Happy New Year all! I stopped doing recaps when 2019 was such a disaster for me personally. I've decided to continue with that tradition this year, because... well. 2020. But I'll still do my regularly scheduled post! Kinda... Truth be told, I totally forgot it was Thursday so this one is a little weak. Anyway, here's what I rode in today:
Nothing all the exciting. Except for the light up New Year's necklace I found when I was cleaning out the laundry room earlier... I really know how to ring in a new year!
Helmet and boots not pictured were the One K Mips with the blue accents and my trusty Tredstep winter boots.
Sweatshirt: Skidmore College Book Store
I picked this one up at my last reunion, and it's probably my softest most comfy sweatshirt that I own. I hope it doesn't wear out before my next reunion!
Belt: Mane Jane
I went with this light gray Mane Jane strap to match the hoodie. And the gold buckle because it was the most readily available.
Breeches: Tailored Sportsman
Nothing remarkable here. Just some blue TS breeches.
Socks: Dreamers and Schemers
I feel like badass socks are a good way to wrap up 2020.
And well... that's it. Sorry to be a little lame today. It's a weird end to a weird year. Hope you all stay safe tonight and I look forward to a calm 2021 and hopefully a vaccine for all!
What. A. Week. Let's back up a little, shall we? Last week I had my usual Tuesday flat lesson. It was a real ass kicker... most of it was without stirrups. Ouch. But it went fine. Eros was a good boy as per usual. However. After the lesson, we were standing in the ring talking about nothing important for a few minutes when something apparently startled Eros, and he ran smack dab into me. Fortunately, I kind of just bounced off the leg that hit me and managed to stay upright. No biggie. Just a little dead leg. Sheesh.
Perhaps it's dressing him in stupid hats that brought all of this on me...
Then, on Wednesday, I was on Eros just for a regular flat ride on my own. There was a big lesson of kids about to get started as I was trotting around. So, you know, lots of eyes in the ring and also parents watching from the lounge. Anyway, I'm trotting by the lounge windows minding my own business, and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground! Not sure what Eros thought he saw or heard (I have yet to figure it out) but he spun right out from under me. Like when the road runner runs off the cliff. Fortunately, I landed on my fattest area so no real damage other than an enormous, very colorful bruise. I'd share a photo, but it's not really safe for work. The bruise was pretty annoying though, it burned like the fire of a thousand suns whenever I cantered for a few days. Thankfully, while still very colorful, it's not bothering me anymore.
But that's not all! Oh no. Why would it be? Fortunately, the next piece of drama did not come from Eros. Nope. This one was all this girl...
"Sorry, not sorry." -Shiny
Let me set the scene. I had just lead Shiny into the ring and had finished tightening the ride side of her girth. A fellow boarder was on her young mare, and she walked behind Shiny, but not super close. At least it didn't appear that way to me. Fellow Boarder was asking some visitors to come into the ring as they were hovering in a very spooky area in the doorway. So I look up at the doorway and thus I did not see that Fellow Boarder's horse has drifted toward Shiny's bum. Well. I should have been paying closer attention. Because Shiny certainly did notice, turned her ass, and just starts double barrel kicking at the other horse. Other horse is doing her best to get away, and I'm trying to pull Shiny forward to get her to stop. In the process, Fellow Boarder comes off. Fortunately by then I had gotten Shiny away. But OMG. You guys. I feel HORRIBLE! Shiny is in SO MUCH TROUBLE. Fellow boarder and her mare are perfectly fine. Thankfully. The mare definitely had a Shiny shaped hoof print right on her flank. Fellow Boarder has a good sense of humor at least. Her mare, while very friendly to other horses has actually twice kicked a human. (She's a chestnut mare, it's not her fault really.) So we've concluded that it was penance. None-the-less, Shiny ordered some gourmet treats for Fellow Boarder and had to write an apology letter. Kids need to learn to be responsible for their mistakes.
You know who's been the star child through all that drama? This guy:
"I'm the best kid this week!"-Pammon
I was actually going to have a little lesson on him today, but we were going to piggyback it with half of a training ride. I thought he did more than enough work with the trainer though, so I didn't get to lesson. It was really nice to see him go. I do think he looks a lot sounder than the last time I watched him, though he's still a little weird behind. Might just be how goes though? Hard to say. I'm looking forward to my ride tomorrow to see if he's more forward after his training session. I have a very bad habit of letting the horses get behind my leg. So every now and then it doesn't hurt to have someone re-install my go button. I've been a little too angsty to do it myself lately.
In other news, Christmas happened! Or so I hear. I was a day late with bringing the loot for the horses. They mostly just got treats this year. So many treats.
I also got them granola Likits. Which are basically like mini Uncle Jimmy's. The boarding barn (and also my barn) don't have any center rafters to hang these things from, so I just tied them to their salt block holders. They don't last very long that way, but the horses enjoyed them. Especially Pammon!
The pups got way too many toys. Way. Too. Many.
And I got enough Chinese food to last from Festivus until Christmas...
Yeah. That's a takeout onesy. And I look real scary straight out of the shower evidently...
I'm off from work this week, so I've been riding lots without being in a rush and working on cleaning out and reorganizing my laundry room. Exciting times! My Tuesday lesson this week was uneventful and we even got to keep our stirrups! So that was nice. Pammon got adjusted last night by the chiro/body worker and she thought he was on the right track. His back was still tight, but the other adjustments he needed were all much easier than the last time. She had a very long list, so didn't get to Eros nor Shiny yet, but she'll be back Saturday for them.
I guess that's about all I have to report today. I think that's enough really.
How was your week? Santa treat you and the ponies well?
Today's confession? I'm on "vacation" this week (so far, I've only worked about 8 hours...) and I kind of didn't really feel like writing Truthful Tuesday today. But then I figured I could just confess that and so here I am. Last week was pretty eventful, so I promise to have a proper post for you all tomorrow (though it will be later in the day.)
The kids all wore Christmas jammies to ride today which is a level I haven't gotten to yet. But I did dress Eros and myself up in A Christmas Story themed outfits. That's more my speed. So here's what we wore!
If you look closely you can see my swollen ass/thigh through my breeches. SOMEONE spun and dropped me last night... I won't mention names.... but it might be the horse in this photo.
Anyway... Let's start with Eros' outfit.
Baby pad: Hopeful Equestrian Half Pad: Ippico
Saddle: Butet
I just love this pad. I also have a thin cooler that matches but we didn't need it today. Last week was highs in the 20's here but today it almost hit 60. New England weather is so weird. Also, I'm loving this saddle now that it has knee blocks.
Boots: DSB with some add ons by me!
Why yes... Those are leg lamps on my boots! Thanks for noticing! These are the interchangeable boot prototypes I made. They really are working out great, and I'm so excited about them! Imagine the possibilities? One pair of boots... Countless outfit options!
So that was Eros' outfit. And here's most of mine! I forgot to snap fresh photos of my hat and boots, but it was the One K with the green inserts and my furry winter boots.
Sweater: A Christmas Story (That's actually what's on the tag... no idea who makes it for real)
Indeed, it does light up. Not only that... it blinks! Tacky to the extreme. I love it.
Belt: C4
This was a limited edition. So it took me zero seconds to add to cart and check out when I saw it.
Breeches: Ariat
With a sweater likes this one, I figured some plain beige breeches might be best. Plus I needed something stretchy that wouldn't press on my bruised leg too much. These fit both bills.
Socks: Not sure on brand
Of course there are socks! They aren't boot socks, but they do the job just fine.
Arm Party!
Lefty:
I took the part I cut off the belt and made it into a bracelet.
Righty:
Righty here is donning a couple bracelets I ordered from the actual A Christmas Story museum gift shop. Yes. I'm that person. I am who I am. What can I say? The gold one is from Alex and Ani.
And that's it from here today! Any favorites? I can't pick just one. Maybe the saddle pad. But the belt... And the boots...
So I might as well jump right in with Shiny and the mystery fat leg. It was looking better last week, and then puffed up a little one night. But then again looked good on Friday. So I let her have a free lunge. Saturday it looked okay. Maybe a teeny bit of puff but nothing I felt was worrisome. So I took my lesson with her, but we mostly flatted. And then did a handful of crossrails at the end.
That all sounds innocent right? But then... Well, let's back up. Despite my taking the chances on the weird leg being that she was sound and it seemed better, I did put her on the list to be checked out. I want my sports medicine vet to see her asap, but he's harder to get out. The regular vet was scheduled out for some shots for someone so I had her on that list too. No one had updated me on what he saw, so I kind of just assumed he hadn't made it out yet. Y'all know what happens when you ASS U ME right?
Sunday, barn owner asked if barn manager had texted me with what the vet said. I said no, I figured he hadn't made it out yet. She's like oh... I told her to text you since she was there with them. Barn owner was VERY apologetic. Not sure what happened, why I wasn't informed... But apparently it's Shiny's check that had fill. It didn't feel like that to me, but maybe I was thrown off by her teeny tiny legs. Either way, now I'm feeling panicky because Pammon was never lame when he injured his check. And now I'm certain it's bad. Though I'm still riding her lightly until the other doc gets out. She gets a little nutty in the winter and I want to try and mitigate that if she's injured. UGH. If you all could send some healthy ligament vibes into the air, I'd be grateful. This is getting ridiculous.
The other boys are doing just fine (thank goodness)! They've been flatting and working harder. So far so good. I need to get to work with them cantering ground poles but sometimes it's tough with lessons happening. It needs to happen though if we ever want to graduate to jumping!
In other news, I bought myself a present! (Shocking I know...) I posted about this on the social media already, so sorry if you already saw it.
I have been waiting very patiently for some horsey brand to make a backpack with a helmet holder in a nice hunter green, but none of them have done it. Fortunately, I stumbled across baseball backpacks on Amazon the other day and found a green one! It's very similar in size to the Samshield Icon bag, but considerably less money. I didn't really need this right now, since it's for if and when horse shows ever come back to my life... But I just couldn't resist once I saw it in my color.
That's about it from here this week. Nothing too exciting happening. After today, I'm on vacation until after New Years so I'm pretty excited for that. Hopefully I'll be a good human and get some stuff done in my cluttered house. It really needs to happen.
Today's confession has absolutely nothing to do with horses, but it's been in effect for so long now, I feel I have to admit to it...
Several weeks ago my power went out for a bit and so I had to reset my alarm clock. Relevant to the rest of this confession: I use two alarm clocks. One traditional type and one old cell phone on which I set four alarms. What can I say? I'm a chronic snooze hitter. I need back ups.
ANYWAY, I had to reset my clock. And I was clearly half asleep when I did it because I set the clock for AM but it was PM at the time. Which means my alarm doesn't go off. Which is fine given the old cell phone alarm I also use. But the thing is... I KNOW it's set wrong. And I haven't changed it. Not only that, I continue to set it each night, knowing full well it will not go off in the morning. All I'm left with in this situation is one question: Why am I like this?!
(That's rhetorical. No need to actually answer that.)
Outfit Day! Today is the last day of Chanukah, so we have one more festive post to share. Eros even had a partial outfit to share... I say partial because I forgot to grab the quarter sheet and boots that matched his saddle pad. Ugh. Sorry. We'll start with his outfit:
Saddle: Butet Saddle Pad: Hopeful Equestrian Quarter Rug: B. Vertigo
Eros' saddle had blocks added to it, and I got it back last week. It feels SO MUCH better! Not sure why one wouldn't want the blocks, but whoever owned it prior to me had them removed. Glad to have them back where they belong. I should have grabbed a second photo so you could see the pad. Sorry guys! It has Chanukah symbols all over it: Menorah, Torah, Star of David, and Dreidel. I want to get a new set for next year in blue though because I have yet to find a purple sweater to match.
Boots: Ariat
These are a great purple color so they match the pad. But I'm mad at myself because I had made tabs for my interchangeable boots in matching fabric to the pad and then promptly forgot them by the door when I left to go ride. (Also have a matching quarter sheet I forgot to grab. Ugh, I'm the WORST!)
All three kids have this same bridle/browband combo at the boarding barn. Eros also has a jumping bridle for someday when he can jump again.
Okay, my turn!
Yep. It's cold. Time to bust out the winter boots. And I was wearing that mask despite being all alone by then because it kept my face warm.
Helmet: One K
I got the blue! It's a little brighter than I wanted. They don't have the best options in blues unfortunately. I'm hoping they'll offer more colors in the future. I mean, how do they not have Rose Gold?
Sweater: Tipsy Elves
This sweater isn't as ridiculous as some of my other Chanukah sweaters, but I think it might be my favorite. I think you've all seen it before, I've had it awhile.
Belt: C4
Yes, you saw it last week. I told you... I only have the one!
Breeches: Dover Wellesley
I sold a few pair of my size 30 Dover breeches as they were too big (they run pretty generous) so when Dover had them on BOGO for Black Friday I ordered some 28's. This is one of them. I like the tan contrast with the navy. A little different!
Boots: Tredstep Legacy
Everyone was saying their feet were frozen yesterday. NOT ME! I've said it before, and I stand by my statement: If you live somewhere cold, you want these. Prior to owning these my feet would get so cold they would turn blue, and on really bad days white. Completely frozen, no circulation happening. But with these boots, even on the coldest days, that doesn't happen. If it's ridiculously cold, like single digits, my feet may get cold. But I haven't yet lost feeling. I'm not sure they're still making these faux fur lined ones, so if you're interested, get yourself a pair asap! I'm thinking about getting a second pair so I can have them forever. I just got a back up pair. Someone take away my internet.
Arm Party!
Lefty:
My Chanukah band finally showed up earlier this week. So my watch changed it's outfit and I paired it with the Ettika Star of David bracelet.
Righty:
Righty is donning a bangle I made from some cheapo beads, my fitbit in its navy outfit, and a stretchy dreidel bracelet.
This week was somewhat quiet. I did my usual Eros flat lesson last night and he was perfect as always. He makes me laugh though that horse. When he gets tired he turns into such a bull! Full on freight train! But he'd never do anything actually bad. He just pulls and drags me around a little. Silly boy.
Shiny had an easy week. Her leg stayed puffy most of the week, though she remained sound.
Almost looks like a bow here, but it never felt like it to the touch
So I did keep her working lightly, but canceled my Saturday lesson. Saturday morning I finally saw the swelling go down by about half. Sunday it looked even better. And by last night it was nearly back to normal. I really think she must have just given herself a good whack or something. Horses. Sheesh. I'm glad it's looking better though. I'm planning to lesson her this week if all stays good.
Pammony Pony got clipped yesterday! Since he's on full care, I felt pretty badly that I'd get him all sweaty and then they'd have to deal with it. He was pretty furry and was starting to look like one of those curly horses... I left it up to the staff if they wanted him clipped or not, and I guess they decided they did. Fine by me!
He's always pumpkin color... now he matches the inside of a pumpkin
I finally allowed him to have a free lunge in the indoor this morning too. I know that boy needed to have a little gallop and figured with a fresh clip that would benefit both of us for our first post clip ride. Especially since it was only 20 degrees this morning. He felt great today, and I think getting to stretch himself out was really good for him. Bonus that he didn't manage to injure himself in the process. (I was really a little worried about allowing it..., but glad I did.)
In other news, we had warmish weather this weekend. Saturday was in the low 50's but it rained all day. Which I'll take over snow any day! I used the day productively, riding all the horses and then cleaning all their tack that's at the boarding barn. Which really is just one saddle and one bridle each, but it sure seemed like a lot! Probably because it's been quite awhile since I've cleaned it all... Slacker. The remainder of Saturday (seriously, into the night) was spent wrapping gifts.
Sunday was supposed to be a beautiful day near 60 degrees. My family and I had been planning to do a zoom Chanukah, but since the forecast looked amazing we decided instead to do a driveway in person gift exchange instead. I'm so grateful for that! It was really wonderful to see everyone in person. Even if we were at least 6 feet away. I'll take it.
Chanukah, Pandemic style
I got my nieces Dr. Fauci dolls. Because 2020.
In true 2020 New England style, we are expecting an actual blizzard starting tonight and through tomorrow afternoon. None of the weatherman can agree on snow totals, but apparently it's somewhere between 8 and 24 inches of snow. Ugh! I hate it. I put Pammon down for a training ride tomorrow so I can limit my driving in the bad weather to once per day (tonight and then just tomorrow night). I have a habit of uninstalling his go button, so the training ride will be beneficial for him I'm sure.
That's about it from here! How was your week? Do anything fun with your horses? Or without them?
I'm going to leave you with these hilarious photos of the lesson horses dressed up for the last IEA practice of the year because, well... they deserve to be seen.
Nothing remarkable here. Just some blue TS breeches.
