Truthful Tuesday

 

Okay, I have a weird confession for you guys this week. I have a pair of pants that I really love, but I just can't bring myself to wear. Nor to get rid of. Which is ridiculous right? If I can't wear them, why not get rid of them? 

They're a lovely pair of pants, jeans in fact. They're a pretty teal color and the stitching is thick and kind of beige color. They're from True Religion so they have horse shoes stitched on the pockets. Very cute. 

So what's the problem, you ask? Do they not fit? No, they DO fit. But see, the problem is that I had them on the night I had to put Rio down. And for some reason that makes absolutely no sense, I completely connect those pants with that night. Guys, that was more than two years ago. I really should either wear or sell or donate the pants. 

Do you have any items like this that simply exist in your space because you just can't deal with them? I hope I'm not alone in this weird thing...

Thursday's Threads

 Outfit Day! This week Pammon will be our outfit day model since he hasn't really had a turn in a long while. Not on his own anyway. Plus I forgot was too lazy to bring matching boots out and right now he doesn't wear any. Win-win!

So here's what I wore this week:

I felt it was time to wear something nicer than a hoodie for once. Not all the time, but occasionally I like to look less like a hungover college student and more like a snotty equestrian. Joking! (Kinda.)

Helmet: One K

I did legitimately forget to bring a matching helmet out to the barn. So I've just been wearing this blue one with my green outfit. Keeping it real over here!

Sweater: V28

This is a great sweater for the barn. It was inexpensive, and it's a cotton/poly blend so it can go right in the washer. That's important for me because I'm a disgusting human at the barn. My clothes get DIRTY.

Belt: Mane Jane

This tan croco strap is nearly an exact match to the sweater! I went with the gunmetal buckle. Neither the gold nor the rose gold looked right. 

Breeches: Smartpak Piper

I think you all know by now how I really feel about Pipers. But I did keep two pairs, and this is one of them. They have metallic copper piping and embroidered bits on the bum pockets which I think are fun enough to override my mild discomfort in the fit. Plus I had to retire the hunter green Dover breeches and they don't make those anymore. So these need to fill that void.

Boots: Tredstep

I told you I'd be wearing these until it gets warmer, and I was not kidding. I'm sure you'll be tired of them soon. But I will never be tired of warm toes!

And here's what Pammon wore:

Bridle: Pinnacle
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

How cute is this fuzzy face?! Seriously the sweetest animal on the planet. Not the best photo but that is the spike browband up there. 

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Mattes

I really like these Mattes pads. They just fit so nicely on all the horses and with all the different saddle shapes. Big fan!

And that's it for this week! I know it's been kind of boring. Tis the season. Winter just doesn't lend itself to dressing up too crazy. At least not so much once the holidays have gone. We'll just pretend like I'm going for a classier vibe for the season. Or something. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Winter has been a little bit of a PITA these past couple of weeks. Despite having an indoor to ride in, sometimes it still is just plain too cold to work horses. Here in southern New England, that doesn't happen often. Usually once or twice a winter. But it happened twice in the same week already! Fortunately the days were spread out, so there was plenty of riding anyway. The unfortunate part is that it interrupted some of my lesson plans. 

Last Tuesday was one of those too cold to ride days, which meant all the horses had two days off (barn is closed on Mondays). I was a little worried they would all be murderous lunatics by Wednesday, but lucky for me, they were all just fine on Wednesday. Nothing exciting that day, they all just flatted. 

I haven't been jumping Eros since he's not 100% right now. Shiny is also on the flat only train, so I opted to do just my morning lesson on Thursday with Al. Normally I would do either Eros or Shiny in the morning and then Al in the afternoon lesson. But honestly, during the winter, I don't really like waiting around all day for that late lesson. So I decided to do the earlier one. It's a less advanced level class, but honestly, Al and I need some work on the basics anyway. So it was the perfect fit for this week. He was being a bit of a child about the end of the ring (most of the horses find it spooky down there, Al is no exception) but he worked through it. By the time he got to jumping, he'd mostly forgotten about the death eaters down at the end. I'll call it a win! Even when he's being spooky, he rarely actually spooks. He just stares and asks repeatedly if we can run away. If I say no he accepts that. Rio was the same way when he was younger. So I'm hopeful he'll outgrow it at some point. (Took Rio about 15 years...) 

I had hoped to keep the momentum going with a second lesson on Saturday, but alas, too cold again. 

When the feels like is -2F... this is what I wear for hand walking.
And yes, I'm wearing two jackets under that coat. I might have
overdressed though... I was sweating halfway through my first horse.

I felt especially sorry for Shiny as she got clipped again on Friday. Poor thing. She and Al both got clipped right before the two coldest days of the year. Fortunately, we have plenty of warm layers for them, and the barn itself stays quite comfortable. Even on the really cold days, it stayed in the 30's (Fahrenheit) in there. 

She's pink now.

It was unclear initially what Sunday would bring. At 8 am the indoor was 8 degrees. So I stayed home until about noon and then headed over. I dressed to ride just in case, but figured I'd see when I got there what the temp was like in the ring and what everyone else was doing. Turns out it warmed way up and the ring was 30 degrees! So everyone got ridden. I knew Pammon would be fine since he gets a little ace for our walks still. I wasn't so sure about the rest. I suspected Eros would be fine since he usually is, but he was a little spicy! Nothing naughty, but I could tell he was looking hard for a reason to be silly. He kept his poo together though, and we had a nice ride. Shiny was the wild one! And wild for Shiny just means she's a little extra belligerent and she might scoot a little here or there. All of which were things that happened, but nothing tough to deal with. I was most worried that Al might be a little crazy. I saved him for last as the other boarders were heading out, and I figured I'd be able to free lunge him before I got on. Unfortunately, the next wave of boarders showed up so I had to just get on. And I felt like an idiot for worrying. The horse was absolutely perfect. Go figure. 

After my Monday off watching 10 hours of Golden Girls while deep cleaning my kitchen, I was ready to work Tuesday. It's been much warmer here this week, which also helps my motivation. All three working horses were pretty fantastic for a Tuesday this week. Eros especially was on his game. I got some trot work out of him that I haven't been able to access in weeks. And today he even gave me some great canter work on his tough lead. Miracles happen! Al and Shiny both had free lunges in the morning before I got to the barn, so they were both super relaxed and willing. Pammon was good too... you know that 30 minutes of walking is so strenuous. Ha. Sorry Pammon. Hopefully we'll get clearance to trot soon.

Today was also a good day all around! Tomorrow I have a dr appt in the middle of the day which kind of messes up lesson plans. Instead Eros will do the morning lesson, I'll ride Shiny before that, and Pammon after. And Al will have a training ride. I'm going to lesson him Saturday this week. Hopefully next week I'll get on a better schedule with him. I'd like to jump him twice a week, but I've been slacking on signing myself up. Cold weather is just so demotivating! I'm working on it. 

In doggy news, things are still a little touch and go with Rita. The bathroom troubles are real... and she still being rude to Pia. But these things take time and I really want to give her a chance. I'm hoping we can make this work. If not, there were several other people interested in her before I got her, so maybe another family without other dogs would be a better fit. We'll see. She's very sweet otherwise! And I've already bought her collars (yes multiple, I have a problem okay?) and her official tag. 

So that's it from here. Things are going well, just waiting on spring time! Did you all have a good week? Staying warm?

Truthful Tuesday

Ahhh winter... A time of rest. Hahaha! Just kidding. It's cold and everything is harder. BUT, I do make the most of my Mondays off. This week I spent the day cleaning the house. I focused mainly on the kitchen, doing the deep clean where I actually moved all the stuff off the counters instead of just cleaning around it. Long over do. I also cleaned out the cabinets, getting rid of any past date items. But that's not my confession. (Clearly, that's actually productive...) No, my confession is that whilst I was being productive I spent the entire day watching Hallmark channel's tribute to Betty White on her birthday. That's right. 10 hours of Golden Girls followed by a movie that she starred in. It was glorious. Golden Girls is pretty timeless. 
 
Confession two though... That took place on Saturday. Saturday it was too cold to ride. The indoor never got above 6 degrees Fahrenheit (-14C). I did head over to the barn in the afternoon to hand walk everyone, but otherwise, I hid in my house all day. And I was a complete garbage human. I ate snacks and sat around playing games on my phone pretty much the entire day. 

So those are my confessions today. 10 hours of Golden Girls and a garbage human day. What do you guys do when you (rarely) get some free time?

Thursday's Threads: the one where we wear shades of blue... again

 

Outfit Day! Honestly, I am very much looking forward to spring/summer when outfit days are fun again. But in the meantime, I'll do the best I can to keep it at least semi entertaining. This week, Eros will be our outfit model. Let's see what he had on:

Bridle: Camelot
Browband: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

I'm really happy with how these bridles are holding up, given that they are very much the opposite of high end tack. I get a lot of compliments on them too. Unfortunately, they are discontinued. Everything fab gets discontinued!

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Mattes

I gotta say guys, these Mattes pads are worth every penny. They just sit so nicely on the horses' backs and they seem to hold up well too. I like the all in one pad/halfpad come winter when the horses hair/skin seems to be more sensitive to getting rubs. 

Boots: Premier Equine

These are my favorite everyday boots for the horses. I really wish they would make them in hunter!

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

All the blues. All at once.

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS Wide brim

I've switched back to fabric masks with a filter inside now that I'm well past ten days since my exposure to Covid. These are just so much more comfortable with a helmet on. I will absolutely still wear an N95 in any indoor public spaces, but I feel that being in the barn/indoor is relatively safe enough to get by with the fabric mask. Especially since there aren't many people around when I'm there during the day. Fingers crossed I don't regret this decision. 

Hoodie: Champion

All the cool kids wore Champion sweatshirts back when I was a kid. We're talking late 80's early 90's time. I had forgotten all about Champion for the most part, but I fell prey to a targeted add not too long ago. The result was this hoodie and velour sweats that I use as jammies now. I'm back to loving Champion. So COMFY! Plus this hoodie is pretty much the barn colors, so that's fun. 

Belt: Mane Jane

This is definitely one of my favorite Mane Jane straps. I paired it with the gunmetal buckle this time.

Breeches: Dover Wellesley

I think these are my favorite weight breeches for "normal" winter days. They're for sure warmer than Tailored Sportsman, but not as warm as my corduroy breeches. I save those for the bitter cold days. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

Last year, or the year before maybe, the barn had socks made through D&S, and who am I to not buy a pair? I love the barn's logo. I love D&S socks... It was a win-win.

Boots: Tredstep

Full disclosure, I forgot to snap a pick yesterday with the rest of the outfit, so this pic is from today. But at least it's a new photo! I tried to wear similar color breeches to keep things similar. I'm still in love with these boots. They make winter bearable. 

And that's it for today! I'm thinking we'll switch to green next week if I remember to dig out the green pads. Stay tuned I guess...

What's up Wednesday

 

What a week it was over here! Not much went to plan honestly, but that's just how things go sometimes. Neither Eros nor Shiny are jumping currently, so I didn't have my early lesson on Thursday. Instead, I flatted both of them and walked Pammon before my afternoon lesson with Al. Guys. Al was LIT by the time I got on. I felt like if I put my leg on I was going to be engaging the rapid eject button... We survived the flat portion of the lesson, but I opted out of jumping. Sometimes you just have to call it a day, ya know? 

I let him have a training ride on Friday. When the horses are home with me, I have to work through everything on my own. But when they're boarded? It's nice to occasionally let someone else deal with the tough rides. I arrived after he'd been ridden, but got a good report. He was still pretty fresh, but went to work with minimal funny business. Nice to know he'll work through his feelings! 

We had a snow storm Friday too. All the weathermen under predicted the totals. Forecast called for 3-5 inches but we got something like 7 or 8. Gross.

midpoint of the storm

Fortunately, it stayed cold enough through Saturday that we didn't have any snow crashing off the roof of the indoor. While Sunday was warmer, it also rained, so the snow melted off rather than sliding off. No amateurs nor children were harmed in the aftermath of this snowstorm!

Saturday was one of the first actually cold riding days. It was above 20, so I worked all of them, but my hands went numb on every ride despite wearing winter lined gloves. (My feet stayed toasty warm in my fuzzy boots though!) I definitely whined my way through the day. But the horses were all pretty good, so that was nice at least. Sunday was more of the same, but it was thankfully warmer. Mid 30's, which is warm enough to not want to cry the whole ride. 

Barn is closed Mondays, and with a cold snap, I pretty much hibernated in my house all day playing with Rita and Pia. Rita is settling in fairly well, but she's not very house trained which is a little frustrating. Each time I think we're having a breakthrough, I find another accident. But these things take time, and hopefully we will get it worked out. In the meantime, she's wearing diapers in the house.

She and P aren't really best friends yet... Rita really wants P to play with her and when that doesn't happen, Rita likes to start humping Pia instead. Poor P has a pretty weak hind end and is not terribly successful at fighting her off. Hopefully they'll work through this soon too. Always an adjustment when you add a new pup to the mix! 

It's not all tough stuff with Rita though. She's very sweet with me, and she LOVES all the toys we have here in the house. 

I already mentioned that Tuesday was stupid cold, so the horses had an extra day off. I thought I fixed their manes that day, but upon reviewing the photos, it appears I still have some work to do... Boy, they must have been feral looking before! Al isn't pictured. Since he's on full care board, the barn staff did his mane awhile ago.

Poor Al got body clipped Tuesday. I was hoping they would wait until it warmed back up, but alas. The barn wasn't too cold though, so he survived just fine. I was a lil worried the horses would all be cuckoo crazy after the cold snap and two days off in a row, but today they were all actually really good. Relaxed, listening, calm... Weird. Hope they stay that way!

That's about it from here. Nothing terribly exciting to report, just slogging through winter. How are things with all of you? 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Okay, I KNOW I was really lucky to escape the cold for a week whilst in the Bahamas enjoying the 80 degree sunny days. I know this. But I'm already over winter. Today the high is 18F (wind chill not accounted for). The current feels like at 11 am is -1 F. 

Just really not my weather. Not at all. I realize some of you more northern folks experience this weather all winter long. But here in CT it (thankfully) isn't really the norm. At least not in January. (February is an asshole, he does this more often.) 

Today's confession, is that due to weather, I will not be riding my horses today. Some people feel it's fine to work in this weather. And maybe it is. But my own asthmatic lungs don't appreciate the cold air, and so I don't think my horses' lungs would either. I'll hand walk them all for 15 minutes or so, and if the barn isn't too cold, we'll groom. Tomorrow should be better (mid 30's) so we will ride then. An extra day off won't hurt anyone.