Thursday's Threads

 

Blogger was actually working nicely for awhile, but we're back to struggle bus city with inserting photos... It just took me an hour to get that header image on here... ANYWAY! Happy Outfit Day! I chose brown and rose gold for today's outfit and Eros was excited to model because he's basically rose gold colored on his own. I'll let him go first since he's cuter than me.

I mean really. Look at him. He's filthy, and yet still looks that good. Dad bod and all. 

Bridle: Winner Special

I had this bridle on the blog recently, and was singing its praises, and I still feel that way. I have noticed a little bit of cracking on the noseband on this one, but honestly for what I paid, I'm not mad about it. Also, I maybe should get some oil on it... so that might be on me. 

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes
Saddle Pad: Lettia with some embellishments by me

So funny story... I forgot I had done this pad up like this. I went to grab the one you've all seen before with the studs on it, but then I saw this in the bin and was like THAT'S SO CUTE! So I grabbed it for today. The bits are rose gold and the green is my logo. It didn't photograph nearly as cute as it is in real life. Also, could this pad be any closer to Eros' color? It's like camouflage on him!

Wraps: Eskadron

These rundown wraps come in a pack of four, but the elastic over wraps are sold by the pair, which is odd to me. But I didn't mind really because then I got to buy two different colors. You've seen the green ones a few times, but I also got these brown ones. I still would like to get a few other color options for both, but it's not in the budget at the moment. Maybe E will get some for Chanukah this winter. 

So that's what Eros was wearing, and here's what I had on:

It was pretty chilly here today, just in the 60's. So long sleeves it was! 

Helmet: One K Defender

I'm a little sad they don't make a wide brim brown helmet anymore. But this one is nice and it was cloudy today so no need for extra sun protection anyway.

Top: Luyaa

I love these tops from Amazon. They're identical to the TKEQ Kennedy shirts but like 1/3 the cost. I would bet that they are made in the same factory. 

Belt: HY Equestrian

I actually think this belt came in one of my Forelock and Fringe boxes, but I'm not positive. It's by HY Equestrian, which is a fun company that makes really cute things for horses and people. Dogs too. Seriously, the European brands are way more fun than most of what we have here. Though in the case of this belt, Equine Couture makes a similar one. 

Breeches: Equiline

You guys have seen these before. And I might have told you this story already. But I was trying to find the Samshield breeches that were brown and rose gold but not for full price because I don't wear $350 pants. During my hunt, I stumbled across these on sale. And liked them better anyway. They were a great find!

Boots: Imperial Riding

Imperial Riding is a really fun brand. Do you guys remember my silver mirror boots? I haven't worn them in awhile (fear not, I still have them!), so you may not. But they are the same brand. Actually, they're basically the same boot just a different color. I had seen these awhile ago, and truthfully, I purchased them quite awhile ago, but I haven't ridden in them until today. Why you ask? Well. They're a bit loud for the boarding barn for starters. But also the size... So I found them for a STEAL but the sizes were limited at the sale price. According to the size chart, these should be too tall for me (and they are a bit) but the calf looked to be correct. So I went ahead and ordered and figured I could stick some heel lifts in there to make the height work. I was right about that part. I was also right about the calf width, but alas, they sent me the wrong width. The box was labeled correctly, but the boots are stamped slim. (I'm a solid regular, sometimes wide depending on brand.) I got them from Europe so wasn't about to ship them back. Figured I could always sell them, or maybe I could make them work since they're lace ups. And they do work! I had to open the laces a bit so they look a little funny straight on. But not too bad. 

Anyway, the sizing is actually going to be fine, but I had put off riding in them because when boots are tall and tight they are a beast to break in. But it's time. Because they're so pretty. Plus, once I break these in, I can sell the Mountain Horse ones that are basically the same aesthetic. Or maybe I'll make those MH ones my beater boots next winter. We'll see. 

So that's what Eros and I wore today! I really enjoy brown and rose gold together. What do you guys think? Good color scheme? What are your favorite colors for your horse(s)? 

What's Up Wednesday

 

So I've been throwing everything I can think of at Al to see what might stick. 

Did I buy one of these liquid titanium masks? 
Yes. Yes I did. Did it help? No. No it did not.

I've been keeping notes every day on how things go with him. And I did notice that the first few days riding at home, he was pretty good, but went downhill quickly after that. And you know what was different those first few days? Ulcerguard. So I ordered a few tubes to experiment. And then I also accidentally fed Al Eros' tummy supplement because I added it to the wrong bucket. So I thought, you know what? Let's feed that to him for a bit. And I started to notice some changes this week. First, I caught him having a mid day snooze which he used to do when I first got him, but I haven't seen him to do in a long while. 

Next, he's been more relaxed in general. He still watches out his window a lot, but it's in a content way now not in a bug-eyed panic stare like he's been doing. Tuesday morning I noticed he's eaten more of his food than he has been. He's been really picky with his meals. Which I attributed to him being on too many supplements. But now I think that wasn't it. Tuesday evening I made some changes to his supplements that I had been planning but needed the items to arrive. First, I removed the Total Calm and Focus I've been giving him. Then I added in two supplements from Equine Elixirs. Let's chat about those for a moment.

Al's been getting Regumate shots twice a month for awhile now, and honestly, I don't think they're helping him at all. So I was wanting to stop them, but was also thinking about an alternative perhaps. I've been researching supplements for anxious horses, and while I honestly think most of them are BS, I'm very much at the point where I will try anything if it will get my horse out of his anxiety rut. 

People that I know and respect really seem to like the Equine Elixir products, and there seems to be a lot of success using Positude and Calmikazi together. The Equine Elixir products use natural ingredients and are show legal, so I figured, can't hurt to try them! I wasn't sure if Al would eat them but figured we'd give it a shot. The Positude is a liquid, and the Calmikazi I thought would be a powder, but it's actually like... chopped up grains? Like trail mix for horses almost. Looks delicious. Smells seven better. Now, I have no idea if they'll help him, we'll have to wait and see. But he LOVES them. He licked his bucket CLEAN both last night and this morning. I haven't done night check yet, so not sure if it's worked again, but I feel confident. So I gotta say, even if they do nothing, they got him eating all his food. Or maybe it's just that the Ulcerguard is working. I dunno. I clearly changed too many things at once so I don't know for sure what's working. But whatever. I was desperate. And so far so good. 

Yesterday, he was still pretty angsty for his ride, but it was very windy and even Eros was pretty spooky and annoying yesterday. And despite being angsty, Al was still a lot calmer than he's been. Like the look in his eye was different and the dragon breaths were less... dragony. And today? He was a good boy today! I let him trot around a few circles on the lunge line in a couple different spots in the ring before I got on. But then when I did get on, he just walked around the ring on a loose rein. BOTH DIRECTIONS. Just walked right around. With his head and neck relaxed. A whole different horse. Now, is this because of the ulcerguard? Probably. But I won't know for sure for a bit. Some days Al is like this. So I'm not getting too excited just yet. But like, just a little excited. If nothing else, we had a nice ride TODAY and that's worth be exciting about. Did he get a little spooky here and there? Sure, that's who he is. But he didn't jump out of his skin, or spin around, or stop dead snorting. So small wins. I'll take them. And in fact, I felt so confident in him, that we actually popped over a handful of itty bitty fences.

I included this one to show you that he does wear his 
ears right up until he actually jumps... Silly boy.

So things may or may not be looking up with Al. I think we have a vet appointment on Friday, so we'll discuss scoping so we can stop guessing. Plus it would be helpful to know if we also need to treat the hind gut. We'll see what doc says. 

Eros is plugging along with his rehab. We are up to 18 minutes trotting, 3 laps each direction at the canter, and we do about 16 minutes of walking. He still doesn't feel 100%, but he's feeling better than he did for sure. Our chiro was out on Friday which was much needed. Eros skipped a few appointments while he was walking only, and our chiro was in Florida since February, so it's been a long while. Once she got him literally straightened out, he's feeling a lot better than he did. I very much think he's due for some hock maintenance and probably neck too. And fingers crossed those are the things that I'm feeling. He'll be on the list for Doc on Friday too. I haven't gotten confirmation yet that's he coming, but ugh, I hope he does! 

Rehab time check

This is probably why my heels are sore at the end of the day.

stretchhhhhhh

Good Boy!

Guys, Shiny? She's been a star! She's feeling better than ever after her chiro appointment. A little lazy, and I'm concerned that she's put some weight back on... But she feels great. And she's jumping well. So well that I may let her go back to 2'3" this year. Not yet, we need to get the gas pedal working a little better first. But I think it's a possibility. She just feels really game, and her hind end is working so much better than it has in ages. Like even when she's way too slow and we wind up chocolate chipping, she's still jumping up and over behind instead of dragging her back end and having a rail. I very much think the EPM meds helped her tremendously and I wish I had tried that sooner. But glad we're here now anyway. I plan for her to get a shockwave on her neck when the vet comes and we'll see if he thinks we need to do anything else. Our chiro thought her neck felt better than it has in a long time, so that was nice to hear. I feel the same when I ride her. She's much more supple, and can hold bend in both directions. I'm hoping the weather stays a little more consistently nice so we can get the weight off her and get the gas pedal more reliable. 

Riding would be SO MUCH easier if I could 
keep my reins the correct length. Which they
are not here. Clearly.

Look at that counter bend!
And me trying to spur her with any spurs on...

I just love this pony. She's the best! Also, don't tell her I told you this, but I caught her letting Al groom on her in the paddock on Sunday. And like, not just once. But for a long while. And then she let him again a little bit later. Melted my little horsemom heart. And I have photo evidence, but Blogger doesn't feel like inserting any more photos on this post... It's taken me almost two hours to get this far so I'm not trying anymore. I did post it on Facebook if you want to see it there.

Rita is also the best. She used to always join me for night check, but lately, she's been protesting and refusing to come with me. Which is hilarious honestly. Guess it's too late for her to be outside? Monday, I took her for our usual walk. We waited until the rain stopped, and checked the weather app multiple times before going. It promised me there would be no more rain for several hours. So out we went! we were close to a mile away from home when it started POURING. And Rita, hater of the rain, just trucked right along until we got home. At which time it of course, stopped raining. Such a good doggo though! I also have a photo of us being all wet. But Blogger doesn't want to share that either. 

And that about catches us up! How was your week and weekend? Doing anything fun with your horses?

Truthful Tuesday

 

So I just did the SIMPLEST thing ever, and yet felt really proud of myself for it. Which is kind of ridiculous, but at the same time you should be able to pat yourself on the back now and then. Even if it's for something small. 

So what did I do? I fixed my toilet! Haha! All glitz and glamour over here, clearly. So the toilet in the bathroom off of my bedroom has been running unless I manually readjust the stopper. Not every flush, but nearly. Pretty annoying. So finally I googled toilet stoppers and realized how simple it is to replace it. And they cost like $5. Anyway, my toilet is flushing great, and my life is immediately better than it was earlier today. It's the small things, ya know? 

Have you guys had anything silly and small like that that made you feel good about yourself? What was it? Was it actually easy, or was it something super hard and you really SHOULD be feeling proud about it? Those count too. They are just a little more justified. Haha!

Thursday's Threads: Tropical Edition

 

Outfit Day! And it's ridiculous. Because we're overdue for some silliness around here. Those palm trees I got for the one jump made me so ridiculously joyful I decided we should dress to match them this week. Shiny was the obvious choice to model for this outfit because there's pink. A lot of pink. Here's what we had on along with our inspirational fence:

I mean really. Could it be any more ridiculous? No. It cannot. But it also is adorable and fun. Life's too short. Wear all the pink.

Here's a better view of Shiny's outfit:

I made her pose with the jump. She thinks I'm annoying. She's not wrong. But it's worth it. 

Bridle: Pinnacle

Brow band: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

I do have a palm leaf brow band, but I didn't see the cob sized one when I was pulling out our outfit. I'm sure it's in the bin, but I thought this bridle would work nicely with the outfit anyway, so I didn't do too much digging. I'm happy with this with the outfit. Not as happy that I got such a poor photo of it though! The sun was not cooperating with the direction Shiny insisted on looking in. 

Boots: Uhlan

I stumbled upon this brand when I was hunting for some lightweight pink boots. I really liked the ones that have been advertised on Instagram from Airstride, but the price tag on those is kind of insane for what they are. So I found this brand from the UK with a similar product. I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived and are even nicer in real life than they look on the website. If you want a reasonably priced mesh boot, check them out. They come in a variety of colors including brown and black. Not an ad, I don't have affiliate code or anything. I just like these and figured you might too! They do run a little large though, Shiny is wearing XS. I got medium for the boys, and they are pretty generously sized.

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Sheepskin Liner: Eskadron
Saddle Pad: Lettia

You guys have seen this one before, we use it during spirit week at the other barn for Tacky Tourist day. But it's so perfect with our jump! I never imagined I'd have so many occasions to use this pad, but here we are... 

That's what Shiny was wearing, and here's my outfit:

Heehee. All the pink shades. And some palm fronds.

Helmet: One K

I considered wearing my pink helmet with this outfit, but it doesn't fit all that well. And with how Al's been lately... I want a good fitting helmet on my head right now. So I went with the black One K with rose gold front shield and rails. So it still has pink on it!

Shirt: Spiced Equestrian

I really like these shirts from Spiced Equestrian. And honestly, I thought they had closed up their shop, but I just googled them and they are very much still around! This shirt isn't there anymore though. Sorry. It's a pretty glorious party shirt. I kind of wish the background was pink though. I guess I could dye it...

Belt: Equetech

I used to be all about subscription boxes. I even used to write reviews on another blog for different boxes. They really are fun! But they are also expensive and so I don't get them anymore. Except for one. Because it's fantastic. It's called Forelock and Fringe and comes from the UK. Anyway, all that to let you know that this very light pink belt came in one of those boxes. They send things frequently from Equetech and the items are all really nice quality. 

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman in Pinky

I didn't realize the focus was on my shirt in this photo and not the pants. Sorry about that... Kind of hides the stains though, so there's that! So these breeches... I really wanted them, but didn't want to pay retail because they're going to be stained and awful in no time given how light they are and what a slob I am. And at some point I found a pair in size 30 that were brand new but on consignment for a great price. But then I lost some poumnds and they were too big. So I sold them. And I was sad that I no longer had pink breeches. And THEN, I found these. They are not my usual size of 28 though. I took a real chance on these, but the price was right. They are actually kids size 18. Which fit well, but the rise is a little lower than I like. But good enough! And truthfully the length on the legs is a little better than what I normally wear. So it balances out with one thing being less than and another being better than. Right? Right.

 Boots: Celeris

You know? I love these. They're a hair loose in the calf because these were my old measurements, but not so loose that they aren't comfortable or rub. I really just love the boots from this brand. They're great quality and so comfortable. 

That's it for today! Any favorites? My favorite is still the palm trees on the jump. They're fantastic. I have no regrets about spending money I shouldn't have on those. NONE!

What's Up Wednesday

 

It was a wet week around here, but we still managed to a lot of things... Just not as much riding as I'd have hoped. But what can you do? You can't change the weather! So Thursday, as anticipated was a rain day. It was actually considerably less wet than Wednesday, but the footing was saturated and so we had a rain day at the farm. But I made sure to use my rain day productively instead of being lazy. Even though lazy was kind of enticing. The horses all had their manes pulled and their fetlocks clipped. They look much more civilized now. 

Befores on the left, afters on the right

Having all different colored horses makes for a pretty mess after mane day:

Friday we were able to ride but it was just a muddy flat day. Nothing too exciting. And then Saturday we were rained out AGAIN. Can you believe it? Chores took a little longer than normal because of the weather and the fact that I thought the Gator was broken. But once those were done I went on a little mission to collect some things for jump decor. It was time to change the course and refresh the jump fill. Sunday was another muddy flat day. I was POOPED by the end of the day though. According to my watch I was entitled to feel sleepy.

Monday I was up early to call the mechanic for my fake broken Gator and they were able to come right out. Which was great because I was able to meet a friend for a quick breakfast. It was actually a gorgeous day, so after that I took Rita for her walk. She refused to take a nice photo though. That pup hates having her photo taken.

I had contemplated riding since it was so nice and the horses had so many days off last week. But I decided to stick to our Monday off schedule ultimately. I had a few things still on the to do list for that day anyway, and I had to be up really early Tuesday so I didn't want to be out in the barn until late. Instead, I got to work on my jump projects (and did so much laundry). 

I had been contemplating getting some astroturf and covering the last of my wooden jumps with it so I could have a turf jump. I keep seeing them in the hunter derbies and they look so pretty and inviting. Well, when I was shopping Saturday for flowers and what not, Ocean State Job Lot had a roll of turf that was 10'x8' for under $40. Obviously that was a sign. My jumps are 10' wide, so that would mean minimal cutting. I like things that are minimal work. So that was my Monday job, and they came out so nice!

I had two of these planks and one rail that matched them. They are all turfed now. I might have enough to recover the green box too. I just have to decide if I want to do that or not. Currently undecided. 

I also drilled flower holes in the flower boxes I got (I just got plastic ones and am using them upside down. You'll see in a little bit how they came out!) I had ordered some of my flowers so they weren't all in yet Monday, but would be for Tuesday evening when I did the course. Perfect timing! 

Tuesday was a LONG day. I was up at 5 to braid a horse for a photo shoot. KL Select was shooting catalog photos at one of my braiding customer's farms. So my braids will be in some ads! Kinda fun!

This horse is adorable!

I stopped for a breakfast sandwich and then some glue to finish up my jump fill repairs. Next I got to work on said repairs. And finally I rode all the horses. Al's been super spooky so he's especially time consuming lately. By the time I was done riding and everyone was fed it was after 6. I popped in the house to feed Rita and then got to work setting the course. I am so excited about this one! It came out great, and I can't wait to ride it! Here are some photos. They're dark because it was almost nine by the time I finished. But I think you can still see everything well enough:

Just the flower boxes are new on this one. The other
side has blue flowers

same with this one, just got some new flowers/boxes.
This one is the same on both sides.

I think this is my new favorite jump. You'll see the 
palm trees better in tomorrow's post. But they bring
me more joy than I ever expected a fake tree could.
Eros better notdestroy them. Trees came from 
Amazon.

Close up of the flower boxes on the palm tree jump.
Yes, those are FLAMINGOS! They were actually 
sidewalk lights, but I removed the light strings. I 
intertwined some leis around them for some greenery/flowers.

I'm not sure how well these ice cream cones will last, but we're
giving them a try! They are giant cups from the dollar store.
I took out the straws and added these little bees instead. They're on 
the green oxer.

Okay, so the turf jump came out even better than I hoped!
It's right up there on my favorite list. And I am SO HAPPY
with how the flower boxes turned out for this one too. 

These are the flower boxes. They actually match the planters
I already had for the sides of the jump. 
For flowers, I used faux grass stems and these little butterflies
from Amazon and just squished them all together. 

Had another day of validation from my watch too. 

I had hoped to jump Al and Shiny around the course today. But you know how plans like that tend to go... Today was the first really warm day around here (not that hot, just in the 80's, but the horses aren't used to it yet) which would have been fine. But the WIND! It was wild. Paired with the neighbor who was alternating the entire day between mowing his lawn and banging on things with his hammer, it was a tough day in the ring. Which was a bummer because I thought I'd have nice quiet horses in the heat. How disappointing! (Also, the neighbor has 1.1 acre of land. Which includes his house. And some of it is wooded. So he doesn't have much to mow. Yet the only days he hasn't mowed the lawn since I've had the horses home is when it's raining. And Monday. Which really makes me think he's just trying to drive me crazy. The horses don't care that much about hearing the mower hum along. But they really don't like when he stops and starts it over and over again. Or when he runs something over.) 

Anyway, back to the horses. I set up Pivo today in hopes we'd get to jump so I have some media, but I'm saving it for tomorrow since I wore my Thursday's Threads outfit today. 

So Al. I knew he was going to be special today because he was in his stall staring out the window snorting before I even got started. I often wonder if the spookiness is something I've cause because I seem to have had a lot of spooky horses. But then I see him acting that way on his own and it does help me realize that I did not cause this. This is innate for Al. So there's that I guess. Anyway, I popped him on the lunge line which has been our routine the last several rides. I let him trot around near where he tends to spook until he relaxes and then I get on. Some days it's quick and he's pretty relaxed from the get go, and other days it takes a lot longer. Today was a long day. And then went I got on it got worse. I opted to use half the ring today. We really didn't get anywhere in this ride. I managed some trot and canter and we had a few nice moments, but he was edgy and tense the entire ride. It was pretty frustrating. He was really hot and sweaty in the end, but I really only was on him for 15 minutes. He was on the lunge awhile, but it was a lot of walking and trotting. Nothing all that strenuous. What was strenuous was his anxiety level. I had to laugh as we were wrapping up though. I have these two crows that have been hanging around (I've named them Cheryl and Russell). Well I was cantering Al toward the barn, and out of the corner of my eye I see what looks like something running up to us (like a cat or something). Turns out it was a shadow from my crow friend flying past us to land on the fence RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. 

Do you see it there on the right?? I'm not sure if it's
Russell or Cheryl. I can't tell them apart. 

Does Al spook at this? Nope. A freaking crow flying at his head is just fine. But the leaves blowing on the trees is not okay. I will never understand horses.

Shiny on the other hand, is still the MVP. She comes out the same pretty much everyday. And while she has many opinions on what I ask her to do, she generally does them all. I didn't jump her around the full course today though. She seemed like she was having a little bit of a hard time with the warm weather, so I did work her, and popped her over a few fences, we kept it pretty light and quick today. But I cannot wait to actually jump her around the whole thing. What we did do rode great. 

Eros is plugging along with his rehab. We are up to 16 minutes of trot (total) and two laps each way of canter. Plus 16 minutes of walking too. (8 to start and then 8 to finish.) I still am undecided on how he feels. I filmed our ride today, but haven't had a chance to review it yet to see if what I'm feeling is what it looks like. But he's also kind of testing his boundaries so I'm also wondering if some of what he's doing is evading rather than being unsound. Horses are hard. He was similarly afflicted like Al today with the terrifying wind. Thankfully, Eros is better able to control his emotions. For him, I can put him together and put his focus on his job and most of the time that's the end of it. Every now and then something really startles him, but he generally takes me with him. (Except for that one time awhile back...) While I wish he wasn't feeling spooky at all, it is kind of reassuring for me that I can get his attention back on me. It reminds me that my struggles with Al aren't because I'm terrible. Which like I know I'm not terrible, but sometimes you start to wonder when things are just always the same. Ya know? So thanks E for being my constant therapist. What a guy!

And that wraps up the week! I have some things to try with Al for the next few rides, so fingers crossed something helps him. I REALLY want to get him going over jumps again so when our trainer gets back we can find some little shows to go to. But alas... it's looking a little bleak right now. I KNOW it will get better though. It always does.