Synthetics - A tack cleaning avoidance strategy

Yesterday after my ride I hosed down my comfy synthetic tall boots. I've had to ride in them the last couple months because my paddock boots crapped out on me...... but now they are gorgeous. So easy. Just hose them down. My western saddle, all nasty and dusty, just hose down. So why am I still riding in a leather English saddle?

stupid leather saddle that has to be wiped down every
day because of the stupid mold. stupid humidity.

All my tack is in an insulated room and yet it's all moldy! Freaking humidity! It's a pain in the ass enough to have to clean my bridles because they don't make synthetic Micklems, because that would be cheap and shitty looking. But I seriously need to sell this crap saddle I don't like anyways and find myself a synthetic English saddle. I'm not even that picky!...as long as my ass fits in it... An old Wintec CC would be great. But I am so over cleaning tack! Tack I am hardly using but is forever getting nasty!!

"this saddle is a bit big for me, mom!"

How to start a Monday

We didn't have a very good week last week. Tuesday was filled with lots of screaming in the truck when we went to pick up lumber. Wednesday wasn't too bad. But Thursday and Friday were terrible. By the end of Friday Sianna and I were both crying. She is teething and that also makes her colicky. And you can't just give her banamine and hand walk her until she craps. You rock them while they scream and you keep giving infant gas relief drops and gripe water and chamomile tea. And pray for them to feel better. Pray for them to start crying. Yesterday and today have been the best days in a week.

I always knew there were horses at the end of the rainbow

And this morning after I fed all the animals and the baby and my person, I put the baby down for a nap and ran out and got on Twister. We spent about 20 minutes riding and getting chewed on by flies but it was totally what a I needed. Twister was really good after he tried to pop a couple of wheelies. He moved out pretty good for a horse who hates hoof boots and was wearing hoof boots. They make him look prettier when he moves. Lol!

centaur selfie 

Because I only ride once every couple of weeks I don't try to do anything too fancy with Twister. I ask him to move off my leg, be somewhat bendy, and be soft in his mouth. No pulling my arms off please!

And because he's hardly been ridden and feels mega neglected, he basically does anything I ask. So after he gets being frisky out of his system we have a nice ride until giant monster horse flies start chewing on not only his ass, but mine as well.

Here is a little video. Nothing amazing. But it makes me SO happy to watch!

And here is an ovary-melting cutie to start your week off right!

WW: 2 and 4 legged children

I like big butts and I cannot lie!

Roader snuggles

doggie swim day at the Bardstown city pool

Mona made all kinds of random doggie friends.
"Dog! Come back with my ball!"

already getting some weight on!

nothing like a good roll!

16 weeks old today! Nearly 4 months old! How the hell did that happen???

Inspired

I had planned to write a post about my boring ass horses and how even when I was throwing things at them they wouldn't run or buck or do anything exciting. No lie. Twister just looked at me like "bitch please."

side eye from Twister....

But I was scrolling Facebook when we got in the house and I saw that a horse show friend just did her first BN on her daughter's mare. Remember the badass show mom that made the UK riding team girls put the jumps back to the height they were actually supposed to be at? Her. Her daughter has been taking some time off. So she's been stepping up her game and has gone up from Starter to BN this summer in only a few weeks.

I've been really missing riding. Especially on days like today when there is low humidity and a nice breeze. But if she can get back into riding after her daughter is grown and get her confidence back after years out of the show ring, I can too. Right now my whole life is raising my daughter. Someday I'll be a horse show mom and give her riding lessons. And someday, when the time is right, no matter how much time has passed, I'll start riding competitively again.

I'm not so worried about it anymore. Seeing how awesome my friend looked in those pics from her first BN today, where she came home with a shiny yellow ribbon I might add, inspired me. I can come back at any age and still kick ass.

Not that I won't ride. We'll all ride together. All 3 of us. And I have been pony shopping for Sianna. Yes, I know I said no ponies. But suddenly I have this little girl and I realize as amazing as Twister is, he is a loooooong way to the ground. I will need even just a 20 minute ride now and then for sanity's sake.

she loves sitting on the horsie <3

Dnieper - more photos and a crappy video

It's all I could get of him by myself with a baby strapped to my chest. I need to get a better one soon though because I am going to list him with CANTER as well.

He looks skinny in the pics and he's really not. He's fit and out on grass all night now so he'll fatten up and let down in no time. He's dappled and happy.

baby strapped to chest... lol

Like I said, the video really sucks.... But this weekend when my person is home we'll go out and get something not so crappy lol

Rehoming little Dnieper

Ok Blogger pals.... My person has decided it's time to retire Dnieper. He raced on Friday and didn't do well. His heart isn't in it anymore. He is still a stallion and we don't plan on cutting him. That will be something his new owner will have to do as we have put so much money into this kid already. He is 5 years old, 6 in January. He is a tiny Giant's Causeway, just over 15 hands. Probably not well suited for jumping but would make a nice low level dressage horse or a trail horse. He has tons of personality and is not studdish. We are rehoming him to an approved home only for $700. If anyone is interested or knows anyone that might be interested please email me!!! He will be coming home to the farm this week, but is currently still at the track and we could put him on the van to just about anywhere (at the new owner's expense). We both really like this little guy but we don't have any need for him, having 2 big fat ponies already we never ride plus Da Money Man who might be coming home for a lay up.

Dnieper's Pedigree

These pics are from February and I will be taking better ones when he comes home and then posting him to Craigslist and Facebook as well.

10 Questions

Stealing this from Fraidy Cat Eventing. Because I feel like blogging but haven't been on a horse in nearly 2 weeks. I'm not happy about it either. Especially not after watching the Olympics all week. I NEED SADDLE TIME!!!!

1. What is your biggest source of caffeine that gets you through the day?
I have half a cup of coffee in the morning and sometimes I drink and iced coffee later in the day. Can't drink too much caffeine because I'm nursing.

2. Do you honestly think your trainer is the best trainer for you?
Yes. I haven't ridden with Silke since..... this time last year! Holy cow. But yes I love her and can't wait until I can ride with her again. 

3. One token of advice a fellow rider/trainer/horse person told you that you still remember to this day. 
Wow this is a hard one...... I'm going to just pick one!
I have always been told to smile. Because it makes your whole body relax. I have to remind myself of this often. 


4. If riding meant costing your family so much money that they'd basically be on the poverty line, or making your family terribly unhappy, would you still do it?

My person is a rider. My mom is a horse lover and used to ride. And I hope my daughter becomes a rider too. I don't even care what she does as long as she loves being in the saddle. When my dad gave me crap about riding and how much money I was wasting and how I could get hurt (I got double barreled in the liver when I was 18 and trying to turn a crazy ass warmblood baby out) I told him I didn't care at least I'd be happy. So basically I just beat around the bush, draw your own conclusions lol

5. Would you ride pregnant? 
I did!!! I said I would ride until my water broke lol but when I rode 6 months pregnant I was incredibly uncomfortable because little girl was grinding her head on my pelvis so I didn't ride anymore after that. 

6. How do you tell when a horse likes someone/has bonded with you or someone else?
If it's you and the horse, you can feel it. You just know when you click. It doesn't mean it will be rainbows and unicorns every day, every ride. But you just have an understanding and enjoy time together even when you want to kill each other. Much like finding your soulmate. If it's someone else and a horse, you can see it. This question makes me think of my person and Fatass. They had an awesome bond. Always goofing off together. 

He never wears a helmet at home.... smh

7. Are horses capable of loving, in your opinion?
Yes.

8. If you could have one horse from your past come back for 5 minutes, who would it be, why, and what would you do with them in those 5 minutes?
Oh tough one. I miss Stewart. But he is well loved and well cared for even though I will likely never see him again. I miss Fatass too. If I had 5 more minutes with him I'd tell him I loved him and scratch his face and ears. He loved that.

9. Should a trainer also be a friend, or should it be a student/teacher relationship?
It can be both. I love Linda as a mentor, trainer and friend. I like to think of Silke the same way. 

10. One piece of advice/training you were given by a trainer or mentor that you look back on now and view it as incorrect?
Oh jeesh. I have learned dressage from 3 different women. All excellent riders and horsewomen. One of them said when I half halt to hold the outside rein steady and jiggle or even tug on the inside until I got the soft pole and bend. I would have to say this isn't a very good way to achieve that. I prefer another way I was taught of even contact and pushing the horse forward into the hands and using my seat to half halt until he softens and bends. This has worked so much better with Twister anyways. Maybe one of these days I'll try it out on Rascal too!

future dressage horse?? (don't tell my person!!)