Truthful Tuesday

 

Today's confession? I spent the last two days prepping for and having a photo shoot for my friends at Pinsnickety and I am utterly pooped! I didn't have a lot of time to get everything organized so I was up very late last night finishing up some crafting. And then today, despite spending many fun hours shooting content, we completely ran out of daylight. So we're just going to have to do it again in a few weeks! Thankfully I'll be mostly already organized for the next time. 

For today, Al dressed up like a hunter because he has the best mane and the other two dressed up like jumpers. We had a ton of fun! As soon as the photos come back I'll be sure to share with you guys!

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! And while we were boring today, we went with blues this week instead of green. Because it was time to mix it up a little. Shiny will be our model today, and here's what we had on:

We even matched the jump! 

Here's what Shiny had on up closer:

I love her in pastels. But she really looks great in most colors. 

Bridle: Joseph Sterling
Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I should have grabbed her other bridle from the shed, but it was hot out, and I didn't feel like it. So we went this old standby. Never a bad choice!

Saddle: Custom Saddlery
Saddle Pad: Smartpak

Heh... I didn't realize my crop was throwing a shadow on the pad until after I had untacked. My bad. Anyway, this pad from Smartpak is pretty nice. It has memory foam panels built into it so no need for an additional half pad. I'm not generally a big memory foam fan, but Shiny seems to like this set up. 

Boots: Horze

These boots fit her well for the most part, but for some reason, the top strap is ridiculously long. They do the job though!

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

All the blues. All of them.

Helmet: One K CCS Mips

I had switched out the lighter blue inserts I had on this helmet for the gold ones to match my yellow outfit for spirit week. And I forgot to switch them back. But the gold looks nice on here anyway. 

Shirt: Luyaa

I know. I basically just wear the exact same outfit all the time in different colors. But I really like these shirts!

Belt: Rebecca Ray

I've had this belt forever, but I still love it and wear it all the time. 

Breeches: Equiline Boston

These are the breeches that I think are mis-sized. They are like two sizes bigger than I normally wear, but fit great. My other Equiline pants all have silicone patches, but this pair has fabric ones. I like them. Snagged them REALLY cheap from Redpost Equestrian awhile ago. 

Boots: Celeris

I've shared these a few times at this point, but I'm starting to really like them now that they're broken in. These are actual dressage boots with stiff outter panels, which is not at all my jam generally. But I snagged these for just over $100 from a sale at Reiten Leder. They were demos that no one else wanted. Probably for two reasons: 1.tiny feet with real woman calves and 2. they don't have a zipper. So yes, I have to lace them all the way each time I wear them. But once you get the hang of it, it's easy and quick enough. I still would never order a pair of stiff boots on purpose, but these have broken in nicely and are pretty comfortable. 

That's it for today! Any favorites? Happy to see a non green boring outfit?

What's Up Wednesday

 

Um. I remember nothing about this past week.... I don't think it was especially eventful... 

Al is feeling pretty good and hopefully the farrier will be out soon to make the changes my vet wants to see. Not sure if we're putting shoes back on or not yet. Farrier and Vet were going to have a conversation amongst themselves since I would definitely mess something up in the translation if I were the go between. So we'll see what happens. Not sure yet when we can start jumping again, but flatting has definitely improved. It's pretty oppressively hot here this week, so we're taking it easy anyway. Short flats today for everyone! 

Eros has been a silly pants this week. There's a house on the other side of the woods behind my ring that's doing some septic work. You can't see any of it from the ring, but you can hear all the heavy machinery and Eros HATES that. He hasn't done anything all that wrong, but he likes to try to stop and stare when we get to that end. We had a couple lessons in which we jumped small because Shiny and her kiddo were riding with us. He was good, but there were some light torpedo moments. I should probably feel bothered when he's like that, but honestly, it's pretty funny. He doesn't really go anywhere. And he doesn't do anything to unseat me. He's just silly. I was planning to jump today, but the weather was all "nope" so maybe tomorrow. Or maybe this weekend. We shall see!

Shine's doing just fine! With the weather, we're sticking to one ride a day for right now. She hasn't put on any weight, so I think it's okay. Time will tell. She's been great for her kid. But yesterday was their last ride. Kiddo heads back to Florida tomorrow. They might be back for a visit in October though. So hopefully they'll have a chance to ride then. 

And that's really about it from here. Nothing to exciting to report, but sometimes not exciting is just what you want! 

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Summer is unofficially over now that labor day has come and gone, but no one told mother nature! She's been super confused here in CT all year honestly. We had our first heat wave way back in May when it was still Spring. And we're first about to have our second heat wave now in September. I'm not sure if the rest of the country has "heat waves" as you pretty much just call it summer. But in case you're not in the know, a heat wave is three or more days at 90 or above. I realize this is not a confession, unless I was in fact Mother Nature. (I am not. But I wish I had her powers.) But I do have one. And it is this:

My motivation for basically anything was hovering at around 10% last week. It was cool out (I wore long sleeves pretty much everyday) and I just wasn't feeling in the mood for much of anything. I still did all the things. I'm not one to give in to my slothfullnes when I shouldn't. But I didn't WANT to. Now that it's back to being ridiculously hot and humid, I'm all gung ho to ride all the horses, clean all the floors (in the barn... I still have zero interest in cleaning house floors), and pull all the manes! Well, okay, the mane pulling interest is still low, but it's higher than it was. We start that chore on Thursday. So it's again become apparent to me that my very being is dependent on being uncomfortably warm and bathed in sunshine. I fear it will be another very long winter... Who wants to sponsor me for a winter in sunny Florida with all the four leggeds? Anyone? No? Sigh... Okay. Time to find a sunlamp. 

Thursday's Threads

 

Outfit Day! After dressing up in multiple ridiculous outfits all last week, I had to tone it down this time. A pallet cleanse if you will... Eros modeled for us today, so let's start with what he wore.

I dunno guys, I think his dad bod is starting to look slightly more fit. The belly isn't hanging QUITE as low. He's handsome either way though. 

Bridle: Pinnacle
Browband: Boy O' Boy Bridleworks

Let's chat about these Pinnacle bridles shall we? I was always kind of meh about them. I have one that's a different model and thought it was fine, but nothing special. But these wide noseband ones? The longer I use them, the more I am liking them. For the price, they are REALLY nice. They are currently $89 and come with reins. If you're looking for a schooling bridle on a budget, definitely go grab one. I just recently discovered that this brand is also available in two different bitless bridle models. I'm seriously considering selling my La Cense side pulls and getting the Pinnacle one instead. 

Boots: Anky

I know, I've shared these a lot lately, but they are currently my favorite boots. They're on sale all over the place this weekend, so if you're in the market for a brushing boot, grab a pair! They come in black, green, navy, and burgundy. And possibly white, but I'm not positive on that.

Saddle: Butet
Saddle Pad: The Hangry Mare

Half Pad: Mattes

I LOVE these pads from the Hangry Mare. I'm not sure if she's still making them though. I haven't used them in awhile because I had tucked them away and kind of forgot about them. But they're back in the rotation officially. 

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

It's starting to feel like fall (so sad) and my barn colors are very appropriate for that coming season. Maybe I should dress for the season I want not the season I'm getting?

Helmet: One K

I have the new tan colored front shield and rails installed with the green top today. I really do enjoy being able to swap parts around to match my outfits on these helmets!

Shirt: TKEQ

The majority of my seamless shirts come from Amazon, but I couldn't find this nice chocolate brown color on there, so I splurged on this one. Honestly, it's the same shirt as the Amazon version though. 

Belt: Ponylocks

I wore Jampy's belt today. Nice to have him with me for the day. Ponylocks really does an amazing job with these. 

Breeches: RJ Classics Gulf

These are a little tough to photograph properly. The color is called June bug and I expected them to look as they appear in this photo right above. But the actual color is more similar to my full outfit photo further up the page. I like both shades so no worries there! But was surprised when I saw them in person that they were more like hunter green than I expected.

Boots: Mountain Horse Sovereign Luxe

I'm debating making these my go to boots for most days. The black ones with the rhinestones really need to visit the boot doctor. I try to save my really fun boots for once a weekish so that they will last. My everyday, go to boots tend to die a pretty fast death lately, so I don't want to destroy something fancy so quickly. I think these may be the next tribute.

So that's it for today! Anything in particular you liked this week? Have you tried the Pinnacle bridles from Schneider's? Thoughts on those? 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Another kind of boring week on the lesson front as I didn't have any. Al's still waiting on the farrier before we move forward with our workload. So he's just flatting lightly for now. Seems to be on the right track though, so that's positive! He's been relatively sane most days which is also a positive since he hasn't had a free lunge in weeks. And we all know Al really appreciates his free lunges. I'm sure he'll be a psycho tomorrow since I'm praising him now... But maybe not. He IS eight now after all. That's like full on grown up. 

I'm just kidding. Al will never be a grown up and I'm not sad about that. He's so full of fun, I hope he stays that way forever. But like... the spooking could simmer down.

Shiny's kiddo is going back to Florida soon, so they're getting in as many rides as they can before she leaves. They've been doing so great together, it's really fun to watch. But they did have a parting of ways last week. They didn't get down the line quite as well as they thought. Kiddo asked for the long one which Shiny actually obliged, but despite ASKING for the long one, kiddo didn't really believe in it, got left behind and then just popped off as Shiny landed. Oops. No tears were shed though, and she got right back on and tried again, like a true horse kid! So proud of both of them for not letting a little mistake rattle them. Shiny is a little naughty when she drops her kid though. It happened once last year, and then this time this year, and both times she's run away bucking. Like she's careful to make sure she's far away from her deposit before bucking... but still. She bucks! Naughty! Easy to catch though. So that's good. 

Eros has been his usual mostly perfect self. He's been a little lazy about really using himself, so we're working on that this week. I didn't end up jumping him last week because the weather hasn't cooperated with my schedule. But we did a lesson today, kind of... He was feeling himself today! He seemed quiet when I was warming up, but pretty spooky. Which didn't bode well for the jumping part... and well. He was pretty silly. He wasn't terrible AT the jumps, but was landing VERY bold. Which was fine. Despite being wild, he did let me reel him in and would consider my input at the jumps. So I'll call that an improvement over years past when he was feeling this sort of way. I'm not sure why he was so up today. Yesterday they were all cool as can be. Relaxed, not spooky. ALL OF THEM. Today? Everyone spooked. Even Shiny. Something in the air I guess. We had a very weird weather day, and I think that gets to them. But who knows? Horses, right?! We'll try again on Saturday... Until then we're going to get some work done on the flat, and maybe have a little free lunge. He also enjoys those from time to time. 

I mentioned last week on Thursday's Threads that we had spirit week last week at the boarding barn. If you've been around awhile, you know that I love a good theme. And spirit week is my time to shine! I wave that freak flag high and proud! So I feel the need to share all of my outfits with you guys! (Don't worry, it was only Tues through Fri.) 

Tuesday: Tacky Tourist

I rode Cuba for Tacky Tourist Tuesday and she was a very willing participant. My shirt, saddle pad, and her polos all had palm leaves on them. The bonnet had flamingos. And her fanny pack was a watermelon but it also had a koozy sleeve attached. It would be so perfect for trail riding!

Wednesday: Barn Day

I had Cuba again Wednesday and she liked dressing in the barn colors and logo too. But I think she liked Tacky Tourist day better. 

Thursday: Throw Back Day 

You guys already saw this one... but I really think you can't see it enough. That pink side pony is my favorite part. And Slim is so handsome too. 

Friday: Color Wars!

I'm not sure if you could tell, my team was yellow. I had Quebec for yellow day, which he's a SUPER fun ride. But he wasn't really into dressing up. Hence his half braided mane. I had planned jumper knots with big yellow pompoms. But then Quebec was like NOOOOO so I didn't get that done. He didn't seem to mind the yellow tail extensions though, so high for five for those! The yellow helmet mohawk was my favorite part of this outfit. I feel like maybe helmet hair accessories should be a regular thing. Nothing says fun like a side pony or a mohawk. 

In addition to all this fun, I actually had a lot of braiding work this weekend. Like a lot. 

By Sunday night my watch had logged this:

Nothing says finals weekend like a 23 hour day! Thankfully, I didn't have as much work as last year this time. That was insane. But over the three nights I did 14 manes and 12 tails. And THAT will pay for half my load of hay I need to order. So yay for that! 

Night 1:

Night 2:

Night 3:

The nights were long, not so much because of the amount of horses as there weren't that many, but none of them were at the show. So I had to travel to four different barns to get them all done. Thankfully they were all pretty close. 

My town's annul fair was this weekend too, and I hate to miss it! Even if two favorite food stands were gone. (Boo.) So after finishing my last mane Sunday, I headed straight to the fair! First stop was to look at the bunnies because I LOVE bunnies. I've never had one. But I think they are so cute. Then I walked through the cow barn because they're also adorable. Finally I ordered myself some food. I went with a grilled cheese. It was stuffed with bacon and tator tots. 10/10 highly recommend. Sat and watched the horse pulls while I ate that. Then got some ice cream and watched the horses for awhile longer. 

Eventually I had to head out to go ride my own horses. But not before getting a giant bag of kettle corn. Man, I love fair food! When Sunday finally ended, I slept for 12 hours and took Monday as a garbage day. Rita and I went for a walk, the horses got fed as normal, and otherwise I did absolutely nothing productive.

That was my week! Hope you all had a good one. 

Truthful Tuesday

 

Heeeyyyyy Everyone!!!!! It's ME! Al! Mom said I had to come on here and tells you the truths about something I did. I don't think it's that bad... but she's a lil cranky about it. Something about this month being expensive and we horses need to stop breaking stuff. Mom's are so annoying sometimes. ANYWAY. Let me show you a photo.

Yeah. I ates the crosstie a lil bit. It still works though! I haven't eaten all the way through it (yet). So not sure why mom's all whiney about it. She keeps saying we have had those crossties for fifteen years. I don't even know what that means cause I'm only eight and 15 seems like REALLY old. So maybe it's not even my fault. Maybe they would have gotten a hole like that even if I didn't eats it? 

At first I tried to play pretend that Eros did it. But Mom had to pick some of the rope out of my teefs and then she knew it was me. Plus Eros is like perfect. He doesn't do troubles. Except he throws his drinking buckets sometimes. Which I think is reals funny btw. Mom does the whining about that too. Cause you know, moms are so annoying. 

Okay I did it! I tells the truths! Do your moms get cranky when you eat stuffs too?