What's Up Wednesday

 

Today was day 19 of my 5 am wake ups. I'm actually getting used to it more or less. Working on the whole earlier bed time thing which definitely helps! The good news is that I have a new helper. It's not a perfect situation, as she has a lot of already scheduled things on her calendar. But it's definitely better than no help! I'm also now sure how long she plans to stay at the job... but again, better than no help! And she does a great job. So fingers crossed I'll get to sleep past 5:15 sometime in the near future. She is off tomorrow and I plan to work with her again Friday. Then hopefully Monday I'll get to have a real day off (other than feeding of course). 

Things are plugging along here. The horses had a few days off last week because we highs in the upper 90's with very high humidity.

That was Thursday through Saturday. Kind of a nice break for me though... I actually had time to shorten manes and wash tails. I was going to clean tack Friday, but then I didn't. Instead the horses got hosed off and some grass in the shade. 

I went over to my dad and stepmom's for July 4th. My younger brother and his girlfriend came down and my older brother, sister-in-law, and nieces all were there too. We had a delicious dinner and then the weather went a little wild. First a torrential rain storm blew through. Complete with emergency boats having to rescue people from the little island in front of the house. Everyone was fine thankfully. Then it cleared up long enough for people all up and down the beach to light off some fireworks. AND THEN Mother Nature had her own light show in the form of more torrential rain, thunder, and really intense lightning. My horses don't usually care much about distant fireworks (we are fortunate to not have people lighting them off around here close by). But when I got home they were all a little tense. Not freaking out, and the stalls didn't seem like they'd been worked up or anything. But they did seem a little more alert than usual at night check. My guess is the fireworks combined with the storm was a little much for them. 

The next morning though, both of Al's front legs were stocked up. I wasn't AS concerned as if only one had been, but I was a little worried. Shiny's kid was coming to ride though, and since they had three days off, I decided to get on him while she was riding since he likes having a buddy in the ring whenever possible. I mostly walked and did a little trot just to see what I could feel. Shiny's kid's dad hung out while we rode, and he's a really good farrier, so he watched Al for me. We concluded that he was just a hair off on the turns on the left front. But the good news was that after moving around all the swelling was gone. I'm just taking it easy with him this week and we'll see what we have next week. We've been tack walking and just a couple laps of trot to check in. The leg feels pretty good, but I do think there's just a tiny bit of swelling and he is just a teeny bit reactive when I palpate it. I'm really hoping he just banged it and this will resolve quickly. I did get a call in to my vet but he's away through next week. I don't think this is something to panic about though, so I'm happy to wait and see. He's not blowing up overnight and definitely not getting worse. I'll keep icing it and cross my fingers it's not a big deal. 

Eros and Shiny are feeling good though! After riding Sunday, everyone had Monday off. Which, it rained Sunday night through Monday, then again from about 11 am on Tuesday through midnight. So... we did ride Tuesday, but could only use half the ring. And it was VERY soggy. Still counts though! Today we had a beautiful day and both horses put in some really nice work. Shiny has been working on counter canter. It really gets her using her body without me having to beg. Eros has been excelling at lateral work and that does the same thing for him. After a few shoulder ins each way he lifts his core and carries himself so nicely! Shiny's kiddo comes tomorrow so we'll probably play over some little jumps. Al will stick to his mostly walk routine. But he is still doing some good work at the walk. Though he was having a bit of rough day today. Someone was doing tree work nearby in the morning and then my new landscaper was doing all kinds of landscaper things. He hates that stuff. I wasn't at all surprised he was a little weird. I expect him to be better tomorrow. Time will tell!

That's about it from here. Nothing terribly exciting but hopefully things are going to get a little more back to normal soon. 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Okay, this is an icky one. So one of the mornings last week or the week before (who can remember) when I walked under the chain that runs across the barn door opening to start my day out there, I walked into a spider web without realizing it at first. I spent the rest of the morning still feeling like there was web on me, even though I had removed what I thought was all of it. I went about my morning, occasionally trying to pick imaginary (or was it?) web off the back of my neck. 

And then it was time to get ready to ride. As I was taking out my ponytail to do my hair for helmet, guess what I discovered. GUESS!

If you said a spider in my hair, you would be correct. Thankfully it was a small one, and not the absolutely enormous potential tarantula I saw in the hay barn yesterday. So that's my confession this week. I spent many hours doing chores the other day with a spider in my hair the entire time. 

Thursday's Threads

 

We did our outfit day photos yesterday because we knew today would be non riding. It was 98 degrees here today but my thermometer in the sun read 103. It was pretty humid too. Yesterday was hot but not quite as bad. So we did very light rides and enjoyed backyard snacks. Our outfit reflects such things. Ha! Also, I imagine you're expecting a really fun 4th of July outfit today, but I'm going to disappoint you. I'm just not feeling the 'Merica pride this year for so many reasons. Which is sad because I was excited to celebrate 250 years. Anyway, Eros is our model today! His photos are indoors are so not the best quality but when we ride bareback I have to get on in the barn using the arm of my bench. What can I say? He's tall and I'm not!

So... I had to take this photo from above because little Eros was airing out and I didn't think that was appropriate here. Also, I fixed that mane today. Look at it! He looks ready for the western show pen. 

Bridle: Pinnacle

Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I switched from my La Cense side pulls to these from Pinnacle a couple years ago, and I really am so happy with these! It's not the nicest leather of all time, but we're not showing in a side pull so who cares?

Bareback Pad: Brockamp
Baby Pad: Ogilvy

Girth: Mattes

Yes, I know that girth doesn't fit him. I don't ride him bareback all that often so he shares this with Shiny. Someday I'll get him his own.

That's what he had on! No boots needed for a pitter patter around. So it's my turn! Here's what I had on:

The best way to turn a boring outfit fun is to add cow boots. 

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS

I wrapped some plain black inserts with cow print vinyl to match my boots. Up close it's a little wrinkly, but from afar it looks just fine!

Shirt:MathCat

This one was a little heavier than I should have worn yesterday... but I survived! I do like these shirts a lot but the material is a little heavier than the Luyaa ones.

Belt: Tory Burch

I've had this for ages. It's fun and metallic, but still kind of a neutral. 

Breeches:RJ Classics

I like the RJ breeches. They are comfortable and not too heavy weight. But the material does get pilled. Not a big deal for schooling pants, but they aren't SUPER cheap, so I do wish they held up a little better.

Boots: Celeris UK

I just love these so much. They're fun. They're comfy. Perfect!

And that's it for today! Hope you're all staying cool under this heat dome!

What's Up Wednesday

 

You all got the big update yesterday so I don't have too much to share today. I've been riding but it's a lot of easy rides. We haven't jumped or really done anything all that challenging. The horses have been great so I guess that's not a bad approach. Al has even had several rides in his side pull which I never really thought would be a thing with him. 

Best part of wearing a side pull bridle

The heat wave that's been oppressing people all over the country arrives here tomorrow. Which honestly, I'm not sad about. I'll do morning chores both days of course. But we aren't going to ride with highs expected of 98 and 99 and "feels like" temps over 100. I plan tomorrow after chores to do some extra chores in the barn and also pull Al and Eros' manes. Maybe clean their sheaths too. Shiny's mane isn't too bad since I did it when she was sedated for her hock injections. Friday after chores I plan to clean tack finally. My saddles are so desperate for conditioner that they're actually getting slippery. I should be ashamed of that. But I'm not. Can't do all of the things all of the time. But all of the things will get done in time. So yeah. That's my plan for the rest of the week. Saturday will still be hot, but I think we'll be able to plod around a little. Maybe some mounted backyard snackies. We shall see. 

Shiny is always here for the snackies.

In other news, Sunday morning when I was deep in my spiral, Al was out in the ring and it was nearly time to come in. I just wanted to finish making up Shiny's hay nets for the day. Well he comes by the door and whinnies at me which he does when something is worrying him. And then he got a case of the zoomies. I figured maybe the deer flies were coming after him, but when I came out and asked what was wrong, he looked over toward my house and snorted. So I looked over there, and a literal BAD OMEN was sitting on the roof of my bedroom. 

Not just sitting, but airing out his wings. Is this the turkey vulture version of man spreading? I think yes. Al wasn't having any part of this bird. I started walking toward the house and it flew away. Someone told me they usually hang around where something is dead because they don't like to kill their own food. And I kinda wondered if it was me it thought had died. Cause you know. Sunday was a DAY. I thought for sure that would have had Al set off for at least the rest of the day, if not longer. But it didn't! Once it flew away Al was over it. But I did have to hose him off because he was all lathered from running. Horses are silly.

Hopefully next week we will have interesting things to talk about! No promises though... Haha. What have you all been up to? Has the heat wave hit your area yet?

Truthful Tuesday: You'll never believe this one

 

All I can say, is that I must have been a really, REALLY terrible person in my last life. Like truly deplorable. 

When we last left off I was full of hope for my new worker who was doing a really great job while I worked alongside him. He worked a full five day work week. His days off were Friday and Saturday. I was planning to work with him the full day Sunday, then move on to letting him start without me. I couldn't wait until I got to sleep past 5:30... And then... 

Sunday morning he called out. Something about a swollen knee. Texts me later in the day that he's torn his meniscus and is unable to do the job. Wishes me luck finding a replacement. Why yes, in case you're wondering, I DID have a full menty b over this development. There were tears. More than once throughout the day. I'm currently on day 11 of 13 hour barn days. Well sort of. Yesterday was Monday and I don't ride Mondays. So it was only a half day. But otherwise. 13 hour days. Plus trying to do my THQ job. I'm very tired. 

I did meet with a girl today who is interested in the job at least for the summer. I was hoping to find a long term employee, but at this point I'll take what I can get. She's going to do a trial work day with me on Monday. I know her mom from the most recent boarding barn I wintered at. They have a farm at home like me, but no indoor, so we're similar people in that respect. She has high standards for care as well, so that's promising! The daughter has worked as a barn manager before so she knows the most important horse stuff already. I'm no longer getting my hopes up because I'm not sure I can handle being disappointed again so quickly.

This really broke me. I mean I've recovered. Mostly. But there was a moment that I felt really defeated. I did everything in my power to set this whole ordeal up for success. And it still imploded. After such a hard winter and now being on my own with no help... I was really struggling. Thinking maybe this is all too much for me. And that still might be true. But I'll keep trying. It's all you can do right? I mean, I KNOW lots of women have barns at home and full time jobs, and maybe even a family. And they can do it all. Maybe I'm not as strong or capable as them. I dunno. It's just a lot. And I'm so tired. Fingers crossed things work out with my next potential helper. 

Thursday's Threads

 

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that this week we kept our outfit simple. I'm on day 6 of 13 hour barn days, and my creativity doesn't work in such circumstances. Shiny is our model this week, so we'll start with her since she's cuter. 

Right? Just the cutest.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I guess I should have used the ribbon browband bridle with this outfit. But this is the one I grabbed. It works though because spikes go with everything. 

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Stephens

Baby Pad: Ogilvy

I'm always surprised that I like the tan pads on her. You wouldn't expect that to work. 

Boots: Uhlan

I'm really happy with these Uhlan boots. If we didn't have to pay tariffs on literally everything now I would get a dark brown pair. 

So that's what Shiny wore this week, and here's what I had on:

I didn't realize I wore almost this exact same outfit a couple months back for Thursday's Threads, but ya know what? I wear things repeatedly a lot just not for outfit day. So I guess I'm just keeping it real! 

Helmet: One K

This doesn't photograph all that well, but it is dark brown. 

Shirt: MatchCat

This shirt is so soft. Highly recommend.

Belt: Silver Star

This photo makes it look like I've gotten skinnier because the belt is on tighter holes. But that is a false narrative as I just switched to this more fun buckle that happens to be larger. 

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

I really like this shade of tan. They are called "Fawn". They are a bit darker than show tan so don't show too many stains. 

Boots: Horka

I'm still really happy with these boots. They are far from the highest quality, but they're so comfortable! And so far they are holding up pretty well!

That's it for today. Hopefully I'll have something more fun for next week. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

I think we covered the major "thing" that has been going on around here yesterday. It's been so busy around here that my rides have been kind of rushed the last couple of weeks. I'm very much looking forward to riding this afternoon because there is nothing else on my schedule for the rest of the day today. Thank goodness. Because in the last two weeks aside from dealing with all the worker stuff and caring for/riding horses I've also: 

-Attended a violin recital
-Attended a dance recital
-Went to 4 dinners out
-Interviewed two potential landscapers
-Scheduled shavings deliveries and manure bin pickup/empty
-Had 3 work meetings plus regular work hours
-Had the farrier out for our regular shoeing/trims

Needless to say, the days are long and the sleep time is short! We didn't do much jumping last week. I just didn't have the time or focus for it. That's okay though, I don't think the horses care that much. We did get one school in though in the last two weeks. They were all great. Eros didn't get the zoomies even once! Shiny and I jumped over the bigger of our "hurdle" jumps which we've never done together. (It's only 2'3" but I never wanted to on her.) And Al... well he didn't do anything extraordinary but he was a good boy!

I'm also battling with my barn swallows still. I swear, they let me THINK they've given up on the nesting and then just come back and start again when I think I'm in the clear. Most recently this one bird keeps trying to build a nest on a wire that hangs from my ceiling. (I had the barn wired for ceiling fans but then never installed them, so the wire is there in case I change my mind.) It's is impossible to nest on this wire because it is narrow and it's bendy, not firm like a tree branch. But thus persistent, yet no so smart, bird keeps on trying. And dropping all his nest making debris all over my floor. Driving me bananas! 

Shiny's kid just got back for the summer, so she came and rode yesterday. It was just a flat day, but I think that's a nice way to ease back in. She hopped on Eros too for a little bit. She had a fall from a tall horse she tried not too long ago and was feeling a little nervous about getting on a full size horse again. So Eros is the perfect dude to help her gain some confidence back. I feel really grateful to Shiny and Eros for being such solid citizens. It feels really special to have horses that can help with confidence. It's so important because we all know this sport can be anxiety inducing! 

Kind of a short update for two weeks, but I've been pretty consumed with all the old and new worker stuff. Which, I have to get back outside to help my new guy finish up today. This is the first stretch of time I've left him on his own out there, so we'll see how that went! I had a work meeting this morning, so I helped get the horses out and cleaned a stall then abandoned him out there. He does seem to be picking things up, so I'm confident he'll be under control when I get back outside. Fingers crossed!