Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession is that this bizarre summer weather New England is having is starting to ruin my motivation. I know a lot of areas are stuck in a miserable heat wave, and my apologies for that not being the case here. But what is happening here is ridiculous amounts of rain. It seems like it rains every single day. Or nearly anyway. It hasn't messed with my riding schedule much as it usually doesn't rain for hours on end. So that part is nice. But twice last week poor Eros got DUMPED on while we were riding. Both times it wasn't raining at all when we got on, but about halfway through it just started pouring buckets. And then it stopped. So we finished our rides at least. But all the dreary cloudiness is getting to be a bit of a downer. It's like when winter is gray all the time and it's kind of depressing. At least it's not snowing and cold right now though! It's not all bad. Ha. 

Anyway, today, I just really couldn't motivate myself. I rode all the horses, but not for that long, and Shiny only once today. I know we'll do better tomorrow. I just get frustrated with myself when I'm in this kind of mood. I mean, how lucky am I to have horses to ride everyday? Eight year old me would be so jealous! 

I just want to tell myself, "suck it up you whiner and appreciate how lucky you are!" I guess I'll go do that now... so tomorrow we can be motivated and get some real work done. 
Anyone else get this way sometimes? Or am I just a truly ungrateful, lazy human?

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day!!! I did it finally. Put together the all pink Barbie outfit starring none other than my Barbie Dream Pony. Here's what we had on:

That is correct. All pink everything. All over. And as many shades as possible. If you're going to be ridiculous, you really should commit fully. We'll start with Shiny's outfit.

I think she secretly loves to play dress up. She would never admit it, of course. But those are some happy pony eyes dressed all in pink!

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Wizzard's Creations

You did see this browband recently, but I have since removed it from the bridle Shiny didn't like, and swapped it out with the spike browband you all know and love. 

Saddle: Custom Saddlery

Saddle Pad: Unknown brand

We got this pad awhile back from ebay, and I'm not sure what the brand is. It has a faux fluffy lining so I don't need a half pad with it. It was in an unfortunate washer accident not too long ago that left it with a bit of a gash on the other side. But it doesn't hurt its performance so we still use it. 

Boots: Punk Ponies

What's better than pink brushing boots? Pink GLITTER brushing boots. Obviously. Especially when your pony is named Shiny.

That's what Shiny had on, and here's my outfit:

I know, I wore this top a few weeks ago for our neon light outfit. But it was also perfect for this outfit and so here it is again!

Helmet: Harry's Horse

I've had this helmet awhile, but I don't wear it that much because it doesn't fit that well and gives me a headache. But I wore it for Barbie day! See the lengths I go to for all of you? Okay, well the blog and also because look how amazing it is! It's worth a mild headache for that pink sparkle!

Top: MathCat

You've seen it already. I do have a slightly different bright pink one too, but this one worked best with these breeches. 

Belt: Ralph Lauren

This is another oldie. I found this belt years ago either from Poshmark or Ebay, I can't recall which. I love it, I think it's such a fun belt, and was the perfect choice for my Equestrian Barbie look. 

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman Pinky

I hunted far and wide for Pinky breeches, and finally found a pair. But then that pair turned out to be too big, and I had to hunt all over again. I snagged these when I thought all hope was lost. They're a kids 18 which I just barely fit into. Right after I bought these, they started making the Pinky color again. Figures. These fit well enough though, so I'm sticking with the kids size. Also, they require like half a bottle of OxiClean each ride. Worth it. They're adorable.

Boots: Celeris UK
Stick: Old Mill Saddlery

I really love these boots. They're a hair too big in the leg, but not too bad. I didn't wear them a lot when I was bigger so they didn't get too stretched out. And I couldn't resist getting a matching crop for them. The Old Mill Saddlery Tuffwhips come in a ton of colorways and are under $20. Shipping is a bit expensive, but I ordered this one with a few other items so it all worked out to be reasonable. 

And that's it for Barbie Day! Was it worth the wait?

What's Up Wednesday

 

Wow, summer is just flying right by, isn't it? Like for real, where does the time go? I wish it lasted just a bit longer. Regardless, I am fully enjoying my favorite season. Even if it is too short. 

So let's chat horses! We'll start with the youngest child, Al. I mentioned last week that Al was feeling sore in his lower back, possibly SI area. I had borrowed a laser for him and that seemed to help him a lot, but I had to give it back since it was a loaner. 

"Mom, get me one of these" -Al (probably)

I'd like to get him one very much. This is the neck wrap, but it's useful on the back too. The wrap itself is pretty inexpensive but the battery packs are almost $600 each and it needs two. He has to wait a bit though because I have to get my fridge fixed and have a very large tree that needs to come down first. (Have I mentioned I've been living without a fridge for almost two weeks now? No? It's a real PITA let me tell you!) Thank goodness I have some braiding jobs coming up! I digress... back to Al. So this week, I had hoped Al would feel as good as new, but he does not. So we're just light flatting as best we can until the vet can get out. Which unfortunately, won't be until Friday the 18th. We had hoped to go to a show this Saturday, but that will be a no go for Al. I'm thinking I may take one of the others though. Not sure which one yet. 

Back On Track therapy is wonderful, but not as wonderful as a laser.

Next is Shiny. Shine's doing well. Her kiddo had a sleepover last weekend so I got to jump around Saturday. Here are some clips of a few fences.

It took awhile to get the engine revving but once she got moving she was great. I've been working this week at getting her more responsive to leg... Can't say I'm having all that much success. Shiny kind of does what she wants. Lol. But we'll keep plugging away at it. We've been trying to mix things up with our twice a day rides. Our second ride Saturday I took her out in the backyard so she could get some work on little hills. I figured that would be a good workout for her, and we could do more in less time. (We were both kind of over trotting circles in the sandbox.) Sunday was bareback day and I allowed her to ride just once that day. We both were ready for a lighter day by the end of the week. I may end up bringing her to the show. Trainer's kid is showing in the short stirrup and there's an 18" training hunter division right after that which might be convenient. They may even open all the cards so we could go at the same time. And if Shiny's behaving, maybe kiddo can take her around a course too. We shall see! Shiny's never actually shown before, so she could be a little excited. Hard telling, not knowing!

And that leaves Eros! Eros has been a little tough the last couple weeks. I really couldn't figure out what his drama was. I kind of thought he was fresh. But when we jumped he was perfect. Completely free of torpedos. Which, if he was fresh, there would be torpedos aplenty. But the spooking! He spooked so hard the other day, I swear I felt my brain hit my own skull. (I was still on him, it was just a very abrupt prop and stop.) 

unrelated photo of him looking cute over a fence

I do think the source of his angst let itself be shown this morning though. 

Yep. That's a bear. A FUCKING BEAR! Just wandering around next to my ring. It then wandered back around behind Shiny's paddock and was thinking about climbing in with her. At which point Shiny's turnout was cut short and she came inside... This bear is pretty small, and I think it's young. I'm pretty sure mama bear was spotted trying to get in a hammock in a yard down the road though. Despite the exciting morning, Eros did my lesson today since Al is sidelined. He was perfectly perfect, though still spooky at the end of the ring. Not as spooky as Al though! Al was a complete looney tune and wound up trotting on like 1/4 of the ring the entire ride today. He's too sore to spin, but he sure did try it a bunch of times. My poor brain. Just getting sloshed around all over the place. Oh, important to mention, it was insanely windy here today, so every time a big gust came about both boys were sure the trees were bing moved by a bear. This may take some time to fix. Always something around here! 

Anyway, back to Eros. I would actually kind of love to take him to the show this weekend. But his classes might not go until very late where as Shiny's would go very close to trainer's kiddo's classes. So that seems like the more logical choice. Perhaps I'll find another for him to attend. I've never shown him, and I think it could be a lot of fun. Or I'll get VERY run away with. But that might also be fun. Ha!

Here are a few clips from one of our jump schools last week:

In other news, I'm still getting to ride a horse or two at the other barn in the mornings, so I'm getting tons of saddle time. I love it! I feel like I'm reliving my summers during college minus the going away to shows. I know it can't last forever, and after this summer I'll probably need to find at least a part time job, but for now, I'm really just enjoying it. I know I'm VERY lucky to have this extra time to just ride horses all day. And I'm so very grateful for it. 

All that said, anyone have any suggestions for a decent paying part time work from home gig? I don't have a lot of skills, and I'm old. But I know a lot about disposable gloves. And a little about horses. Give me suggestions of avenues to explore!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Ha….. today’s confession? I FORGOT TO WRITE A POST TODAY! That’s right. I just remembered right now that it’s Tuesday. After I got into bed. So this is all you’re getting! 

My bad.

Thursday's Threads

Outfit Day! Already! I know I teased a Barbie themed outfit, but I couldn't get that together this week. So you gotta wait a little still. But I did wear some fun boots at least today! Eros was our model, and here's what we had on:

I know. There's a big belly hanging off Eros... We're working on it. Bootcamp started this week. But no chance of me also riding him twice a day. Nope. We're gonna work on this one ride a day. Like a normal horse and human. 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling

Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I originally planned to use the bridle with the green and gold Boy O'Boy browband, but it was a jompies day and that had the other bit on it. So we went with this one instead. It's a solid choice. I love the Joseph Sterling bridles. 

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: Ogilvy Baby Pad
Half Pad: Mattes

I really like these baby pads. They stay put, fit the saddles well, and the binding doesn't rub my sensitive horses. Most of mine don't have piping because I'm cheap, but I snagged two of these with the brown piping during a sale at Carousel Tack. They took awhile to arrive, but it was worth the wait. 

Boots: Anky

I shared these recently so you've seen them before. This pair is currently ready for a spin in the washer... But I still am a huge fan. 

So that's what Eros was wearing. And here's what I had on:

Barn colors but also COW BOOTS! What a fun day!

Helmet: One K CCS MIPS

This is the helmet that had the gold front shield and rail, but I swapped those out for these tan ones to match my shirt today. I like it!

Shirt: Home made by me

I forget what brand this shirt is, I got it awhile ago, and embellished it myself with my cricut. Love how it came out in the back, but the smaller logo on the chest I totally put in the wrong place. Oh well. Will try again when this one wears out!

Belt: Zazzle

You all have seen this one pretty recently. The Zazzle belts are my new favorite thing since they are so easy to design and aren't very expensive either. 

Breeches: RJ Classics Harper

Snagged these on Poshmark for $60 and they were in brand new condition. Unlike how they look in this photo since I was two horses in before I had a chance to take photos. I like the Harper breeches a little more than the Gulf, they just fit a little better and I like the silicone knee patches. But they tend to be more expensive and I'm not sure I like them enough more to pay the extra.

Boots: Celeris UK

I wish I had waited to order these until after I lost weight, but I still love them even if they're a little baggy now. I mean, look at them! They're amazing! Maybe I'll have the elastic panel removed. That might make them perfect... We'll see!

That's it for today! Any favorites? Anything you're looking forward to seeing? 

What's Up Wednesday

 

It's been a mostly uneventful horsey week around here. No shows scheduled until maybe the 12th, so we're having a little respite from doing all the things, but still riding every day and having the lessons with Al. Or at least we were... until today's lesson. We did our Saturday lesson and it was so great. Al was listening and not too spooky, and we got to jump some big for us jumps:

Through Saturday we had been sweating our way through some very high humidity days with temps close to 90. There was a breeze though, so it wasn't the worst, and the horses handled it well. But then Sunday came. And while it was a relief, the thirty degree temp drop with the crisp fresh not humid air left me with a mildly insane Al. It was warmer by the time I got around to getting on him, so I thought we'd be okay. It was mid 70's by then and the sun was shining. But Al was feeling a sort of way. I wound up getting off, pulling his tack and free lunging him. He had a good gallop and let out a couple of bucks. Then I got back on and had a much better ride. But toward the end of the ride he felt a little funny. Not lame exactly but definitely NQR. I chalked it up to him wanting to be done and getting a little lazy, but for sure took note. I checked him out fully when I got off and nothing was swollen. No rocks in the feet. He had Monday off from work AND had a chiro appointment that day. Doc didn't feel anything of note, and I was hopeful he'd be fine on Tuesday. I got on and he was still just not quite right. I couldn't put a finger on where it was, but based on his footprints he was dragging his back feet. I didn't cancel my lesson because 1. I knew trainer's daughter would want to ride Shiny and 2. I really wanted some eyes on Al to see what was going on. So they came out today, and we determined that it was something up high on the left hind side. After a light flat to figure that out, we palpated the back and found where he was sore. It's like lower back area on the left side. I think he probably bucked a little too hard in his free lunge and made himself sore. I don't think it's anything major. If he's not better by the weekend, I'll have the vet out to see him and make sure. But in the meantime, I'm going to do a light, hopefully stretchy, ride tomorrow. I'm also borrowing my friend's spectra therapy laser to throw on him. I think he'll be fine in a few days. Hopefully. I'd like to take him to another show on the 12th, but of course, if he's not 100%, we won't do that. Anyway. Fingers crossed this is nothing. 

Shiny's been so good! She's back on her twice a day riding schedule, which really does wonders for her, even if we both kind of complain about it. She jumped around so nicely with her kid today, I was so proud of her! Normally they jump some of the raised cavalletti that are around the ring in between when Al and I are jumping. But since Al wasn't jumping today, we set the actual fences for Shiny (2') and they jumped right around. Shiny was forward and helping her rider find the jumps. It was adorable. And I was so proud of them both. It's fun to see your pony being a little angel with a kid. I didn't get a turn to jump her this week, but kiddo is away this weekend, so maybe Saturday we'll have a little school. 

Eros has been a little bit of a rude old dude this week. He's being very spooky about the end of the ring, but I can't figure out what he's looking at. I don't see anything at all. I jumped him around on Saturday, and he was actually quite good that day. No torpedos!

But I did discover a bit of a hole in our present state. When I found the close distance, he wanted to trot instead of rocking back and using himself. When I made the effort to actually help him out there, he could do it, but I'm not used to having to leg Eros at the jumps. Normally I'm just trying to keep him from taking out strides. He's a little weak behind, and I take full responsibility for it. I've been letting him off easy in the hot weather, and there have been many days where I'm just pooped by the time I get to him so he doesn't work as hard. But that's all ended this week! It's cooler out now, so no excuses from either of us. He's not thrilled with my new work ethic, but by the end of today's ride he was much more supple and using himself again. Poor Eros. Back to work buddy! We'll probably jump again tomorrow. If I can get to the end of the ring... Lol. Horses. 

In other news, my apple trees are growing legit apples this year! The bugs have been doing a number on them, so I'm not sure I'll actually get to eat too many of them... But this is the first year they're really producing well. So I'm excited for the future! And I really hope I get to eat at least one from each tree. (They're two different varieties.) 

AND in big news, my pool finally cleared up and I got to go in it during the hot weather! (I don't have a new heater yet, and I don't go in there unless it's hot!) It was lovely. Rita was the lifeguard.

That's about all that's happening here. How are you all doing in this summer weather? 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Heh... I have two confessions today. The first is from Saturday. I had a lesson and jumped a full (ish... I only have five jumps) course of 3'6" with Al. 

And then I put them all down so Eros could jump around too. 

None of that is my confession. My confession is that after I finished jumping Eros, I put the jumps all back up to Al's height so I could see them and feel good about myself for the rest of the weekend. Ha! I have no shame.

Confession number two is about my truck and trailer. I got up at 6 on Sunday morning so I could turn the trailer around without worrying about traffic. (I have to pull across the entire street to back into my parking spot in the driveway, and I live at the corner of a pretty busy intersection of two state roads. It can get a little hairy if the road is busy.) Anyway, I went out in my jammies, half asleep still and backed the trailer into its spot. I didn't unhook it because that's not a job to do in your jammies. And it's a good thing I didn't, because when I came back out again a little later in the morning and after I'd had my coffee, I saw this:

I realize you can't really tell from this photo, but the whole thing is so crooked I don't think I'd ever get it hooked back up if I unhooked it as is. I have since straightened it out and unhooked it. But my confession is that I have no idea what straight is at 6 am on a Sunday morning. It's hilarious because I actually got out of the truck to check that it was straight before I turned it off and went back inside. And despite those best efforts it was laughably not straight. Ha!

So those are my confessions today. Basically, I'm ridiculous, in case you didn't already know.