Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession is that I have a couple of craft projects that I started during the pandemic and never finished. They're both sitting out in the living room staring at me. And yet, I haven't felt much motivation to work on them. 

One is a needlepoint belt that I just a little less than half completed. the trouble with this one is that it's mostly all one color. It has my logo and farm name on it, and other than that, the rest is just background. So it's kind of boring to work on. I did finally stitch a few rows the other night, and I'm going to make an effort to work on it more. Once I get this one done, I want to send it and a few others that are completed to get finished into belts. I found someone who does them for a really reasonable price and now I'm itchy to get them done! But like... not so itchy that I've gotten the last one finished. Ha. 

The other is one of those paint with jewel things. It's like paint by number but with rhinestones instead of paint. I had one printed up with of some of my favorite horse photos. I was really into working on it at first, but eventually I lost interest and it's just sitting on my coffee table looking sad and unfinished. I really want to get it done, if for no other reason but to get my coffee table cleared off! 

Since it's winter here in New England, everything is gray and gloomy and the cold weather is apparently coming in this weekend. So no better time than to work on some crafts, right? Hopefully I will do just that.

What about you? Have any partial projects you need to get finished?

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! And yes. I nearly forgot again. It was a busy day, what can I say? Anyway, here's what I wore this week:

Green! My favorite! Navy is a lovely color and all, but I prefer a nice hunter or forest green personally. 

Helmet: Samshield

Still enjoying the sparkly helmet. Look how nicely it matches with Al! (Who is our model today by the way.) 

Sweater: PS of Sweden

I'm pretty sure you've seen this before. I've had this one for a few years, and it's a favorite for sure.

Belt: The Sugar Lady

I wore Rio's belt with this outfit because I've been missing him a little extra lately. I really love how thi belt came out. It's so special to me.

Breeches: Ariat

These are old too. I have some fun new breeches I can't wait to share on the blog, but they're definitely more of a summer weight so you'll have to be patient for those to come out. In the meantime, enjoy these oldies!

Boots: Celeris UK

Yes, sorry. I have reused last week's photo. Same boots though, so whatever.

That's what I wore, and here's what Al had on this week:

Bridle: Joseph Sterling

Look at that handsome kid! I haven't decided yet if I prefer this thinner noseband, or the wider type on him. I'm leaning toward wider, but this bridle is lovely so we'll use it either way.

Saddle: Butet

Baby Pad: Ogilvy
Half Pad: Le Mieux

I really like the Le Mieux ProSorb half pad because it is designed to fit with a higher wither. That said, I prefer it for Eros. Al here has almost no wither, and this pad makes my saddle feel a little unstable on him. It looks nice though... If that matters. Ha!

Boots: Waldhausen

So. I wanted to love these boots. I really did. I LOVE the color. I like the fluffy part. I really like almost everything about them. Except that they are really tall. I got cob size because generally that's what my horses wear. And they fit pretty well around the leg, but they are so tall, that they end up slipping down when we ride. Not because I don't have them tight enough, but because when they bend their knees the boots are forced down. I'm going to try washing them to see if they'll soften up a little. Maybe if they're less stiff, they'll give more with the leg and stay put better. But if that doesn't fix them, I'll probably sell them to someone with a horse with long legs. (Al's legs are pretty long, and they worked best for him. Eros has pretty short canon bones, and they really weren't working great for him.)

And that's it for today! Any favorites? 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Another short update this week. There's just not a lot happening around here right now! Not a bad thing, just makes for a boring blog post. 

We'll start with Al since he's the most interesting these days. He's definitely much improved over where he was, but still isn't right behind. I'm really very confident it's not an abscess at this point as he's happy to have it flat now. I think whatever is wrong is up higher, maybe stifle? Maybe something in his butt? Not sure exactly. Vet comes Friday finally so hopefully I'll get some answers. I did get on Al today so I could feel what I was seeing. And it feels worse than it looks. Which I had an inkling would be the case. He's really not terrible, but for sure isn't quite right. Looking forward to hopefully getting some answers Friday.

Eros is doing great. I think he's maybe coming due for hocks but I haven't decided yet if that's true. I think we just need to get back to working on the hind end a little more. We've certainly been a little lazy in that department. I'm going to give a few more weeks and see where we are then. 

In our lesson last week, he was almost too quiet. I didn't quite know how to ride him! He was great though, once I got him in front of my leg. Went right around, and was even adjustable in the lines. Some kind of winter miracle! We jump again tomorrow, so fingers crossed he's the same quiet boy this time too.

And then there's little Shiny pants. I made the decision last week after she nearly bucked me off in my lesson, that I need to be a little more assertive with her. I tend to err on the side of caution and always assume that when she's being difficult it's because something is bothering her. And generally, I think that's the correct approach to horses. But back to that lesson... 
So she's been difficult about picking up canter for awhile now. It's something that seems to happen every winter and occasionally in the summer as well. In our lesson last week, she was angrily kicking out when I asked for it, and at one point even bucked fairly hard when I insisted. But eventually she would pick it up and the canter itself felt fine. Once in the canter, she was mostly agreeable like it wasn't actually hard for her. Anyway, we were jumping a course of small jumps (MAYBE 2' if I'm being generous) and after the diagonal vertical she stumbled kind of hard, but in the process of righting herself she let out a HUGE buck. Like her feet were above her head huge. Who knew she could even do that? Anyway, after that happened, she was amazing. Moved forward off my leg, jumped great, zero complaints from her. I'm not sure if that buck fixed whatever had been bothering her, or if the stumble made her realize it was in her best interest to carry herself properly rather than fighting me on her forehand. Whatever the reason, she was great the rest of the lesson. 
The next day though, she was trying to be snarky again about picking up the canter. This time, I let her complain but refused to give up on asking. After a couple of arguments she started cantering nicely without complaint. She still isn't as prompt as I'd like her, but as long as she's moving forward and keeping her feet out of the air, I'll take it for right now. I've been really making her work when we ride ever since. Lots of lengthening and shortening. Revisiting the lateral work that we had shelved for awhile. That sort of thing. And each day she's gotten more willing. The last two rides she hasn't kicked out at all, not even for the first canter depart. In conclusion, I think sometimes with horses (and maybe especially ponies) it really is an attitude problem and not a physical problem. Is it always? Probably not. But sometimes it is, and I need to get better at figuring out which problem we're having.

That's all that's new with the horses. Hopefully I'll have a report on Al next week and a plan to move forward. Doggos are holding their own for now. P is looking pretty old, but she's still hanging in there. I had a really busy Sunday which involved getting all three horses done before 10 AM, a baby shower, and then picking up my dad and stepmom from the airport. When all that was done, I had to go back to the barn to wrap up Al's dermatitis foot. (It's NEARLY all gone!) I decided to take Rita back with me since she's been begging to go for a ride in the car. She had so much fun at the barn, she slept the whole car ride home and then most of the evening. So please enjoy these two cute photos of her to finish off this post.

Truthful... Wednesday?

 

Heh.... Bet you can guess what I'm gonna confess....

I FORGOT TO WRITE A TRUTHFUL TUESDAY POST THIS WEEK!

Oops. So uh... yeah. That'll do for this week. Did you miss me?! Lol!

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit day again! And I didn't wear blue! Two weeks in a row! Shiny is our model today, so let's start with what she had on.

Bridle: Camelot RCS Gold
Browband: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

I haven't sold this bridle yet, so Shine's still wearing it. It still looks so nice on her though, I may keep it for her. We'll see. 

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Saddle Pad: Premier Equine

I usually buy the cotton pads from PEI but I really wanted a brown pad which didn't come in the cotton. So I got this one. It's really nice actually, worth the extra money. It has non slip grippers on the top so the saddle stays in place and it fits this saddle really nicely. This photo is a bit off center, so not the best representation. You'll have to take my word for it.

Boots: HV Polo

I like these fluffy brown boots! I think they're smidge tall for her, but they don't seem to be getting in her way. 

That's what Shiny was wearing, and here's what I had on:

Yesterday was beautiful, in the 50's, partly sunny, but a quite breezy. Today though? Back to being cold. Temps stayed in the high 30's and it's been raining all day. So back to the layers!

Helmet: Samshield

Still wearing this one. I love it. So expect to see it a lot still. 

Vest: Ariat

Sweater: Luiza Vera

Baselayer: MerinoTech

I just really love a pretty hunt scene. And this is vest is one of my favorite things. I have a couple of shirts with the same print too. Because I am who I am.

I layered under it with a merino sweater I found on Amazon. I got a few of them as I've decided I only want to wear wool when it's cold. These ones I found are inexpensive ($30) and can be machine washed (hand to dry). Perfect for horsing! I layered a merino long sleeve shirt under it too. It's the perfect combo. 

Belt: Asmar

I keep forgetting I have this belt and plan to wear it more often. It's olive with a gold buckle and it reverses to olive croc on the other side. It also has a matching pouch you can wear with it to hold your phone. I didn't use that today, but probably will in the summer when I don't have jacket pockets.

Breeches: Ariat

You guys have seen these a bunch. I still love them! Wish they still made them. Kinda. I'm also glad they don't so I don't buy more breeches.

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

I love my logo socks! Dreamers and Schemers is terrible for my need to logo everything. 

Boots: Celeris UK

I have to let my wounds heal before I get back to work breaking in the brown boots. So I stuck with these this week. 

Any favorites from today? Anything you've been wanting to see? You guys have been pretty quiet lately, are you still enjoying Thursday's Threads?

What's Up Wednesday

 

Just a short update today as I have very little to report. First and most important... I discovered I can get a margarita with my Mexican food delivery and that's probably the highlight of my winter so far. 

It was strong. I had to dilute it. So solid purchase if you ask me. 

In horsey news... 

Al is still off but is improving. My farrier came out last night and put the testers on him. He didn't find anything with the testers, but said he still isn't ruling out abscess. So more waiting. The vet will be out at some point next week too. On the bright side, his dermatitis is nearly healed up since he hasn't been in work. So I guess that's the positive here. 

Eros is perfect in every way. We had some saddles come in for him to try on Friday. Neither is a perfect fit, but we're getting closer to figuring out what will work so that's promising. We have another coming soon to try next. I had hoped the rep was coming out Monday with it, but she had a scheduling conflict so TBD when she can get here. Soon though!

This is the one I found the most comfortable. It's not quite wide enough on his shoulder though.

This is actually the one that originally came in for Al that didn't work. 
On Eros, it doesn't really work for either of us. Funny how different 
a saddle can feel on each horse.

So we're still looking, and may end up ordering something. But we're getting closer!

Shiny is doing much better after her little leg booboo last week. The swelling is gone and she's feeling sound. I do think she has a little bruise as she gets annoyed when I palpate on it still. I think she'll make it though!

And that's really it from here. Hopefully we'll have some more fun stuff (and maybe media?!) next week. Time will tell! While it makes for boring blog posts, I don't mind a little quiet time during these winter months. 

How are all of you doing? Horses good? Working hard or enjoying some quiet time?

Truthful Tuesday

 

I live in an old house. It was built in 1759 and I've always just assumed it's likely haunted. Most of the things I originally thought were ghosts messing with me have been explained away by rodents however. (I have had some pretty insane infestations in this place...) But the tombstone on the hearth of my kitchen fireplace really sparked the haunted theory.

I've heard many ideas of how this tombstone got here. One is that Sibbil here was buried out where my barn now stands but at some point this stone broke and the owner at the time moved it here to the hearth. I've also heard that it possibly had a mistake on it and was just a discarded stone repurposed. Well, I finally had the wherewithal to google Sibbil E. beloved wife of Alfred Root. I didn't find much, but I did learn that Sibbil here is actually buried along with her husband and son in a cemetery not too far from here.

And while I suppose it's still possible she IS under my barn, I'm choosing to believe she's resting peacefully in an appropriate resting place. 

Any of you have anything weird like this in your homes? Where do you think Sibbil really is?

Thursday's Threads: The one that's not blue!

 

Outfit Day! And it's not any shades of blue! Eros is modeling today and I think we'll start with his outfit.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I thought it was time to break the spikes back out. Sweet 'ol Eros looks semi bad ass with his spikes on.

Boots: HKM

I snapped pics post ride, and this left one had spun around a little bit. Next time I'll make it a bit tighter. I wasn't sure if these would fit him as they are labeled size small. Which meant that I had bought them for Shiny, but clearly they were too big for her! They fit Eros pretty perfectly actually. Oddly enough, the brown ones I have for her, which I thought were size pony are labeled cob... So lesson here, never trust a label!

Saddle: Butet

Baby Pad: Ogilvy
Half Pad: Le Mieux

Okay, yeah. I have an Ogilvy baby pad problem. I just can't resist a good deal! What can I say? They're nice pads anyway. They fit great and they stay put nicely. Even on Eros who tends to move his pads a lot. 

So that's what he wore, and here's what I had on:

We matched. Obviously.

Helmet: Samshield

My brown helmet is home, so I just went ahead and stuck with this one. It's so fun, and I intend to get my money's worth out of it.

Sweaters: Ariat and Alessandro Albanese

It hasn't been terribly cold here lately (grateful for that!) but it's still cold enough to need layers. So I have on a wool baselayer from Ariat that you can see the collar of in the above photo. And my outer sweater is from Alessandro Albanese. You've seen it before. I've had it a few years, and was able to snag it on clearance at the end of the season when I got it. I love a good deal on wool!

Belt: Tory Burch

I didn't like how my tan and brown belts looked with this outfit. They were all just not quite the right color. So I decided to wear this gold belt instead. I liked it!

Breeches: Dover Wellesley

These are fun! The trim on the pockets and also the sock part on the bottom of the legs are all leopard print. Just enough to be fun without being too crazy.

Boots: Busse

You all know how much I love my black fuzzy boots, but they aren't perfect. They are pretty bulky and so I've been quietly on the hunt for something inexpensive but less bulky that is still warm. So I decided to try these boots from Busse. They are sheepskin lined, but the lining isn't all that thick. They were well under $300 shipped from Hypostore in the Netherlands. Are they amazing? No. They are warmer than regular unlined boots, but not as warm as the black ones I have. The leather is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from an inexpensive boot. So far, I like them kind of. They're still a bit slippery and they gave me a blister, but in their defense I forgot my new boot bandaids I normally wear. So I'll hold off on any decisions until I've ridden in them more. 

And that's it for today! Any favorite items from today? Aren't you glad it's not blue?!

What's Up Wednesday

 

Oye. Well. This week has been a week for the horses... Overall, everyone is fine. So nothing major to worry about. Also, I have no new media whatsoever. Sorry. Anyway, let's start with Shiny.

Shine was great for her lesson last week. We jumped right around and she's starting to feel more like her old self again. We kept the jumps small, but I think that's fine. It doesn't really matter how big she jumps. I noticed over the weekend that she was pretty back sore. From the reports I keep hearing about children slipping off her, I'm going out on a limb and assuming her crooked saddle was the culprit. One of my fellow boarders (and good friends!) has a laser though, so she let me use it on Shiny's back and it seemed to help a ton. She's doing much better now in the back department. Unfortunately, when I went to get her ready to ride yesterday her right hind was swollen. The swelling is about mid cannon on the outside. And while I suppose it's possible it's a tendon issue, I don't really think it is. She's pretty sound on it, maybe a hair short on the turns. There is a disruption to the hairs on the very back of the leg in one spot. (Not a cut or even a rub really, just like... a disturbed area? I don't know how to explain further.) And my current theory is that she may have gotten her leg caught on the tail strap of her blanket. The amigo blankets have the tail straps attached really low (I think due to the lack of leg straps maybe), and the new blanket I got her seems especially low. So I mostly just walked and trotted her very lightly yesterday and today, we've iced it, and wrapped it. I decided to cancel her lesson tomorrow, just in case and we'll proceed with caution. I added her to the vet list for the next time he's out, but hopefully it's just a bruise and she'll be fine in a few days. Cross your fingers for us!

Next up is the problem child. Yep. Al. By the end of the weekend, I really thought we were on the right path. I had a few really nice rides on him in which he didn't spook at everything everywhere and he felt pretty sound. I was feeling excited. Too excited too soon unfortunately. I stupidly let him have his Tuesday free lunge, which was a huge mistake. He reopened that dermatitis and was back to being very lame on that leg yesterday. Which okay, my bad. I figured that's all that was going on and gave myself a little slap on the wrist for allowing the free lunge. I figured he'd be feeling better today after having it properly medicated and wrapped over night. So imagine my horror when I went to walk him out of his stall this morning and he was like 5 out of 5 lame on the OTHER HIND LEG! Ugh. I dragged him to the crossties, and inspected him very thoroughly. There's heat in the hoof, but the leg looks okay. It could be something up higher potentially, but I'm leaning toward abscess. The way he wants to stand on his toe and the heat... It all seems abscessy to me. My farrier will be out tomorrow to put some testers on and see what he thinks. On the bright side, the dermatitis seemed much less angry today. Guys this horse. He's really trying me. 

This weeks MVP is Eros. He's plugging right along being his perfect self. He was an ANGEL for his jumping lesson last week. Went right around like a made little hunter. It was like having summer Eros back! He got extra cookies of course. This weeks flat lesson went much better. It was still very challenging, but Eros didn't get so upset this time. I'll call it a win. We worked on lengthening and shortening which he is quite good at when flatting, but it becomes more challenging when obstacles are involved. We were working over some poles on the ground. There were three of them, each set three strides apart. We were able to do three strides then four strides pretty easily. But when we were asked for 5, we were unable to complete the assignment. I was pretty happy with the fours though. Eros' default setting is a 14 foot stride, so compressing it down to 9 is pretty great. I think the 5 was a pretty big ask. 

I have this problem where I'm very protective of Eros, and I kind of hate lessoning on him because I think he and I have a good understanding and I almost don't really want help with him. It is my understanding that this is the definition of mediocrity. And that's certainly not what I want. I always want to be and do better. But with Eros, I feel like sometimes trainers want to stuff him in a box that he doesn't fit in. And honestly, at the end of the day, Eros will never do more than be a 2'6" hunter. He doesn't need to flat like a grand prix dressage horse. I expect him to be responsive and carry himself properly of course. And let me tell you, I've never ridden anything so easy to move laterally. Does he struggle a bit to really sit back on his hocks? Yes. And that's why adding two strides is so hard for him. Do I think we could get it done if we keep trying? Also yes. Do I want to blow his hocks out in the process? Nope. Definitely not that. So whatever. Maybe we're destined for mediocrity. I say all this because it's a me problem. I'm not being told anything like that from the temporary instructor. She's been perfectly nice and listens when I say something isn't right for Eros. We'll keep doing the flat lessons. It's definitely good for the both of us even if it's not 100% what I think I want to be doing with him. I mean, we all know, I'm certainly not always right.

If you're still here, thanks for getting through this wall of media-less text! Hopefully I'll have a better report next week. This one was a little gloomy. Fingers crossed for a more positive week ahead!

Truthful Tuesday

 

The WEIRDEST thing happened today. So someone I know posted a meme that was something about the song that was number 1 on your 23rd birthday is your 2023 vibe. (Disclaimer: I know these things are phishing generally, but I wasn't planning to post my answer. Just was curious.) When I saw it I was sitting in my car. (I sometimes enjoy a quiet few minutes in the car with my seat heater on after driving home from the barn.) Anyway, I was having a seat heater sit for a few minutes and scrolling the FB with the terrestrial radio on. My usual station is a pop station that plays the current "hits". (Relevant info, I promise.) 

So anyway, I look up what song was number 1 on my 23rd birthday, and it was In Da Club by 50 cent. And while I was trying to recall the hook for that song, I realize (and I shit you not) that IT WAS PLAYING ON THE RADIO AT THAT EXACT MOMENT! What are the odds?! I mean, it wouldn't be that weird except that the song is approaching 20 years old. Not exactly a regular in the current KISS FM playlist.

So yeah. That was weird. Anything like this happen to any of you guys?

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! Outfit day is definitely more fun when the ponies are involved. I think we can all agree there. So this week, I remembered to take all new photos! Yay me! Al is our model this week and here's what he had on today:

Yes. I use draw reins. I'll just address that elephant right away. I'm not here to talk about it though. How cute is Al looking these days?! Handsome boy. He was a great dude today too, no spooks! 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I should have taken these photos from the other side so he wasn't so washed out... but alas, I'm no photographer. So here we are. He's wearing his spiked browband, as I sold the bridle his blue one was on yesterday. 

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Ogilvy

Half Pad: Ippico

As much as I'm not a huge fan of the Ogilvy half pads, I really do love their baby pads. This one is light blue with navy trim. They've been using these for awhile now... I really need to remember to bring out some clean pads. 

Boots: Premier Equine

These Premier boots are a bit overdue for a tumble in the washer too... I haven't been so good about keeping up with laundry lately. 

That's what Al wore, and here's what I had on:

You guys getting tired of all the blues? Maybe I'll do greens next week... We shall see!

Helmet: Samshield

Still wearing the Sammy. I JUST remembered that I have a winter liner for it for when the weather really gets cold. I'm gonna have to dig that thing out soon!

Sweater: Liny Xin

When my sister in law asked what I had on my wish list for the holidays, I said I could use some more washable and not too nice wool sweaters for riding. She totally delivered getting me FOUR! This is one of them. I realized when doing the photo shoot for Pinsnickety just how much warmer wool is versus a cotton or poly hoodie. It was shocking really. So yeah. Gimme all the wool!

Belt: Sandy Duftler

I know, I just wore this recently. But I wanted to wear it again today. So I did!

Breeches: Ariat

It's a shame they don't make this style anymore. I really like these breeches, and have them in a few colors. 

Boots: Celeris UK

We're having mud season here in CT. A bit early, but I realize it won't last. And I had to retrieve both the full size horses from their muddy paddocks today. My poor boots! They're treating me well though, these boots. Not bad for a very inexpensive sample pair!

And that's it for today! Any favorites? Anything you're waiting to see?