Thursday's Threads: Avocado edition

 

Outfit Day! I really wanted to use a ridiculous brow band this week so I decided to do the avocado outfit this week. I was originally planning to have Al model, but the neighbor two doors over was having tree work done so Al enjoyed a lunge session today rather than a ride and didn't wear his outfit. Fortunately, Shiny stepped up to model. She was the model the last time we did this outfit too... Guess I should have picked Eros instead. Oh well. Shiny is adorable in her avocados anyway. Here's what she had on:

Last year we did a bonnet too, but this year I didn't pull it out because it's been so hot. Jokes on me though, today never got above 68 degrees. It was cold!

Bridle: Joseph Sterling

Brow Band: Homemade by me

The avocado beads crack me up. I mean, look at them! Haha! 

Boots: Premier Equine, embellished by me

Interchangeable boots are probably my favorite thing I've ever come up.

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Saddle Pad: Lettia

Half Pad: Le Mieux

Guys, I really want to get her a new saddle. Any idea what organs I can sell to get that moving along faster? Saddle aside, she looks so cute with a pink pad!

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

Full disclosure, I had to add a jacket. It really can't go from a feels like of 110 to a feels like of 65 in less than 24 hours. It's not right!

Helmet: One K

I chose the brown helmet because I think it looks like the avocado pit. Heehee!

Tee shirt: Old Navy

I know. It's brave to wear white in the barn. But since I ended up wearing a jacket most of the day, it has survived for another wearing!

Belt: C4

I'm not sure if it's coincidental that C4 and Lettia both thought avocados look great with pink, but I'm glad they did because it really ties my outfit together with Shiny's.

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

Guess what they call this color! Go ahead, guess... It's AVOCADO! I also wear them with neon outfits because they are useful for that purpose as well.

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

I actually had socks that matched the belt at one point, but they were the OG version of D&S socks and I didn't love that material. But I was pretty excited when this design came out! I love that his cape is the peel. 

Boots: Celeris UK

Had to pick the pink boots today. The purple doesn't really tie in anywhere, but whatever, they're still fun and definitely work with the outfit.

That's it for today! Any favorite parts? 

What's Up Wednesday

 

This week was MUCH quieter and less exciting than last. I already told you guys about the talk with the animal communicator which was on Friday. I can't say that it's helped us with any major breakthrough... Al was still kind of a nutter all week. OH! One thing I forgot to mention about our conversation. When I first asked how I can help Al to be less anxious, after he said he didn't understand the question, the communicator asked if we were riding indoors. Because he was telling her how much he dislikes that. Which is a little creepy cause ya know, he HATES riding inside. Hence why despite my skepticism I do feel like maybe there's something to it. But it could have been a good guess. Lots of nervous horses hate indoors. Anyway, I just said we ride inside in the winter, but now we're outside. And he complained about the neighbor. I think I mentioned that part already. Anyway, back to this week! 

I got a last minute text on Wednesday asking if I could braid a horse Thursday night. I had nothing on the agenda, so jumped at the opportunity. It was for a mane and tail which is exactly the amount of money my new lessons are, so that was super. Hopefully I get some more work throughout the summer. I love a small braiding job (like just one or two horses) because it doesn't anger my carpal tunnel too much and it's a nice little chunk of cash in my pocket for just a few hours of work.

Saturday Al was such a nutter I ended up giving Eros the day off because I was all used up by the time I finished with Al. (I rode Shiny first, so she got worked.) Sunday everyone was in a better mood, and we enjoyed a Sunday Funday. Shiny had the best one, we rode bareback (with the bareback pad which according to the animal communicator is not naked enough for Shiny...) in the backyard. She is always so much happier outside the ring. I really need to take her out to some trail rides. Unfortunately, my trail buddy extraordinaire is sidelined with an injury this summer. I think Shiny would be fine alone, but I'm quite sure I'd get lost since I've never gone out on the state trails. 

And then the heat wave arrived! Actually Sunday was pretty swampy too, but not so bad we had to cancel Sunday Funday. But Monday and Tuesday were pretty oppressive for the horses. (Not for me though!) They all enjoyed a couple of vacation days (as mentioned yesterday). Monday was a hang out in your stall and let me do my chores kind of day. But Tuesday I spent some time with them. Everyone had a bubble bath and Eros actually let me clean his sheath! First time ever without sedation. It was nasty in there. I honestly don't know how males walk around with those things. 

I don't think the boys were especially thrilled with having to be clean:

Unable to stand still because there was water
dripping from his legs.

Staring in disbelief at the area recently violated.

Al looked a little hivey last night and earlier today though. I'm not sure if he was sensitive to the shampoo we used, or if I didn't rinse it well enough? Or maybe it was just from the heat. Not sure. He's never done that before. Seemed unbothered, and it wasn't bad enough to treat. But something to keep an eye out for in the future. 

I think Shiny appreciated the tubby though!

She thanked me by peeing in the crossties while I waited for her legs to dry a little bit before going back to her stall... Why wouldn't I want to wash the floor again on a hot day? Right? Thanks Shiny. Probably my punishment for not rewarding her drug seeking behavior with the communicator. 

I went back and forth on what to do with them today. It was still pretty hot, high was 96 and it was more humid than yesterday, but there was a strong breeze. I finally decided to tack walk mostly and they each trotted one lap each direction. No one seemed uncomfortable so I thin it was an okay decision. They came in and got rinsed off with a fan in front of them after their "ride". 

I'm not sure if it was the heat or if the esomeprazole is magic, but Al walked around the entire perimeter of the ring, both directions, on a loose rein without spooking. The same with our little bit of trotting. I know better than to get excited about this. But I want to acknowledge that happened. AND WITH WIND! How glorious. Crossing my fingers that it takes. 

Tomorrow it's supposed to drop down to a high of 74. We'll probably all think it's cold and be sad. Or wild. One of those. But I am looking forward to getting some real rides in! 

Hope you all are surviving this heat dome! Did you give your horses extra days off? If not, what did you do with them? 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Unpopular opinion, but I'm over here living my best life in this heat wave. Yesterday was pretty disgusting because the humidity was off the charts (temps were around 96 with a real feel of 107). But today? Today felt lovely to me. Sure it's hot (98 apparently) but there's a breeze. The horses are content hanging in their stalls in front of their fans, no one was overly warm, though honestly I have my contractor to thank. He told me which way to face the barn when we were planning to keep it coolest and he was very right. 

The horses almost always have Mondays off, but I gave them today off too since despite me thinking it feels lovely, I do understand that the horses probably do not. In years past I might have gotten up early and ridden at 4:30, but I opted out of that this time. For one, my worker comes in around six, so I couldn't get them all done by then. He used to come at 7. But also, it's only a few hot days. Let them be horses. Let them enjoy the cooler part of the day having their turnout. Doing fun horse things. Tomorrow we'll do a light ride or maybe tack walk depending on how swampy it is. And then Thursday the temps drop down to the low 70's and we'll all be wild and ready to get some work done. As for me, I got a bunch of little things done that I had been putting off, bathed all the horses, and then took a dip in the pool. It shocks me every time how many hours there are in a day when you don't ride! Seriously, it's shocking. 

Anyway, that's my confession: I like it hot out and I had no idea how much time non horse people have in their day.

Fun Stuff on Friday

 

I haven't done a fun stuff on Friday in a million years. But finally I have something fun to talk about on a Friday! I had my session with the animal communicator on Thursday morning, and it was very entertaining. I went with Sharon Warner who lives fairly locally here in CT and a friend of mine had used. She is VERY reasonably priced and I chose a short 15 minute session since I was planning to just chat with Al. I'll probably do it again for a little bit longer session and talk to the others at some point. It was fun and I've certainly spent more money on stupider things in the past. 

I have never done this before so I wasn't really sure what to expect. For the most part, I'm a skeptic, but I'm also open minded. There is a part of me that always avoided these things because what if my horses hate everything about their lives with me?! Wouldn't that be terrible to find out? Sure would. Thankfully that's not what happened. Phew. 

Before the call Sharon asks for a photo of your horse and then I think she asks for their name. I can't remember. And pretty much as soon as we invited him Al was all in the conversation. He was very chatty and let me know all the things he likes that I do for him. He likes when I kiss his nose, and he loves when I wipe his face with a towel. He let me know which brush he prefers (which I already knew, he's made that preference very obvious) and he also asked me to get some treats that I have't bought in awhile. But he said he likes pretty much all treats but those are his favorites. 

Next he talked about some things he'd like to work on. He said he has a hind foot that is a struggle for him and he's open to trying a different shoe or something for it. (He has a heel that likes to contract, and nothing we've changed so far really keeps it from doing that. When it contracts too much, he stocks up and I can tell it bugs him a little.) He also said he wants to do some fun exercises to strengthen his back end but he did not specify what. When I suggested trot poles he said he'd do those but he wants something different. So um... throw some ideas at me guys! He said he wants to jump more because he really likes doing that. Sharon told him it was supposed to get very hot so he might want to wait until after the heat wave, but he said that was okay, he's ready for the heat. Which made me giggle because he is NOT great in the heat. But also is kind of something he would say just to do what he wants to do. I told him we would jump, but it was up to him when because he had to flat nicely without spooking before we can jump. So far, we've not achieved that.

 He said otherwise his body feels good, but he is a little tight in his back/SI area. Also something we've noted, probably from his tummy discomfort I'm guessing. He said his stomach feels good, but maybe that's because he's been on the meds almost a week now? He mentioned that his saddle is comfortable too. (Thank goodness.)

He said that he likes the property here for the most part, but he feels a little lonely because the horses here don't want to play with him and he really likes to play. He asked if we could get more horses. I said no, that's not really in the cards, and he said I was afraid you'd say that. So yeah, having horses is like having kids... they all want their own pets! 

Then it was my turn to ask him questions. So first I asked if he liked his wardrobe and he said yes and he thinks I always put the appropriate blankets on for the conditions. Then I asked him what we've all been wondering. How can I make him feel less anxious when we're riding and just in general. And he said I don't know what you mean. LOL. GUYS. My horse is in denial about his anxiety problem. He said that when he looks worried in the stall it's because he can smell the coyotes that are around. (Fair. We abut state forest so there is a lot of wildlife pretty close by.) As for the nervous behavior in the ring he said he didn't like the neighbor. He hates how he ignores him and then makes scary noises. Sharon told him that the man is annoying but won't hurt him, so if he could just acknowledge what the neighbor is doing and then carry on, that would be the right thing to do. Al said okay, but then he did not do that at all yesterday, so I dunno guys. I don't think we've really addressed the main problem. 

Next she said he was saying something about liking the allergy meds because he has allergies and I said that didn't make sense because he's never been on any (and he doesn't have allergies). So she said she thinks it's another horse coming through. At first I thought Eros because he IS on allergy meds. But then I realized it was Shiny. I had told her the day before that it was Al's session but if there was something she needed me to know she could jump in. So she did apparently. As for the allergy meds she was talking about her Ventipulmin which she is not on anymore. She LOVED that stuff though. Couldn't wait for me to give it to her. She said she wants it again because she has allergies, but I think she just wants it because it tastes good and she's a fiend. She then went on to say that she doesn't like wearing anything except her bridle. She doesn't get cold so she doesn't need blankets. And she would like to ride bareback with nothing on all the time. Honestly, all of that tracks. She will wear whatever you put on her, but she gets cranky when you put her clothes on or the saddle/bareback pad/girth. I said that she does have to wear a saddle at least for some of our rides and she asked why. I said because she has a job and that job means riding with a saddle. Sharon kept asking "but why" and I was getting kind of annoyed until I realized she was speaking for Shiny which fully tracks with her personality. Finally I just said because it's hard for me to stay on without a saddle and she said oh, I guess that's okay then. Pretty sure the real reason she wants to be bareback only is that she knows she doesn't work hard in that set up. Ponies are such manipulators. Oh and she said she wants to eat carrots all the time. But I had Sharon explain to her that she can only have carrots sometimes as a special treat because we have to be careful with her sugars. And Shiny was like Fiiiiine. 

And then our fifteen minutes were up! I think it would be fun to do again and include Eros and Rita too. I'm sure they both have plenty to talk about. Eros will likely just complain about the low food supply, his aches and pains, and the audacity I have expecting him to ride six days a week. But he deserves to be heard all the same. Overall, I don't think it cured our issues, but it was fun and she said things I already thought but completely unprompted from me. Like the back foot and the particular brush. (And pretty much everything Shiny said... lol!)

Thursday's Threads: Dino Edition

 

Outfit day! It's Eros' turn to model and he chose a dinosaur look for this week. I think it was a solid choice. Dinosaurs rule. Or they did. Long ago. Plus Eros looks a little bit like a small brontosaurus. 

Here's what he had on:

Look at that beautiful specimen. Hi coat is looking so nice this summer. 

Bridle: Pinnacle
Brow Band: Homemade by me

Today was hotter and more humid that I thought we were getting, so I let the Eros and Shiny have an easy day. Al chose differently, but that's on him. Anyway, for the light fun day we went bitless. I sold my old La Cense side pulls and bought these Pinnacle ones instead. The leather is still obviously lower quality, but it's still better than the La Cense had. They seem to fit the horses better too. 

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes
Baby Pad: Smartpak, embellished by me

I realized much too late that you couldn't really see our adorable dino trim, so I cropped the photo to show it better. Next time I will take a proper closeup because you can't fully appreciate how cute this is from this blurry image.

Wraps: Centaur, embellished by me

I got these Centaur polos to be my interchangeable wraps for Eros, but the way the velcro is on them, I'm afraid they're not really going to work. These are the Climate Bandages which are meant to be a knock of the Eskadron Climatex wraps. They definitely do not compare. I think eventually I will replace these with a black pair of the Catago ones that I like so much. But for today, they're doing the job. And the dino straps are pretty cute!

That's what Eros was donning today, and here's what I had on:

I'm pretty sure many of you are too young to appreciate this tee shirt. But trust me, it's epic.

Helmet: One K Avance CCS MIPS

I hemmed and hawed about what helmet to wear. I thought about wearing the brown one since some dinos were probably brown.... But the sun was actually out and I wanted a wider brim. So this one won out. That tan color shield with the green top feels very dinosaur landscape to me though. So I think it works. 

Tee Shirt: Not sure of the brand honestly...

Back in my youth there was an adorable and also hilarious sit com called dinosaurs. It was about a family of dinosaurs that encountered everyday problems and moments. At the end of the series they get hit by an asteroid and it's very sad but you had to know that would happen if you went to school. Right? Anyway, they had a baby dinosaur as seen on the shirt, and he would hit the dad with a frying pan and say "NOT THE MAMA". It was silly. And I loved it, and I love this shirt.

Belt: Buckle Down

Also back in my youth, but a little later, high school age, I had a very inappropriate belt. It was rubber, made from recycled car tires, the buckle was a seat belt clasp (as seen here), and it had beer bottle caps all around it. I still have it and wear it on occasion. I call it my party belt. Anyway, ever since that belt, I love a good seatbelt buckle. So I was pretty excited to find one with a dino belt strap! 

Breeches: Smartpak Hadley

I almost wore my yellow breeches today, but at the last minute decided on these since they match the purple on the tee perfectly. And it was a good decision because when I reached in to smooth out the pocket after putting them on I found a ten dollar bill! I can't remember the last time I wore these, and in fact I was (and still am) thinking about adding them to the sell pile. So glad I waited and wore them today or I'd have sold ten bucks! 

Boots: Horka

I feel like distressed boots are the only choice for a dino outfit. Agree? 

That's it for today! What did you think? Pro dinos? You should be. Dinos are never the wrong answer.

What's Up Wednesday

 

It has been a WEEK! Lots to talk about and most of it pertains to Al so let's start there. As I whined about, things have not been going well for him. He's been very upset, distracted, and, well... kinda unhinged. So I reached out to my vet and while he couldn't come out immediately, he did ease my angst a bit by thinking it was likely ulcers and we can probably get this sorted out. He came out Friday to scope Al and sure enough he had ulcers. There was one really bad one in the fold of his stomach that Doc said was nearly a grade 4 (which is out of 4). So that's not ideal. 

What's extra tricky is that Al really JUST finished his last round of ulcer treatment. Which leads to several questions. Had they not healed fully to begin with? Did they return that quickly? Did the meds we used last not work? And this is why playing the guessing game and not scoping isn't always ideal. I don't love to scope because the fasting beforehand just seems so terrible for the horses. But honestly, it's worth it to know exactly what you're dealing with. Anyway, this time we have scoped so now we need to figure out which treatment plan to try this time. Al is already on Relyne which we are going to continue. (Eros gets it too, so I already will always have it on hand anyway.) Last time we treated with Omeprazole/fenbendazole as well as Misoprostol. This time we're going a different route. Well kinda. Temporarily he's on the same omep/fenben combo for a few days, but doc ordered us Esomeprazole to switch to as soon as it arrives. It's a more potent form of Omeprazole if I understood him correctly. We're also doing a course of Sucralfate. We are five days into treatment and I'm already seeing a different horse. I mean, things aren't magically fixed or anything. But the horse is so much more relaxed. Today I got on him and not three minutes into our ride all this construction equipment appeared on the road and it was... not quiet. 

I mean, OF COURSE this showed up while I was on Al, right? Wouldn't happen to Shiny who wouldn't care at all. But he actually tolerated it fairly well. I didn't push too hard about the scary part of the ring today because he was being so good about all the chaos on the road. And also, we did a walk trot ride. Played it safe. Kept the delicate flower somewhat protected. I realize some of the reason we are where we are is because sometimes I protect him too much. But he does have a painful tummy right now, so I think it's the right time to be doing that.

Post scope nap

In other Al news, we had our first session with our new trainer on Tuesday! Of course it was kind of rainy, but Al doesn't really care about rain. (He is a good boy about some things!) I'm feeling very positive about this trainer. We've actually known each other for more than 30 years so he knows my history and I know much of his too. But I've never ridden with him, so I wasn't sure of his methods. He was highly recommended from a trusted friend who has worked with him though, so I wasn't too worried. The lesson went so well! We spent a long while talking about what we've been dealing with. Trainer B asked me what I've tried and what's worked and what hasn't. And he really listened to my answers. He had some suggestions that I said I wasn't sure would work and explained my reasoning and he agreed with me. He had a lot of ideas and different approaches for every one of my concerns so I'm excited to get to work and try things out. But I digress, let's get back to the lesson. He didn't roll his eyes at me when I said it does seem to help Al take a breath when we walk the ring before mounting, and he said great, let's do that! After our stroll I mounted up, and we discussed where Al sees monsters and then he had us walk a bow tie shape all up and down that section. When Al did his stop and stare, trainer B had me get him moving but not by force. He said the horse is afraid, so we don't force him to do what he's afraid of. Get him to agree to move forward and then continue. So we did that. And slowly but surely he started to relax. We did have to wash, rinse, repeat the whole thing at the trot. But he came around nicely. We actually didn't touch on the canter. There was a lot of discussing and what not during the lesson, and I could tell Al was getting a little tired in the brain. We had a long session the day before, and so I asked trainer B if he wanted to do more, or let Al quit on what we had done. He said he was really happy with where Al finished (walking on the buckle up and down the monster side!) and didn't see a need to keep working just to work. And he also said he was glad I wasn't the type to want to keep going just to do all the things in every ride. 

We chatted for awhile in the barn about what he thought about Al, and he said it wasn't at all what he was expecting. In a good way! He agrees with my vet that a lot of our issue was likely the ulcers. He thought Al seemed like a kind horse who wants to do the right thing. Which is what I think about him too. So time to will tell, but I'm feeling optimistic. Which is a very nice change from the spiral I've been living in for the past many weeks! Let's hope tomorrow there's no surprise construction outside (or next door...) and we can really practice some of our new methods. 

Eros seems to be feeling pretty good these days too. He's been a little sassy about the far end of the ring, but nothing terrible. I'm guessing there's some wildlife out there that he can smell and I cannot. Silliness aside, he's been putting in some good work lately. We do the equiband once a week, and we've been jumping once a week too. If the weather would cooperate I hope to get to twice a week jump schools soon. He's been really good to the jumps. It HAS to be the doxy. That's the only change in his life. Zero torpedos in the last two schools! I'm not sure if it's because doxy makes them feel a little blah, or if it's because the doxy is helping the lyme... So I guess we'll see if the torpedoes return post meds. He still has a couple weeks left so TBD I guess. I tried to bring Pivo out today, and the results were all over the place. I set up two of them. I have a broken one that no longer tracks, but can zoom in and out and then I have a "good" one. But the latest upgrade seems a bit buggy. I actually think it tracked my entire ride on Eros, but (user error here) I forgot to put my phone on airplane mode. When I was approaching to stop the video and save it, I heard the beep of doom. The app closed itself and I got nothing. Nada. ZILCH. So disappointing. Thankfully the broken one got a few jumps. 

I'll keep trying. I feel like every summer I have to re-learn how to use this thing. I also filmed Al with both cameras but we didn't do anything exciting. "Good" Pivo only tracked some of his ride and then chose to stare at the sky for awhile. Bad Pivo did what it can, but I didn't really have it pointed in a good spot for our flat work. 

I got the most useful footage with Shiny, but only kind of. The sun finally came out for my ride on her, which good Pivo liked, but Bad Pivo was kind of shooting into it, though it was also cloudy on that side of the property...  So it's like a tale of two weather fronts. (New England is a trip this time of year.) Anyway, Good Pivo tracked her for the most part, but was tilting too high (I have a Pivo X which can tilt up and down) and apparently didn't feel like zooming was necessary. It also was bouncing back and forth a lot. So the video is nauseating, but it did allow for some cute screen shots. I'll take it. Better than staring at the sky! Pony was pretty good today, but she was a little lazy. I did her last and I think she wasn't here for it honestly. I really appreciate that she still does the thing even if she doesn't feel like it. She doesn't fuss much or put up a fight. But she does pick her own pace and throws you the bird if you try to force something else.

Pony version of the finger.

Overall she's going well. I'm not sure she's thrilled with the saddle set up anymore, so I need to really start hoarding my pennies so I can get something else for her. I've been stalking the used saddle sites for her specs, but so far coming up empty. Hopefully something will pop up soon. 

Good Pivo, cutting off the feet.

Bad Pivo getting the best shots, but the worst lighting

Good Pivo in the sun

Bad Pivo facing the clouds AND the sun

Last weekend was kind of chaotic with non horse things:

Beautiful Dinner in the rose garden at my friend's house
But of course it started raining just after we sat down to eat so 
we had to move indoors. Lol!

A Midsummer Night's Dream with my bestie on Saturday night
She lives an hour from me, so it was a late night

Sunday morning I was up bright and early (5am this time which was much better than last week's 4:15) to do the chores so I could be showered and dressed appropriately to attend my nieces performance in Finding Nemo kids. I gotta tell you, these kids plays are adorable, hilarious, and complete chaos. Only like 1/4 of them can remember their lines or where to stand. Chaos. It's adorable. I had about three free hours after that before I had to be at Father's Day dinner. But in those three hours I had to feed also, so it was more like two and a half hours. Not enough time to ride. Or do any sort of project. So instead I took a nap. I think it was the best option. 

This weekend is quiet thank goodness! I have a horse to braid Thursday night, and family dinner Friday, and then nothing but horses on the schedule! It's supposed to start getting hot and humid, but I think we'll stay in rideable temps through the weekend. Monday and Tuesday though I think they'll have off. Monday is supposed to be in the 90's with feels like of 100, and Tuesday the high is 98 with a feels like of hades. Wednesday only looks mildly better so that might be a tack walk day... But they never really know this far out. We'll see how it shakes out. 

Fingers crossed the weather forecast is wrong about the highs so Al and I can have another lesson. Until next week friends!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession is that I didn't ride a single horse Saturday nor Sunday. Between chores and various social obligations I didn't have time to ride them all either day. And so I just opted out. I rarely ever do that. Especially not two days in a row. (I did ride Monday, our usual day off, to make up for one of the days at least.) But you know what? The horses are fine. A couple of vacation days didn't hurt anyone. 

I've always been apart of programs that rides six days a week. And it feels like some sort of failure when that doesn't happen. But honestly? On occasion, it's not the end of the world for the horses to have some time off. After being in a less than ideal program the past many winters (the most recent winter excluded), I had gotten it drilled into me that not riding six days a week meant I was lazy. That I wasn't dedicated. That the horses would be unfit and unruly. But none of that is true. Sometimes life happens and we need to partake in it. And if you're truly in a successful horse management program a couple of days won't make or break your horse's fitness nor his/her temperament. 

So in conclusion, the horses alright. And so am I.

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! We had a few fun ones in a row, so today I'm taking it back to barn colors. But don't worry, there was still some fun to be had. Just a little bit. I let Al model today because he deserves some positivity here on the blog. (And he was almost a good boy today, so that earns him some credits.) Here's what he had on:

He was not interested in standing up nice and square for his photos. But at least he was standing like a nice boy!

Bridle: Pinnacle
Brow Band: Boy O Boy Bridleworks

He's a lot of things, and thankfully adorable is one of them. It's his saving grace. Look at those little ears!

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes

Baby Pad: Mattes

This one is my favorite saddle. It's funny because technically Eros' saddle is more or less the same, but I like this one better. 

Boots: Horze

Sorry this is such a dark photo. My phone was overheating and it looked like this from every angle. But you've seen them before, so you have an idea of what they really look like. 

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

See? There's a little bit of fun happening! 

Helmet: One K embellished by me

I need to do something like this for our turquoise outfit. Love my cow inserts!

Shirt: Math Cat

I also love my Amazon shirts. Highly recommend these!

Belt: Designer inspired

Found this cute belt when I did my unsuccessful reorganization the other day. I forgot I even had it!

Breeches: Romfh

I really like the ROMFH Sarafina breeches. These have the silicone patches which I am especially fond of. Also, the interior of my car is pretty much exactly this color. So fun!

Boots: Celeris UK

I love these boots. I hope they live forever. But if they don't, I absolutely will have them made again. 

That's what we wore today! I have a few action shots to share because while I couldn't use the full ring with Al just yet, we did have a relatively nice ride today. He did some work up and on the bit:

And a little bit of stretching too:

I remain frustrated that I haven' cracked this horses code, because he's SO NICE. Like probably one of the easiest AND most talented horses I've had. And yet the brain part is so incomplete. Maybe we'll get some answers tomorrow. Fingers crossed!