Friday Favorites: Tubby Time Edition

 I'm not here to review any shampoo or anything like that... I'm cheap. I buy cheap shampoo. But I do have some favorite bath (and after bath) items that I thought I'd share. None of the links are affiliate links, I get nothing at all if you decide to try out my favorite things.

Epona April Showers Sponge: $6.95

You guys all know the Tigers Tongue is a great grooming tool. Know what makes it even better? Attaching it to a sponge! I'm all for a two in one grooming tool because it takes up less space. You can find these all over, but I got mine at Big D's here.

Fabric Hose: $22.45

My wash stall hose went to hose heaven last year after repeatedly getting put away with kinks still in it. (Not by my, my helpers aren't very hose savvy I guess.) Since it was the height of the pandemic at the time, I perused Amazon for a replacement and saw these fabric hoses. I found one that's green, and thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't so sure how it would hold up to barn use (seems delicate) but so far so good! This is the start of its second year, so I think it's worth recommending. Though I do not know how it would hold up in a very busy barn setting. You can find it here if you want one.

Jack's Mini Sweatscraper: $2.25

I was a long time metal shedding blade/scraper die hard. Then I got a normal sized one of these in a subscription box and thought that was a useful tool, but hated how much space it takes up. When I was ordering my sponges this spring, I was trying to find something to get me over the free shipping hump and saw these mini scrapers. They're super cheap so I figured if I didn't actually like it, no harm done really and I could donate them to the boarding barn where they would surely get used. But I actually do love them, and wound up ordering some for the show trunk too. You do have to make more passes to scrape the whole horse, BUT you also can get in smaller areas and even do their legs with it. Highly recommend. Here's a link if you want one.

Vornado floor fan: Large $129.99, small $59.99

Okay, honestly, this thing is expensive for a floor fan. BUT it has an enclosed motor making it safer for barn use, and most fans with that feature are pricey. What I like about it (besides it being green...) is how quiet it is, despite being quite powerful. I use it on the middle setting because the highest one seems like an actual tornado blowing on your horse. (I do generally prefer to take my horses outside to graze while they dry, but some days Eros has a lot of feelings about the bugs and doesn't want to be out there. And some days you just don't have time. Life happens.) This is the larger size fan. I did also buy a smaller (and significantly cheaper) one to keep in the trailer for if/when we get back to horse show life. You can find them at these links: Large and small 

Curvon Fly/Scrim Sheet: $92.50

You guys know I have like 8 million options for cooler type blankets for these horses. And while I prefer them to dry nekkid outside when it's hot out, Eros is more likely to stay outside if he has some bug protection on. Shiny doesn't care as much until those giant horse flies show up. I was using a fly sheet from Big D for the last several years, but they never really fit any of horses correctly. I had to get Rio a size 84 to fit his neck (they were closed front) and that's what I was using for Eros. It worked, but was like a dress on him. Shiny had one too, and though I sized up, it was WAY too short for her this year. (Her butt has really developed in the past year, and well... Baby got too much back for it now.) I love the Tuffrider half scrim/half fleece sheets we have, but when it's hot, that fleece part makes them sweat. So I decided to hunt for something new. It's ridiculous I understand, but I wanted something in our barn colors, which is pretty tough to find. Most companies just don't make things in green, and when they do, they often pair them with red or burgundy. Not my taste. There are lots of places to get custom, but I didn't want to spend big bucks on something they'll use just a few months a year not in a public setting. I still had to spend some money, but at least I was able to stay under $100. I settled on these from Curvon. It's a mesh similar to the Back on Track sheets, but much lighter weight. (I think the BOT mesh sheets are pretty heavy for the summer, but do love them for early spring and fall.) I had wanted something with a more open weave, but couldn't find anything in the price range I wanted, so I settled. It's been hot here already (mid to upper 80's with high humidity) and the horses have dried off nicely and cooly with these one. So it was good choice. Also, I custom picked my colors (did not get piping to save money, and I think it saved time too) and they arrived in less than a week which is crazy to me. I'm guessing the store I got them from stocks some size runs in popular combos. No way these got made that fast. Anyway, I got them from a place called Pinkstons which I think is a race horse tack store. You can find them here if you're interested.

Have you tried any of these items and liked them? Or maybe you had a different experience with them? Any other favorite bath items you want us to know about?

Thursday's Threads

 

Sorry so late today, Blogger was being difficult this morning, so I decided to just wait and work on this in the evening. Let's jump right in with what the horses wore this week!

Eros

Doesn't he look like an enormous pony? I think he does. Cutest.

Bridle: Royal

Browband: EvoEquine

The Royal bridles really aren't terrible for the price tag. I usually do the better leather option which I think makes a difference. I had bought this bridle long ago, it was one of Rio's!

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Lettia, with decor courtesy of my Cricut
Half Pad: Ippico

Yes, that's my logo as a unicorn! I like to make if fancy now and then, okay?

Boots: Punk Ponies

I love these kind of floral/holo boots that were a limited edition from Punk Ponies. I've had them awhile, but I don't think you guys have seen them yet.

Shiny:

Oh dear... she is looking rather round isn't she? I swear, I barely feed this horse. She just gets fat on air. But look at that shiny coat!

Bridle: Nunn Finer
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

This bridle is meh... But the browband is fab with the unicorn beads to match her bit!

Saddle: Custom Saddlery

Saddle Pad: Premier Equestrian

Hey guys! Good news! I found a Custom rep in my area who can come and replace my billets right on site! How great is that? I was worried I'd be sans a saddle for Shinypants. Excited to get that done. Plus I can it flocked better for her too. So excited!

Boots: Punk Ponies

Of course she has a pair too! It wouldn't be fair to get for the horses and not for Shiny too. Plus everything is extra cute when it's pony sized. Sorry her photo is so dark though, she was over my shit, and not at all interested in this photo shoot... Good thing I closed the ring gate because at one point she just walked away...

And now, my turn! Here's what I wore:

Do you spy lots of sparkle? DO YOU?? You should.

Helmet: Samshield

I bought this last year during helmet awareness month when I was still gainfully employed. Glad I did! This isn't the best photo, but the little shield part in the front and the rails are holo. The center stripe and that little accent in front have holo swarovsky crystals. It's... a lot. But I really love it. And it's very comfortable. Maybe more than the one k even. But sadly no MIPS.

Shirt: I'm not sure the brand

I'm pretty sure I've shared this tee before. It's from Walmart and I stuck my unicorn version logo on it. In holo of course! Fun, right??

Belt: Unbranded

I found this on Poshmark years ago, so I'm not sure of the brand. But I love that it's unicorn/holo. So fun!

Breeches: Smartpak Hadley

I generally like to pair my ridiculous unicorn outfits with a less ridiculous pair of breeches. So I just went with plain black Hadleys. Can't go wrong there.

Boots: Celeris UK

These boots are nearly impossible to photograph. But they are still AMAZING. I love them so much. I don't wear them a whole lot because they are pretty delicate. But when I do, they make me ridiculously happy. 

And that's it for this week! Any favorites?

What's Up Wednesday

 

We're working on finding a routine here at home, and I think it's going pretty well! We pop over a few fences twice a week and work on the flat the other days. 

Monday continues to be their day off. Sundays are a fun day usually reserved for bareback meanderings. 

I had a great little jump school with Eros on Saturday. It was pretty hot out, so that may have helped my cause, but I'll take it anyway I can get it! He was soft all the way around and I was able to just keep a nice canter and the fences came out of stride for the most part.

Apparently I jump ahead now...

Shiny is still a work in progress over fences. She's been great, but is still trying to figure out how to hold herself together while cantering at jumps. It's hard for a lil pony with a big human! I think I need to start flatting her more uphill. If you watch her video clip, you can see I can get her back in a frame for the turns, but as soon as she locks onto the next fence her head comes up. I wouldn't mind that so much if she kept her back up, but she kind of hollows out, and then jumps hollow as well. It's just more time, practice, and strength though. We'll get there!

Things are fine with Pammony. He loves when I come hang out with him to ice in his turnout:

He's also started transitioning to turnout on grass in preparation of his move to living outdoors 24/7. He LOVES it!

It will certainly be weird not spending so much time with him, but I know it's the right move for him. I can't wait to see him hanging out with his new buddies. I think he's really going to enjoy herd life. The horses he will live with may disagree... He's possibly the most annoying (in an endearing way of course) horse on the planet. I think he may get bit a lot... Hopefully he'll learn about boundaries while he's out there.

In other cute news, the barn owner's baby horse was born last week. I wanted to wait until she shared him on social before I shared him here. But she has now, so here you go, some baby cuteness from the day he was born:

He and his mom live right across from Pammon so I can creep on him easily. He's already grown a ton in just under a week. He gets up and down easily and quickly now, and has figured out how to twist his little head to eat. So adorable. They get lots of visitors since it's a pretty busy place, and he seems to love all the attention. Will be fun to watch him grow up!

Truthful Tuesday

 

I know I write about my disdain for house cleaning fairly regularly. But well... I have a lot of confessions pertaining to cleaning (or not cleaning) my house, what can I say? So anyway, I spent my Monday this week doing a good floor cleaning throughout the house. I've been terrible about really washing the floors (confession 1), though I do vacuum regularly. (Promise!) 
So obviously, before washing the floor, you have to vacuum to get all the dog hair and what not out of the way. But you guys, I got about halfway through and I broke my vacuum (confession #2). Fortunately, I only broke the canister the dirt goes into, and they are fairly inexpensive to replace. But now I have to wait for that to get here before I can finish the last two rooms. So annoying when you find the motivation to actually do this task you hate, and then you get sidelined by a broken vacuum. Stupid. At least I got the kitchen and bathroom finished. They're the most likely to be icky anyway.

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit day again! After a couple of crazy outfits, I toned it down a little this week. And I have a new saddle pad that I'm completely in love with so excited to share that too. Here's what Eros and I wore this week:

How handsome is he? I may be biased, but I could stare at him all day.

Bridle: QHP
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs
Bit: Sweet Billy's

So... I have the crown piece on backwards. But it actually fits him better this way, so I've kept it.

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Anatomeq
Half Pad: Mattes

Looks like I put this pad on a little crooked yesterday without realizing until now. Anyway... Not an ad or anything, but I'm loving this pad. I saw it on the Tried Equestrian site, and was curious. It's made of a kind of a faux suede, so it's grippy, and both sides of it are a perforated material, so it's incredibly breathable. I usually use baby pads with my half pad, and find most regular saddle pads to be a bit bulky for my liking, but this one is fairly thin. It's thicker than a baby pad, yes, but it's not full of padding. Stays put very nicely, but I will be honest guys, it's NOT cheap. The Tried Equestrian had them on a discount though, so I figured I'd take the plunge. I will admit, I think it's worth the money. Plus it was available in my colors so... yeah. It was a must have for me.

Boots: Equestrian Stockholm

I think you all have seen these before, I've had them awhile now. Nothing too special about them, but they do the job!

So that's what Eros wore, and now it's my turn!

Helmet: One K MIPS

Still liking this helmet a lot! I did order the wide brim for the summer, but am awaiting it's arrival. They were first arriving at stores this week.

Tee: TKEQ

I had a jump school planned for the day, so this #ChipsHappen tee seemed appropriate. I can assure you, chips did indeed happen. #ammy4life

Belt: The Sugar Lady

I wore Rio's belt. Seemed like a beautiful day to take him out for a couple of rides.

Breeches: Horze

Horze breeches are a little too long for me, but they fit so nicely everywhere else that I just fold the bottoms up a little. I love this hunter green color!

Boots: Mountain Horse

I regularly forget about my Mountain Horse boots because last year they were too tight. But now they fit, and I'm so excited to use them again! I think these are really pretty and actually bought them to wear in the outside world with jeans. But since that doesn't really exist anymore, they are riding boots as intended by the manufacturer. If you're looking for relatively affordable boots, check out Mountain Horse. They break in quickly and are pretty comfy. I especially like the really high Spanish top. 

And that's it for today! Any favorites? Have you tried the Anatomeq pads?

What's Up Wednesday

 

Okay, so let's just address the orange elephant in the room shall we?

"Who me?" -Pammon probably

Yeah. If you follow me on Facebook you probably already saw the news. Pammonypony here has once again managed to wrangle himself more time off. He was unsound for my lesson Tuesday, but fortunately, the vet was scheduled to be at the barn Friday for a few other horses so at least I could get him seen fairly quickly. The news was not good my friends. It's not the worst possible news, but it's still another road block in our journey. A long one. He tore his right hind suspensory. And he tore it pretty good, there's an actual hole in it not just disruption of fibers. The good news is that it is down low, just above the branch. The bad news is that it's a minimum of six months off. Rather than subject him to full stall rest and hand walking, the vet and I have decided to let him go be a horse for six months. He's going to live outside in a field with a couple of other horses and a run in shed. He'll get his regular feed and be lightly supervised (in case he knocks the fence down...) but otherwise will enjoy being a feral animal for a bit. He will be very close to my house so I can visit any time which I am happy about. He will move out there June 1st, and we'll be hand walking, having regular turnout, and icing/wrapping when in until then. 

So what does this really mean you ask? Honestly, I've removed any hopes and dreams from his shoulders. If he gets better, I'll get him going again on the flat. I'll see if my stepmom wants to ride him, and if not, then I'll try and find him a low level dressage home or maybe a short stirrup up to 2' job if we think he can sustain that. Either a lease or a sale to a good home. I just don't think I can keep trying any more with him. My vet is confident he will recover 100%, but even if he does, what will he injure next? He's 14 now, and I just don't think it's fair to expect him to go be my jumper anymore. 

I promise it's not all depressing, gloom and doom over here though. Honestly, it's not. Eros and Shiny are doing great! (Knock on some wood for us though please... let's not tempt fate.) Shiny gave some very important first pony rides last week to my nieces!

She was a SAINT. Seriously. The older one attempted to get on like 50 times. I'm talking foot in the stirrup, right leg partially over and then panic and abort. Over and over. And Shiny just stood there like a rock. Eventually she did get on (as evidenced above) and we walked several circles together. Very slowly. Niece is not the adventurous type, lol! I get it, I was a nervous kid too. The younger one climbed right on (I think to show up her sister) but then immediately informed us she wanted to get down. When we asked her to stay up there and pretend to be happy for a photo, the request increased in volume and shrillness but Shiny still just stood there like a champ. This pony guys. She's a special one. Despite it seeming like both girls might hate riding, they want to come back again this week. So we'll see how that goes I guess? They both very much enjoyed grooming Shiny so at least they weren't terrified to be around her. Baby steps!

Good ponies get bareback snackies

She's been pretty good for me lately too. I was jumping around Saturday and we were somewhat out of control... She was taking me to the jumps, but taking me to nothing and not listening when I asked her to wait for the base. So I let her walk for a second, then went back to canter and really made her keep her back up and poll soft... You know? Canter correctly? And then like magic, she was soft, rideable, and all the distances came right up out of stride. Imagine that? Riding correctly makes the jumps easier? Weird. It goes to show that she's really growing up though. Last year, I never dictated the canter at the jumps. She wasn't strong enough to keep herself together like that and jump at the same time. Nor did she understand how to do that. But now that she's capable, the old method of flailing around to the jumps doesn't work anymore. Amazing. I just really enjoy her and it's icing on the cake to see her becoming a grown up pony. 

Eros is back to being the horse I know and love thanks to the addition of ear plugs. Part of me hates using a crutch like that, but on the other hand if it helps him feel relaxed, what's the harm? We don't show dressage so they're legal for us if we need them. He's back to getting kinda strong when we jump...

But I've been lazy and jumping him in the leather two ring which I know doesn't work for us especially well over fences. I'll use the pletcher bit next time. Despite being in the wrong bit, after him dragging me to a few fences last time we jumped, I had him figure eight over some small cross rails until he got bored and softened and rode nicely to them. Then we called it a day. My plan is to do just that, keep him going and jumping around tiny until it's boring for him. Only then will we make the jumps any bigger. Then once that's boring we can add harder questions. I honestly think he's just really excited to be jumping, so we need to make it not so exciting. There's no rush. Excited to have the freedom to take my time and try a few different things with him on my own to see what works best. 

But look how cute he's jumping this 2' fence!

Which doesn't mean I'm not also super excited for trainer to get back from Florida and come help me with him. I'm both dying to get her on him and see what magic she can work up there, and also excited for her to help me from the ground. I need all the help I can get!

The kids got new snackin' jackets as Shiny outgrew
hers and Eros' never fit right to begin with.

I had another braiding job last weekend. Just one medium pony, mane only. So quick and easy! 

The trainer at this barn is an old friend of mine, and her regular braider seems to me MIA, so I may find myself there more often. Part of me thinks I should start braiding more now that I'm retired... But the other part really enjoys sleeping nights. We'll see what happens! But guys... the wildlife at this barn is intense. I saw a couple mice skittering about (normal, who doesn't have mice?) but it was this spider I found alarming... (Don't scroll down if you have arachnophobia...)

That's my foot for scale. I'm not particularly afraid of spiders (except the ones that can kill me, those are terrifying) but this thing made my uncomfortable. It's enormous! I was glad to be on my ladder while it was walking the floor.

And in news that has nothing to do with me at all but is seriously adorable, there was a promposal at the boarding barn last night! One of the ladies I (used to) ride with in my lessons has a son that decided to prompose from horse back. He's not a rider, but they have a family horse (Buddy) that is saintly so they used him. 

It's a little hard to read, but says:
"I'm not horsing around, PROM?"
(And that's Buddy in the background)

They actually tied the sign around Buddy's neck, the boy climbed aboard, and waited just outside the indoor ring. The girlfriend's parents brought her, blindfolded, through the barn then the indoor and then pulled her blindfold off. It was ADORABLE! They didn't do promposals when I was in high school, but I would have loved it! So, SO cute. The cutest though? The girlfriend's dad petting Buddy's nose, and telling all of us barn rats (in the sweetest way though this sounds condescending, it wasn't) how lucky we are to be around these sweet horses all the time. Like he really was in awe. So sweet. And kind of a nice reminder as I was there icing my broken horse. We really are so lucky, even when it doesn't seem like it.