Monday, July 18, 2016
Monday Fun Day
Friday, July 15, 2016
Glade
Typically, I wouldn't write a post like this, but this one stuck with me. Yesterday, there was an article published on Eventing Nation that struck a cord with me. I understand why the author did what she did, but I want to share the other side of the story. The one where the person doesn't make it across.
I had a brother Glade and he died when I was five years old. He was twenty three years old and one of the few memories I have of him was hiding from the strange man. It haunts me that my only memory that is truly mine is one where I was afraid of my own brother. His memory lives on in stories, but if you goggle his name one small article about a tree being planted in his memory is the result. A vibrant young man was reduced to a blip, all because of a split second decision to save some horses.
I don't remember a lot from the day that he died, but I do remember it was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. The way Glade died was eerily similar to the way the article unfolded. There was a big rain storm and a flash flood. There were horses that were stranded on an island in the middle of a stream that was rapidly riding. He and his girlfriend were trying to use a fence to cross the stream and the fence started coming apart. She turned back and he grabbed one of the horses and that was the last time anyone saw him alive. He and the horse went under (probably due to a fence) and he was found nine miles down stream and his horse was another four miles beyond him.
Obviously the author of the article had additional assistance that my brother did not have, but things could have just as easily have ended the same way. I beg of you to please think twice before risking your life for your horse. I love my horse more than anything, but he is not worth putting my family through the pain of losing me. Somebody loves you, think of them and not yourself before you risk your life.
PS I do not know who took these photos and I apologize for not giving photo credits.
I had a brother Glade and he died when I was five years old. He was twenty three years old and one of the few memories I have of him was hiding from the strange man. It haunts me that my only memory that is truly mine is one where I was afraid of my own brother. His memory lives on in stories, but if you goggle his name one small article about a tree being planted in his memory is the result. A vibrant young man was reduced to a blip, all because of a split second decision to save some horses.
I don't remember a lot from the day that he died, but I do remember it was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. The way Glade died was eerily similar to the way the article unfolded. There was a big rain storm and a flash flood. There were horses that were stranded on an island in the middle of a stream that was rapidly riding. He and his girlfriend were trying to use a fence to cross the stream and the fence started coming apart. She turned back and he grabbed one of the horses and that was the last time anyone saw him alive. He and the horse went under (probably due to a fence) and he was found nine miles down stream and his horse was another four miles beyond him.
Obviously the author of the article had additional assistance that my brother did not have, but things could have just as easily have ended the same way. I beg of you to please think twice before risking your life for your horse. I love my horse more than anything, but he is not worth putting my family through the pain of losing me. Somebody loves you, think of them and not yourself before you risk your life.
PS I do not know who took these photos and I apologize for not giving photo credits.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Mr. Sensitivity
When Teddy's Tack Trunk ran a sale over the 4th of July weekend, I was really excited. I had been dying to get their brushes after SprinkerBandits and $900 Facebook Pony (2nd and 3rd review) both said they were fantastic for their super sensitive horses. Plus these ladies have never steered me wrong with purchases (and yes there have been many), so I went all out and got the Leistner "Trophy" Brush Set (I did do the substitution for the Prinz brush).
I was so excited when they shipped within hours of placing the order and when they arrived I skipped out on my adulating duties to go make my pony pretty. Who doesn't love to try new things? Stinker was not nearly as excited to be drug out of his pasture as I was to drag him. I figured I could bribe him with some food and he would forgive me.
He was less than thrilled. In fact he was grumpier than usual when it came to grooming. I was a little bummed but chalked it up to him being grouchy. I continued to use the brushes, but he doesn't seem to approve of them. In fact the softest face brush causes the most objection. WTF horse! I don't know if it is a smell thing, because he is weird about his face. Everything has to be sniffed and typically chewed before it can touch his face. I am trying to decide if I will keep torturing him with these brushes or go ahead and sell them. He doesn't appreciate them any more than the cheap brushes and objects more to some of them.
That being said, I adore these brushes. They are everything that SprinkerBandits and $900 Facebook Pony said (minus the fact the my sensitive asshat doesn't appreciate them). Especially the Hoof Brush. That thing is staying no matter what. It is freaking amazing. We have super sandy soil and Stinker wears pull on bell boots and the sand is a pain to clean out. The hoof brush cuts that cleaning process in half at the very least.
So do I ignore my horse's objections and keep the brushes because I want them? Or do my best to recoup my money and go back to the cheapies because my horse has zero taste?
All the pretty brushes
I was so excited when they shipped within hours of placing the order and when they arrived I skipped out on my adulating duties to go make my pony pretty. Who doesn't love to try new things? Stinker was not nearly as excited to be drug out of his pasture as I was to drag him. I figured I could bribe him with some food and he would forgive me.
Not the face I was getting.
He was less than thrilled. In fact he was grumpier than usual when it came to grooming. I was a little bummed but chalked it up to him being grouchy. I continued to use the brushes, but he doesn't seem to approve of them. In fact the softest face brush causes the most objection. WTF horse! I don't know if it is a smell thing, because he is weird about his face. Everything has to be sniffed and typically chewed before it can touch his face. I am trying to decide if I will keep torturing him with these brushes or go ahead and sell them. He doesn't appreciate them any more than the cheap brushes and objects more to some of them.
Really not sure about this.
That being said, I adore these brushes. They are everything that SprinkerBandits and $900 Facebook Pony said (minus the fact the my sensitive asshat doesn't appreciate them). Especially the Hoof Brush. That thing is staying no matter what. It is freaking amazing. We have super sandy soil and Stinker wears pull on bell boots and the sand is a pain to clean out. The hoof brush cuts that cleaning process in half at the very least.
So do I ignore my horse's objections and keep the brushes because I want them? Or do my best to recoup my money and go back to the cheapies because my horse has zero taste?
Monday, July 11, 2016
Tattletale
Guess who has started tattling on me?
Yep. The little Stinker is a tattletale. First, I will back up a bit. I started playing sports when I was in middle school. I was terrible. That happens when you grow a lot and lose all coordination. I stopped growing in 8th grade, and once I started high school the coaches started being more interested in me as a player. That is what happens when you are a 6'0" tall girl. Anyway, I started focusing on basketball and had a coach that wanted to win at all costs. I was expected to play at all costs (I actually got yelled at for not playing with a sprained ankle). This basically taught me to ignore pain and push through it. This carried on through college (basketball again). I was basically a year round athlete plus working on my parents ranch, sometimes doing as many as three practices a day.
At the time I didn't realize I was destroying my hips and ankles. I knew my ankles were weak because I kept spraining them, but I wore braces (basically the air cast ones) and was careful outside of practice. They got taped a lot, but I never went to the doctor or did any rehab when I did injure them. It was ice and advil to numb the pain to play. I got really good at hiding limping. In college, I started having hip problems and this was more serious, but I was just taught to wrap them and mask the symptoms so I could play. Once I hit grad school my activity level dropped drastically and I started having back problems. I finally went to the doctor when I was having spasms that rendered me immobile and was having problems walking (super smart to wait that long I know).
A set of X-rays later, I was told, "wow you have a lot of wear on your hips even for an athlete." Super helpful dude, but they did send me to PT for a bit. There I learned that I am quad dominate and have weak hamstrings. This leads to my hip flexors being tight and when they get too tight they pull on my lower back causing the back issues. For the most part I am doing better about keeping things in balance, but I still have days where I sit too much and my hips start to tighten up.
This is were Stinker comes into play. He does not appreciate it when I have tight hips. And now apparently he can tell my hips are tight before I can. I had an excellent ride on Saturday and Sunday was supposed to be a light day. He kept getting more and more anxious, so I decided to give him a timeout. I got off him and just let him chill for ten minutes. Typically this helps to reset his brain.
When I got back on things were a bit better, but it took about 40 minutes to get him to where he was reaching and supple. I worked him a bit longer just to solidify that it was what I wanted and got off. I promptly started thinking back to last month when I had a tense anxious monster on my hands. Then did a few other errands and what not and a few hours later I noticed my hips were tight. I am willing to put money on Stinker's tenseness was due to my hips being tight.
Yep. The little Stinker is a tattletale. First, I will back up a bit. I started playing sports when I was in middle school. I was terrible. That happens when you grow a lot and lose all coordination. I stopped growing in 8th grade, and once I started high school the coaches started being more interested in me as a player. That is what happens when you are a 6'0" tall girl. Anyway, I started focusing on basketball and had a coach that wanted to win at all costs. I was expected to play at all costs (I actually got yelled at for not playing with a sprained ankle). This basically taught me to ignore pain and push through it. This carried on through college (basketball again). I was basically a year round athlete plus working on my parents ranch, sometimes doing as many as three practices a day.
He was snorting at small children...
At the time I didn't realize I was destroying my hips and ankles. I knew my ankles were weak because I kept spraining them, but I wore braces (basically the air cast ones) and was careful outside of practice. They got taped a lot, but I never went to the doctor or did any rehab when I did injure them. It was ice and advil to numb the pain to play. I got really good at hiding limping. In college, I started having hip problems and this was more serious, but I was just taught to wrap them and mask the symptoms so I could play. Once I hit grad school my activity level dropped drastically and I started having back problems. I finally went to the doctor when I was having spasms that rendered me immobile and was having problems walking (super smart to wait that long I know).
Even still I am screwing up my ankles and getting booted (pic from last year).
A set of X-rays later, I was told, "wow you have a lot of wear on your hips even for an athlete." Super helpful dude, but they did send me to PT for a bit. There I learned that I am quad dominate and have weak hamstrings. This leads to my hip flexors being tight and when they get too tight they pull on my lower back causing the back issues. For the most part I am doing better about keeping things in balance, but I still have days where I sit too much and my hips start to tighten up.
He does not look like this when I have tight hips...
This is were Stinker comes into play. He does not appreciate it when I have tight hips. And now apparently he can tell my hips are tight before I can. I had an excellent ride on Saturday and Sunday was supposed to be a light day. He kept getting more and more anxious, so I decided to give him a timeout. I got off him and just let him chill for ten minutes. Typically this helps to reset his brain.
More yoga for you and cookies for me please.
When I got back on things were a bit better, but it took about 40 minutes to get him to where he was reaching and supple. I worked him a bit longer just to solidify that it was what I wanted and got off. I promptly started thinking back to last month when I had a tense anxious monster on my hands. Then did a few other errands and what not and a few hours later I noticed my hips were tight. I am willing to put money on Stinker's tenseness was due to my hips being tight.
Friday, July 8, 2016
July Conformation
I was actually a little bummed this month. Don't get me wrong, he is looking fantastic, but I really want his neck fixed already. It is slowly improving, but when I see that darn dip I get sad and think I am not doing something right. Basically, I have too much time to stare at the picture and fixate. I am very happy with his weight and how shiny he is.
When I compare back to January (bottom in the sets) he has a lot of improvement. I am just getting greedy and wanting more.
When I compare back to January (bottom in the sets) he has a lot of improvement. I am just getting greedy and wanting more.
I want him to look like this when he is just standing, but I will just have to be patient.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
My Favorite Things
Sorry for the plethora of tack posts. Work is crazy and I wrote these ahead of time, and I can't predict how the riding goes. Therefore you get tack posts instead. The majority of these items have been bought at the recommendation of other bloggers, so this will be short and sweet.
1) Wow saddle. That had its own post, so enough said.
2) PS of Sweden Chameleon Revolution and Rubber Reins. I still love this bridle and the reins. It is always a bonus that Stinker looks adorable in it. I also emailed the USEF about the elastic pieces and as of right now they are legal.
3) Dark Jewel Designs Browband. Still obsessed. Want to buy more and already have several planned out.
4) Higher Standards Leather Care. Love it. Cleans well (I let things get grimy which I am sure will make people twitch, but riding >>>than cleaning).
5) Tredstep Donatello Field Boots. They are my first pair of tall boots, so I don't have a lot to compare them too. They fit me extremely well, but I do have a couple of complaints. One the damn things did not drop, so I still can't zip them all the way up. Also the zipper is coming loose at the bottom (it happened within the first month and hasn't gotten worse in the last ten).
6) One K Helmet. The removable liner is the best thing ever during the summer. It also fits me really well (no pressure points that give me headaches).
7) Kastel Denmark Shirts. Sun protection and don't make me die from heat stroke.
8) Equifuse gleam. Keeps Stinker's tail manageable and in all of its glory.
9) Wahl KM2 Clippers. I have been sitting on these for awhile now. I haven't used them for anything besides cleaning up feathers and the bridle path, but I think I will be able to body clip him with them this fall without too much trouble.
1) Wow saddle. That had its own post, so enough said.
2) PS of Sweden Chameleon Revolution and Rubber Reins. I still love this bridle and the reins. It is always a bonus that Stinker looks adorable in it. I also emailed the USEF about the elastic pieces and as of right now they are legal.
Love these so much.
3) Dark Jewel Designs Browband. Still obsessed. Want to buy more and already have several planned out.
4) Higher Standards Leather Care. Love it. Cleans well (I let things get grimy which I am sure will make people twitch, but riding >>>than cleaning).
5) Tredstep Donatello Field Boots. They are my first pair of tall boots, so I don't have a lot to compare them too. They fit me extremely well, but I do have a couple of complaints. One the damn things did not drop, so I still can't zip them all the way up. Also the zipper is coming loose at the bottom (it happened within the first month and hasn't gotten worse in the last ten).
6) One K Helmet. The removable liner is the best thing ever during the summer. It also fits me really well (no pressure points that give me headaches).
7) Kastel Denmark Shirts. Sun protection and don't make me die from heat stroke.
8) Equifuse gleam. Keeps Stinker's tail manageable and in all of its glory.
9) Wahl KM2 Clippers. I have been sitting on these for awhile now. I haven't used them for anything besides cleaning up feathers and the bridle path, but I think I will be able to body clip him with them this fall without too much trouble.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Best Day
I took Friday off and turned it into a pony day. I was suppose to adult and I did minimally, but it was a pretty awesome day.
First up I had a lesson and I got to ride S's mare. I adore this horse. She is a big (16.3) leggy OTTB. Last year they did a one star, but this year has been plagued with minor health issues that has kept them from being in top form. Not to mention she has anhidrosis so the summer is rough. Anyway, the point of the lesson was for me to loosen her up and for S to see her go. It was a really good ride and I got to ride a well trained horse for a change and fine tune my aids a bit. I also got a reminder of the go button. Stinker doesn't typically need that button so it gets a little rusty for me.
After my lesson, I did some ground work with Stinker. I wanted to lunge him to see how he was going (the vet was out today and I wanted to either increase or decrease my paranoia before he came). I also wanted to play with backing. D wants me to start working that under saddle but it tends to frazzle Stinker. My plan is to get him to back totally off voice commands then have him start to back under saddle when I have a ground person and progress from there.
The most amusing part of lunging was when he got sassy and tried to buck. I say tried, because he really doesn't know how to buck. After a few jumps, he trotted off and was so proud of himself, which made me laugh even harder. I really wish I had a video of it, because then I would shame on the internet. I did actually get some trot video (I lack skills to lunge and video very well but it exists).
I hung out at the barn most of the morning, but decided to leave before the vet arrived. My logic was that every time I see him my wallet empties itself, so I figured I would spare myself that pain. I then went home to "clean and work on job applications" and ended up sitting on my couch and playing on the internet. Oops...oh well. It was just what I needed.
First up I had a lesson and I got to ride S's mare. I adore this horse. She is a big (16.3) leggy OTTB. Last year they did a one star, but this year has been plagued with minor health issues that has kept them from being in top form. Not to mention she has anhidrosis so the summer is rough. Anyway, the point of the lesson was for me to loosen her up and for S to see her go. It was a really good ride and I got to ride a well trained horse for a change and fine tune my aids a bit. I also got a reminder of the go button. Stinker doesn't typically need that button so it gets a little rusty for me.
We took this quality video.
After my lesson, I did some ground work with Stinker. I wanted to lunge him to see how he was going (the vet was out today and I wanted to either increase or decrease my paranoia before he came). I also wanted to play with backing. D wants me to start working that under saddle but it tends to frazzle Stinker. My plan is to get him to back totally off voice commands then have him start to back under saddle when I have a ground person and progress from there.
This picture makes me giggle. Rosie is the evil mini and Paddy is an Irish Sport Horse.
The most amusing part of lunging was when he got sassy and tried to buck. I say tried, because he really doesn't know how to buck. After a few jumps, he trotted off and was so proud of himself, which made me laugh even harder. I really wish I had a video of it, because then I would shame on the internet. I did actually get some trot video (I lack skills to lunge and video very well but it exists).
I hung out at the barn most of the morning, but decided to leave before the vet arrived. My logic was that every time I see him my wallet empties itself, so I figured I would spare myself that pain. I then went home to "clean and work on job applications" and ended up sitting on my couch and playing on the internet. Oops...oh well. It was just what I needed.
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