestly, and the horses at home need a day off at some point anyway. So I'm going over to Eros on Thursday and having a lesson.

The problem with riding Eros on the days I don't ride my horses at home, is that I was riding literally every single day. So after I get home from work during the week, I'm doing horse stuff until about 9/9:30 at night. Which is what I always have done up until last year. It works out great as I used to have plenty of time on the weekends to do chores in the house and run errands and what not.
But now that we have Eros and Fefe, and the three at home, AND it's summer which is full of other outside obligations, I'm kind of skating by doing the bare minimum on all the other aspects of life. Laundry? Ha! Good thing I have a lot of clothes. I have crap everywhere in the house, and even had dirty dishes in the sink for a few days there (gross)! And let me tell you how long all the horses' manes are!
So my confessions is that last night, on a perfectly sunny evening with temps in the high 70's and low humidity, I took the day off from riding. I spent some time in the barn doing some organizing that I had put off, and then spent some more time doing the same in the house. I even got a load of laundry done! I felt super productive. While I still didn't really accomplish enough, it was nice to at least get a few things taken care of. And I think my body appreciated the day off too.
What I think I've learned from my evening off was that it is important to step back once in awhile. As much as I'd rather ride my horses all the time, adulting still has to happen. It's an unfortunate side effect to not being a kid anymore I suppose. Lame.

Thursday's Threads

I took the fourth off from blogging, so Thursday's Threads is a day late, but it's totally on theme for 4th of July so it's worth the wait hopefully! I spent most of the day riding, so we'll start with my riding outfit. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to snap photos, so you get a flat Stacie today.

'Merica outfit! Today's a little weak on brands too as neither top I wore yesterday had a brand tag in in...

Helmet: One K

I thought about wearing my sparkly navy Charles Owen helmet, but it was super hot and the One K is a lot cooler. So I went that route instead.

Top: Umm... I can't remember who made this

How cute is this little patriotic pony?! I wish I could remember where I got it... Sorry friends.

Belt: Mane Jane

Navy obviously!

Breeches: Horseware

I bought these awhile back, thinking they were more of a berry color, but they are in fact BRIGHT RED. Which isn't really my color. But they're totally useful for Fourth of July!

Boots: DeNiro

Recycled photo, but I wore these boots. Also perfect for Fourth of July. So that's what I wore yesterday to ride, but I also have a very casual non riding outfit to share.

I spent the evening with my family at my dad's house enjoying some yummy food and watching fireworks. Super casual evening.

Top: I don't know who made this either...

It's a little tough to find a shirt that matches these pants... But I did the best I could. Just a comfy tee with some crochet type design at the top.

Belt: Mane Jane

I just went with black on black since you couldn't see it anyway.

Pants: Hudson

Fireworks Pants!!! There's never a better day to wear these then Fourth of July.

Shoes: Reefs

Flip flop season is here my friends. Reefs are my favorite. The ones with the wide straps like these.

Arm Party!
Lefty:

Recycled photo, but I wore the old standbys. Hermes Bit and Apple watch!

Righty:

Also a recycled photo. I just had my fitbit on righty. This one is from Tory Burch by way of Poshmark.

And that's it! How was your fourth? Did you dress in festive attire? Any favorites?