What's Up Wednesday

 

I don't really have much to report on this week. I spent nearly all of my awake hours in the barn, which I think we can all agree is not a bad way to spend your time! Unfortunately, the weather was not great this weekend. Friday was nice though! I gave the horses some extra time outside and then we rode afterwards. Everyone popped over a few tiny jumps. We're still keeping things low, nothing over 2' just yet. But we're plugging along. 

Friday's Stats. Many steps taken

Saturday and Sunday were both rainouts. I probably could have ridden Saturday, it wasn't raining especially hard, but I just couldn't bring myself to create more work for the already very full weekend. And by that I mean, having to clean and condition rained on tack. Which... I really need to do that anyway. But I didn't want it to have to be immediate. Sunday was gross though. Not a riding day at all. I used both days for some extra cleaning in the barn. I wiped down the back walls in the occupied stalls, which immediately made the whole place seem cleaner looking. I also dusted off the little ledges over the back doors which clearly hadn't had that happen since when I had the horses off property the winter before this past one. Gross. Sunday I cleaned up all the new bird poo around the barn, and spent some extra time grooming the horses once they dried off from turnout. 

Monday started off rainy, but cleared up to a nice day. Normally I give the horses Mondays off, but since my worker was off for the holiday and they already had two days off I rode them all. The rides were abbreviated because I was so tired from four 13 hour days in a row in the barn, and also because we only could use half the ring. The other half was a little too wet. 

Shiny's new pet snapper turtle

My original plan when I knew I had such a long weekend in the barn was to take Tuesday as my "day off" from the barn. (By that I mean I don't ride and don't clean up after my helper. But I still of course make hay bags, soak hay, and do all the feedings/night check.) Since Mother Nature was so miserable all weekend though, I decided to not take my day off. Which was probably a mistake because my body is wrecked from lack of sleep. But whatever body, we've got stuff to do! 

Everyone had a decent ride Tuesday. I figured since we rode Monday we could do some jumpies on Tuesday! Or well, I hoped. Al was first, and he was really being a good boy. We were able to use the whole ring (I mean sort of, I have jumps set on the scary side rail, so he gets to stay on the quarter line by default.) He's still really sticky off the leg, and I'm quite sure I work significantly harder than he does. But he was listening and not spooking. So I'll take that. We trotted over a couple jumps then took a walk break. Unfortunately, that was when the neighbor decided to start up his very loud lawn tractor with the little trailer attached and bang his way along the property line to his shed that's next to the back corner of my ring. Once there, he was just throwing stuff around banging and clanging like the menace he is. So I let Al be done. He'd been a good boy, and that would have been an unfair ask to try to jump him with all that noise that he can't see the source of. 

a very relaxed boy before the banging and clanging started

I'm not going to lie, it's really frustrating to constantly have my rides on him interrupted like this. I swear he does it on purpose as he's always his most disruptive when I'm on Al. He can be inside his garage all day making almost no noise, and as soon as I'm Al, he comes out and is banging away on something. I've tried mixing up the order I ride them so I'm on Al at different times of the day, and it doesn't matter. It's no wonder I can't get anywhere with this horse. 

Thankfully I have less reactive horses to ride to keep my from spiraling too far. Eros was really funny Tuesday. He started out super lazy. Even the first few jumps I was kind of kicking him out of the turns to get there. But then he woke up and Torpedo Eros made an appearance. I really shouldn't be so amused by him doing that, it's terrible behavior. But it's also so funny because he's just a good dude. Even when he's naughty. 

Nope. Don't wish to go out there. Al told me it's not safe. 

It was so late by the time I got on Shiny old bang and clang was done for the day. So that was nice, but she doesn't actually care anyway. She had the most fun jumping around. It's always funny to me how much she lights up once I point her at some jumps. Not in the torpedo way like Eros, but in a bouncy rideable way. Wish I could get her to motivate like that on the flat!

I need to remember to charge up the Pivo and start getting some video again so we can have more fun media. Plus it's nice to see what the horses look like vs what they feel like. I'm having a bit of space issue though, so I'm not sure where to store all of said media I'd like to get. I currently have the 2 TB plan both with Google and with iCloud. But both are nearly full. The next upgrade is significantly more money. What doe you all do for storage? 

I don't think we'll have anything terribly exciting going on over here over the next week/weekend. I need to be a little quick in the barn on Thursday, but Wednesday and Friday we should be able to get solid works in. And the weekend too. All weather permitting of course. But should be good! Fingers crossed.

Next week they'll get the rest of their shots and have their teeth checked. Of course the vet is coming Monday because I was SO looking forward to getting a day off... Sigh. My house is so dirty and the laundry pile is just silly. But it will still be that way the following week. What can you do? It's a good thing I live by myself, so it's just my mess/dirt. 

Hope you all had a great weekend! Hopefully drier where you are than it was here!

Truthful Tuesday

 

I was on my own in the barn Friday through Monday, and I was VERY productive out there. We had two rain days so instead of riding, I did lots and lots of cleaning. I'm trying to get things back to where they should be so it will be easy to keep up with. (Of course today, my worker was back and used his gas powered blower to dirty everything back up... but that's a complaint for another day.) Monday I was able to ride, but I made sure to leave the place looking perfect. It was a long day.

Monday's Stats
Yes, 35,736 steps. 

I was so pooped by the time I got ready for bed I put my jammies on backwards. And THAT my friends is today's confession. I did turn them around before actually going to bed though. Fear not!

Thursdays Threads: Would you like fries with that?

 

Outfit Day! Al and I had some fun this week. I've been waiting for just the right moment to bust this outfit out... Okay, well really I was just waiting for it to be warm enough to wear short sleeves. Regardless, it's TIME! Here's what we had on:

I know. You can't tell what it is from here. But we had a friend hanging out with us while we rode and so I actually had a photo on the horse to share! 

Here's what Al had on without me:

And yes, he was having some concerns about the neighbor this day. In Al's defense it was our first day back to work after his three day vacation. 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling

Brow band: Home made

I with you could see the browband better. It's happy meal boxes, burgers, fries, and drinks. Very silly. 

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Ippico
Saddle Pad: Dreamers and Schemers

Guys look! It's nuggets! WITH A CAPE! I generally prefer Ogilvy baby pads, but I couldn't resist this nugget pad. I love a good chicken nuggie. And I feel like if Al were a human child he would also. 

Boots: Premier Equine, embellished by me

Hahaha! I know right? So funny. Using patches to embellish the interchangeable boots is a real game changer. The opportunities are now endless. ENDLESS!

Okay my turn!

I've worn red breeches a lot more frequently than I ever imagined I would.

Helmet: Samshield

I had a really challenging time trying to decide what helmet and boots to wear. Nothing really screams Happy Meal ya know? So I just went with black options. 

Tee: Etsy

I went hunting on Etsy for a shirt to wear with this saddle pad, and this one just seemed perfect to me. I may go back and get a hoodie version because it brings me a lot of silly joy. I mean... I didn't choose the nug life. The nug life chose me. 

Belt: McDonalds

I have a knockoff version of the Moschino sweater that's meant to look like the McDonalds logo. So when I got that years ago, I bought this buckle from Ebay too. It's perfect for my happy meal outfit!

Breeches: Dover

Listen, I bought these a few years ago, so I'm not getting involved in the Dover drama. I've experienced first hand what private equity firms can do to a company. It's selfish and not pretty. But also, all the people saying not to shop the closing sales, I don't disagree, but the sales aren't a great deal. They're offering 20% off some things and only like 10% in stores. Not worth it anyway. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

Honestly, how do you NOT get the socks that match the saddle pad? It's a no question purchase. 

Boots and Half Chaps:HKM

I figured this outfit was a lot all on its own, so I went with the simplest option in my boot cupboard. I'm glad I have these, they're comfortable and go with everything. 

That's it for today! Did this ridiculous outfit bring you the joy it brought me? I'm so entertained by it!

What's Up Wednesday

 

You know how some weeks feel like nothing happened, but others feel like a whole lifetime happened in seven days? It was one of those lifetime weeks for sure. 

So Wednesday, the horses got shod/trimmed, then I rode them all, and somehow got finished in time for my niece's school chorus/band concert. Al was a nitwit but I didn't have time to argue about it, and thankfully it didn't carry over to the next day. Thursday was a nice normal day with just horses to ride and no other random commitments. (I could use a few more of these days!) I did have some extra barn tasks to do that haven't been getting done and I needed to have finished before the vet came. So I was still out there very late doing that. You know what they say. If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself! So I did. 

Not the thing I was referring to...
But always something that needs fixing around here.

Friday wound up going really well. I was the first appointment for my vet (he comes from a few hours away though, so it was around 11 AM). It was perfect because he came just after the horses were back in from turnout so they weren't shorted any outside time. Doc was pretty happy with how everyone came out of winter. They all needed some maintenance, but nothing crazy. He was particularly happy with Eros' front end which was better than he's been in awhile. 

I'm really interested to see how Al feels after his visit. He was pretty stuck in his neck so we addressed that and also his stifles. I'm curious to see if when those things feel better maybe his emotions will too. One can hope right? Eros had his hocks and stifles done. He was a little back sore, but we're thinking it's secondary to what we decided to inject. For Shiny we opted for just hocks and then a shockwave on her neck. I'm going to ride everyone for a few weeks to a month and then see if we need to address anything else. Since the vet was out so early, I actually got done a little early which was lovely! I had a very long day ahead for Saturday so it was much appreciated. The timing of this vet appointment was so perfect because the horses all would have the weekend off, allowing me to feel less guilt not being able to ride Saturday anyway. 

Speaking of Saturday... THAT was a long day. I got up at 5 to get the barn done. The horses weren't allowed turnout that day, which was actually really helpful to get me out the door on time. I had a Bar Mitzvah to attend in NewJersey at 4:30. I managed to get stalls done, buckets scrubbed, and everyone hand walked for 15 minutes each before 11. Which gave me enough time to shower, do hair and makeup, and feed lunch before I left. 

When you're dressed half fancy but need to feed horses... 
I promise I wore nice shoes to the party.

In fact, I got on the road a half hour ahead of schedule! Which thank goodness. Because the 3 hour 40 minute estimated time turned into 4 hours 15 minutes. I made it there with just enough time to use the ladies room before things got started. PHEW!

The Bar Mitzvah boy did a great job, and the party was tons of fun. I got to see a very good friend that I haven't seen in person in probably 15 years. Much too long! And I of course got to see the mom of the Bar Mitzvah boy who was my very first friend in college. I haven't seen her in 12 years either. The party wrapped up at 10pm, and I was back on the road! The return trip was only about 3 hours, so that was nice. Got me home just a little after 1AM. I still had to do night check and soak hay for Shiny for the morning. But I was snuggled in my bed by 2 am. And so grateful that I had the horse sitter coming to feed in the morning! 21 hour days are harder at 46 than they were when I was 20! That is for sure. (In case you're worried, I had our former weekend helper stop in to feed dinner and let Rita out on Saturday.)

Sunday the horses were still enjoying some time off from their vet work, but they were allowed turnout. I pitched in with the morning chores once I got my tired bum out of bed, and then spent the day giving everyone a good grooming and some hand grazing too. It was actually a really nice day. The horses were happy and relaxed which in turn made me that way too!

Monday was their last vacation day. I spent the morning cleaning the house and walking the dog. Then the afternoon was dedicated to dragging the ring and changing the jump course. I wanted to pull all the fill back out too, but I ran out of time for that. I got done right at dinner time for the horses, so I fed them, then went in to feed myself and Rita before settling down in front of the lap top to do some work for my paying job. 

I almost never see her napping. But caught her this time!

Tuesday was back to normal! It randomly was summer out, mid to high 80's all day, so they had short rides. We're not used to that heat just yet! But they wouldn't have had hard rides regardless for the first day back. Everyone was good. Al was, of course, a little skeptical about life because the jumps were in new places, but he kept his poo together for the most part. The other two just seemed a little disappointed that they hadn't in fact retired like they thought. 

Then it was off to another concert that my niece was a part of. These kids have a lot of performances! They are both very talented though, and I love that I get to see them do what they enjoy so regularly. 

My worker has a four day weekend this weekend, so I'll be super busy in the barn the next several days. Next week looks to be less hectic though, so I am looking forward to that! Hopefully get these horses back to jumping! And get the fill out too!

Hope you all had a great week/weekend!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Lolz... Okay so this one needs a little stage setting. Last week, I washed my hands in the barn bathroom shortly after arriving in there that day. But the sink wasn't draining. Ruh-roh. So I flushed the toilet next to it to see how big this issue might be. The toilet had no troubles. Okay, good. So I figured I must reach into that little drain hole and see what the problem was. Turns out there was a tissue or tp in there. I pulled it out and all was well. Easy fix. 

Just to be sure that doesn't happen again, I sent a text to my worker and just said "please make sure you don't leave tissues or toilet paper in the sink, it clogs the drain." He wrote back very adamant that it wasn't him. But no one else has been here so it was either him, or a member of his family that he likes to bring along to work. But whatever, I'm not worked up about it, just don't want it to happen again. 

So Sunday, I had hired my barn sitter to do chores for me because I was getting home at 2 am that morning and decided I could treat myself to that. After she had gone, at some point I used the bathroom. I always close the lid and keep it closed. Later in the day, I go back in there to wash my hands and the seat is up. Now I'm starting to think I'm losing my mind. Maybe my worker was right? Maybe some stranger is coming in and using my bathroom? I was really perplexed by this as I had been either in the barn or outside grazing horses all day and hadn't heard anyone. 

Guys. It took me a solid hour to remember that I had pulled a tick off Shiny and lifted the lid to put it in the toilet. It was me the whole time. Hahahaha. I'm old. 

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! We kept it a little boring this week because I didn't have the energy to get creative. It happens! But it's a nice enough outfit all the same. Eros was our model this week. We did photos on Tuesday when the weather was nice, because we knew today was going to be very wet. (And it is!) Anyway, here's what Eros is wearing this week:

Since it was a flat day we didn't have any wraps on. I've been mostly just booting for jump days this spring and the horses seem just fine with this. Also, I really need to fix their manes. He looks like a feral horse. Lastly, I struggle with getting him to the proper weight. I think he looks pretty good here, but he's a little ribby. Put weight on, and boom: Dad Bod. Can't win.

Bridle: Pinnacle
Brow Band: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

It's a little hard to see in this photo, but I'm really impressed with the Boy O'Boy browbands. I've had these I think seven years now, and they still look brand new. He's also wearing a the Catago poll wrap. It seems to relax him. I mean, clearly. He's asleep in this photo!

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes
Baby Pad:Ogilvy

I like him in tan. It suits him nicely, compliments his red hair. 

And here's what I wore Tuesday:

Same color scheme! We do enjoy our matchy farm colors. 

Helmet: One K

This is the brown one I have. It's not a MIPS because they don't make a brown MIPS helmet which I find truly annoying. 

Shirt: MathCat

I am a big fan of these shirts from Amazon. They're a nice weight for the spring and fall. 

Belt: Ponylocks

I picked Jampie's belt for today's outfit. I haven't worn it in a bit! 

Breeches: RJ Classics

I think RJ's green is my favorite shade. 

Boots: Horka

I regularly forget I have these, but they are SO comfy. I really should wear them more often. The only negative is that they are a teeny bit too loose in the leg, so when I'm working very hard (ahem... on AL especially) they kind of slide down and bunch up on the ankle. But that's really a training problem, not a boot problem. 

That's it for today! Any favorites?

What's Up Wednesday

 

I feel like I've lived a lifetime since last Wednesday. Holy moly. It was a little bit of a light riding week over here. Wednesday we were rained out, but I spent the day catching up on some of the things that have been neglected in the barn. 

Boy these walls were nasty! We did get to ride Thursday and Friday though Friday was pretty rushed because I had Aunty duties to attend to. Saturday was my niece's Bat Mitzvah so I was non horsey pretty much all day. I got up a little early and got the horses fed and out so my horse sitter had one less thing to do. Then it was off for services and then the big party! I should have gotten a solid logistics schedule on said party though. I think it would be over by 5ish since it started at 1, but they first fed us at 5! I hadn't premade the horses' meals, nor planned to have someone go and feed. So I had to leave the party a bit early to take care of the horses. Evidently it went until 8pm! What a rager! I missed dessert, but did stay through dinner which was delicious. 

Sunday was normal. I got the morning chores done, rode Shiny and Eros (Al had a lunge), and everyone enjoyed some grassy snackies. I REALLY needed my Monday off to get some things done for my TurnoutHQ job and a bunch of chores around the house too. 

Yesterday, the horses were all pretty great, which was a relief after several days of light or no riding. We actually had sunshine which has been very rare around here. It's gone again, and won't be back until Saturday unfortunately. But we enjoyed it while it was here. 

I've been really happy with how Eros feels lately, and this is before maintenance! He starts out slow and a little blah, but by the end of the ride, he's traveling so uphill and connected. I actually toyed with the idea of taking some dressage lessons on him. Not that I want to go to the dark side. I don't think I have the attention span for dressage. But I do think it's something he would be very good at it. 
Shiny is feeling pretty good too. She takes awhile to get warmed up, but once she does, she's a lot more supple through her body than in the past. The gas pedal is still pretty sticky, but I think that will improve once she gets her hocks attended to. 

And Al... Al has had a few more not so great days than I'd like, but I also had to step back and see if my expectations have changed for him. I don't know that he's suddenly behaving poorly, or if he's been so good so far this year that now I'm expecting more from him. We did have a half decent ride yesterday, but he was pretty behind the leg which is just frustrating. Then again, he was ridden for three days so he should get a little consideration there. I'm not worried. I still think we're in a better place than last year this time. 

This is another ridiculous week schedule wise. They are getting trims and shoes today and have their maintenance appointment on Friday. It also looks like we're getting rained out tomorrow. As for me, I have a concert for one of my niece's tonight and a Bar Mitzah in New Jersey on Saturday. It doesn't start until 4:30 so I can do chores before I go, but the horses will have the day off. Which works out perfectly because they will have it off anyway after getting their maintenance. Sunday I have the horse sitter doing chores, because I won't get home until well after midnight. Self care, my friends! I figure I'll be up before she's done though, so I can pitch in but don't have to be up at 5:30. Solid plan. 

I'm very much looking forward to a less busy week next week! What are you all up to? Have you gotten to any shows or lessons? Has it been as rainy by you as it has been here? Or are you hogging all the sunshine? Send some this way please!