Thursday's Threads: Thirsty Thursday edition

 

Outfit day! Nothing says summer more than cookout party games, right?? So with that in mind, here's what Shiny and I wore this week!

Shiny normally can only partially participate in some of our crazier outfits. She uses saddle pads with the half pad built in to minimize bulk under her saddle. (She's the widest animal on the planet and her saddle fits quite well, so there's not much room for excess in there.) That is until now! We found something interesting to try and I think it works quite well. More on that later though. We'll start with Shiny's outfit so we can get to that more quickly. Here's what she wore:

I swear, the girth makes her look even fatter... I don't know what to do with her. She's going to have to start working twice a day or something! 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling

Browband: made my me

If not for that browband, this would be an elegant photo... Lol! It's still adorable! I made that browband from a dog leash. 

Boots: Equine Star

You can't look at beer pong boots and not giggle. Or at least think back to college. I don't drink beer, but I do enjoy a good game of pong. I used to get myself a designated drinker when I played. Or just play with something else. I guess these days you could play with seltzers. Probably a good thing spiked seltzer didn't exist when I was in college. I might not have made it through!

Saddle: Custom Saddlery

Saddle Pad: Equine Star

Sheepskin liner: Eskadron

That front part actually can roll back so it looks neater, but I hadn't figured that out yet when I took this photo. This sheepskin liner is from Eskadron, and it's meant to be used under any saddle pad that has billet straps. I really like it for Shiny! I was concerned it might shift, but it didn't at all, and felt great to ride with. Shiny seemed to like it well enough, she was great today! 

This is the underside of it once attached to the pad

It has these little tabs to thread the billet strap through, which holds it in place.

Have you guys seen this pad before?  I don't think I had, or never paid attention to it, but I'm glad I've stumbled upon it now! I have a bunch of pads I was thinking about getting rid of because I prefer baby pads for the other horses. But now I can use them on Shiny, so they can stick around.

That's what Shiny had one today, and here's what I wore:

Still missing having navy boots... I really need to get those zippers fixed!

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS

I don't wear this one that much in the summer which is nice since I was getting tired of it by the end of winter. But now I love it again!

Tee shirt: I can't figure out where I got this one, it's been awhile!

Party shirt! If I was younger, I'd wear this every Thursday. But I'm old. So I'll wear it once a summer.

Belt: C4

This belt is pretty much the reason for this entire outfit. I saw it advertised somewhere and decided I needed it. The rest of the outfit followed after. It's so silly and irresponsible. I love it!

Breeches: Le Fash

I've always kind of lusted after the stuff from Le Fash. Their shirts are so pretty and the breeches are lovely! But it's all really expensive. So I never ordered from them. But I found these breeches on FB marketplace last year and snapped them right up as they were very reasonably priced. I like them a lot. If I ever see another pair at a good price, I'd probably get them.

Boots: Celeris UK

Ummm.... Okay, yes you haven't seen these before. And yes, they ARE new... But before you lecture me for spending money I don't have, these were sample boots! They just happened to be almost exactly my size. And because there's maybe two other people on this planet with my boot measurements, they sat in the sample section for a long time. And the price just kept getting lower... So when I saw these for less than $250 shipped, I figured it would be irresponsible to NOT get them. I mean, every boot deserves someone to love it. 

This isn't as clear of a photo as I thought it was when I took it. Sorry about that! These have a very subtle crocodile embossing on the toe, heal, and the top part. Set into that top section is a little row of rhinestones which also run down the swagger tab. I probably would never bother with the rhinestones if I designed them, but I actually do like them. 

They aren't a perfect fit. The foot is about a half size big, and they're just a touch shorter than my other pairs. They fit about perfectly on the widest part of my calf, but are slightly loose everywhere else. But they aren't as loose as my older customs, so I think they'll do just fine! Today was my second day riding in them, and they already feel pretty broken in. Probably one more day of riding everyone and they'll be perfect.

That's it for today! Any favorites? Thoughts on the Eskadron pad?

What's Up Wednesday

 

Oops... I nearly forgot to post today! It hasn't been terribly exciting around here really. We've been trying to survive the heat wave, which I think we managed. We were waiting anxiously for some rain that was supposed to come on Monday, but it was a big teaser. We had all the warnings for severe weather. We could hear the thunder clapping in all directions around us. But here? Nothing. We had MAYBE 60 seconds of rain. That was it. Supposedly some tonight though, so if you're so inclined... maybe throw a rain dance this way? On the bright side, the humidity did let up some and the temps dropped back down to the low/mid 80's. So at least we got some relief! (Sorry for those of you still melting.) I'm not complaining about the heat, just to clarify. I LOVE summer. And the level of hate I feel for cold weather means I can't be unhappy about hot weather. But I can hate the humidity. I think that's fair. 

The horses all basically did the same things last week. No one jumped, but we did pop over a few raised cavalletti. Our rides were short, which I think we all appreciated. I will say, despite how hot it was out in the sun (feels like temps over 100), the barn was pretty comfy and none of the horses were sweating in their stalls. So that made me feel good at least. I hate to see them uncomfortable when I can't do much to help. So glad I got to avoid that feeling!

During the week, I can't really ride early to avoid the heat because my worker comes between 6 and 6:30. I could probably get one done, but that just seems kind of pointless when there are three more. Since we use the ring as one of the paddocks, I can't ride while horses are turning out. But on the weekend, my helper comes between 7 and 7:30 usually. This week she came a little early, but still late enough for me to ride two.

It was still dark out when I headed out to the barn in the morning.

No responsible deed goes unpunished though... My first horse, who shall remain nameless as I shame this one plenty, managed to trip at the canter and fall right down. 

Thankfully we were both fine. My only injury was a little elbow road rash. 

If you look carefully, you can see both of our imprints. 
I literally rode all the way to the ground, so I was basically still 
mounted when we hit the ground. Nice soft landing other than the
horse on my foot.

Fortunately, the rest of the rides were uneventful. I did the first two, helped out with chores, then did the second two. I was done by 1 completely with horse stuff (until dinner anyway) which was lovely. The rest of the day was spent in the pool, near the pool, or taking a nap in the a/c.

In the pool, on my Tootsie Roll hammock

Near the pool with Rita. I left the door open 
so she could come and go as she pleased. 
I didn't really want her outside baking in the heat, 
but she wanted to snuggle a little. She was good about 
going inside when she got hot. 

This dragonfly randomly landed on my thumb. 
We're best friends now. His name is Dave.

Napping in the A/C with Rita.

Sunday went pretty much the same way, but thankfully, everyone stayed up right for our rides. I was pretty happy to get back in the pool once chores and riding were done for the day.

Okay, next to the pool. Drying off post floating. 

I was disappointed to miss lessons last week, but I think it was good for Al to have a little more time with his new shoes. He had a very short lesson today working over a cross rail with takeoff and landing rails. He's still not quite 100% so we worked through there a few times each direction and called it a day. He seemed happy to do something fun though, so I don't think he was too uncomfortable. We'll try again Friday and might also lesson one of the others that day. So I'm excited for that! There aren't really any local shows happening this weekend, but again, with Al not quite 100% we wouldn't go anyway. Trainer might be skipping the first week of her next show, so there's a small chance we could get to something that weekend. We'll see how it plays out!

That's really about it from here. The weather should be nice through the weekend (with hopefully some rain tonight) so I plan to get some good work out of the tall kids the next few days. 

How was your week? Did you make it through the weather? Or is it nice where you are?

Truthful Tuesday

 

So Friday I was like I HAVE TO MOVE MY JUMPS! (I had been putting it off because of the ridiculous heat and humidity.) So I told myself do it before you ride or you won't do it. So I set a new course.

But here's my confession... It wore me out so much, I didn't end up riding any of my horses that day. It was 91 degrees and 75% humidity plus some unrelenting sun. I don't think they minded the day off. Instead of riding, I floated in my pool for awhile. 

Honestly, I have zero regrets.

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! I always feel like I need something simple after a really ridiculous outfit like last week. So this week I have a bit of a pallet cleanser if you will... For me, that cleanser is obviously going to be my farm colors. And probably have some logos somewhere too. I let lumpy Eros model today as he wanted you all to see how horrible I am making him ride with bumps all over. (In my defense, there weren't any where the saddle and girth go! And we really did not do much, it's stupid hot and humid here at the moment.) So here we go! This is what Eros wore today:

I forgot to snap photos pre ride, so this is the after. At this point, he had zero interest in my nonsense and this was the nicest I could get him to look.... Poor, poor Eros. He lives the worst life. 

Bridle: Pinnacle
Browband: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

He's just so cute. Even when he's bumpy. Yes, he's wearing ear plugs. Not sure what his drama is lately, but without them he can't horse at all. With them? He's a little angel. Okay then, buddy.

Boots: Punk Ponies

I love me some Punk Ponies boots. They aren't the fanciest most high end boots out there, but they come in every color you could dream of, and the price point is perfect. Even with the international shipping. 

Saddle: Butet

Saddle Pad: Um... I can't recall...

Half Pad: Mattes

I'm not sure if I dressed him this poorly, or if the saddle and half pad slipped back some while I was riding... But this is a look huh? Lol! I really like these saddle pads. I can't recall the name of the lady who made them. She closed up her shop a few years back which is too bad, because I would love to get more from her. 

Also, that's our new shimmable half pad! It arrived faster than I expected, and I really like it. Eros seems to like it too!

So that's what Eros was wearing today. Here's what I had on:

I've worn quite a few tank tops on here this summer.... Not my norm, but when it's hot, it's hot! 

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS

Probably should have worn the wide brim today... but it was still kinda sweaty from yesterday. Ew. So I went with this one. 

Top: Artscow

I probably should have gotten this a size smaller. Artscow is a chinese company that will print pretty much anything you can dream up on all kinds of things. But the sizing is tricky. I wear either a medium or a large there and I went with large for the tanks. If I ever order again, I'll size down I guess. I just wear a cami under this one and it works fine even if it's a bit loose. 

Belt: Home made

This is the belt I mentioned recently that I made with biothane and the Cricut. While I think it looks great, I try to be honest on this here blog.... The letters are not sticking permanently to the biothane. Pammon's has lost all his letters and Eros' is heading that way too. This was permanent adhesive vinyl, I may try again with iron-on maybe... Or another brand adhesive. I'm not sure. I feel like it really should work, but it's not. Cute though, right?

Breeches: Ariat

These are VERY old. But they are a nice light weight fabric and light color which is what I was after for the weather here today. It wasn't THAT hot, I think it only hit 90 for a little bit, but the humidity was pretty oppressive and the sun was burning. 

Boots: Dover

The more I ride in these inexpensive boots, the more I like them. They're SO comfy! They feel plenty grippy in the saddle, and I love that they are nice and tall. 

That's it for this week! Anything you liked from today? Anything you're still waiting to see? 

What's Up Wednesday: Mid Summer bumps in the road

 

Oof! Things have been going so wonderfully smoothly of late, that I knew at some point, things might get a little bumpy. (In Eros' case, literally... Lol!) Fortunately, I'm used to the roller coaster that is life with horses, and none of it earth shattering (so far anyway.) 

The horses had a fairly easy two weeks due to my braiding schedule. As I get older, the all nighters are harder to recover from. I just can't power through like I used to. But I accept that, and I just try to adjust things as best I can. That means some shorter easier rides for the horses. It happens. Plus, I think it's not a bad thing for the horses to have some easy days now and then. They've all been working pretty hard for awhile. The heat that has been oppressing much of the country (world?) has finally arrived here in New England this week, so we're back for another week of easy rides. I'm disappointed about how things have played out though because I was hoping to make our horse show debut this coming Saturday. Due to the forecast mostly (and other things that I'll talk about shortly) that will not be happening. Soon though! That's the great thing about horse shows. There's always another one. Anyway, buckle up, let's revisit the past week!

I think I mentioned last week that Al's quarter crack decided to be stupid and bother him last week. He was sound on it even when it started bleeding. But then my farrier sent his assistant (he himself was out of state shoeing) to put a patch on it and for some reason once that was put on, he was very lame. Which makes no sense as it really shouldn't have bothered him any. But it did, I guess. So we tack walked most of the week. I did some trot each day to evaluate, and by Sunday he was feeling quite a bit better, but not perfect. Fortunately, my farrier was back in town Tuesday and was able to come out. He floated the heel and put him in bar shoes. He felt decent the first day in them, but today (day 2) he felt pretty much back to his old self. THANK GOODNESS! So he hasn't jumped in a bit and obviously is also why we're not showing this weekend. We're going to do an easy lesson this weekend and see how that goes before diving back in to bigger fences and prepping for a horse show. I'm optimistic he'll be just fine. No one seems too concerned so that helps my attitude too. 

With Al on the DL I was half considering taking Eros to the horse show instead. He's been going pretty well, and the local shows around here have schooling divisions with small fences that are open to everyone. Lots of pros ride their green horses or school clients horses in these divisions so I don't feel like it's unfair of me to ride in them. But alas, he too wound up with some extra days off this past week. his hives came back with a vengeance. He's currently on 16 Benadryl twice a day and while he's looking better (and thankfully is hive free where the saddle goes) he's still pretty bumpy. Plus I'm not sure you can show on Benadryl... I still haven't figured out what could be causing this. Nothing at all has changed! Must be some bug that's biting him. Only thing I can think!

He did get to have one jump school last week before the hives got bad. He was pretty great and got some cute screen shots even:

I just love him! I hope we can get him bump free soon and maybe actually take him somewhere to do something fun. 

Pammon is mostly doing well. Riding is going great and he feels pretty good. But (there's always a but right?) he's being REAL weird about drinking water all of the sudden. Like really weird. He goes to take a sip, and then yanks his head away like it hurts him. He is getting water (the bucket levels are dropping as normal) and he likes to soak his own hay, so I feel comfortable that he's getting enough water, but still, it's making me anxious. I have a call in to the vet, but he's scheduled on the other side of the river all week. If he wasn't drinking, doc would come out right away, but I think we can wait until his schedule allows for us, at least for now. This is what he's doing, maybe one of you have seen something like this? It's so odd, and of everyone I've shown it to, none have ever seen it. (I was thinking maybe a broken tooth, but there's no obvious swelling anywhere, his breath isn't stinky, and his nose isn't gunky.)

Prior to this drama though, we did jump our first crossrails last week! BIG DAY!

He was sound after which is even better. Not that I was convinced he wouldn't be or anything... (I totally was. I was sure I broke him with those two crossrails.) Since the start of the bucket nonsense I've shortened our rides. It's been in the 90's with feels like over 100. Just in case he's not actually getting enough water, I don't want to push too hard. He still has to work correctly for our shortened rides though. That part is key to keeping his back happy. Such a balancing act with this horse. 

And then there's Shiny... She's the clutch hitter around here for sure. While she took an unplanned break this winter, she tends to step up to the plate when I need her to. For that reason, I did actually consider taking her to the horse show this weekend, until the hot weather arrived. If it was going to be nice, she'd be going! 

She's feeling quite good after her injections. I'm only jumping her once a week for right now as she eases back into it, but she's jumping small courses very happily. I'm excited to get her a little more fit and move the fences back up to 2' ish. The little wall I have is around that height and I let her pop over that this past week, but otherwise I've been keeping things around 18" for now. She seems pretty excited to be doing the thing again!

So that's where we are at the moment. Dealing with some bumps in the road, but I think things will smooth over soon. I'll get to looking for another show to get to. My trainer is only home this coming weekend and the next before heading back to VT for a couple weeks. I'm not sure there's anything too close by the second weekend, so our debut may have to wait a bit longer. But it will happen! Eventually... Lol! 

In other news, I braided 10 manes and 5 tails last week which was exhausting. But also nice to make some extra cash. 

The toilet in my barn is broken. It's one of those up flushing ones like people have in a basement, so it's stupid expensive to repair. My two weeks of braiding will pay for that, so it's nice to at least break even there. Bummer I can't buy anything fun with my hard earned money, but hey, that's adulting amiright?! 

And that's where we are! Bumps, cracks, weirdness, and a broken toilet. Lol! But this shall all pass and then we can get back on track!