What's Up Wednesday

 

All that's up here really is all the rain! We haven't accomplished much of anything in the riding department. But you know what? It's okay. The horses are fine, albeit a little less fit that I'd prefer. Same for me. I've definitely put on some weight this summer which is hard. But it's life right? Hopefully the weather will calm down and we'll have a few good months of riding before winter returns. 

Unrelated photo of last night's little visitor

Things will be a little chaotic starting next Thursday as I have my two busy braiding weekends for our two local finals. And my helper is off that whole week in between because of a prior commitment. My plan is to just not ride much on the braiding days. I'll make it work! I don't think it will be as crazy as years past anyway, as the closer of the two finals moved to a much further away location. So I just have my two long time clients. The first week is just one of them, and the second weekend I should have both. I think it will be okay. And since I don't have to pay for help AND I'll be making some braiding money, I should be able to get the rest of the blankets I wanted for the horses this winter. Hopefully. 

As for the horses, everyone is good! Al is feeling a lot better since his vet work. Yesterday, Shiny's kid rode Eros while I was on Al. We were going to start introducing her to lateral work which Eros is the perfect teacher for that stuff since it's so easy for him. Al loved riding with Eros, it seemed to really make him feel comfortable. So comfortable that he actually very easily walked, trotted, and cantered around the entire ring without any bracing by the scary side. Miracle. Of course, that all got ruined as we were finishing up our rides. 

See that little dead stick of a tree from the middle to the right side of this photo? 
That's the tree I'm referencing in the next paragraph

With all the wet weather, there have been a lot of downed trees in my area. And I hadn't realized it, but one of the little dead trees between my neighbor and me uprooted itself. It mostly fell sideways, so it's not in anyone's way, and with all the leaves still out, you can't even really see it. But some of it must have caught up on something on the neighbor's side. So he decided the only time he could possibly mess with that was while I was riding. Not only that, but while someone else was riding here too. A minor no less. I swear. This guy is the most inconsiderate jerk I've encountered. So we were in the middle talking about what kiddo would try in a moment on Eros, when the trees started moving. Scared both horses. I said alright, I guess we better get off. Honestly. This dude was tinkering away in his garage all day. Came out just at that moment to mess with the tree. Then once we were back inside he retreated back to his garage. Tell me that's not intentional. He's the type that "punishes" people for their "mistakes". So since that tree grows on my side of the property line, I needed to be punished for it falling. (Mind you, he's the one that killed it. He over pruned all the trees so they would fall away from his yard if they fell. And then they all died.) Putting other people in danger seems a bit much to me though. Ugh. I wish that guy would move away. Hopefully Al isn't too scarred. That horse has the longest memory. Also please cross your fingers that he isn't planning to do it again today. That would be the last of me ever riding Al down that long side. 

Al ears here, seen at the "safe" side of the ring

That's really about all the excitement from here. I've scheduled my fence repair for also one of the braiding weekends. But I figure that's good because I won't be riding much then anyway. I can't wait to get that done because seeing these rotten posts is really stressing me out. I have a long list of things we're tackling over here. First being the fence. Then I need to get the truck AND the gator in for some maintenance (though not at the same time). Oh and also my trailer is beyone overdue for service. So that will be my focus once braid-a-palooza is over. Once all of that is taken care of... maybe then I'll have the bandwidth to do something fun and exciting with the horses.

I may need to wait until spring for these things, but I am feeling like it's time to do something other than plop around my backyard with these horses. I'm toying with the idea of some dressage lessons and maybe schooling shows with Eros. And I'd like to see if I can get that trainer that came out last year back for some lessons with Al. And maybe Shiny should do some unrated little jumper shows. I can't seem to get my ducks in a row at the moment to get any of this rolling. I think because I'm still trying to find my routine with the new helper. And all of these maintenance things that are needing my attention. I guess I've just been feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the things that required my focus. But I like that I'm feeling ready for more horsey fun. Step in the right direction! 

Anyway, that's just me trying to organize my life... Lol. Hope you're all having fun with your horses and not getting to waterlogged or overheated this summer! Do you also have a long list of maintenance derailing your horsey fun? Adulting! Am I right?!

What's Up Wednesday

 

We had kind of a light-ish end of the week/weekend. Which was  actually fine with me because there was plenty going on! My new helper was off Thurs, Fri, Mon, and Tues, so I was on full time barn duty all six days. Shiny's kiddo was away too helping out at a horsey sleep over camp in VT. I can't wait to hear all about it! Her friend's family owns it, so she was working with her friend. Kind of like camp councilors I think. Anyway, she's checked in a couple of times and sounds like it was lots of fun.

As for me and the horses... Thursday was a normal day. We got chores done, I dragged the ring, and everyone got ridden. I think Shiny jumped? Who can remember. I feel like it was a year ago. Lol! Friday was a busy day! I got chores done and rode Shiny. Al had the vet coming for 2ish, but I knew he'd be late because he was going to a big barn nearby first and they always surprise him with extra horses. Fortunately he was only about an hour late. Not too bad as these things can go! I first had that front tendon looked at before riding. It's been totally back to normal, but you know, best to have a professional take a look if possible. Doc agreed that it's a non thing. So that was good. Then I got on for an evaluation and we decided on some maintenance for Al. 

Those maintenance naps... nothing like it!

I was getting a little nervous that he wasn't going to wake up in time though... Because I needed to feed, shower, and leave my house by 6pm. Thankfully, Al was ready to eat in time and I made it! My niece was performing in Frozen. She played young Anna, and did the most wonderful job! She opened the show with a solo, and I was so proud of her. It was a sold out crowd too!

Saturday was another normal day except that Al had the day off. He stayed in from turnout, but we had a nice hand walk in the late afternoon and some grass after that. It was a lovely day!

Sunday was beautiful. Like one of those top ten perfect weather days. It was sunny and warm, but not hot. No wind. After chores were done, we got to have a proper Sunday Funday. Well. Al was still on vacation but he had a nice hand graze. The other two did a short bareback ring ride, and then meandered out in the backyard with snackies mixed in. Eros even ventured out away from the barn which can be hard to get him to do. That horse really hates nature. 

Monday the horses had off, which was good because my chore list is out of control these days. I got the barn done in the morning, then took Rita for a walk, and finally got down to work on laundry and a few other things around the house. 

The weather people were all threatening that Tuesday would be wet all day, but for once I was thankful they were wrong! It actually was an okay day. No rain, just very humid. Which was perfect because I was DYING to ride Al and see how he felt after his vet work. He felt significantly better, and was actually a lot more willing to go forward. Though that might be a by product of his four days off. Hard to say for sure. We are definitely rained out today as it's been pouring since 5am here. But that's okay. We needed the rain. We've had some deluges here in the past couple of weeks, but when it rains like that the water just runs off the ring. It doesn't soak in. So we were getting VERY dusty. The rain today is more steady and should have a chance to soak into the ground. 

That's about it from here. I plan to probably drag the ring tomorrow and get everyone flatted, then maybe Friday we can jump around a little bit. If the weather allows of course. Hope you all had a great week/weekend!

What's Up Wednesday

 

Oof. What a week! I mean, it actually was a very productive week, but not much riding was done. Wednesday and Thursday we had terrible air quality from the Canadian wildfires. Numbers in the 300's. I have asthma, and a couple winters ago Shiny had some breathing stuff going on, so I err on the side of caution with air quality. I know a lot of people were still riding and showing and what not. But eh. We have zero goals this summer. 

Sun spots aren't usually orange here.

Then we had a beautiful Friday! Clear skies, sun... So nice!

Which was promptly followed by torrential rain Saturday. Sunday was nice though, and Shiny's kiddo came to ride. So it as a fun day.

While all that not riding was going on though, I did get several things checked off my lingering to do list. The boys had their undercarriages cleaned which was much needed.

iykyk

I also cleaned and conditioned the majority of my tack. I haven't looked at my show tack in the trailer in like three years. Some of it was a little moldy so that all came in along with the leather leads for a good scrubbing. Then I tackled everything in the tack room.

Befores on the left afters on the right
Saddles were cleaned AND conditioned

Show Tack, one bridle was missing from this photo

I'm not sure why I have this many leads in the trailer

This all got cleaned!

And these too

I spend the Saturday rain day giving the floor some extra attention. Cleaned bird poo and hoof picked between the pavers in front of the stalls where the shavings tend to get extra stuck. 

Yesterday was ANOTHER rain day, but we spent the afternoon enjoying good groomies. Looks like things will be better for riding the rest of the week, so I'm excited for that. Shiny's kiddo is away this week, and my helper is traveling Thursday-Monday so I'll be busy. But it will be a nice change after all this down time. 

The horses are content despite the lack of work. They've had their turnout time every day, and the rain has happened around that, so they got to stay dry. Al bumped his eye last week, which coincided with the smoke days, so while he required a couple days off, he had them anyway. It's back to normal now thank goodness.

Stuck in a mask for a few days.

Monday I finally got my truck fixed. It's been sitting dead in the driveway since January. I tried jumping it with my jump starter last weekend but the batteries were too drained for it to work. So Monday I had AAA out to replace both batteries. I also finally sprayed the neutralizer stuff in the air vents to get rid of the rodent nest smell that's been plaguing it for years. I can now drive it with the windows closed again! That will be nice come winter.

That's about it from here. Nothing too exciting, but got a lot done that needed doing. Hopefully more fun with horses this week!

Hope you all survived the weather this week!

What's Up Wednesday

 

When we last left off I was monitoring Al a little closely for a thick leg that he had. I'm pretty sure he must have just banged himself because it's back to normal now. Not palpating sore at all anymore. Phew. Of course, he had to do something new this week instead.

Puffy eyelid

He's very committed to finding ways to earn vacation days. Fortunately, after a quick text with the vet and a dose of Banamine it is nearly back to normal today. So hopefully tomorrow he'll be as good as new. 

This past week we actually had a full 6 days of rides (though Al was mostly walk/trot, and Friday I lunged him to see what he looked like). Shiny's kid came out twice too, and had great rides. While I always appreciate Shiny, and I know what a wonderful pony she is, seeing her build confidence back for her kiddo is something really special. Shiny may not be a six figure, fancy show pony but she is invaluable to me.

Our streak of getting all the rides in ended today though. We're getting a lot of smoke from the Canadian wildfires and it was very uncomfortable here. The morning wasn't bad while the horses were out, but by about noon it was pretty bad. I found it a little harder to breath and decided if I felt that, the horses would too

This is a photo of the sun at about 5pm

Video above was taken around 2pm. It was pretty eery out. I'm not sure tomorrow will be any better, but fingers crossed I'm wrong.

Today was productive though! The boys had their... boyhoods cleaned which was overdue. Everyone had a nice shower and some grass. And then I cleaned and conditioned all the saddles which... I can't remember when I did that last but it was much needed. They were getting slippery to ride in. I should be ashamed! 

befores on the left, afters on the right

They were so dirty. Much better now! I didn't have time for bridles though. Maybe tomorrow if we're smoked out again. 

Eros, before the smoke arrived anyway, has been taking one for the team as my main riding horse this week. I've ridden Shiny on the days her kiddo doesn't come, but since they usually jump together and Al was semi out of commission, that left Eros to be my main dude. And he sure did show up for it! There's definitely something to be said for the teenaged horses. 

Not too much else happening over here. So far so good with our new helper. She's a hard worker and pays attention to details which is refreshing! I'm hoping to have my mornings back to catch up on some work projects. I also have a lot of calls to make to get some things taken care of here at the farm. I have a tree that needs to come down, some fencing to get fixed, and I really need to get my truck running. Once the truck is functional then the Gator needs to go in because it's having some issues. It's amazing how much things can pile up. I have reached out to get the fence fixed but I've been ghosted, so I guess I need to find someone new for that. 

Anyway, that's it for this week! Hopefully the smoke clears out soon and we can be back to work by the weekend. Hope you're not in the smoke path too!

Thursday's Threads

 

We did our outfit day photos yesterday because we knew today would be non riding. It was 98 degrees here today but my thermometer in the sun read 103. It was pretty humid too. Yesterday was hot but not quite as bad. So we did very light rides and enjoyed backyard snacks. Our outfit reflects such things. Ha! Also, I imagine you're expecting a really fun 4th of July outfit today, but I'm going to disappoint you. I'm just not feeling the 'Merica pride this year for so many reasons. Which is sad because I was excited to celebrate 250 years. Anyway, Eros is our model today! His photos are indoors are so not the best quality but when we ride bareback I have to get on in the barn using the arm of my bench. What can I say? He's tall and I'm not!

So... I had to take this photo from above because little Eros was airing out and I didn't think that was appropriate here. Also, I fixed that mane today. Look at it! He looks ready for the western show pen. 

Bridle: Pinnacle

Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I switched from my La Cense side pulls to these from Pinnacle a couple years ago, and I really am so happy with these! It's not the nicest leather of all time, but we're not showing in a side pull so who cares?

Bareback Pad: Brockamp
Baby Pad: Ogilvy

Girth: Mattes

Yes, I know that girth doesn't fit him. I don't ride him bareback all that often so he shares this with Shiny. Someday I'll get him his own.

That's what he had on! No boots needed for a pitter patter around. So it's my turn! Here's what I had on:

The best way to turn a boring outfit fun is to add cow boots. 

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS

I wrapped some plain black inserts with cow print vinyl to match my boots. Up close it's a little wrinkly, but from afar it looks just fine!

Shirt:MathCat

This one was a little heavier than I should have worn yesterday... but I survived! I do like these shirts a lot but the material is a little heavier than the Luyaa ones.

Belt: Tory Burch

I've had this for ages. It's fun and metallic, but still kind of a neutral. 

Breeches:RJ Classics

I like the RJ breeches. They are comfortable and not too heavy weight. But the material does get pilled. Not a big deal for schooling pants, but they aren't SUPER cheap, so I do wish they held up a little better.

Boots: Celeris UK

I just love these so much. They're fun. They're comfy. Perfect!

And that's it for today! Hope you're all staying cool under this heat dome!

What's Up Wednesday

 

You all got the big update yesterday so I don't have too much to share today. I've been riding but it's a lot of easy rides. We haven't jumped or really done anything all that challenging. The horses have been great so I guess that's not a bad approach. Al has even had several rides in his side pull which I never really thought would be a thing with him. 

Best part of wearing a side pull bridle

The heat wave that's been oppressing people all over the country arrives here tomorrow. Which honestly, I'm not sad about. I'll do morning chores both days of course. But we aren't going to ride with highs expected of 98 and 99 and "feels like" temps over 100. I plan tomorrow after chores to do some extra chores in the barn and also pull Al and Eros' manes. Maybe clean their sheaths too. Shiny's mane isn't too bad since I did it when she was sedated for her hock injections. Friday after chores I plan to clean tack finally. My saddles are so desperate for conditioner that they're actually getting slippery. I should be ashamed of that. But I'm not. Can't do all of the things all of the time. But all of the things will get done in time. So yeah. That's my plan for the rest of the week. Saturday will still be hot, but I think we'll be able to plod around a little. Maybe some mounted backyard snackies. We shall see. 

Shiny is always here for the snackies.

In other news, Sunday morning when I was deep in my spiral, Al was out in the ring and it was nearly time to come in. I just wanted to finish making up Shiny's hay nets for the day. Well he comes by the door and whinnies at me which he does when something is worrying him. And then he got a case of the zoomies. I figured maybe the deer flies were coming after him, but when I came out and asked what was wrong, he looked over toward my house and snorted. So I looked over there, and a literal BAD OMEN was sitting on the roof of my bedroom. 

Not just sitting, but airing out his wings. Is this the turkey vulture version of man spreading? I think yes. Al wasn't having any part of this bird. I started walking toward the house and it flew away. Someone told me they usually hang around where something is dead because they don't like to kill their own food. And I kinda wondered if it was me it thought had died. Cause you know. Sunday was a DAY. I thought for sure that would have had Al set off for at least the rest of the day, if not longer. But it didn't! Once it flew away Al was over it. But I did have to hose him off because he was all lathered from running. Horses are silly.

Hopefully next week we will have interesting things to talk about! No promises though... Haha. What have you all been up to? Has the heat wave hit your area yet?

What's Up Wednesday

 

We're just plugging right along over here! I still haven't had the chance to pull out my jump fill. But maybe this weekend or Monday. We've kind of been stuck on riding 5 days a week lately instead of 6 and this week was no different. But it was for a fun reason, so I'm not mad about it. We actually didn't get rained out any days this week, with our one and only rain event happening late at night. Just the way it should be, I need rain to keep the footing at it's best, and when it happens at night, it doesn't disrupt riding plans! I'm not sure if we'll get as lucky this week, but we shall see. Fingers crossed. 

This week, or skipped riding day was Sunday. Both of my nieces had voice recitals on Sunday, but of course they weren't in the same one. One was at 2 and one was at 5. So I did morning chores, went to the first one, then took out the stall windows finally, cleaned some bird poo, and finally went to the second one. Then more bird poo cleaning and fed dinner. Productive day, even if riding wasn't on the schedule. The girls both sounded fantastic too. I haven't heard them really sing before. I'm so impressed by them! I can't sing at all. The horses all look at me with disdain when I sing in the barn. 

We only got in one jump school this week. I had hoped for a second one on Saturday, but I made a terrible error Friday night and my body said light rides only Saturday. And it was persistent. I forgot to take my Omeprazole Friday night. (Yes, I know it's best taken in the morning on an empty stomach, but I have to take my thyroid meds the same way and that one is more important to get absorbed. So I take my Omeprazole at night before bed.) Anyway, my tummy was all disgruntled which made my whole body somewhat useless by the time I'd finished chores. So instead we had Sunday Funday on Saturday. The horses weren't sad. 

Of course that meant they had a very light ride followed by two days off... But ya know. Such is life sometimes. They were mostly fine yesterday when I got back on. Al was a little weird, but it was a windy day after all that break time, so I wasn't upset about it. We worked through most of the weird and got a ride in regardless. The other two were as lazy as always so clearly no harm done for them! 

But back to jumping, because that's the fun part anyway. We'll start with Al. The jumps are still small because that's where I'm at. Haha! While Al is definitely in a much better place since the changes we talked about last week. He still can have a weird day here and there. (Like yesterday!) He was a little weird for our jump day too. The neighbor has been working on something that involves what sounds to me like a staple or maybe nail gun so I think perhaps he'd been doing something weird when Al was turned out that morning. That stuff sticks with him. But despite the weird, we still managed to jump a few fences. Our former weekend helper was visiting when I was on him, so she was kind enough to grab some video. Unfortunately the sun was making it hard to see, so just this little jump came out. Better than nothing! He also jumped most of the other things in the ring, but we did skip the outside line by the neighbor that day. I call it an accommodation. We'll try again over there this week if we can.

Eros was so good for his school! He didn't turn the zoomies on until I made a mistake... I mean fair. It seems like he'll stay quiet until I mess up, and then he's like here, I'll do it myself. He probably knows better anyway. But here's what happened when I messed up. I was cantering across the diagonal to our little hurdle jump. And these geese came flying overhead honking away. I could tell his attention was on them and then MY attention was on them. And neither of us was focusing on the task at hand. So I got to the jump at a VERY long distance which he happily took, but I didn't trust and got left behind. I'm not a monster so I let the reins slip to avoid pulling on him too hard. 

Photo evidence. Still pulled on him though clearly.

After that he got a little excited. But we did finish on a nice note after trotting a few fences and then trying again. Next time I feel my attention slipping away, I will work harder to bring it back. Or make a circle. This is how we learn! 

That's better.

Shiny of course has been perfect for her jump schools. I've been using more counter canter in her warm up, and it's really helping to get her more adjustable when we jump. And also straighter. Counter canter is so useful!

She's definitely ready for the jumps to go back to her comfort zone which is still only 2'-2'3". She seems to perk up at the "bigger" ones and gets easier to ride when I point her at those. That height is still easy for the boys too, so if we get to jump twice this week, I'll probably put them up a little for the second one. 

That's about all I have to share today. Hope things are going well for you all and your horses! Are you getting time to ride and enjoy the weather? Any shows on the horizon for you?

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! We kept it simple this week and stayed with our farm colors theme. Eros is our model, and here's what he's wearing:

This is such a weird angled photo! His neck looks scrawny somehow (it is not in real life!) and my saddle looks comically small for some reason. 

Bridle: Pinnacle

Brow band: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

I love this color bridle on him. It matches him perfectly!

Saddle: Butet
Half Pad: Mattes
Baby Pad: Ogilvy

I love this shade of brown from Ogilvy. But I am hoping they release a really rich dark brown someday. 

Eros didn't have boots or wraps on this day since we were just flatting. So here's what I am wearing this week:

I had to have a little fun with an otherwise very tame outfit. Right?

Helmet: One K Avance CCS MIPS

My helmet is dusty. It's shocking to me how we can get so much rain around here and still have dust! Anyway, I'm so happy I found this fun front shield when I was at Equine Affair last fall. I love a little sparkle. 

Shirt: FitEq

I'm still a little sad this company is no longer around. The shirts are a little nicer than the ones I get from Amazon and I loved the little horseshoe on the chest.

Belt: Levi's

I've had this belt in black since college and I wear it all the time. I recently happened upon this brown one in Poshmark and snapped it right up! 

Breeches: RJ Classics

These are the Harper model with the defective pockets. I still really like the breeches though, even if the pockets no longer have bottoms to them... Haha, just don't put anything in there!

Boots: Celeris UK

These will forever and always be my favorite boots. I call them the Hunt Seat Cowgirl. 

That's it for today! A little plain, a little fun. Perfect for who I am as a person! Haha!