Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day!!! I'm so excited to not have 3 million layers on to ride this week. Such a luxury! Eros is our model this week, and here's what we had on:

I decided it was time to allow a little bit of blue back into our wardrobe. That's a sign of healing in case you weren't sure. That, and I still had the navy boots at the barn already from Chanukah. 

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

I dunno guys, I think his dad bod is toning up! There's still a bit of a low hanging belly... But the butt's getting rounder and that hay gut does appear at least a little smaller. 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Brow Band: Dark Jewel Designs

His forelock looks silly. But the rest of him is adorable!

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes

Saddle Pad: Homemade

My step mom made this pad for me, isn't that impressive?! It's actually a prototype for something I'm working on. A rough draft if you will. I've been test riding in it, and so far so good! 

Wraps: Anatomeq

These are the cool support polos from Anatomeq. I generally love everything from this brand. (Woman owned, Canadian company, highly recommend!) But these wraps aren't my favorite. I bought them because they're supposed to be cooler than your standard fleece polo. Which they are for sure. The first half of the wrap is a breathable material that's just ever so slightly padded. I want to like the material as it should on paper be perfect, but it's just a little slippery. The second half of the wrap, the part you see here, is like an elastic bandage, but with mesh stripes in between. I'm not sure what it is exactly that makes them not work quite right. But the wraps just don't quite move with the horse correctly and they kind of shift some when you're riding. I don't think they'd hurt the horse or anything bad, but I dunno. Something's a little off with them. They are pretty though when you first put them on.

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

Look at that! I'm not wearing wool NOR winter weight breeches! It's a February miracle!

Helmet: One K Avance CCS MIPS

Hey look! It's my navy helmet! Been awhile!

Sweatshirt: Quur

So this is funny... You've all seen my green version of this hoodie before but apparently I never wore this navy one. It still had its tag on it. I'm ashamed as I bought these... three years ago. Oops. Hey, I'm wearing it now! Also, it might be time to clean out my closets again.

Belt: Pampeano

A bunch of us got these at the old barn since it's their farm colors, but it was too nice for me to stop wearing. So I'm still using it!

Breeches: Ariat

These are super old, and they don't make them anymore, but I really like them still. I also have an olive pair. (If you like it, pick it up in another color... generally my life motto.) I plan to keep them around until they fall apart. They're kind of like the traveling pants. They seem to fit me no matter my weight. And that my friends, is a solid pair of pants to keep around.

Boots: Celeris UK

These are the demo boots I accidentally bought last summer. Hate when that happens... (No I don't.) They fit so perfectly it's like they had me in mind when they made them for the shop. They're almost fully broken in, but the left one did wound me a bit this week. Thank goodness for giant bandaids!

That's it for today! Any favorite things from this week? How about my stepmom's saddle pad skills??

What's Up Wednesday

 

It's truly amazing what a few nice days can do for a person. And for horses. But especially me. We've been enjoying some BEAUTIFUL days here in CT. We've even seen 50 degrees! It's glorious. It's not going to last, but I've been sure to enjoy it while it's here. Tomorrow is rainy and in the upper 40's, similar Friday but dry, and mid 50's Saturday before winter returns that night. Then a couple stupidly cold days but back to the 40's and 50's after that for awhile! I'll take it! Come on Spring, you can do it! No one will be mad if you come early.

The horses all had a nice week. Especially once the nice weather arrived. It's definitely mud season outside but they're not sad about it. All of the ice finished melting in the outdoor ring yesterday, so now we just need it to dry out a little so we can get back out there!

Let's start with Al's week. He got a really special treat this week. The stalls at the winter barn have stall gates for doors, but the top opening is pretty high so the horses have to stand pretty awkwardly to look out. There are two gates that have yokes though. One of the horses who had one of those special gates lost his privilege after biting one too many people. So Al gets to have a gate he can comfortably hang his head out of. They asked if I wanted it for Shiny first, but she's not nice to other horses so asked for Al to get it since he spends the most time trying to see out. He's so happy now!

Interestingly, ever since getting his fancy new gate, he's been a happier boy to ride too. We made it six rides in a row before we had a less than stellar day, and honestly, I'm not sure we've ever gone that long before. Today was his less than great day, but he had lots of reasons to be distracted. And honestly, all he did wrong was be distracted. He didn't spook at all. And that's a pretty big deal. I'm really proud of him. And now I guess I might have to see about changing the door on his stall at home. Or maybe I can put a stall guard up during the day or something, and just close him in when there isn't a human in the barn. We'll see. I'll have to think about it. We played with some little raised cavalletti height "jumps" a couple of times last week. We were planning to today also, but it didn't work out with his lack of attention. Tomorrow is another day though! I'm not (yet) discouraged. 

I just noticed that the top of his star kind of looks like a unicorn.
(Can you see it?) And that's the most perfect thing ever.

Eros has been feeling really good lately! He's starting to lift his big belly and use his hind end again. We've been able to really do some fun flatwork which I've missed with him. The last couple of days he's been a bit spooky, and I think he's getting a little wild. Well, "Eros wild" which isn't actually that cuckoo. It just means he'd REALLY like to have a gallop. Unfortunately with mud season here, he's not going to get that chance for awhile. We can't free lunge in the indoor here, and he really can't be galloping on a lunge circle because his legs will implode. So we'll just have a spooky Eros for a bit. And that's okay. Hopefully we'll be outside soon, that should help. 

I let him play today over our little "jumps" and he was a little silly but it was a lot of fun. I really enjoy that he gets just as excited for these little things as he does for real jumps. 

Shine's doing well too. The extensive tripping has resolved since they've been dragging the ring more frequently so that's a relief! We got her bloodwork back yesterday and it was all good news! For the first time probably ever her leptin is in a normal range which is miraculous and wonderful. Her insulin was 27 which "normal" is between 10 and 40, so that looks good, but ideal is under 20. So we're a little high, but it wasn't fasting bloodwork, so no one is concerned there. It's also lower than it's ever been so I think that's good. The plan is to start stepping down the Thryo-L which we started last week. And she's going to have one of her hay portions per day unsoaked. We haven't started that yet, but will in the next day or so. I'm thinking we'll do her night check hay dry since I think that will cause the least confusion. I worry that staff might get mixed up and mistakenly give her more than one dry meal in a day. The staff here is some part time and some full time, but the shifts are kind of all over the place. The fewest amount of people do the night check shift so I figure that's the best chance to not have an error. I've had a few days were she seemed to have more energy, but it's kind of intermittent. I'm hoping getting a few more calories in the dry hay might help. 

She had a really fun Sunday this week. One of the other boarders set some little jumps up to play with, so Shiny and I joined in on the fun, along with one other boarder. It was so fun to have a little group to jump with. I think the jumps were the same height we've been doing with the blocks, but these had standards and apparently, according to Shiny, that makes it more fun and more worthy of her interest. 

It was an unplanned fun day, but I would love to do this again but with Al one of these weekends. Hopefully it can happen again soon! We're definitely all feeling that itch to get our horses ready for fun spring adventures. My bank account is zero perfect ready for such things, but it never hurts to be prepared anyway!

They'll all three have their recheck with our performance vet on Friday the 7th, so I'm looking forward to that. I think Shiny's neck will definitely get a shockwave. I know Eros is needing his hocks done soonish, but I think we can wait a bit on that. I'd rather have them fresh for summer as long as he's comfortable to wait. Al is feeling pretty good, though the canter still needs work. I'm not sure if it's a physical issue or an emotional one though. You just never know with him! But I do feel it's improved, so I'm leaning toward emotional. 

In non horse news, my truck windshield got cracked by a rock last week, so I'm waiting to hear back from insurance to get that fixed. 

I know it's not the truck's fault, but this truck is such a money pit in general I'm blaming it. Thankfully I have full glass coverage so it shouldn't cost me anything other than aggravation. Oddly enough, my insurance agent seemed to try to discourage me from making a claim. Windshield damage like this is comprehensive so shouldn't be a reason to raise my premium. And why would you bother having insurance for stuff like this if you didn't use it? It was very odd. I called my dad for his opinion because I was worried I was missing something and he also thought that was silly. Suggested finding a new agent too. When I told the agent I did indeed want to move forward with a claim, rather than submitting it for me (which is how it's always been handled in the past) she sent me a link to do it myself. So I kind of think she's just lazy and dad might be right. In the meantime, I submitted it myself so we'll see how it goes!

That's it from here! If you need me, I'll be enjoying the weather until Saturday when it turns arctic again. 

Truthful Tuesday

So, I'm not a huge germaphobe or anything crazy. But... there is one virus that makes me a bit of a crazy person. It's not one you can get vaccinated for. It is the norovirus. (Seriously, science has done so many extraordinary things, how have they not found a way to prevent this one yet?) Which leads me to today's confession.

One of the barn workers went home sick today with some kind of stomach bug that I can only assume must be the norovirus. (I suppose it could be food poisoning. Possibly. She's not an irresponsible drinker so I very much doubt it's a hangover. And she has a girlfriend so not a chance of morning sickness there.) Regardless, I'm glad she went home and didn't try to push through the day! 

But guys, there was no bleach to be found at the barn. Which meant there was zero chance of me going anywhere near the bathroom. I also may or may not have washed my hands every time I touched any doorknobs. And maybe also yes, I will be bringing a lovely bleach and water mixture in a spray bottle to the barn tomorrow. But none of that is my confession. My confession is that I peed in Shiny's stall because I was that worried about going in the bathroom and I REALLY had to wee!

So yeah, I'm a little bit of a crazy person. Anyone else? Just me?

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! As promised, we're back to our favorite color scheme. Shiny is modeling again for us this week because she's using one of my favorite saddle pads and it's one I only use in the winter so figured we should share it now in case winter actually ends sometimes soon. Here's what we  were wearing today:

I hadn't noticed from the ground, but it looks like her golden color is starting to come back! Hopefully she'll start shedding soon and we can be rid of her winter pink coat. Are your horses shedding yet? Eros is thinking about it, but Shiny and Al haven't started at all yet. Seems like most of the other horses at the barn have started. But mine also aren't terribly fuzzy so maybe that's why they're slow to get going. I hasn't been above 25 degrees so it would be wise of them to keep the hair!

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

The side eye is my favorite thing about this photo. Also, her tail is looking pretty good this year other than the staining at the bottom... but even that isn't as bad as it can be. (Mares are so gross.)

Bridle: Pinnacle

Brow Band: Boy O' Boy Bridleworks

I know this bridle fits her a little oddly. Like I almost think she could use a full size crown piece and then all the other parts cob... but I'm not buying another one to make that happen. Regardless of the odd sizing, I think it looks really pretty on her. These are a great bridle if you're looking for something attractive but inexpensive. 

Saddle: Custom Saddlery

Saddle Pad: Mattes

Before Hufglocken stopped selling Mattes, they had a great sale and I picked up a bunch of these pads. They have sheepskin along the edges as well as in all the half pad areas. I had gotten them the year that all the horses were getting rubbed by literally anything that touched them, and these did a nice job of not doing that.

Boots: Eskadron

We use these a lot in the winter because they're some of my favorites. Too warm definitely for summer time, but no tendons are overheating in the 20 degrees. I can assure you of that.

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

I think the weather of late is poop, so I dressed like a poop today. But honestly, I love a good brown. Even if it's poop color. 

Helmet: One K Avance CCS Mips

Still the same helmet. I really should have brought a Samshield over for this weather because I have that liner with the warm ear flaps... Alas, I keep forgetting.

Sweater: TKEQ
Quarter Zip: Ariat

I snagged this wool blend TKEQ sweater on closeout a couple of years ago. it's getting a little pilled, but who cares for a barn sweater? It's warm and comfy and perfect for this cold spell. The quarter zip underneath is merino and also provides a nice layer of warmth. I layered these with both a puffy vest and jacket from Old Navy which you can see in the first photo on this post.

Belt: Tory Burch

I'm a sucker for a green belt and Tory Burch seems to also love them. This buckle is getting pretty scratched up and that's how you know this is an often chosen belt.

Breeches: Dover Wellesley

You guys have seen these a lot this winter. I have a decent collection of these breeches, but most of the ones I have are in the blue or black family. I have no green ones which is a real tragedy. Since I have no green, this tan pair and the brown pair I have get a lot of use.

Paddock Boots: Celeris UK
Chaps: Journeyman

I had to bust these back. I can't emphasize enough how much warmth full chaps provide. I do have a sad update on the paddock boots though. One of the zippers is breaking. I'm hoping to nurse them through the rest of the winter, but they are definitely going to need a repair soon. The nearly 29 year old chaps are going strong though! Admittedly, they are a bit more snug with this winter insulation I've added... but I'm working on that.

That's it for today! One of the boys will model next week, it's their turn for sure!

What's Up Wednesday

 

We had a brief moment where it seemed like it was going to start warming up around here, but that was just mother's nature idea of a joke apparently. (Important to note, when it "warmed up" it was 35 degrees. Which is NOT, in fact, warm.) We've been back in the low 20's all this week and everyone I talk to has had enough of it! The horses too. They were stuck in for three days because this weather is so silly. Sunday morning it snowed a few inches, and then turned to rain. It proceeded to pour buckets of rain for much of the day. Important to note, it never got above 35, so all that rain pretty much froze as soon as the sun went down. So now everything is just covered in ice. Monday and Tuesday we had winds that gusted as high as 50mph too. It's just been lovely. I think even the horses are ready for some nicer weather. 

Another wee problem with all the cold and ice... the rats. Now I know all barns have rats. (Except mine. I had two rats at one point that tried to hang around but I eliminated them. I can honestly say I do not have rats. Mice though, those I have a plenty.) Even the old barn with all it's fanciness had plenty of rats. But with winter being so brutal the rats at the new barn are hungry. VERY hungry. So hungry they're trying to eat my horse's feet. I've been painting them with hoof oil every day before I leave which seems to be helping, but if any of you have some tried and true advice to keep them from chewing on my horses, please share! Important to note, Shiny seems to not allow it because her feet are not chewed on. Which surprises me none. I love that pony.

Okay, I'm done whining about the weather. I think. At least for the moment. Let's talk about horses! 

We'll start with Al this week. Because his name comes up first in the alphabet. Al's been his usual self for the most part. Sunday I opted to lunge him rather than ride him since the vibe was a little nutty amongst the equine that day. It was raining and windy and icy... and the horses were just all a little up. Al wound up being perfectly quiet though because he loves to mess with your mind. He lunged very nicely. Monday he had off as we don't ride Mondays and again that was for the best. Because on Monday when the sun came out, all the ice was sliding off the roof. And while it's mostly quieter than at the old barn, it was still pretty noisy and the horses all hated it. He had a nice hand walk though, once the roof got quieter later in the day. By Tuesday he was feeling big sad about not having any turnout in YEARS   a few days. So sad that he was lazy and just wanted to be tucked back into bed. We had a short lunge and a short ride and just let it be. Because some days aren't meant for hard work! Today though? All the stars aligned to allow us a lovely ride. First, he got to go outside in the morning group so he had fresh air before riding time. And on top of that goodness, there was a dressage lesson happening in the ring when I rode. Which meant the instructor was positioned near the one end door, and the horse having the lesson is this lovely little warmblood. He's 23 years old, quiet as they come, and sweet as pie! Though he can be a little cheeky. Very cute little horse! Al loves riding with him. So Al had a buddy that he loves, a human by the scary door, and he was just a lovely rideable dude! He gave me some really nice trot work, both with impulsion AND in the proper shape. Stepped right into the canter immediately when asked either direction, and even had a few short moments of a nice canter both ways. I realize this may not happen again for many months, so I'm just so proud and happy with our ride today. I like to acknowledge these days so when I forget they happen I can look back and be reminded. I might set some stuff up for him to play with tomorrow. We'll see how motivated I am. 

Photo from a few weeks ago when it was warm enough 
to ride in just a vest.

Eros continues to feel like the horse I used to know. I realize it's mostly due to the Robaxin, but I'm just glad it's working! He's been really using himself well, lifting that big belly of his. Which I gotta tell you, he's lost some of that extra weight and is looking more like a fit horse. I mean, he still has a dad bod, but like a fit dad. Even his butt is getting some shape back. I'm excited! Just from him using himself better all over, his front end that's always a little less than perfect is also feeling better. Probably because he's using his core to hold himself up instead of leaning on his front legs. 

I'm not sure how long he'll be on the Robaxin. Originally it was just a month and then we were due for a recheck. Which I had a tentative appointment for last Friday, but doc wasn't able to get back from Florida so that's pushed until March 7th. He'll stay on the meds at least until he gets seen then, and we'll make a plan then for what comes next. Hopefully by then he'll be stronger and won't need them anymore. Especially since he has his saddle back. I think he feels good in it so hopefully that means it's fitting him well. Even though I still hate it... It is less offensive to me now after a couple weeks of rides in it, but it's still far from my favorite saddle ever. If he's happy though, I'll deal with it! Whatever Eros wants, Eros can have. 

Look at this svelte pony!

I think I mentioned last week that I had some concerns about Shiny. I felt like she was suddenly dropping more weight more quickly and that seemed alarming to me. Her top line wasn't looking so full and strong anymore, and that had me spiraling a little bit. (Me? Spiral?? About a horse's health?? Never...) I was patiently (ish) awaiting that recheck appointment to ask doc about it, but when it had to be rescheduled I decided to have our other more local vet come out for a visit. Can't have too many educated eyes on a horse, right? Right. 

He was able to come out Monday and was actually thrilled with her body score. He gave her a 5 which is pretty perfect. But agreed that she had lost a little top line. He suspects that our diet has done it's job but she's not getting quite enough to sustain the proper weight. Before we make any real changes to her diet, he pulled some blood to see where her glucose (non fasting) and leptin numbers are. We should have those results by the end of the week. In the meantime we are going to lower her dose of Thyro-L. Once the bloodwork comes back, if it's all good news, we'll start giving her one not soaked hay meal each day. Still weighing it so we're careful with how much she's eating, but by not soaking it she'll get additional calories. Doc's hope is that we'll eventually get her off soaked hay completely, but I don't want to get too excited for that just yet. (Because soaking hay is a real pain!) I also asked him to pull blood to check her kidneys because I'm a lunatic, but he humored me. Overall the visit really calmed me nerves about her health. I let him know about the ventipulmin and her breathing stuff and he was totally on the same page with our other vet. Keep her on it until the next recheck, but he also heard nothing alarming when he listened to her breathing. 

I'm also not as freaked out about her tripping last week. Another horse was tripping a lot too so they made an effort to drag the ring more and that all seems to have resolved. I think this wax footing doesn't do so well in the really cold temps we've been having. 

Also, now that Shiny's at her goal weight I'm looking huge on her. I've put on a few pounds this winter, so I guess now it's my turn to get to work on finding a summer bod. For Shiny's sake! I swear she's been fat shaming me. And that's only fair since I certainly fat shamed her enough the last couple of years. What goes around comes around!

So that's where we're at this week. Still waiting on some warmer weather... Supposed to be in the forties soon and we're all weirdly excited for that. Like, really really, weirdly excited. I've been spending some time during each Eros ride without stirrups lately so hopefully when it actually gets nice I'll be in shape and ready to ride the equine kites outdoors for the first time.... Come on Spring!

Truthful Tuesday

 

My confession today is that I'm contemplating calling an animal communicator to see if it might help me figure Al out a little quicker. I've never done this before, but I know people who have, and the communicator knew things that she couldn't possibly have just pulled out of thin air. So while I'm pretty skeptical of it all, there's a part of me that thinks there could be something to it. And I mean, even if it is a load of malarkey, it doesn't hurt anyone or anything (except the wallet). So I'm thinking, why not? Have any of you ever done it? 

I just was talking about Al and his personality the other day and realized there's a big change in who he is now versus the horse he was the first year I had him. And I'm not sure it's a good change. He used to be full on Buddy the Elf. Every day was the best day ever and he was just so happy all the time. But these days? I dunno. I don't see that happy horse so much. He's just so insecure and constantly looking to his humans for reassurance. Which I'm happy to provide, but I would love for him to have some confidence of his own again. And everything I've been doing with him seems to not be providing that for him. So maybe a communicator could help me with that? What do you guys think?

Thursday's Threads: Valentine's Edition

 

Valentine's Outfit Day! Finally a fun one. Shiny modeled today because she looks the cutest in pink. Here's sort of what we had on... She's a little short for the mirror selfie. And the mirrors are a little wonky from the weather. (They're a mirror wrap, so not glass and they get wavy sometimes when the temps are up and down.)

Don't worry, we'll have better photos. 

Here's what Shiny's wearing this week:

I know. She's the perfect Valentine's model.

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Brow Band: Handmade by me

The snarky candy heart brow band is the most perfect thing I've ever made for this pony. I can imagine her saying pretty much all of them. 

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Saddle Pad: Equine Star

The saddle pad has friendlier sayings on the hearts. Can't be all snark all of the time, right?

Boots: Equine Star

The boots are the same print as the saddle pads, so they are also lovey sayings. If I ever make a pair for her hind legs though, I'll have to go with the sassy sayings! Cause those are her kicking legs... Heehee.

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

I haven't worn these breeches nearly enough this winter (they were kind of hiding, but now they're found) so I was excited to pair them with my valentine's sweatshirt.

Helmet: One K Avance CCS with MIPS

I kind of forgot to bring a more valentine-y helmet to the barn. But this one worked okay. 

Sweatshirt: Zazzle... OR Society 6 I'm not sure.

Obviously, MY shirt had to have snarky hearts. I think this is so funny. I can't remember where I got it though, it's been several years.

Belt: Buckle Down

I've been on the hunt for a belt that matches the rest of the color scheme better, but I've come up empty so far. This one works just fine though, and it's actually really cute! The buckle is a seat belt. So fun!

Breeches: Dover Wellesley

This photo doesn't represent the color that well. The full mirror selfie photo is more accurate. I love this color, it's the only pair in my collection of Wellesleys that's not a neutral. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

These are hard to read, but they are also full of sass. I can always count on Dreamers and Schemers to have socks for every outfit! 

Boots and Half Chaps: Celeris UK

I debated bringing the pink boots for this outfit since obviously they would tie it all together. But it's just been too cold to wear anything on my feet that isn't lined. So I stuck with these. That trim on there is rose gold, so that's pink enough!

That's it for this week! Probably back to our regularly scheduled boring colors next week. But maybe I'll surprise us all and do something fun. Time will tell!