25 More... a blog hop

L over at Viva Carlos started this hop awhile ago, and I've been wanting to play along. So here we go!

Eros doesn't live with me, but he does have a stall!

 1. What is the first thing you do when you get to the barn?

Well, at home the first thing I do is say, "Heyyyy guys!!!!". And Shiny usually nickers at me. And then I get them hay.
At the boarding barn, the first thing I do is put my saddle down. Then I get the rest of my stuff out, and then I go get Eros out. Sometimes he nickers to me too. I'm a sucker for a horse acknowledging me.

 

This is Andre, my percheron/appaloosa cross

2. Is there a breed that you would never own?

I can't really see myself owning a draft horse. But I have owned a draft cross, so I guess that's out... Um. I really don't know.  

this is not the answer to #3, but it's adorable.

  3. Describe your last ride?
  
I rode Eros last night indoors because it rained a lot all day. I was too lazy to change his bit back to our flatting bit, so we kind of just worked on forward and nothing else. He was perfect because that's how he rolls.

4. Have any irrational riding fears?
  
I mean dying... But honestly, it's not that irrational because it's a real risk every time you get on a horse. I think mostly I'm afraid I'll cause death to either myself or my horse. No one wants that.  

photo by Anne Gittens, used with purchase

 5. Describe your favorite lesson horse?
 It's impossible for me to pick one, as I've been very lucky to know a lot of wonderful school horses. And in fact, I think I want to do a post dedicated entirely to them.... but that's a challenge for a different day. Today I'll just pick Gaucho. I had lessoned on him a few times in college. My own horse Cosmo got very sick during exams my junior year. While he was away at the vet hospital without me, my trainer offered to let me take Gaucho to the A horse show happening in town. And that's when I fell in love with him completely. He was a very special horse. Still is! He actually lives with a friend of mine's mother-in-law now. And we guess he's in his 30's. And yes, there is a definitely a resemblance to a certain other liver chestnut in my life! (Also, Cosmo did recover, but we never discovered what was actually wrong with him.)

This one never leaves my sight.

6. Would you ever lease out your horse?
 I would say yes in general. But it would depend on the horse. Like Rio would never leave my care. But since he's retired that's a non issue. I had wanted to lease Jamp out in his later years, but it never quite worked out that way. I did lease him out for New England finals one year. He was wonderful for his kid! 

7. Mares: Yay or neigh?
I was always a hard NO on mares... But now I have Shiny, so here we are.

8. How many time per week do you get to see your horse?
The ones at home I see every single day! Right now I see Eros and Fefe three days a week. My step mom rides too, so they are cared for by one of us six days a week. The barn is closed on Mondays.

 9. Favorite thing to do on an “easy day” with your pony?
How easy are we talking? Are we riding? If we are, then it's probably a toodle. A light walk-trot-canter in the ring maybe (if I'm home, the yard is really too small for much more than a walk-trot). And then some grazing and meandering in the yard. I'm hoping to do that stuff bareback with Shiny! We'll see about Pammon, he's kind of bony... If not riding, then maybe an extra turnout for the ponies followed by groomies and grazing.

10. Conformational flaw that bothers you the most?Anything really bad in the feet. Being especially over at the knee freaks me out a bit. Those are safety/health concerns. As far as just things I don't like... I don't like when they have disproportionately long necks. Or U necks. Basically, I like a thick, well proportioned neck on a horse.

11. Thing about your riding that you’re most self conscious about?
I could list any number of things... My too low hands. My lack of fitness. My EXTREME lack of bravery. But that's all just stuff I need to keep plugging away at. My real thing I'm most self conscious about is my weight. I used to be a little thing, and now I'm not. And due to some mild auto-immune stuff it's kind of out of my control to some extent. So that's something I just need to learn to be ok with. A day at a time.

12. Will you be participating in no stirrup November?
Negative. I think it's a good idea to ride without stirrups regularly which I do make an effort to do once I'm stable enough in the saddle and trust my horse not to murder me. I think taking your stirrups completely away is pretty unfair to the horse, especially once it's cold out here in the north. They deserve the opportunity to warm up their backs without us banging around up there. I am thinking I should try no spur November though... SOMEONE (its me...) has gotten pretty spur dependent.

13. What is your grooming routine?
Depends on the season and the day. What I like to call mega groomies usually takes place during shedding season. It involves the following:
-Pick feet prior to leaving stall
-Spray tail with show sheen or the Carr and Day Martin version
-Spray all over with mircotek for static control and a little conditioning
-good go-over with the equi-groomer to get all the loose hair out
-curry with either my new favorite Epona curry above, or the Hands-On gloves. I love both.
-brush with a beastie brush (they are my favorite. I know they're not natural bristles, and I have to replace them often because they wear out, but it's my absolute favorite medium brush).
-spray with fly spray for dust and bug control
-finish with the HAAS diva brush
-Then I'll probably comb out the mane and tail.

If I'm in a hurry it's much shorter...
-pick feet prior to leaving stall
-brush with beastie brush
-done.

14. Describe a day in the life of your horse?
We'll go with a weekday since there are more of those... And we'll do the horses at home:
Get fed between 7 and 7:30 and then go out for turnout. Right now, Rio goes in the med paddock and Shiny goes in the ring, but it will be changing once Pammon arrives. Probably we'll have to do some rotating and sharing. But I'm hoping one of them will be willing to hang in the back paddock. Come in around 10 am and nap. 1pm I arrive home for a quick lunch break, and they get hay and water topped off. More napping. I get home around 5:45 and they get more hay. Then Shiny gets ridden while Rio hangs in his walkout if he wants. When I get off Shiny, I cross tie her in the wash stall and turn Rio out in the ring. Shiny gets grass while Rio has a short turnout. Once she's back in her stall, Rio gets grass and then groomies. Or if he's a mess, he gets a hose down then grass. Then they get fed dinner. I go inside to tend to the pups and feed myself. Around 10:30 or 11 I peak in at them and give them a bedtime snack.

15. Favorite season for riding?
Definitely summer for me. Granted I live in New England so most days aren't that hot. And I ride in the evening when the sun is getting low, so it's really quite nice. I could do without the bugs, but you can't have everything I suppose.

16. If you could only have 1 ring: indoor or outdoor?
Well... I do only have one ring and it is an outdoor! I think the ideal if you could only have one would be a covered. Sort of the best of both worlds. Still probably not useful in the winter months. But who really wants to ride when everything is frozen anyway?

Ducky rode Westlish

17. What impresses you most about the opposite discipline (english vs. western)?
 The precision! I had a couple horses in the past spend some time at the local cowboy barn and they do a lot of western trail. I was AMAZED at the precision involved in that sport. You can basically place every foot wherever you'd like on those horses. Incredible.

18. You have unlimited funds to buy one entire tack set for your horse, what is he/she wearing?
I'd probably stick with my favorite Joseph Sterling bridles. I just love them! But of course they would have multiple browbands from both Boy-O-Boy Bridleworks and Dark Jewel Designs. To match with their If the Bonnet Fits bonnet collection obviously. Our saddles would all be custom to each horse (and me) and would ideally be Hermes. I may be the only one on the planet who still loves them... but whatever. They would have a collection of Punk Ponies boots of course, and maybe also the insanely overpriced custom Equifit boots since we have all this money to throw around. And of course whatever bits they like best.

  19. How many blankets do you have? When do you blanket?
So. Many. Blankets. For the sake of time, I'll just write about the clothes they may live in, and leave out the coolers and therapeutic type blankets. We'd be here for the next month if I talked about everything!
Home horses each have the following:
1 sheet (55-60 degrees)
1 lightweight blanket (100 gram-ish) (46-55 degrees)
1 heavy blanket (300 gram) (under 45 degrees) My barn hovers right at 45 because I have a furnace. I use the heavies if the heat is on basically.

1 turnout fly sheet with matching mask (when they're not wearing anything below)
1 turnout sheet (mid fifties)
1 fleece lined turnout sheet (lower 50's high 40's)
1 300 gram turnout blanket (30-40)
1 400 gram turnout blanket (below 30)
It's possible they have too many options. Shut up.

Boarded horses each have:
1 sheet
1 100 gram blanket
1 300 gram blanket
1 turnout fly sheet
1 turnout sheet
1 turnout blanket with neck cover
That's probably more reasonable.
I don't really pick when they were what there, but I think it's pretty similar to what I do)

20. What is your horse’s favorite treat? Favorite place to be scratched?
I'm not sure any really have a favorite. They just love all the snacks. ALL OF THEM! Rio doesn't like apples that much though.
Rio's favorite place for itchies is on his lips. It's super weird, but he LOVES to have his lips scratched. It's only since he has the EPM though, so I think he has some nerve damage there and it must just feel nice. I haven't found Shiny's itchy spot yet. Eros loves to be scratched just behind his ears. Fefe prefer you not touch her any more than is necessary.

21. Something about your barn that drives you crazy?
I hate that my horses can't be out more and that I don't have beautiful grass pastures for them. Maybe some day? At the boarding barn, I just wish they were more flexible about who can ride your horse. But the care is very good.

22. Roached manes, pulled manes, or long flowing manes?
Well since I'm a braider I'm gonna say pulled manes. But anything neat is really fine with me. Long and flowing is lovely if they're cared for. A snarled up mess? No thanks.

23. Can you handle a buck or a rear better?
I prefer neither, thank you. I guess I can handle either if I have to. But I think rearing is very dangerous, and would not personally buy a horse that is known to stand up.

This picture is unrelated to question 24. But it is an example of a horse NOT stopping!

24. I would never buy a horse who ___________________?
Lol, I sort of answered that above. I wouldn't buy one that rears. But I also wouldn't buy one that is a stopper. Ain't no amateur got time for that nonsense.

25. Favorite facial marking?
A star and a snip are my favorite. But even better than a star and a snip is Rio's lightning bolt and a snip!
Shiny's crazy blaze is a runner up though.