What's Up Wednesday

 

The weather has been all over the place up here in New England. But I did manage to ride more days than not the past week, so that's been wonderful. The horses had Friday off. And this is kind of a funny story why. I was kind of humming and hawing on if I wanted to ride or not that day. It was cold. Like never got to 40 and it was damp and overcast so it felt colder. And then I got a text that they were coming to take a look at the driveway that got torn up last week. And in a shocking event that never happens they were able to come back same day and get to work. I figured I didn't need to ride while there was heavy machinery here so I just didn't. But I was very grateful for the excuse, because I really was having a hard time motivating. 

The driveway isn't done getting fixed yet, but it is at least safe again. So I'll take that. 

I also wound up not riding Saturday because the high was 36. But I did spend a good long time dragging the ring and getting the footing just right. And it was LOVELY to ride on it all freshly dragged on Sunday! My helper usually drags once during the week, but he likes to see how fast he can do it which leaves speed bumps and sometimes even ruts if he picks up a rock. Not to mention all the jumps he hits... I may take this particular task off his plate going forward. Anyway, it was nice to spend the time really getting it just right. 

We've had some really nice days this week which has been much needed though. It's been windy, but more like gusty rather that sustained winds. I'll be honest though, I wasn't sure Monday or yesterday if I'd get on Al. Monday because the neighbor... And yesterday because despite my kicking my worker out in the afternoon, no sooner had he left that the state showed up on the road to do tree work. I know I've mentioned before Al gets very bothered by chainsaw noise. Like he can hear it miles away and will stare very bothered out his stall window until it stops. So with it so close by... I thought our day might be ruined. In the past, he'd still be bothered even when it stopped, but I got lucky yesterday. Since I was late getting started, I didn't get on him until 4, and the trucks had already finished for the day. After a little ground work, I climbed on and had a wonderful ride on him. The neighbor even came out and started doing who knows what outside (I swear, he waits until he sees the dark horse come out) and Al just did his job. Both days actually. Which isn't to say he give me all of his attention the entire ride. He doesn't. It IS Al after all. But he's making a good effort, and I'll take what I can get. I really think the Back on Track cap is helping, but maybe that's just me drinking the Kool Aid. Regardless, it's been nice!

Things are going well with all of them in terms of getting back to work. We're trotting ten minutes now, so probably this weekend we'll start adding in canter too. I'm probably taking things too slowly, but they're all getting older and I think slower is always better. I think my body appreciates it too. I mean they're doing ten minutes of trot, but that means I'm doing 30. Ya know? 

Today there's a chance we get rained out, but I'm going to try and get as many ridden as I can. I also have to be done on the earlier side for Passover dinner, so I we'll see what gets done. They're going to have tomorrow off. Temps are tanking again and it may also rain some more. So a good rest day for them. I think we've been doing five days a week pretty consistently the last three or so weeks, so the extra day off tomorrow fits into that. Friday and Saturday, though cooler should be decent riding days. Sunday might be another rain out. But it's spring, and that's just how it goes. I'm taking my Monday regardless of what happens! 

But also, I'm trying to get less worked up about the horses' schedules. Ideally I want to ride six days a week, but if that doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. The horses are fine. They don't gain or lose all their fitness in a day or two. Lots of horses get ridden three or four days a week and still do great. We're not training for the upper levels. We're just trying to have fun and be the best versions of ourselves we can be. And that includes not feeling stressed about things that don't actually matter that much. 

I am still, however, having big feelings about my own availability. I went on and on yesterday about feeling annoyed by my schedule being disrupted. Adding fuel to that fire, my mom had scheduled Passover dinner with my brother's family without ever talking to me about it. So they all decided it would be tonight at 5pm. No one ever told me until I asked if we were doing it. Guys. My mom is 20 minutes from me, and my horses get fed at 5. Or later. Never before. Which my family should know since I bring that up every time we schedule something. Guess I'll just be late. 

Then I just got a text that they are stopping by to go over what else I want done with the driveway today. Like really? How about, are you free? Can we meet today? I do not have time for that today. But no response, so I guess we'll just see what happens. It's just so frustrating. Like no one considers me. Which is maybe a selfish thought, but I'm just tired I guess of being at everyone's whim but my own. 

On the plus side, at least I don't have to figure out dinner tonight, right? Sigh. Anyway, I'm off to try and get these horses ridden and fed before our Seder. Guess who's gonna smell like a barn at the dinner I'm late for?? I guess that will make us even. Their penance for not considering me is that they have to smell me. Heehee. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Phew, it's been a week! Lots of little inconveniences this week. I had the Gator picked up last Tuesday because it hasn't been starting reliably when it's below freezing. I figured it probably needed a battery, mechanic though maybe glow plugs. Turns out we were both right. But the reason this was inconvenient was that they picked it up Tuesday and then didn't even have time to look at it. We are pretty dependent on the Gator here to bring the manure buckets to the dumpster and also for dragging the ring. With the cold, days we can actually successfully drag the ring are rare so for it to not be here was a little annoying. Especially since it wasn't being worked on. I can use my truck to get the manure buckets to the bin, but my drag doesn't hook up to my truck. So yeah, that was inconvenient. Thankfully, the Gator came back on Monday evening though, so we're back in business there!

Cute photo of Rita to balance out the whining

My next annoyance came on Sunday evening. I was wrapping up a 12 hour day in the barn, blowing the aisle as one does. I got about half way done and the blower started squealing and then smelled a bit like it wanted to catch on fire. Now obviously, yes I can sweep the aisle. But with the rubber pavers, you really need the blower to get the shavings and what not out of the cracks. I ordered a new blower (I use a corded one, so no fumes) and chose to get it from Lowe's because they said they could get it here for Tuesday the 9th. But alas, when shipping info came, it won't be here until this coming Monday. I've been doing a LOT of sweeping. My helper doesn't have the psychosis that I do, so I also have to sweep up after him, not just my own mess. Hopefully I'm going to have super toned arms for vacation! Sweeping the rubber floor is actually a solid workout. My apple watch always asks me if I'm running when I do it. 

Sunday stats

Oh and the biggest annoyance of the week? We had a really cold day last week, I think it was Friday? I wound up giving the horses the day off because the ground never really thawed and I had a very long to do list that was stressing me out. So I did my PT exercises in the morning, and then a little house cleaning before I took my shower. And it was cold. I had no hot water. I was not going down to my basement all damp and unclean, so turned the faucet as far as it would go on the hot side and managed a tepid shower. Then headed down to my creepy basement to see what the issue was. Fortunately it fired right up when I hit the restart button. But sheesh. Of all days to get a cold shower! It was in the teens outside! Brrr. 

Magic keep the ground unfrozen pellets

Inconveniences aside though, it really was a pretty nice week. The horses have been well behaved, and we're still riding regularly. I had put some mag down in the ring earlier last week, and it really does work to keep the ground unfrozen. Usually. It would work better if I could put it down and then drag the ring. But when I was able to get it down last week, I couldn't drag without the Gator. I should have put more down and dragged today, but I didn't have enough time. I had to be at a concert for one of my nieces this evening. And now it's raining and will hard freeze by the morning. Seriously, Mother Nature is being mad difficult this season! I'm happy to get rain rather than snow, but if it could just stay warm long enough after the rain for it to drain a little that would be really appreciated. 

I have to give Al some props as he's really been pretty consistent lately. We did have a couple days where he struggled a little last week, but I was always able to redirect him which a few months ago I couldn't. So I'm really happy with this new ability. And today he earned some big props. I wasn't able to do what I had HOPED to do today, but that's just how life goes sometimes. We had a warm day today in the 40's, so I was hoping to canter some of our little jumps with him. But alas. The wind was WHIPPING when I got on him, and The Red Hood next door was all banging and clanging and wandering around the entire ride. But you know what? Al was still really good today! We are starting to have more regular type rides versus having to do seventy five million transitions constantly. I didn't feel confident enough to try and canter the little jumps when we had two negative stimuli to deal with. But we did trot a bunch of them, and we got some quality work done at all three gaits on the flat. And he never once lost his shit. Did I lose his attention a few times? Yes. Did he need a few walk breaks to adjust his two brain cells? Sure did! But he also put in decent work, and was able to come back to me when he would get distracted. I really am seeing a change in him. And I hope I can do my part to keep this trajectory for us. 

Eros has decided he no longer appreciates rides under the lights. I mean, he'll do them, because he's Eros and he's a people pleaser. But he has feelings about it. The nice thing is, he goes very forward while he's having these feelings. The down side is that he wants to be hollow and wiggly... but still. It's FORWARD at least! One thing I've noticed while trying to figure out how to ride Al is that I'm much more cognizant of what my body is doing and which aids I'm applying when. And that's carrying over to my rides on Eros. Eros can be a heavy horse, and he wants you to do a lot of the work generally. I've been working on trying to get him softer and using my legs more than my hands to get his body doing what it should be. Some days go better than others since he's been a bit of a hand ride for a very long time... But today he really started to soften and bend his body both directions from my leg and seat while staying soft in my hand. I'm not sure if I'll be able to replicate that all the time, but it really felt like a breakthrough moment. Time will tell! 

Shiny is the same as always, which what more could you want? (I mean it would be nice if she would come out like a normal horse, but she is who she is.) I've been having to keep the rides a little short this week due to family obligations in the evenings, so by the time she's finally warmed up and willing to work, our ride is over. All good though. Today I let her pop around the little course and that seemed to make her happy. Made me happy too. Jumping is a little few and far between with cold weather and darkness. So it's nice when we can make it happen these days. 

That's about it from here. We're plugging away, doing our thing, and trying to stay warm! I really hope we keep our motivation through the winter. But if not, my house could really use some attention so it will be time well spent if I have to redirect. 

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! After a particularly ridiculous outfit last week, we toned it down just a little bit this week. The horses were actually a little boring with their choice of outfit, but I had some fun with mine. Eros is our model this week, so let's start with what he had on:

I told ya! Kinda dull in the outfit department this week. But I think Eros kind of likes it that way. I have to note, I think his dad bod has actually trimmed up a little this summer! 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling

Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

Peep the tongue. Haha!

Saddle: Butet

Half Pad: Mattes

Baby pad: Ogilvy

Lol, who tacked up this horse? That saddle is not in the middle of the half pad, that's for sure. Definitely should fire my groom. Oh wait. That's me. Guess I'll give me another chance.

Wraps: Catago

This color is called Kangaroo which, I've never seen a kangaroo in real life, but I imagine it's an accurate description. I'd like to get the Catago quarter sheets for the horses this year. They have the fancy fabric like Back on Track uses so I think the horses would benefit from that. It comes in this color which is why I brought that up. But there's also a pretty green. I'm having trouble deciding which to get. But I'll probably go with the green. 

So that's the somewhat dull outfit that Eros wore this week, but here's mine which is a bunch more fun. 

Told ya! More fun! 

Helmet: One K

I've gotten a lot more use out of this brown helmet than I expected. Which is great cause it's nice to feel like you're getting your money's worth.

Sweater: Brodie

I've been making an effort to tackle one of the many projects on my to do list on Mondays, and a couple weeks ago I went through all my sweaters and sweatshirts. I filled three bags to donate which was nice. I love a good clean out! And I discovered this sweater in the cashmere drawer. Last year I transitioned a bunch of my older cashmere into barn clothes. This year I've added a few more to the barn pile, including this one. I've never really been a huge leopard print person, but here and there I find something I like in that print. And I like this one.

Belt: Tory Burch

I know. I'm as shocked as you are that I don't have a leopard belt. But actually up until a few months ago I had a really cool one. It was like a metal mesh with a furry leopard strip in the middle of it. But on the Monday that I went through the belts, I noticed that the leopard part had dried out and was coming off the belt part. It really wasn't reparable, so I had to let it go. Didn't think much of it at the time, but I might have to keep an eye out for a replacement. 

Breeches: Dover Wellesley

Yeah. It's cold enough for the winter pants. These aren't technically winter breeches, but the fabric is a lot heavier that my Tailored Sportsmans and Equilines. But I also had to choose these because look at the pocket trim! LOOK AT IT! It's leopard like my sweater. I kinda wish the knee patches were too. But I also like that it's subtle this way. 

Boots: Horka

I almost grabbed the crocodile boots for this outfit, but then thought that might be a lot of exotic animals for one outfit and decided on these instead. I like it, I think it was the right choice.

And that's it for today! I'm not sure what I'll wear next week yet, but I think it might be time to bust out a particularly ridiculous pair of boots that I haven't worn in a very long time. Any guesses which ones I'm thinking of?

Truthful Tuesday

 

I got hit with a real case of nostalgia recently. I made a trip up to the mall I used to frequent as a kid and teen recently because I wanted to stock up on some cheap tee shirts and maybe jeans at Forever 21 before they went out of business. It's been well known for awhile around here that this mall is not well. But I didn't realize how empty it truly was until I went up there. There are hardly any stores still open. There's still a pretzel place but some generic one, not Aunty Anne's. There's an Ann Taylor, a Victoria's Secret, a prom dress store, and honestly, that's about it. Might have been a sneaker place too. A lot of the stores that closed still have their fronts up since no one is planning to come. It was so sad. This used to be the place to shop back in the day. I remember when it first opened in fact. 

When I was a kid/teen occasionally my mom would let me take a mental health day from school, usually on a Monday (barn closed day) after a particularly long weekend of horse showing. And after catching up on some sleep we would head up to the mall for a little shopping and dinner. It was always so much fun to spend time with my mom like that (without my older brother tagging along)! 

It is called The Crystal Mall because of this giant crystal chandelier in the center over a stairwell. The chandelier is still there and you can't miss it because you have to take the stairs. The escalators are no longer running. Imagine that?? The anchor stores are all closed. Even the food court is deserted. There were just two restaurants still open Panda Express and a Japanese option. I had planned to get Taco Bell because the website still shows it being there. Definitely disappointed! Settled for eating at home instead since I was in and out of there pretty quickly. Not any place else to shop other than the one store I had planned to go to. 

I also recently got news that the barn I rode at as a junior is sold to developers. It was nearly bought by a friend of mine, but unfortunately that didn't play out. Such a loss for the area. This place hosts shows all year long. It's always my first choice to attend because it's close, generally well run, and it feels comfortable to me since I grew up there. Even Al has shown there and we've only shown twice. We need more good boarding options in this area, not less. I had really hoped someone would go in there and make the place over. But alas. It will likely end up condos. I've heard they are running their April show one more time this year, so I'm hoping one of my horses will be ready to go for one last hurrah. We shall see. 

I have so many memories at that place. Good and bad, as you accumulate both over many years. But all of my equine firsts happened there. From my very first lesson, to my first horse, my first loss of a horse, my first horse show, my first year end award, the list goes on and on. I also experienced a barn fire while there which was truly devastating. I've written about it here. Lots to reflect on for sure. End of an era.

So between these two scenarios, I'm feeling OLD, a little sentimental, and a lot of nostalgia. But all good things eventually come to an end so that new and hopefully better things can be born. So today's confession is that going to a mall made me a little emotional. And that's definitely weird. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Well, the good news is that February is moving along much more quickly than January did. (Seriously though, was that no the longest month in the history of forever??) The bad news though, is that it just keeps doing winter things. We've had a few days above freezing finally, but not usually consecutively. And every other day or so we get winter precipitation. Last night we got a couple of inches of snow, nothing too crazy, but more than was in the forecast. Tonight we're getting a little more, but then it's turning to freezing rain and eventually regular rain. Which I imagine will freeze up over night because that's what happens here. At least the days are getting longer though! There is hope! It's a dim light... but it's there!

Anyway, enough about the weather. Let's talk about horses! 

Eros asked me to take a selfie today so I let him. I think he did a pretty good job for not having hands. He's feeling really good lately. He's moving more forward which helps pretty much everything else come together. I imagine the change in how he is going is mostly due to the Robaxin he's been on for just over three weeks now. He has a recheck hopefully this Friday though I haven't gotten confirmation on that yet. I'll find out then if he should come off and see how he holds up, or if Doc wants to keep him on it for a bit longer. We'll see what he thinks. I'm also wondering if he's really liking the re paneled saddle. I still hate it, but he's going so well I may have to learn to love it. It's not like I show him in the equitation or anything where I need to not look like I'm clinging on for dear life... That might be an exaggeration. Slight. Slight exaggeration. I did hear back from my rep though. She is going to help me figure things out, but she wants me to put 20 rides in it before we go further. She says it needs to be broken in again like a new saddle since the panels and the bottom flaps are brand new. And I can see where that might make sense as the more I ride in it, the less I feel like my legs are bouncing around. But I don't really think breaking it in will help the feeling of sliding backwards down a mountain. But you never know! I'm open to seeing how it goes. As long as the horse feels good, I can figure it out. 

With the exception of today... Al's been a pretty good boy. I had a feeling he wouldn't be good today, so probably I just caused that. I got to the barn a little bit later than normal, and the turnout schedule was a little altered today due to some other horses having things that needed to be scheduled around. So I rode Al last instead of first. And it was dinner time. Which I didn't really think should be problematic because Al has decided he no longer eats grain. He's done this before. I don't know what gets him to come around and start eating again. His appetite for hay is just fine. He likes treats. He just hates his grain. He's not acting colicky. Pooping just fine. He's getting his misoprostol. (I put that in a Dimples cookie so that he eats right up.) He's not getting his omeprazole since that's in the grain. So that's frustrating, He's also not eating any of his other supplements for gut health. I should probably just light some money on fire instead of trying to feed him. 

Eating habits aside, with the exception of today, he's actually been pretty good to ride. One day last week one of the other boarders was waiting for her farrier to arrive so she came and hung out in the ring while I rode Al. He loves company, whether it's human or equine (or the goat at the old barn) so he was wonderful that day. We even popped over a little raised cavalletti course. We both had fun. I think he misses jumping and I really should set some stuff up for him to jump one of these days. I make a lot of excuses, mostly about the weather, but maybe what I really need to do is be a little more serious and get to work. Spring is coming! But also I'm still kind of scared he'll spin and dump me on landing side since the ring is small and there's a horse eating door at both ends... I need to figure that part out. And dig out the brave pants. Forever a work in progress, me and Al. But we're nothing if not persistent!

I was walking Shiny out and she saw one of the other boarders in the lounge and wanted to hang out with her. So we got this cute photo through the window. Shine's doing okay these days. I'm feeling a little concerned because while she's dropped a lot of weight and looks good as far as weight goes, I feel like she's lost her top line and some muscling over her hindquarters. Part of me is spiraling and concerned there's something wrong medically, the more logical part of me thinks it might finally be time to adjust her Thyro-L dosage. Doc is going to see her again too when he hopefully comes Friday so we will discuss that. I may have him do a blood panel, just to check in. She is going better in some ways since being on the EPM meds. Up until today she hasn't tripped much, if at all. And when we've done some little jumpies she's using herself really well even though the "jumps" have been about 18 inches high. But she is still taking a really long time to warm up. And she definitely needs some vet work in the neck or maybe shoulder area as she's still bouncing on and off the contact in both directions at the trot. I prefaced the "she hasn't tripped much" statement above with "up until today" because today, she tripped so hard while trotting she went to her knees and had a very difficult time recovering from the stumble. I really thought we were both going all the way down. But she did work it out and we both stayed up right. Thankfully. I let her walk a bit before going back to trot and she didn't seem any worse for the wear, but she did trip a couple more times before I decided to just walk her out and see what we have tomorrow. I'm not sure if I should be very worried, or if the problem is actually just that the ring needs a drag. We have the travellite footing which is the wax stuff. It can get a little hard and packed down when it needs a drag (which it does) and she's barefoot so it's not uncommon for her to get a little caught up in that kind of footing. She also had a tough time with the GGT at the other barn. I've decided to hold off on spiraling until I see how she goes tomorrow, and/or after when the ring is dragged next. (Which I'm hoping is tomorrow, but we'll see!) 

So that's where we're at this week. Nothing too exciting, but nothing terrible either. Just kind of getting through the winter that won't let up. I'm not sure it comes across that way, but I am overall pretty happy with how the horses are going. Just a few things still to iron out, but that's horses isn't it? Always some things to keep improving on. Whether it's performance, or veterinary, or... psychologically. Just gotta keep at it!
 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Our re-entry back to real worker has been... not all that consistent. Ha! But it's January. So I'm zero percent stressed about it. We started off with all good intentions. My plan for the rest of last week was relatively easy rides as we ease back to things after their week of vacation. But I forgot that there was a gymnastic clinic on Sunday. We were welcome to try and ride during that, but it's a small ring, and I decided I didn't want to. I would have loved to do the clinic with Al but I don't think it's fair to throw that at him after having not really jumped in quite a while AND having had a week off. So we'll try for the next one. 

Anyway, we did ride Thursday through Saturday and everyone was really good. Not a one of them tried to murder me! What good horses. I was really curious to see what I'd have with Al particularly. He finished up his course of Misoprostol while I was away, and so I was interested to see if I would have the same horse I left or if the fire breathing dragon would return. Which, the dragon could appear regardless after a week off mid winter... So there were a lot of unknowns there. But you know what? He's been lovely. A little spooky here and there, but I can get his attention and he is giving me some nice work. Very proud of him!

Sunday, instead of riding, everyone had a mane pull and enjoyed their turnout time. Monday they had off per our normal schedule and then this week... This week is stupid. The actual high has been 22 degrees (F) and the wind! 30-40 mph winds. It's nuts. Fortunately, the indoor is you know, indoors, so the wind chill isn't a factor. But it's so noisy. Yesterday I legit thought the arena might just fly up into the air and jet off into orbit. It was terrifying. But again, the horses were all pretty good. Even after two days off. I dunno... Maybe someone swapped them with different horses while I was gone? 

We've just been flatting so far this week. I don't see any point in jumping when it's this stupid cold. Hopefully by the weekend it will be a little more mild. We have been working on some lateral work though, and getting all the parts moving nicely again. Eros has a weird bump on his hind leg Tuesday with some heat just exactly where the bump was. I think he must have stepped on himself. He felt sound when I rode him lightly, and I iced it after. Today there was no sign at all of the bump nor the heat. So I'm going to assume that it was no big deal. 

The new barn stays pretty comfortable even in this cold weather. I haven't put the thermometer in the ring so I'm not sure the temp in there, but feet and hands have remained unfrozen for our rides, so it can't be that bad in there. The barn itself seems to stay between 35 and 40 so long as the doors stay closed. I do love that I get to choose how I want to blanket my own horses at this barn. Took me a little bit to get it just right (they were a little chilly a couple of times) but I think I've got it down now. At the old winter barn, they didn't let us decide what to dress the horses in (hated that!) and my barn is temperature controlled to 45 degrees in the winter. So it's been a long time since I've had to really think about these things. I'm not completely happy with my heavy weight blankets so I'm still on the hunt for the perfect ones. Maybe next year I'll find them. 

As for myself, I think I've gotten my layering system down pretty solidly. I can't explain why, but I am never comfortable with multiple pants layers. I also don't like most winter breeches. But I've been wearing a slightly heavier sock (the Noble outfitters ones that are patterned on the leg, but the foot is more like a heavy athletic sock) and the Dover Wellesley breeches. But my top layers are the important part. I always wear a cami under all my shirts, so I have that on still, then a merino base layer. On top of that for 30-40 degrees I like a wool or wool blend sweater. But when it's below 30? I bust out the cashmere. I have a small pile of old cashmere that I've accumulated since probably college. I used to save them for wearing to work or for non horse things, but many of them are getting a little past their prime so those are barn sweaters now. And I have to tell you, nothing is warmer than cashmere. Plus, as an added bonus, they aren't bulky. So I never feel like Randy from a Christmas Story when he can't put his arms down. Nothing worse than that! On top of the sweater I add a puffy vest and jacket. My favorites are from Columbia, but I also have sets from Eddie Bauer and Old Navy. They all do a nice job of keeping me warm. I also vary my riding garments slightly depending on just how cold it is. If I'm wearing wool, I'll probably also have on the sheepskin paddock boots and matching sheepskin lined half chaps. But if I'm in the cashmere? Then it's the same paddock boots with the full chaps instead. I am SO GLAD I resurrected those! The final piece of the puzzle for the incredibly cold days is the winter liner inside my Samshield helmet. It has fuzzy ear flaps. I haven't used that yet this year, but I do think I used it some last winter. 

What are your favorite layers for stupid cold riding days? At what point do you decide it's too cold to ride? I used to say 15 degrees, but now that I'm old, I opt out if it's below 20. 

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! As much as I don't love fall, the color pallet really does work well with my barn colors. So this week, it's a Winthrop Corner Stable edition of Thursday's Threads. Eros might have been the obvious choice to model, but Shiny said she really wanted to do it, so I let her. She looks fab in autumn colors too. Here's what she had on:

I couldn't zoom in on her for this one; I had to get the trees in the back in the shot. It was a nice day here today. I thought it was supposed to get cold, but it was almost 70 and the sun was out much of the day. It was blustery though, which I can assure you Al did not approve of that part. 

Bridle: Pinnacle
Brow Band: Boy O'Boy Bridleworks

I haven't used this bridle on her much because earlier in the season that bit rubbed her cheeks. And it looks like it irritated them a little today too. I am planning to take this one with us this winter though, so I'm going to switch the bit over to a full cheek like her other bridle.

Saddle: Custom Saddlery

Saddle Pad: Mattes

I didn't realize what a bad angle I took this photo at. Sorry guys! Hard to see the pad well. After my marathon braiding weekends back in August, I very responsibly used the money I made for adulting things. But I did splurge on ONE thing and that was this saddle pad for Shiny. The boys have tan Ogilvy baby pads that you've all seen frequently, but Shiny didn't have a tan pad, and I really wanted one for her. This came out better than I expected, and I love how it looks on her. It's almost the same color she is! It was my first time ordering through Pink Equine, and it went very well. Prices are quite as good as when Hufglocken sold Mattes, but still pretty reasonable, and the wait time was as expected. If you're looking for a new Mattes dealer, definitely check them out!

Boots: Uhlan

You've seen these a bunch now, I still am really happy with them. They're mesh so hopefully keep the legs a little cooler, and they wash up great in the washing machine.

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

Lots of logos. You can't see them, but my socks also have logos.

Helmet: One K

We're back in a drought here and you can probably tell by the state of my dusty helmet. There's actually a forest fire raging about an hour north of us, which is zero percent normal for this part of the country.

Sweatshirt: Artscow

Okay, yeah, I did a poor job of aligning the logos on this hoodie. I was being lazy and didn't proof it. But whatever, I still love it, even if it's a little messy. 

Belt: Zazzle

I didn't mess this one up though! Love these belts from Zazzle. The reverse side has the composition portrait of all the horses and Rita in black and white.

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman

These are the canyon color that I was obsessed with finding on consignment. Totally worth the wait, especially since I found side zip! 

Boots: Horka

Admittedly, these were not the right shade of brown to pair with these breeches... But I did it anyway. I thought about wearing the darker Mountain Horse ones, but these are so much more comfortable. And some days you need comfort. 

And that's it for this week! Next week we'll probably share our Halloween outfit from this weekend. Cause it's pretty cute! 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Okay, I've been keeping a wee secret because I didn't want to talk about it until it was certain and everyone who needed to be was informed. But I have found a new barn to try for the winter! It's further away than the old one which was inevitable because that place is so close. But it's an easy drive, pretty much straight out a single country road and then a couple turns and you're there. It's a little more than twenty minutes from home, so that's not bad at all. Plus my vehicles really do need to get driven more. So there ya go. It's a win-win!

The new place is more of a boarding barn than a show barn, which I think will be a better fit for us. There are fourteen stalls, so it's pretty quiet, and I believe it's all adults there. There is no in house trainer, but there is a dressage trainer that comes in twice a week. I am also welcome to bring in anyone I want. Also, my friends can come ride my horses with me, or if I go away I can get a friend to come ride them. Jumping is allowed whenever I want, no need to be supervised. And there aren't any hours, so they are open 7 days a week. I'll still give them Mondays off but if for some reason I need to switch that up for an appointment or something, it's doable. And I can have my saddle fitter come whenever. Best part? I can bring my own care team with me. Vet, farrier, body worker, whoever. OH! And no rules about blankets or saddle pad colors. Ha! (The things you put up with...)

I do know one person who had a negative experience at this barn, but it was when they first opened and her horse was literally the only one there at the time. So I'm feeling confident that it will be okay. It's always a little scary trying a new place and having to put your trust in new people to care for your horses... But I really think it's going to be good. They feed Proelite products, which I've been interested in trying, so that's another bonus. I really didn't like what I had the horses on but went with it because that's what the other barn fed and it's worse to switch grain twice a year than feed something that's just okay. They don't eat much grain anyway. 

There's a nice indoor with Travelite footing and also an outdoor with the same footing, AND an outdoor grass ring. You're allowed to just ride out around the property, too, which is lovely. Though probably only Shiny will be interested in that... Haha! We aren't allowed to free lunge which might make for a wild winter, but we are allowed to lunge on the line so I'm sure we'll be just fine. Just Eros won't have a chance to do that since his legs will fall of. They go out full days when the weather is good and half days when it's not, which will be so nice for them. 

There are a couple of things I don't love (because no place is perfect). First, they have a hay loft. Having already lived through a barn fire that was exacerbated by a hay loft... I hate that. But options are slim around here, so I'm going to swallow my fear. The other thing is that the stalls are a little dark. One of mine will get a window, but the other two will have inside stalls. But they can hang their heads out and they're pretty close to the end of the barn, so they'll still get some sunlight. Plus they'll be outside most of the daylight hours anyway. There are a couple horses that might be moving out west (with their humans) who have window stalls though, so if they go, I can have those. So that might be a temporary concern. And the last thing is that they have automatic waters outside. I'm just a little worried they won't figure them out. But I saw one horse outside with buckets because he flunked that test too, so I'm sure if mine have trouble they can get buckets too. The stalls have buckets thankfully. I don't like automatic waterers because you don't know if they're not drinking. 

So that's my confession! I've been making new winter plans, and while I'm angsty about change, I'm also excited. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

It was a very non horsey week for me, but we can recap it anyway.  My little brother and his girlfriend joined us in Florida on Wednesday afternoon which was also the street carnival in the neighborhood where our dad's boat is docked. The carnival is fun for everyone. It's a flat rate to get in, and then everything is included. So as many rides as the kids can stomach, however many games you want to play (no one wins at them...), and the food is all you can eat. Obviously, I was there for the food. And I ate my entry fees worth for sure. I did join my nieces on the big slide a couple of times, and then us old folk took a spin the ferris wheel. 

This is a big deal because I've been anti ferris wheel for a very long time after an... incident. I will warn you, this is a gross story. So gross. You too would be traumatized. Anyway, many years ago, I was on a ferris wheel at my local carnival. And some kid had been on too many rides that was up above me. And he tossed his cookies up there. And some of it dripped on me. And I haven't been on a ferris wheel since. But this one had a little roof on the car. And they were only seating every fourth car to keep it balanced and moving along. So I felt it was safe. And I'm happy to report that there were no unfortunate instances this time. 

During the rest of our trip we did Florida things like hit balls at the driving range (I'm extraordinarily terrible at this), took a boat ride, mani/pedis, a little shopping. 

Passed by the house on our boat ride. It got new windows and a new paint color
so I nearly didn't realize it was the parents' place.

The kids were brave enough for the pool and the beach, but I skipped those being that it was barely 60 degrees out. I did abandon the family one morning for a drive down to Welly to visit my trainer and her daughter. 

I got to pick trainer's brain a little about Al, and confirmed some things I was questioning with her, which brought me considerable peace of mind. I struggle a bit with trusting myself when it comes to having a problem with a horse. Being that I'm an amateur and most admittedly NOT a horse trainer, I'm easily convinced that I'm doing things wrong or my thinking is incorrect. But honestly, I've been riding horses for 35 years. And while my dad has done well for himself at this point in his life, when I was growing up, we did not have the budget for fancy horses. I got the ones off the truck that were headed to questionable places, I had young ones; some of the things I rode for my trainer I would NEVER put a foot in the stirrup knowing what I know now. So yeah. I've seen some things. And while I don't make a living training horses, I'm not complete shit (most days anyway). My trainer is a pretty accomplished trainer. She's shown jumpers at the Grand Prix level since she was basically a teenager, even competing in the Olympic trials at one point. As a more mature pro, she's been developing horses up the level from just broke all the way up. So she knows her stuff. She used to hop on Jamp once in awhile and he was a completely broke brand new horse when she got off like twenty minutes later. Kind of a miracle if you ask me. 

She told me a story while we were discussing the problem child about a horse she rode when she was a teen. The horse would sometimes jump around just fine one class, and then quit in the next. Or sometimes vice versa. Like it was either perfect and the winner or it stopped out. Being young, her trainer put a pro on the horse to make it go around, but it was the same for the pro. She said back then, they were pretty hard on the horse trying to "fix" it. But finally the vet figured out there was something going on with it's eyes, so if the sun was popping in and out, or the ring got shady after a certain time, or whatever, the horse's eyes were not adjusting to the changes in light. It couldn't see in certain conditions. So from then on, she's always assumed there's a medical reason for sudden changes in behavior. She and I both do believe that sometimes horses can be assholes too, but generally, they're trying to tell us something when they don't want to do what they normally are willing to do. While we aren't sure there's something majorly wrong with Al since this pattern of behavior is pretty reliable at this point... She thinks we're doing right by checking everything medically off the list. And she kind of suggested just trying to be a little more patient. We both know that Al doesn't thrive under pressure. It upsets him. So hopefully the change in atmosphere up north will do him some good. And she reassured me that I am very much not a shit rider. I don't really need my ego stroked generally, but when I'm struggling it is nice to hear from someone I trust that I am in fact capable. Anyway, that visit stoked the confidence fire a little bit in me. I felt a little more confident coming home to Al. 

As horses do, I came home to them needing a bunch of new things. Eros' ice boots lost a strap while I was away, which I probably could sew back on, but it's nowhere to be found. Shiny has eaten several holes in the net of her hay pillow. But I planned better last time I replaced it and got the one with the removable net. So that will be a lot cheaper to replace than the whole thing. And Al has some horn that's decided to get wonky and it's pressing on his frog.

As awful as that looks, it's not hurting him, so he's able to stay working. I sent this photo to my farrier but I haven't heard from him yet. Which is kind of odd, he usually replies pretty quickly. Hopefully he's okay. My guess is he's traveling. I did let him know the horse seems fine on it, so it's not urgent anyway. It's happened before, just needs to be trimmed away. There was also some miscommunication (or maybe lack of...) and Al and Shiny didn't get their meds for a few days. Not ideal, especially for Shiny, but they both have survived thus far, so I think they'll be okay. This is why I have such anxiety about leaving my horses though! I wish I could travel with all the four leggeds. 

Anyway, I've ridden Al and Shiny twice since I've been back so far, and they are doing just fine. Yesterday Al was a little angsty but the ring was busy. Today I rode him mostly by himself, just with a horse lunging in the rig at the scary end. This is honestly the ideal situation for riding Al. He's not scared because that other horse will get eaten first, and he's able to concentrate on his own job. Of course we're not addressing the real issue, but honestly, I don't really care if we fix that particular problem. I kind of think it's irreparable. We don't have shows at the barn, so it's not like he'd ever be in a situation where he HAD to deal with it. Short of lessons or whatever. His fear of the end seems to be entirely exclusive to THIS ring. And I'm really starting to believe this is a battle that's not worth fighting. Though I may revisit that later if/when he gets his head back on straighter. For the time that the other horse was in the ring with us, Al was actually very relaxed today. I chose to not put much pressure on him today. I didn't ask for more even though he was a little below pace. I didn't force him to stay in a frame. I touched on everything of course. Asked for more, and if he gave it I backed off. I asked him to come together and use himself for a little bit, and then let him go back to stretching if he wanted. Once the other horse finished and we were alone in the ring, he was a little more nervous, but he still kept himself together. I got some dragon breathing, and he broke from canter to stare at the scary end when we were heading in that direction a few times, but he never spooked. So was it a "good" ride? I mean, not really in that we didn't get any REAL work in. But I think it was a good ride because it was positive. He made a big effort to stay tuned into me, even when it was really hard for him. Traveling left, he did not want to hold the canter as we headed in the direction of the dragon's end. Once he held the canter all the way through that short side (we stayed on half the ring, so he wasn't anywhere near the dragons) I let him trot then walk and told him how great he was with lots of neck scratches. We'd been working 30 minutes, so I figured it was a great win to quit with. Now would I normally expect that win twice before quitting? Yes. But with how things have been going, I chose my moment. My current plan is to keep things mostly low pressure so long as he's trying and staying relaxed. I'll talk with my favorite instructor tomorrow and see if we can pick a time for an Al lesson. I have some things I want to try to see if we can get things back on track, but they involve jumping so it has to be in a lesson. Plus, Al is generally a more agreeable fellow when he jumps at least twice a week. Time will tell if that does the trick. But I'm feeling a little more optimistic. 

Shiny is doing great. She's quiet as can be after her vacation week. She's lessoning tomorrow. Being that she was off the thyroid meds for a few days, I think we'll keep the jumps small, maybe just crossrails even, for the first lesson back. I know how I feel if I miss just one dose of thyroid meds, so I can imagine she's feeling pretty out of sorts. Hopefully that will regulate soon now that she's back on them. She's such a good pony though. I'm really lucky to have her. 

Eros is great too. He keeps telling people he's retired so I have to lecture him about lying. He's enjoying his vacation though and comes in from turnout an absolute swamp creature. (There's a ton of mud up here. Apparently it rained the entire week I was away.) We've been hand walking and grooming plenty which I really enjoy with him. He's just so sweet and acts very appreciative of our time together. I miss riding him already, but I'm glad we get to spend plenty of time doing these other things. 

Rita had a great time with her grandma while I was away, but was very disappointed about the weather. She was hoping to get her grandma in the habit of taking a long walk everyday, but alas... that didn't happen. Rita's other grandma (my stepmom) made Rita a bed for Chanukah. Yes. MADE. And it's adorable and she loves it:

In this photo she was investigating because it smelled a bit like my parents' dog Juno. So she was suspicious. But has deemed it safe since. 

That's where we're at! Sorry for the lack of media. I really need to remember to take more pictures. I hope you all had a great New Year! Here's to an even better year ahead!

What's Up Wednesday

 

Another busy week around here! Thursday was nuts. I rode lots of horses and even jumped Shiny and Eros too. I feel like I haven't jumped Shiny much this year since her kid has been having so much fun with her. But finally this week it was my turn! She was great, though it did take a few jumps to get her engine revving. 

We're working on getting back to her twice a day rides. The last couple of weeks we've had trouble getting both rides in. Some days due to weather and other days just due to lack of time. It happens. But this week we've been better about it. Tomorrow and Friday are supposed to be in the 90's with very high humidity. So we may not double up in those conditions. Playing it by ear!

Eros was pretty good for his jump day. He's been a little spooky and well... rude lately. But I think that's my fault. I've been taking it easy on him, but I think it's time to buckle down and get back to really working. He's feeling sound again, so I don't feel guilty making him lift his belly and work his hind end. He was less of a torpedo for this jump school than he was last week, so I'm calling that a win. He still was jumping me loose over a small 2'3" oxer though. Ha. Never change E.

Eros got his feet x-rayed on Friday to see how far the white line was up his foot. And it was actually pretty far, almost 2 cm. Just in the one foot though, thankfully. Our farrier came yesterday to finish cleaning that out and repack it with medication. He feels confident that he got it all without having to cut away the whole wall around it, so we'll see next shoeing how it's doing. We're going to stick with a five week cycle for now until we get rid of it entirely. Which honestly is better for the other horses. Since they're barefoot, they are usually ready for a trim by then, and pushing to six weeks can get a little hairy. 

Al's been great! I have no media from our most recent lessons because I didn't get Pivo charged in time. But, SURPRISE! We went to our second show on Saturday, so I have a video of our second trip to share.

I again opted to just do two of the three trips. I don't see any reason to keep jumping jumps if we accomplish what we set out to do in two classes. Save the other jumps for another day! Anyway, we again did the Low Child/Adult Jumpers which were set at .90 at this show as well. Al was a little fire-y when he came off the trailer, so trainer and I both thought it wouldn't hurt to let him have a little lunge. I've always been all, who lunges a jumper?! But after last time with all the bucking, I decided I am who lunges a jumper. He didn't lunge long, maybe five minutes. Just enough to get the sass evened out. He was polite and not crazy, but definitely appreciated getting to blow off a little steam. Then I got on, and had a lovely horse! He was a little spookier at this venue than he was at the last show, but we were in a back ring that had a lot to be looky at surrounding it. He was super honest at the jumps though, and that's what is most important to me. Both classes I did were Table 2, Sec. 1 which is a speed class. I didn't try to go crazy fast, especially the first round. I just wanted him to see the jumps and be a good boy. And we achieved that, though we did add in the first line. He was spooking at the "timer" (It was a corgi planter on the fence like the ones I have under the one jump) and just generally distracted which caused the add. But he never acted like wasn't jumping out of the line. Just got squirrelly. No biggie. 

In between our two classes, a deer appeared at the far end of the ring. A DEER! As you can imagine, Al was like "MOM! There's a weird looking pony loose over there!" Fortunately, it had wandered away by the time I had to go back in the ring. But Al had already seen it, and was not going too close to that end of the ring. Honestly though, that was to my advantage since it was a speed class after all. (These "speed classes" had hunter courses, so there really weren't many places to make up time.) I just turned early which helped us be a little faster. You can see in the video above that we totally faked the fact he was spooking. Or at least, I think we pulled it off pretty well. 

We ended up being second in the first class and third in the other one. I was really happy with him. I haven't stepped on the gas yet, but he more than held his own against some decent horses and their riders who WERE on the gas. So I'm calling show number two a success! I'm not yet sure when the next one will be. I was thinking Fairfield, but their fees are insane. It will cost me $245 before I even enter a class there! So yeah. I'm skipping that one. Stay tuned I guess.

We also brought my trainer's daughter and her pony with us for her very first show ever! She did the short stirrup and did a great job. She even won a class! Her pony is adorable. Eventually, I would love for her show Shiny, but first I need to see how she'll be at a show. She's never done one other than the schooling show we had at the boarding barn that time which was just in house. She was pretty spicy for that, so I feel like I should be the guinea pig. 

Eros and Shiny wound up having Friday and Saturday off this past week. Friday because the vet came earlier than expected which was great, but threw off my schedule for the day. By the time I finished that appointment, rode at the other barn, and got Al worked it was close to 4. I still had to clean all my tack and pack the trailer, and I just didn't want to be up late. So I gave them the day. Not planning on the horse show taking FOREVER. I was done pretty early, but trainer's daughter didn't even get to get on until 5pm. So it was a LONG day. I think I unloaded Al around 7:45. We left at 9:15 that morning, so obviously, there wasn't time to ride the other two that day either. So, I decided to give Al Sunday off instead of Monday while I rode at the other barn and Shiny and Eros. Then I skipped my usual Monday off to ride everybody. I had to take my mom to an appointment on Tuesday, and I wasn't sure if I was going to get everyone ridden. (Hence not taking Monday off.) Fortunately, her appointment was moved earlier so all worked out, and everyone has been worked all week so far. I'll still ride tomorrow even though it's going to be hot, but we'll keep it light. Friday is supposed to be the hotter day, so we'll see how that plays out. 

So that's the low down over here! How are things with all of you? I shall leave you with a very cute photo of Rita having a snooze: