Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! My favorite day! We went a little silly last week, so this week we're going a little bold, but a little simple at the same time. Eros wanted to model today so of course I allowed it! Here's what he wore:

He's really rocking that dad bod...

Bridle: Royal Sports

We busted out the rainbow bridle for today's outfit. I figured we all could use a break from the spikes. 

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Lettia
Half Pad: Ippico

I haven't used these pads in awhile, so it was nice to see them again!

Boots: Eskadron

I think Eskadron makes my favorite brushing boots honestly. They seem to fit all my horses well and they come in fun colors. 

That's what E had on today, and heres what I wore:

See? It's bright, but not loud... Well... the boots are a little loud. The rest is not. 

Helmet: One K

This is the face of a girl who STILL can't hear out of her left ear... Ugh. It's awful. Anyway. I went with the rose gold helmet. I had to retire the lilac one after last year as it was past expiration so I no longer have a purple helmet. Rose gold coordinates nicely though.

Top: Luyaa

I know. You're probably getting tired of these shirts. But honestly, it's pretty much all I wear these days. They're so comfortable!

Belt: Handy Hunter Boutique

You guys have seen this one a lot, it's gets a lot of use. I really like it! Handy Hunter is out of business unfortunately, but I think Remarkable Leather Goods makes a similar style if you're looking. Also check Rebecca Ray. 

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

These are the ones I confessed to recently. I didn't even pay attention to which model these were because they were such a good deal. But turns out, they are mid rise, side zip, with sock bottoms! Which are all of my favorite options. What a nice surprise!

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

Heh.... I LOVED troll dolls when I was a kid. I once won one at a horse show. It had red hair and was dressed like a jockey. Probably one of my favorites horse show prizes, not gonna lie... So obviously when I saw these, I had to have them. 

Boots: Celeris UK

I haven't worn these guys in awhile! They are perfectly broken in, so I should use them more. They're my old measurements, so a little big in the calf, but they don't rub or anything. Definitely love them!

That's it for today! Any favorite items? Anything you're hoping to see soon? Any favorites you've been riding in lately?

What's Up Wednesday

 

I survived the crazy week! But just barely. Because my body is who she is, it gave me a migraine on Monday which was still around Tuesday too. 

Today it's better, but I'm left with clogged ears so I can't hear anything. Annoying. I often forget that I have an autoimmune disease until I push the old body too hard for too many days, and then it reminds me. It's tough getting old! 

Anyway, I'm not really here to whine about old age. (Maybe just a little.) Let's talk about ponies! Most importantly, Al turned 8 yesterday! 

So he's officially a grown up boy now! (Or at least I think he is. He is now the same age that Rio was when I got him.) 

Photographic proof that he is NOT in fact a grown up boy.
Removing his boot in the left photo, and climbing the
cavalletti in the second.

Trainer is home and I've had three lessons so far with her. In addition to my lessons, her kiddo is riding Shiny on my lesson days, and they're doing so great together this year! I think I've already mentioned, but she's been riding a lot, and even has her own lease pony this year. Now that she knows more and is more confident, she's doing a great job with Shiny. Which is nice to see that my pony is actually good for kids. She just prefers one that knows a little bit versus a brand new rider. That's fair. They are even jumping around over little jumps which is the cutest thing ever. So proud of the yellow pony. 

Al is really enjoying our lessons too. I'm truly believing that he needs to jump real jumps (as in 3 feet or higher) once or twice a week to stay sane. The first lesson, he was a spooky jerk. (We hadn't done much jumping prior to trainers arrival for various reasons.) Not at the fences, just at everything else. Kind of like winter Al. The second lesson he was better, but LAZY and wasn't really listening to me. But today's lesson he was completely on his game. He was listening, moving off my leg, and not spooking at imaginary things. I don't have any media from today because it was threatening to storm and Pivo doesn't really get along with rain. But I have a few photos from Sunday's lesson. Since Shiny was also in the ring, I didn't get a ton of video (Pivo loves to stare at Shiny) but what can ya do? Anything is better than nothing!

We probably could have put the fences up a little today since he was so game, but with my clogged ear I was feeling a little off my game. Apparently I really listen for my rhythm and when I can't hear it... I also can't seem to find it. Sorry Al. I'll do better next time. 

Shiny seems to be adapting to her twice a day rides. I can't say she likes working twice a day... I have to drag her out of the barn for number two. But once she's warmed up, she's pretty happy to go forward. And she's really feeling so much better. She's much more willing in general, but also she's more flexible. She's supple on both sides which I haven't felt from her in a very long time. She's even starting to move off my leg when I ask instead of several strides later. She's even cantering off regular canter aids without needing the whip. Okay, not EVERY time, but many of them. Which is a big deal for her. I'm not positive she's lost any weight, but I do think she's looking less doughy. It will be really nice if I can get my old pony back this summer. I've missed her. 

I haven't really jumped her in awhile. I've been letting the kiddo do the jompies, but maybe this weekend I'll pop her over some things and see how that goes. Hopefully it will be nice weather and Pivo can come out to play too.

Eros is perfect as always too! A couple of days last week he seemed a little off, but whatever it was, he's worked out of it. He felt pretty great today, so I let him pop over a few jumps. He was super and only got a little torpedo-y once. He jumped me loose over the 2'3" oxer every single time. It's so silly. It's so small, and yet he jumps it like he's in the olympics. He doesn't over jump, he's not that motivated, but he somehow finds the time to crack his back over it. Makes me giggle every time. I just love that horse so much. 

Photo from last week

In other horsey news, I'm still getting to ride at the other barn in the mornings. Mostly I do one of the rehabs but every now and then I get to do something that's in regular work. And occasionally I even get to pop over some tiny fences. It's been really fun; I'm so grateful for any extra time in the saddle. I mean, I know I get to ride a ton since I have three horses (one of whom rides twice a day) but I think riding other horses is really beneficial. I'm embracing it while it's available to me! Plus it's nice to see other people now and then. Riding at home can sometimes get a little lonely. 

In other news, the wedding on Friday was super fun! I haven't done much dressing up in a long while. And I forgot that I actually enjoy it. More importantly, while it was a little iffy at first, I do in fact remember how to walk in heels. (It really was touch and go there for a few strides...)

The heels were HIGH.

Love that they had their doggos on the wedding topper

Wedding was Friday night and one of the barn kids had her grad party Sat which was also fun, but I took zero photos. One more grad party this coming Saturday and then I think festivities wind down for awhile. Thank goodness. I'm too old for all this socializing. 

In other, other news.... The truck is back in the shop. This time for an engine light. Seems it's some silly sensor that failed and will cost another $950. Sigh. I may never horse show again if I have to keep making truck repairs. 
On the bright side, the pool is just about ready to go:

Turns out, the guy who said he closed it, didn't. So my heater is ruined and needs replacing. Also, a pipe burst, and the chlorinator was damaged beyond repair. I was planning to hold off on replacing the heater (because several thousand dollars) but my very generous father offered to replace it for me. So yeah. Everything is expensive this summer apparently. I have some braiding work next week though, thankfully! I'm waiting to find out how many I have to braid, and if it's not too crazy, I have tentative plans to take Al to a one day show. Assuming the truck is back of course. So fingers crossed the stars align! 

OH! And one more little bit of happy news. Pammon's new mom took him to their first show together (I think it was her first one ever!) and they did great! They did opportunity cross rails at a pretty big show and got some nice ribbons. So proud of them! I just love that he found the best home. I'm terrible at letting horses go, so when it works out this well, it makes it so much easier. 

Okay, that's it from here. Hope you're all having a great week! Any plans for the weekend?

Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession is that I nearly managed to give myself a black eye the other day, only to have Rita nearly blacken the other one! How you ask? Surely, this must be a great story! Sadly, no. Not much of a story. But I'll tell it anyway!

As for how I clocked my own eyeball... I was getting a new roll of toilet paper from the bathroom cabinet, but somehow, it snapped back and hit me right in the corner of my eye. Shockingly, it didn't turn purple, but it was very tender for quite a few days!

Later the same day, Rita was excitedly bouncing around and somehow caught the inside corner of my other eye with her foot. Which was also surprisingly more painful than you'd expect. Fortunately, that also did not turn purple. I was convinced I would wake up to two black eyes just days before having a wedding to attend. Thankfully that didn't happen. 

Have you done anything ridiculous to your own self lately? No? Just me? Ha... okay then.

Thursday's Threads: Bagel Edition

 

Yes, you read that title correctly. This is the bagel edition of Thursday's Threads. I told you there was silliness coming! Shiny will be our model today because she's almost the same color as a bagel. Here's what she wore today:

She's the best little model, isn't she?! Let's look closer at her outfit.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I struggled to decide which bridle to wear today. I didn't make a browband for this outfit, but don't count that out for the future. I actually think I have some bagel beads lying around here...

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Saddle Pad: Dreamers and Schemers

I swear, I wasn't going to buy any of these super fun saddle pads from D&S. The horses' saddles fit best with baby pads, and Shiny primarily uses pads with the half pad built in. Since finding this Eskadron sheepskin liner though, we've been able to work with other types of pads. And I really just couldn't resist the bagel pad. (Nor the F-Bomb one... but that's a post for another time.) The D&S pads are quite nice though, if you're looking for something fun. They are contoured so don't pull on the withers, and are a decent thickness without being too bulky. They don't have plans to make baby pad versions, but maybe if enough people express interest they'll change their minds. Feel free to let them know if you'd be interested! 

Boots: DSB customized by me

Yep, I made bagel tabs for my interchangeable boots. I mentioned last week about possibly using the Anatomeq boots for a lighter option, but I've decided to use the PE ones instead. Because the horse size Anatomeq have three tabs and I'd have to make a lot more tabs of past prints, which I don't feel like doing. The PE boots in size medium and small have two tabs only. So they'll work better for my laziness. I haven't made up the new boots yet though, so these are the same fluffy ones you've seen before. I think the bagels look pretty cute! They're different than the D&S print, but close enough. I found the fabric already available, so you know, you compromise for the sake of easiness. 

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

You might be thinking, that looks like a bagel and lox sandwich! You would be correct. You see, the D&S print is bagel sandwiches, and the fabric for the boots are just plain bagels, so I went with my personal favorite bagel sandwich for my outfit. Yum!

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS

I had a similar conundrum with my helmet and boots as I had with the bridle today... Nothing was exactly what I wanted. But I didn't want to bore you all with the same old stuff I've been wearing, so I went with the black and rose gold helmet. It works! 

Sweatshirt: Amazon print on demand

The day started out pretty chilly so it was definitely sweatshirt weather. At least for the first half of the day. Also, you can pretty literally find anything on Amazon if you look hard enough. That's where I got this shirt. 

Belt: Zazzle

And if you can't find it on Amazon, you can probably find it on Zazzle. Or make it yourself there. Zazzle is one my favorite sites ever. I found this yet again slightly different bagel print on there, and they let you edit the design slightly. I changed the background color but otherwise left it alone. 

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

Okay, so the color of these is called Sherbet. But I would also call this color salmon... so THAT is why I chose them for today. Because of my favorite bagel sandwich, of course! (Lox is smoked salmon in case anyone doesn't already know that.) 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

These are the same print as the saddle pad, and I actually already had them. I snapped them up when they first came out awhile back, and I'm glad I did because they aren't available anymore. I imagine at some point they'll re-release some of the retired socks that match the pads, but in case they do not, I'm glad I have these!

Boots: Mountain Horse Sovereign Luxe

Everything I own is dusty right now. We really need some rain around here... But these are lovely dark brown boots when they're clean. I don't think the quality is as nice as the price tag on them, but if you can find them on sale, I would recommend them. They're very comfortable, and they look nice too. 

And that's it for today! Did you enjoy the Bagel Edition? What's your favorite item? Have you tried the D&S saddle pads yet?

What's Up Wednesday

 

Phew. It's been a busy week here. It's like summer showed up and so did my social life apparently? Which is great, but I am TIRED! It's a good tired though. Anyway, let's talk about horses!

The vet was out Friday for Eros and Shiny which I have been looking forward to. Turns out, we think Eros' issue was mostly due to his feet. Doc watched him go and then flexed him. He noted that while E is starting out unsound, once he canters, it all but disappears. He did see the little bit of not quite rightness that I was feeling even after cantering, but felt it was because of where his feet were. He has one more upright foot and one foot that has a low heel. He's always been this way. But this cycle for some reason that upright foot grew sort of a lot, and it mostly grew straight up. Meanwhile, the low heel foot grew out. So his right leg was about a full inch taller than the left one. As luck would have it, my farrier came out the next day to fix him up. Unfortunately, he found a little white line happening. 

We think we caught it early so hopefully we'll have it under control asap. He didn't want to dig too much until we get an x-ray, but he dug out what he was comfortable with and packed it with some medication. Eros wears pads (which is why neither the vet nor I had any idea about this issue) so the medication should work it's magic. With his feet evened out, he's feeling much better already. I even let him jump a few fences today. 

He was perfect as usual. We were a little off schedule this week because Sunday I didn't have time to ride the horses at home, due to Father's Day commitments. And while I COULD have ridden Monday, I had a lot of things to get done that day. So I elected to let everyone have a free lunge instead. Eros really needed it. And he showed me his big trot because that's his favorite thing to do.

He really is that uphill. When I ask for canter, sometimes I slide back in my saddle.

Al's been... mostly good. He still is feeling rather spooky here at the house, but for the most part, he's at least spooking in a straight trajectory. I much prefer that. I think he just needs to jump more. I don't love jumping him by myself so I've popped over a few things here or there, but was waiting for my trainer to come out. She was here today, and it was an okay lesson. At my request, we kept the fences small. We haven't done a lot lately, and I've been struggling a bit to get him in front of my leg. It's a lot harder in my small ring than it was at the boarding barn with their enormous arena. Plus, when he's feeling spooky, he also gets sulky to my leg. It's the only time I have any inkling he was a stallion for most of his life. Anyway, we worked through his feelings pretty well, and by the end I felt like I had a lot more of his attention than we started with. I'll call it a win. We're going to try to do another lesson this weekend so I'm hopeful we can jump a little bigger next time. Weather is looking iffy though. We'll have to see how it goes. 

The ears are still the same. In case you were curious.

I think we'll get back into a groove soon enough, and now that the truck is back, I'm hoping to get him to a one day show soon. I think we're ready to get out there. My plan for now is to start really small. Like a .8m or something and just see what it's like. If it's easy and all goes well, then we can try the low adult division which is around 1 meter. He's honestly easier the bigger the jumps get. My goal for this year is to do a few small shows in the lows. And then maybe next year move up to the highs. We've jumped plenty of 1.10-1.15 courses already in lessons, so I'm not concerned about the height. My biggest concern is if I'll be successful at keeping his attention. Which is why I want to start small. So I can focus on riding and not on the fence height. I'm all about setting up for success! 

Shiny saw the vet Friday also. We did a shockwave treatment which always helps her a ton. But otherwise, doc thinks the problems we're having/seeing are likely due to her weight. Her bloodwork hasn't been great, related to her size... And obviously carrying all those extra pounds around is hard on the joints. 

She is a full figured lady at the moment.

So he increased her Thyro-L and prescribed her twice daily rides. Well really he said I should get a treadmill, but that's not really a possibility for me, so we're doing a second ride per day. She is 0% happy about that, I can assure you. She's been a good sport though. And I try to do different things in each ride. Like the first one we usually do some real flatwork with collection and extensions, lots of circles, maybe some lateral work. The second ride we focus more on just going forward. I let her have her head and pretty much just have her moving forward and getting that heart rate up. She seems to enjoy those kinds of rides. 

My trainers daughter did Shiny's first ride for me today, and I'm so proud of them both! Last year, she could barely get Shine to do anything, and REALLY struggled with getting the canter. I think she only did it once and then got bucked off... So yeah. That wasn't ideal. But kiddo has been riding a lot this winter and even has a lease pony of her own now. So she's much stronger, and understands how to ask for things more effectively. (Her pony is still in Florida for a couple more weeks, so she was very excited to ride Shiny, and they will hopefully do a few more rides before her pony arrives. Anyway, she had Shiny trotting and cantering right around the ring, and even popped her over some teeny jumps. She had a couple of drive-bys, but to be fair, the little things she was popping over didn't have standards. Shiny didn't run out or anything, she just casually went around if kiddo didn't tell her otherwise. Once she really focused and held that right rein a little, they met the middle of everything. So fun to watch! They're a really cute pair.

That catches you all up on the horses! As for me? I got to have dinner in a rose garden on Saturday with a bunch of friends which was super fun. It stormed just before we were supposed to arrive, but cleared up and stayed dry until we were finishing dessert when it started sprinkling a little. All in all, a lovely evening! Wish I snapped some photos! You'll just have to trust me. Sunday was Father's Day brunch on the boat which was also lovely. And then Monday I met a friend I haven't seen in AGES for dinner. She's showing at Fairfield this week which is about an hour and a half from where I live, so we met in the middle for a nice meal. Honestly, this is the most I've socialized in a very long time! But then, we had family dinner tonight, I'm attending a wedding Friday evening, and a graduation party this Saturday. I'm very much looking forward to having fewer plans next week! I've still been riding some extra horses most days too. Tuesday was pretty much a record day according to my apple watch:

How are all of you? Doing fun things? Feeling over-socialized like me? Showing? Tell me how things are going for you!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Thankfully, I have nothing overly embarrassing to admit today. Instead I'll confess to buying some things when I keep telling myself no presents for myself until after the summer... This is why I don't have children. I'm terrible at enforcing rules. 

So, I've been trying very hard to stop buying stuff I don't need because I want to finish paying some things off and have some extra cash to go to some horse shows. I've been doing fairly well. Really! I have! But. I've made a few slips this past week. 

I got a text from Equus Now that they had saddle pads on sale. I definitely don't need more saddle pads, but I do have a few more Ogilvy baby pads on my wish list. I've been waiting for Sprucewood Tack to get some new colorways since they sell them so much cheaper than anywhere else. But with the sale at Equus Now, they were the same price, plus I could get free shipping. AND they had hunter with tan trim in stock! So naturally, I couldn't pass that up. 

I've also wanted some purple TS breeches for a long while. They had a color called Grape awhile back that I was never able to find on consignment nor clearance. Eventually I just figured they weren't meant to be for me. But recently they came out with a color called Gothic that is basically the same as my coveted Grape. Again, no where had them on sale nor consignment (I really can't bring myself to pay retail for breeches). Plus, I now have purple Equilines so I don't really need the TS. But I like TS better. Anyway, this story is getting very long, so let's get to the conclusion. Someone on Facebook Marketplace had Gothic in my size in SOCK BOTTOM for a great price new with tags. So I bought those too. Oops. 

So now, I have to really buckle down and stop with the buying stuff I don't need. Seriously. STOP IT, STACIE! 

Have you guys made any unnecessary purchases lately? Anything super fun? What did you get?!

Thursday's Threads

 

It's OUTFIT DAY! I have a couple of really silly outfits in the works coming up soon, but today isn't too crazy. Just a little bit. Al is our model today, so let's start with what he wore.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

The background looks fake in this photo, but I promise it's real! We kept it simple with today's bridle because we went bold with the saddle pad. (And my pants... you'll see soon enough.)

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Ummmm... I can't remember who made this

Half Pad: Ippico

This fun pad is covered in cassette tapes. You've seen it before, but it's so fab you'll for sure see it again! I wish I could remember who made it. They're not in business anymore so I guess it's moot. But still. I'd like to give credit.

Boots: Anatomeq

Excuse his need for a trim. Barefoot Al needs hoof attention every three weeks, but sometimes my farrier isn't around that often. Anyway... These boots from Anatomeq are really nice. I bought them awhile ago, but was saving them until the horses came home. They're really lightweight and breathable, but the strike pad is substantial. Definitely recommend. My horses are wearing size medium and Shiny wears extra small if you're curious about sizing. I'm contemplating making these into interchangeable boots so we have a lighter weight option for fun outfits. 

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

This is an awkward pose! Ha! Clearly, I have no modeling experience. Anyway... I know you're thinking that helmet and those boots AGAIN?! I know. But with pants that vibrant, I needed less crazy stuff surrounding them.

Helmet: Samshield

I know, you're tired of it. But I'm not! Ha!

Shirt: Lulaa

Yeah... I pretty much just wear these every day now. They're so comfortable! I will try to wear other stuff for Thursday's Threads some of the time though. 

Belt: Zazzle

I almost wore a plain black belt today, but decided instead to go with this one. I just love it with all the kiddos on it. Even P is there! Miss that girl. 

Breeches: Equiline

This is another pair of Equiline I found in Europe for stupid cheap. They were on clearance on top of just being cheaper overseas. I love the color of these, but the are a little slippery in the tack. To be fair though, I haven't cleaned and conditioned my saddles in awhile, so that could be part of the issue.

Boots: Celeris UK

I really need to bring these to the cobbler for some tlc. I've busted the laces (which I have replacements, I've just been too lazy to swap them), the bottom snap pulled off, and the stitching up the back has all worn through. I still think these are really good quality boots, but I've ridden A LOT in them the last many months. So I think it's pretty normal wear and tear. The boots themselves are in pretty good shape other than those few issues. Like they're not wearing thin or anything. 

Thoughts? Does anyone still read Thursday's Threads? Any favorites from today?