Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! Today's outfit isn't too crazy, but fear not, the holidays are coming! It's a little too wet and gross out to wear anything especially fun this week, but things are drying out so maybe next week will be better for a more fun outfit. Al was our model this week and here's what he was wearing:

Doesn't it look cold out? That's cause it's cold out. But we're still carrying on! I'm proud of us.

Bridle: Pinnacle

Brow Band: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

It was pretty windy out. Al thought it was cool like when they use a wind machine for models. It was less cool when he had to pay attention to his work while it was windy though. 

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Ogilvy
Half Pad: Mattes
Quarter Sheet: Catago

We are really loving these quarter sheets. They do produce a little bit of static when you take them off, but so far none at all while we ride. So good enough! Plus they're pretty.

Boots: Eskadron

Nothing new here, but I do love these boots!

So that's what Al had on this week, and here's what I was wearing:

Layers! I was wearing layers. And full chaps because wind.

Helmet: One K Avance CCS with MIPS

I really love my new sparkly front shield. 

Sweater: Cocogio

Vest: Old Navy

I bought this sweater several years ago solely because it was wool and it was on clearance for super cheap. I call it my Cosby sweater because I'm old. Back in my youth Bill Cosby was not yet known as a predator, but was a beloved TV dad who wore sweaters like this that were popular in the 80's. 

Belt: The Sugar Lady (Etsy)

This is the belt I had made with Rio's tail hair. It's my absolute favorite belt. 

Chaps: Journeyman
Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

Paddock Boots: Celeris UK

Ya know, I had toyed with the idea of saving up for some new full chaps, but in all honesty, I still love these so much, I don't think I want anything different. Which is great because my accidental order of the neon boots depleted my fun money. 

That's what Al and I wore this week and we stayed pretty toasty warm for our rides! Tomorrow is supposed to be pretty brutal though, so I may opt out... We'll see how the day goes.

What's Up Wednesday

 

Holiday time is so weird isn't it? Like what day is it even? Winter is not officially here yet, but it's really trying hard to show up already which has been messing with our productivity a little lately. Well that and all the holiday stuff. But you know? It's all good. I really love being able to attend all of my nieces concerts and plays and whatnot. And I love getting to spend holidays with my family. And if that means my horses work a little less, so what? We're not going to the Olympics. We're just trying to be the best versions of ourselves and that might sometimes mean taking it a little easy. 

That said, we haven't actually missed that many days. They had Thanksgiving off this week and also Sunday because it was pouring rain. But then I rode Monday, and gave them Tuesday off. Not because they needed another day, but I did. (Also, it poured buckets all day and the high was 35 degrees so you couldn't pay me to ride in that.) I gave my helper Thursday and Friday off. (Also, he was out sick Tuesday.) Days that I do the chores and ride everyone are usually between 10 and 12 hour long days. Which at my advancing age are long days to be moving around nonstop. So I really needed a day to get some things done that didn't involve horses. And also I think my body was grateful for a little rest. 

Here's Rita in her Thanksgiving outfit to break up this wall of text.

You'd be proud though. That day off was productive! I did my PT exercises, laundry, paid all the beginning of the month household bills, got my Covid shot, ran a few errands, scheduled Rita's rabies shot that she's coming due for, got the Gator scheduled (and picked up same day!) because it won't start when it's below 34 for some reason, knocked off about 2/3 of my holiday shopping, and of course fed the horses all of their meals (which includes weighing, bagging, and soaking Shiny's hay). Oh! And I scheduled a meeting with a snow plow guy so hopefully I can get that crossed off my list. He'll be by tomorrow morning. It was a solid day off. It always amazes me how many hours are in a day when you aren't grooming, riding, and cleaning up the barn. It's no wonder people who don't ride can do so many things. 

But you're not really here to talk about my adulting. Let's talk horses! We've been getting a lot of rain, which apparently we do need because we were in a drought much of the year. The trouble with rain this time of year though, is that the ground freezes so the water doesn't drain very quickly. Thus, during the day we have a lot of puddles and mud, and during the dark hours everything is rock hard. Makes for challenging riding conditions. But we've been working it out. The far end of the ring hasn't been rideable because it's just too wet. And the long side by Old Bang and Clang (aka the red hood, aka the awful neighbor), seems to mostly stay frozen because it doesn't get sun. Fortunately, the quarter line stays soft, so we do have a decent amount of space to ride. We're limited in what we can do somewhat with the space constraints. But we're doing what we can. And it's going just fine! Temps are supposed to really tank for Friday and Saturday, so I spent this morning spreading mag flakes on the front half of the ring. It wasn't enough to defrost the one long side, but I'll try adding some more and see if that helps. I didn't do a heavy coat of it. I didn't bother with the top half since it was so wet. Fingers crossed it keeps the ring usable for the weekend, but we shall see. I'd like to put the mag down and then drag, but alas... I need the gator to get home for that task. Hopefully it will be back tomorrow. 

Photo last week before the start of full mud season

Al's been pretty good! Sunday he was a little beside himself so I wasn't sad we didn't ride that day. But I think it was our resident hawk that was upsetting him. He really gets worked up when that thing is hunting on our property. But I personally appreciate the assistance with rodent control. (I just don't like when he eats the bunnies.) Despite him being a little weird Sunday, he was still a perfect angel to have his mane pulled which is more than I can say for his siblings. Overall we've been having pretty productive rides. I don't know why walking over obstacles seems to keep his head on straight, but whatever. I'll take it. We've had a positive side effect to all that walking over things besides his better attention keeping capabilities. He's actually using his hind end better in general. He no longer drags half of his shavings out with him when he leaves the stall. And I don't see any toe dragging when we're walking around the ring. So I guess we'll just have to keep walking over stuff forever and ever.

I'm also learning a lot about how I am also a big part of the problem. (Shocking, right?) Today for example. He was on the edge of staying present with me and getting a little worked up. For a moment, I felt myself getting tense and trying to muscle him into bending and paying attention to me. He doesn't interpret that in a helpful way. So instead of letting that spiral, I brought him back to the walk and asked him to move his haunches, then his shoulders, back and forth for a few strides. And we both went back to being relaxed and got back to work. He's just teaching me so much. I think having this winter slow down will be very good for us. Because at some point the footing won't be useful for anything more than walking, and so we'll have to find ways to keep our focus. I think once I learn to keep his attention and keep both of us from getting tense, we'll be in a much better place. And honestly, we're kind of getting some of that already. (Or finally... depending on how you look at it.) I do feel a change in him though, for the better. A few months ago, if he came out how he did today, I wouldn't have been able to get done anything productive. But today we did. And we ended on a good note, with both of us happy and neither of us exhausted. Even if it doesn't last, I'm enjoying these moments with him right now.

Princess Shiny is HIGHLY unmotivated these days. She thinks if we're not jumping for the foreseeable future there's no point in going forward. Or using herself properly. And if I really want those things I should work really hard. She also loves that we're using quarter sheets so she can pretend like she doesn't feel Mr. Tappy. Which.... I KNOW she feels him. Because I am who I am, I do worry that she may have some cold induced breathing difficulty. I don't see her struggling like last year when she went on the Ventipulmin for a bit, but it would explain her reluctance to work. On the other hand, Shiny is generally reluctant to work, so I'm not sure it's any different from the norm. It may just be that we're not riding as long (because I have limited day light/thawed footing hours) so we don't get to the point in the ride that she finally decides to go. I'll be keeping a close eye on her though, and if she does seem to have having a hard time I will get doc out asap. In the meantime, I'll be over here begging her to move her legs.

Photo from last Wednesday when it felt like spring
Today's high was 35

Eros on the other hand, is a tad sassy! Thank goodness we're using a small part of the ring or we might have some unplanned mounted zoomies.... Ha! I'm glad he's feeling good though. Plus it's Eros. He doesn't really do anything wrong. He feels pretty good lately too. I think that light week really did him some good. Every now and then I still feel a little something on a turn, but otherwise he's feeling back to his old self. Which is a relief. In general, our rides have been pretty light and easy, but I've been asking him for a little bit of pulling himself together and lifting his belly for short spurts. So far so good! 

That's about all I've got today. Do any of you walk your horses over obstacles? Is this a thing? I think it should be a thing.

Truthful Tuesday

 

Heh... Today's confession is that I completely forgot it was Tuesday and nearly forgot to write this post! I switched the horses' day off to Tuesday this week because of weather, so I'm all out of sorts. Monday on a Tuesday is weird.

But that's not the only confession today. Shiny has one too. 

Ugh. Shiny here. Mom is making me confess my sins, but honestly, it was her fault. I'll tell you what happened, but I'm NOT taking responsibility. 

So Sunday was a rain day. Which at first seemed like YES! NO WORK TODAY!!! But then, after mom was all done with chores, she took me out. Ugh. Like what is does she want? And then I saw it. The pulling comb. WORST. DAY. EVER. I really despise having my mane pulled. But mom says it's waaaaayyy too thick to not pull it. I say she should mind her business and just let my hair be thick and luxurious. Ya know? Just because mom's hair isn't thick doesn't mean mine can't be. 

So mom says after every three pulls I can have a snack. And I say I should get one every pull. Whatever. I put up with her rule for awhile. But it was like taking forever and SO MANY PULLS, so finally I just stood up on my back legs and pulled and pulled until the crossties broke. I thought mom would be too scared to keep going because I was so dangerous and crazy. But she just laughed at me, told me to stop being ridiculous, and fixed the crossties. AND THEN SHE PULLED SOME MORE! Can you believe it? The horror. And she says it's still not done and we have to do it again another day. So yeah. That's what happened. As you can see, it's not my fault, and I'm not confessing to anything. 

Thursday's Threads: Thanksgiving Edition

 

Nothing I love more than a good theme! Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that children terrify me, I would have made a fabulous kindergarten teacher. I have a partially new Thanksgiving outfit this year and Eros is our model. Here's what he was wearing:

He's so photogenic. Even with a too long mane and a dreary day. And also, do you guys notice how trim he looks? He certainly isn't a big fan of diets, but he's really looking pretty good. 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Brow Band: Home made by me

This part of the outfit is not new. We've used it every year for the last many. But it's adorable! I made the brow band from a dog leash. 

Saddle: Butet

Half Pad: Mattes

Baby Pad: Ogilvy (embellished by me)

The last many years we've been using the turkey pad and boot set that I had made, but I don't love the pads. So I decided to put together something new this year, and this is that! I thought this ribbon was super cute. 

Polos: Centaur, embellished by me

But honestly, this ribbon was even cuter! It says Gobble Til You Wobble (which you'll see that phrase again shortly) and then the other wrap says It's Turkey Time. So cute!

Okay, that's what E was wearing, and here's what I had on:

My outfit is not new. But it's a solid Thanksgiving effort. 

Helmet: One K

I went with the brown one for today's outfit. To match the Turkey. I would have loved to use the orange rails, but this helmet doesn't have the color change system.

Hoodie: Unsure of brand

You've all seen this at some point over the years. I've had it forever and ever. I was very excited when I found that ribbon that said the said the same thing!

Belt: Home made by me

This is the same ribbon that's on the boots. Obviously I had to use it on my interchangeable belt too!

Breeches: Vestrum

The Halloween breeches double very nicely as Thanksgiving breeches too. 

Boots: Horka

I thought these were perfectly appropriate for this outfit, but I also wore them because we got so much rain and everything was muddy. These are my muddy day boots.

That's it for today! What do you think of our new Thanksgiving set? I hope all of you that celebrate had a wonderful Thanksgiving today! I definitely did, and made time to reflect on all the things I'm thankful for while I did chores this morning. Among the many things I'm grateful for is all of you guys. I really enjoy interacting with all of you and following along on your adventures with your horses. Happy Thanksgiving!

What's Up Wednesday

 

What a busy week it was around here! Which unfortunately meant that riding was pretty abbreviated most days. I'm proud to say that I DID ride six days last week, but over the weekend I only rode two each day. I did the best I could, but I ran out of both energy and daylight each day. It happens sometimes. And honestly, the horses were fine with it. 

Eros had the easiest week of everyone. I decided after really not liking how he felt earlier last week that I would just tack walk him for a week and then see what we have. So yesterday was the first day I trotted him in a week. I think the break did him some good. He started out a little stiff, but once warmed up, he felt great! And then same result today, so that's promising. I'm going to keep the trotting and cantering to ten minutes for a little bit, along with 15-20 minutes of walking. And then I'll build up from there (weather permitting of course). I'm just glad he's feeling better!

Al's week was a little up and down. We had several lovely rides, but we also had a few that were tough for him. One of them was when someone on my road was having tree work done. Al really does not like the noises the industrial chippers make. He tried really hard to keep his head on straight that day, but it wound up having to be a walk only day. The nice part though was that he did do what I asked, and he never came completely undone. The other day he struggled was yesterday and I didn't blame him. What I've learned about Al is that he really appreciates routine. He dislikes not having his routine. As I talked about yesterday, the horses missed turnout yesterday. And Al was not a fan. Normally I would prioritize turnout over riding, but after the very light weekend, and knowing they would have Thursday off this week AND since I didn't ride Monday, I decided to prioritize riding this time. Which was fine with the other two, but not so much with Al. He just couldn't really settle. And then old bang clang (the red hooded neighbor) was also challenging us. At one point he was dragging two snow blowers across the entire yard. And then he just kept walking in and out of his garage. Which normally Al doesn't notice that so much, but that bright ass red hoodie he wears just was hard for Al to ignore. Especially when it was playing peekaboo the way it was. We managed to get a little bit of work done, but not much. But again, while he was terribly distracted, Al never came unhinged. And that's a big step for him. I had planned to lunge him today before I rode, but we got a lot of rain last night and I didn't really want him tearing around in the wet footing. So I just got on. And he was great! The universe provided us with no neighbor outside, minimal wind, and it was nearly 60 degrees out! The recipe for a good Al ride. We were stuck on half the ring due to the rain (the far side doesn't drain as well as the front half) but that's also kind of to Al's preference. He was so good today I let him canter some of the tiny "jumps" we have been using in our warm up to walk and trot over. He actually locked on to them and took me to them like he used to do. So proud of him! 

Something I've noticed about him recently is that his silly personality is coming back out. The first year I had him I described him as Buddy the Elf. Every day was the best day ever, and he just had to touch everything all the time. But over the last few years, that part of him had disappeared. He was still kind of weird and annoying, but the joyfulness wasn't apparent. Lately it's been coming out again, and I'm so relieved. Hopefully we're turning a corner. 

Shiny and I have been working on the forward button a lot this week. It seems to be a bit sticky which isn't a new problem. I think she's probably a little bored since we haven't jumped much lately. Maybe this weekend though! We'll see how the footing is. But overall she's been a good girl. When is she not? I'm really loving her new saddle. The balance is so much better, and I feel like I can use my leg much more effectively now. 

That's about it from here this week. I'm proud of myself for fitting in so many rides between chores, watching my younger niece in "Matilda" on Friday night, the older one in her drum and piano recital Saturday, then the younger one again in "Winnie the Pooh" on Sunday. Throw in an extra day of chores along with an eye dr appointment... And it's been busy! My worker has the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving. My brother and sister in law are hosting, so tomorrow I'll do chores and turnout and then give the horses the day off so I can head over there for turkey dinner. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be all horses all the time. Can't think of a better way to spend a weekend! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Oh man, guys. Mother nature and I are in a fight! Why you ask? Well, first because she made my weekend more difficult than it already was timing wise. Saturday I needed to do chores, then go to my niece's recital, then come back and ride. I was on a fairly tight schedule to get to the recital in time. So what does mother nature do? She makes the morning 21 degrees. Which meant that the horses needed their heavy turnouts with the hoods. They take twice as long to put on as one of their lighter options. Of course, by the time I had to leave for the recital, it was well into the 40's which meant I couldn't leave the horses in their heavies while I was spectating. More time to change blankets. Sigh. Also it rained while the horses were out which meant I had to hang the feeders upside to dry and couldn't refill them until the morning.

That matters because Sunday I had to have chores done by 10 to make it to my other niece's play. Of course the sun doesn't come up until 6:30 so that makes it a bit of a rush to get things done. And it took extra time because thanks to mother nature I couldn't refill the hay feeders the day before. But fear not, I made it on time to both things!

But still, I had one more day to be annoyed with Mother Nature. Today my helper called out sick. Which, he NEVER calls out, so ya know, these things happen. But where it was tricky was that I had an eye dr appointment at 10:00. I didn't see the message he wasn't able to come in until 7:30 when I was just making my coffee (I really should check the phone earlier). I ran outside and fed the horses, and gave the stalls a quick poo pick, but I didn't have time to turn the horses and back in before I had to leave for my appointment. I got back around 11:30 and then had to mad rush to get things done before the RAIN STARTED. I didn't make it though. Shiny and I got rained on in our ride, and it was pitch dark out (and still raining) when I dumped the buckets on poo mountain at nearly 8pm... But at least it was warmish out. 

So anyway. That's my confession. I'm big mad at Mama Nature. And also kind of tired.

Thursday's Threads

 

Okay, well if you've been on Instagram in the last two days you might be expecting something exciting today, but you're not getting that this week. Not yet! I had no idea those would be here already. They weren't supposed to be ready until the end of next month. I saw that Celeris received them yesterday, and then they shipped OVERNIGHT and arrived today. From UK. Unreal. Okay, okay, I'll give you a sneak peek. 

A low quality screen shot sneak peek is all you get! Ha! Sorry. I'll have them on for outfit day soon. But not next week. Stay tuned! 

For now, let's see what Shiny and I wore this week. We've had highs in the mid 40's so we're fairly bundled up these days. But it's still comfortable out for riding, especially when the wind is light. Here's what Shiny is wearing this week:

She's just the cutest nugget. 

Bridle: Pinnacle

Brow Band: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

I really like her in a wide noseband like this one. Breaks up her rather large head a little better than the thinner ones do. 

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Ogilvy

Half Pad: Stephens

Quarter Sheet: Catago

This is Shiny's new magic quarter sheet from Contago. I like how these have a pretty long drop so it covers their full bum but it's also set back enough that my leg makes contact with the horse. They don't notice spurs sometimes if the quarter sheet is in the way. I got her a cob size, but I think she might have been okay in a pony too. I'd rather it a little big than too small though, so I'm content with this one. 

Boots: Anky

I actually meant to pick out some fuzzy boots when I was getting our outfit from the shed this week, but I wasn't really paying attention and just grabbed these. It's probably because they're my favorites. 

That's what Shiny had on this week, and here's what I was wearing:

Yes layers. Tis the season for layers! During the day just a vest is all I need, but for end of day chores I usually have to add a jacket on top. Tonight when I was finishing up all the weather apps claimed it was 35 degrees at my house, but my thermometer said 28. Probably still warmer up on the hill where the weather station is. (Fun fact, the weather station that the apps and news channels get their info from for my town is just up the road, about a quarter mile, at the airport so it's usually pretty spot on for me.)

Helmet: One K Avance CCS MIPS

Had to wear the helmet with my new blingy front shield this week! 

Vest and Sweater: Old Navy

Nothing new here. You saw both of these quite a bit last winter, and I suspect you will again this year as they're staples for me. I love the shade of green on the vest especially. I went back and tried to get a second one (and also a second matching jacket) but they were sold out. I figured since they're Old Navy they aren't going to last a full lifetime, but I guess I'll have to try and make them last forever! 

Belt: Tory Burch

Another favorite! Tory Burch often has really pretty green things available. Good thing the only outlet I know if is far far away in Florida! 

Breches: Dover Wellesley

You saw these often last year too. At some point, probably after the holidays, I need to head north to my nearest Dover and see what they have for breeches. I don't like that every brand is going to tech fabric, because as nice as it is in summer, tech fabric is NOT warm enough for winter. I need some more substantial fabric pants! I'm not a tights person, and it seems like the majority of winter breeches are either tights, or breeches made out of tights material. Neither of which is what I'm looking for. Though I did just get a pair of Horze winter breeches that are the material I normally don't like and they were very comfortable to ride in. So maybe I have to be willing to alter my opinions on winter breeches.

Paddock Boots and Half Chaps: Celeris

I broke the snap on these last year but forgot about it so I haven't fixed it. So just pretend you don't see that tab hanging up there. These are both sheepskin lined making them super cozy for the colder days! I figure these will work on the non windy cold days, and the full chaps for the windy ones. Should have me covered (literally) for winter! 

And that's it for today! Any favorite items? Is it getting cold where you are?