What's Up Wednesday: Vacation Edition

 

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a fun New Year's Eve and make safe choices tonight. They don't need to be good choices, just safe ones!

The vacation vortex is real, and boy is it confusing! I can't believe just a week ago I was at home freezing my bum off doing nothing but horse chores, prepping for vacation, and appearing cheerful and awake at various holiday events. But it was just last week. 

Christmas day I spent in the barn like normal. Did chores in the morning and I was really hoping to ride. The ring was defrosted and the weather man said it would be less windy than it was on Wednesday. (The wind Wed. was insane, with gusts higher than 40 mph.) But as it turned out, it wasn't really less windy. I did get on Shiny, determined to try to ride. But the jumps started blowing over while I was on her, and even she was a little spooky. So I opted just to ride her and took the boys for hand walks instead. They were perfectly happy with that!

I made sure to get the barn in perfect condition, so at least I knew it looked perfect when I left for vacation as it definitely will not be when I return. Which is not a reflection on my helper and horse sitter. They do a great job. But no one is going to take care of your things the way you do, ya know? Plus they've just been getting abused with bad winter weather. I left Friday, and that night 10 inches of snow fell. I was an anxious mess not being home for that. But from what I've been told, everything was fine. I'll report back when I see what the place looks like when I get home this weekend... Lol. Oy.

We arrived later than we should have Friday. There's a lot of air traffic into Florida this week, and because of a certain orange leader, less planes are allowed in this air space. We had to fly into an airport farther away than we normally do for that reason. And we were delayed four hours. But we made it! And we had a surprise waiting for us! My stepmom lost her dog not too long ago, and while it wasn't planned, she found a new puppy just before we arrived. So we get to the boat, and this face greets us:

I present to you: Buddy Finn Seidman
My new puppy brother

 Saturday we didn't do much. Got settled in, took a little tour of the community here where we are staying so we remembered where everything is, and ate a lot of food. They have a one night only carnival here that's pretty insane. It's just for members of the community and you pay a flat fee for all you can eat, ride, and play. And the food is provided by both food trucks and the restaurant here which is pretty upscale. So it's the best fair food you can imagine. I was full for two days after. 

This trip is fun because both my brothers are here; the older one with his family and my younger one with his girlfriend. We're kind of spread out for sleeping arrangements since there are so many of us. I'm staying with my younger bro and his GF at the condo which is a one minute walk from the boat where my older brother and his fam are staying. Dad and stepmom are staying at their house. But we all congregate for meals and certain adventures. 

My little brother talked my dad into a side excursion to the other coast for an overnight. My older brother and I opted to stay put but everyone else went, leaving me with a free day and a half to do whatever I wanted. I had hoped to head south to Wellington for the day to see all my friends, but most of them weren't back yet from holiday travel. Instead I did a little shopping and spent some time at the pool. It was lovely! And still was also fed more than enough food. 

Tuesday is where it gets fun from a horsey perspective. My dad has some investment horses, two of which are down in Wellington getting ready for show season. Dad arranged for me to have a lesson on Faith, so I got to do that on Tuesday. 

I wasn't sure it would be my ride because I'm not usually a mare person for one thing, but also she's a pretty spicy jumper. I have seen videos of her and she always looked like a little rocket ship. But turns out, she doesn't really ride that way. She is sensitive, but a really good listener. She doesn't bid at the jumps, and she doesn't land and take over either. I think if you really fired the turbo boosters you'd have a lot of horse, but I also think she'd come back to you if you asked. 

I didn't realize how terribly out of shape I am, but jumping her was took a lot more strength than I had apparently... I mean it went fine, and was SO FUN! But I was getting jumped a little loose and I'm definitely sore today! Totally worth it though. It was nice to know that even though I'm weak and definitely rusty, I'm still semi capable! It was really fun to ride something with her own motor and that paid attention to the job at hand. The only thing I had to think about was what we were doing. Not if the leaves moving or if someone was walking around outside the ring. She didn't care about any of that stuff. 

Just casually getting launched out of the saddle here... 
As one does.

Then the trainer was like okay we'll get Verona ready next, you can ride another one right? SURE! (But guys I was so pooped!) Verona is the big jumper. Faith, the first one, has experience to the 1.3M and I think that's about her max. But Verona is expected to be a real 1.6M Grand Prix horse. And she is definitely the hotter one. She's not so good in the mouth, and all she wants to do is get moving! The trainer had me serpentining through the ring at a trot with a walk transition at the change direction point, then back to trot. And it definitely took a few times through to realize just how little leg I needed. Then we cantered, and it was actually adjustable, but there was for sure a lot of power in there. I wasn't planning to jump her, because my legs were spent, but I generally cave to peer pressure and we popped over a couple cross rails. She was a hard ride for me, because she was taking a good look at the jump, but if I legged too much in response to that, I had too much horse. Fortunately, someone wanted to come try a pony right away (Florida is so weird guys) so I got to be done with just those exciting cross rails. I liked Verona, she's definitely a quality big jumper, but also definitely more horse than I like to ride. Faith though? I'm a big fan of that one. If only I could collect horses.... And had more help. Ha. If any of you know anyone looking for a jumper, send them my way! She needs her own human,

Today I went back down to Wellington to visit my trainer and Shiny's kid. And also another friend of mine. The family all dispersed in different directions so I had the whole day to play. My trainer has another rider helping her do some riding, and he had a puppy too! Puppies everywhere! This one is a CORGI!

Not much cuter than a corgi puppy

Shiny's kid has a new lease for the winter, and it's a large pony! He's so cute, and ridiculously scopey. She was jumping him around at 3'6" and it was so easy for him. Even if the distance wasn't perfect, he just popped right over with no shenanigans or opinions. I'm excited for this pair, he's exactly what she should have to learn on. I'm hoping to go back down to see them again Friday and my trainer said I could ride her horses, so that would be super fun. She mostly has hunters right now but she prefers jumpers, so she's happy to hand them off. Ha! I love a hunter. 

I also got to visit with a good friend, and watched her have a lesson. She's been with this trainer for a few years now, but I haven't been out to their barn. Her new trainer is LOVELY. She's stern, but never mean. Even if someone makes a big mistake or worse, repeatedly makes the same one, she never insulted anyone. She didn't even get mad. She actually asked the rider why that was happening, like maybe there was a good reason that she couldn't see from where she was standing. And then she just explained what wasn't working and how to fix it. It as very refreshing to see. My friend and her horse are doing so great, and I'm so happy for them! 

I'm here until Saturday, which I'm really enjoying such a long trip. But I miss my horses and Rita, and can't wait to see them soon! The cold weather I'm less enthused to get back to. That and having to deep clean the barn aisle. I know that's going to be a thing. But all good. Definitely very lucky to have an aisle to clean! 

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday and enjoy New Year's Eve!

Truthful Tuesday

 

Oh man guys, it is a vacation edition confession today. And I have TWO! First is an expected confession. The amount of calories I've been consuming are definitely FAR outweighing the amount I'm expending. But whatever, it's vacation. An afternoon ice cream cone SHOULD be a thing on vacation, okay?? Sheesh. My breeches still went on today, so it can't be THAT bad.

The second confession is that I apparently didn't pack for conditions. I had to pack a little bit ahead of time just because that's when I had time to do it. At that point the weather report said high 70's for the entire trip. Unfortunately, I just discovered last night that we're dropping down to low 60's for the rest of the trip. Which is still LOVELY compared to home, but I only packed short sleeves. Fortunately, I made a TJ Maxx run when I had some family free time the other day and had scored some seamless long sleeve tees for $6 and $8. So now I'm covered for the cooler weather (literally AND figuratively). 

Overnights are dropping down to the low 40's and here in south Florida that calls for falling iguana warnings. We don't have these problems up north! Ha!

Thursday's Threads: A Christmas Story Edition

 

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! I technically do not celebrate Christmas as I am a full blooded Jewish person. But I'm always down for a good theme, and I love Christmas movies. So obviously it makes sense that I would have A Christmas Story themed outfit to wear for the holiday. I even used this theme for my holiday card one year. Love me a leg lamp! Haha! Shiny was our model today by default. I rode her first because conditions were iffy and she's the least likely to kill me. But she was even spooking so I opted out of riding the others. Fortunately, she is an excellent model! So here's what she had on:

The best model! Look how cute she is.

Bridle: Pinnacle

Browband: Dark Jewel Designs

I can't remember if I've shared these bitless bridles with you guys? I think I have. I wasn't happy with the La Cense ones I had. They were pretty to look at, but the leather quality was pretty bad and they didn't really fit my horses well. So I upgraded to these from Pinnacle and I'm really happy with them. 

Bareback Pad: Brockamp

Saddle Pad and quarter sheet: Hopeful Equestrian

I haven't ridden my horses since Sunday and I felt perfectly safe to hop on Shiny in a bareback pad and bitless bridle. And that's why I am a grown ass woman with a pony. She's the best! You might have to click to enlarge this photo to really get the full effect of how cute this print is. It has the leg lamp AND the pink nightmare on it! I think the bb gun too. It's so fun!

Boots: DSB, embellished by me with some fabric from Spoonflower

Heehee. More leg lamp. Tis the season! Also, I'm still loving my interchangeable boot idea. I really need to get these on the market.

So that's what Shiny wore today for Christmas, and here's what I had on:

Fra-gee-lay! Hahahaha! I kill me.

Helmet: One K Avance CCS with MIPS

I thought this was the perfect option for this outfit.

Sweater: A Christmas Story

Oh yes, it absolutely does light up. At least for now. I did chores in it and rode in it today. The chances of the lights surviving me washing it are slim. It is impressive though, that I've had this sweater since 2019 and it still works!

Belt: C4

This belt came out several years ago, and I don't think I've ever added something to cart so fast in my life. It's so perfect.

Breeches: Tailored Sportsman in color Cherry

Chaps: Journeyman

Paddock Boots: Celeris UK

I dunno guys, the weatherman said it would be less windy today, but it absolutely was not. One of my jumps blew over while I was on Shiny even. Ridiculous! Thank goodness for my warm chaps or I probably would not have braved the elements even on Shiny. 

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

I wear these Christmas poop socks almost every year. Do you all get the reference? South Park had a character named Mr Hanky the Christmas Poop. It's gross potty humor, but kinda funny, and I think of Mr Hanky every year when I clean stalls on Christmas. So obviously I needed to own Christmas poo socks. I've had them awhile, but since they only get worn once a year, they're lasting very nicely.

Okay, that's it for our silly A Christmas Story outfit. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday if you celebrate, or a lovely day off if you don't! 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Guys, I am thisclose to being on vacation and I am so ready for it! And by that I mean I still have a million things to do, but am utterly exhausted and can't wait for a week away. 

Life lately with the horses has been mostly all work and very little play, but that's the way with horses in the winter right? 

When we last left off, there was still some snow on the ground, and we were struggling with snowballs in the feet. Mother Nature has been full of jokes lately though. We were fortunate to have a warm up on Friday which unfortunately came with a ton of rain. That's Mother Nature's sense of humor. We get a day that should be lovely, but it come with something to ruin it. Friday that something was pouring rain. So the horses enjoyed a vacation day, and I took the day to pack for vacation and do some chores around the house. Saturday was really cold, but we did get some tack walking in. It was also pretty windy though, and Al struggled with that. Fortunately, Sunday was nicer. Still windy, but warmer at least. Shiny had a fun bareback ride. It was so fun to actually walk, trot, and canter again finally! Eros also got to trot and canter for the first time that week. Al only managed the trot. He really hates wind. But he kept his poo together and we had a decent ride. 

Monday is always their day off. I debated riding, but it was also the only day this week that I had barn help in the morning, and I had a TON of things to do. So I didn't ride. Instead, I stuffed and weighed 45 bags of hay for Shiny while I'm gone and pre-made all of their meals too. 

These will go in the grain bins. Temporarily hanging out here 
until just before I leave.

Shocking how many hours all of that takes! I'm away for a week and a day, so it's a lot of days. This is the longest I've been away from the horses in several years. I'm so anxious! They're in good hands. But I worry. It's just who I am as a person. 

My morning helper is on vacation all this week (except Monday), so Tuesday I was up early to feed and turnout. Except it's not really that early because it's dark out forever. (So annoying. Winter is stupid.) And since I was doing chores, Mother Nature gave us snow. Again. Already. So ridiculous. But then it turned to rain. Because of course it did. It rained most of the day, but was only about 36 degrees. I'm generally not a weenie about riding in the elements, but I draw the line at cold rain. So they enjoyed more vacation time. It worked out okay though, because I got done in time to not be late to our family Chanukah party. We had to postpone from Friday because everyone else in my family had that virus going around that's like the flu but isn't the flu. I was glad to avoid them while they were still contagious!

We had a fun celebration. I ate too many latkas, and received some fun gifts. My nieces both seemed to love their gifts I got them, which always brings me joy. I love picking out gifts for people, and when they love them, I get the warm fuzzies. I also received the highest praise. They said I'm much better at speaking teen slang than their dad. Haha! They are great kids. 

I was very excited to burn through chores this morning so I could ride today. We had what should have been the most beautiful day. Partly sunny, temps in the 40's. Unfortunately, the winds were blowing with gusts up to 40 mph. And of course, Bang and Clang next door was out and about, wandering all over his yard and running literally every piece of machinery he owns. Then he was using power tools. The horses were WILD in turnout. Once they were all back inside and I had finished chores the wind was whistling. Just absolutely insane. And Bang and Clang was still at it next door. I debated getting on for awhile, but finally admitted that it really wasn't the safest choice. I have nothing to prove at this point in my life, and decided to listen to the responsible voice in my head. Tomorrow should be better. Not as warm, but less wind. So hopefully we'll get some rides in. We have to really so we can have something to share for Thursday's Threads! Plus it's my last chance to ride before I leave since we're flying out Friday morning. 

I was stressing about trying to get chores done Friday before leaving. I have to be out the door at 9, which would be totally doable in the summer if I could start at 5. But since it's dark until 7 here now, I really didn't see how I could possibly get the horses out and stalls done before leaving. (I would definitely also need a shower.) My horse sitter works Friday mornings at another barn (last year's winter barn actually!) so she wasn't available. But then I thought maybe she could do the morning stuff in the afternoon. That way I could just feed and be on my way. But I didn't want to put that on her if it was too much after working the other job. Fortunately for me, she's young and eager and was happy to do it. She's absolutely my new favorite person. She's doing all the things I do while I'm away for a week and a day. (My weekday morning helper is back next week, so she doesn't have to do everything the whole time.) I'm really grateful she's willing to do it all. 

I had zero success getting a nice family photo...
But please enjoy this attempt to break up the wall of text.

Vacation should be fun this year. We're staying in Florida rather than island hopping this year, which truthfully I'm excited about because I want to visit my Wellington friends. Shiny's summer kid has a new horse I'm dying to meet for one. And my neighbor from home moved permanently down to Wellington so I'm hoping to visit with her too. We have lots to catch up on. But also exciting, is that my dad arranged for me to have a ride on one of his sales horses. Did I tell you guys about what he did? My dad, the non horse guy... My stepmom's trainer talked him into buying a bunch of sales horses. 3 young ones and two that are doing the 1.30M jumpers. (And I have Al... Trust me, I've had some feelings about this.) Anyway, as is typical in horse investments, none of them have sold. So Dad is letting me ride one finally. I'm very excited! But also a little nervous because these are spicy upper level horses, and I've been mostly walk/trotting. Heh. It's like riding a bike right? RIGHT?? Should be fun though. They're all mares, so don't worry, I'm not bringing one home. Shiny doesn't want to share her kingdom with another girl. 

That's the long and the short of it from here. Hopefully I can get the rest of the things done I need to before I have to leave... In the meantime, hope all of you who celebrate have a wonderful Christmas! Shiny and I will have a Christmas outfit to share with you tomorrow. Ideally we'll actually get to ride in it... but that's TBD.

Truthful Tuesday

 

Heehee... This is a funny one. I dunno about you guys, but I have a million and one things on my mind between prepping for all the holidays, taking care of the horses/barn, and getting ready for vacation. I have a list of lists to keep me organized and on schedule. But you know what happens when you have all these things on your plate? Something is bound to get missed. 

So what did I miss you ask? This:

Do you see it? I rode Eros Sunday and didn't realize until I got off that I hadn't buckled his nose band. Not that you really need a noseband to ride. But I do wonder if it was flapping around at his face the whole ride. Poor dude! 

Hopefully this is the only thing I've forgotten. So far it is, but I suppose time will tell.

Thursday's Threads: Chanukah Edition

 

Outfit Day! And it's a theme week! Eros modeled for us today so let's start with his outfit because it's super fun. 

You may recognize his outfit from last year's holiday card photo.  I felt like we needed a break from the same old Chanukah print I've shared the last several years. Plus I spent HOURS attaching all this tinsel to everything for the card photo, so I might as well get some use out of it! I have a quarter sheet too that matches, but it was warm enough not to need it. You'll also notice nakey legs. That's because of all the snow and mud. Plus we are just walking so leg protection not so necessary. 

Bridle: Generic, embellished by me

I bought this side pull from Amazon specifically to cover in tinsel. It's a braided nylon, and I think I paid $12 for it. I hand sewed all that tinsel to it and the reins. Normally Eros doesn't seem to mind my shenanigans, but I swear he rolled his eyes when he saw this monstrosity. 

Saddle: Butet

Saddle Pad: Roma, embellished by me

Half Pad: Mattes

I should have gotten a closer photo of the pad. It has gold stitching for the quilting and is really quite pretty. But the tinsel really makes it.... Ha!

So that's what Eros wore this week, and here's what I had on:

Confession: I did not actually wear these boots to ride. I would have if the ring wasn't all mucky and gross. Instead I wore my very ancient winter Ariat paddock boots and my full chaps. Happy to report that the chaps did not damage the tinsel on my breeches.

Helmet: One K Avance CCS MIPS

Oh man, I just did a deep dive into when I got these One K helmets, and they all will be five years old this year. Looks like I need to start saving my pennies for some new helmets soon. The only one that is newer is the gray one. I wonder if mine have a little extra life in them since I rotate through all of them rather than wear them every single day. Probably not. Sigh.

Sweater: Love By Design

Technically that menorah can light up, but I scored this sweater on Poshmark, new with tags, for a screaming good deal because it's missing its battery pack and switch. So mine does not light up. But that's okay with me. I don't need lights.

Belt: C4

This belt is getting to its last legs. Most of the pattern has worn off it. But it still functions perfectly fine. I think I'll just say it's distressed, and people can think it's meant to look this way. 

Breeches: Dover Embellished by me

Can tinsel be understated? I feel like this is an appropriate amount of tinsel for holiday breeches. Not to flashy. Just enough.

Socks: Dreamers and Schemers

D&S started printing Chanukah socks last year. I feel as a Jewish person, it is my responsibility to be sure to purchase things like this to encourage retailers to continue making Chanukah stuff. So obviously, I bought every print they offered. This year they had a design you could customize with your horse's face. So I got a pair with Eros on them wearing his Chanukah bonnet. I was going to wear them with this outfit, but this pair was a better match.

Boots: Pioneer

I bought these off Facebook several years ago, but I don't wear them a ton because they're not that comfortable. And there was something weird with the zipper that I just finally figured out what it was. The last owner must have had the elastic panel added later, as it's on side of the zipper closer to the inside of the boot. When you buy boots that are made with the elastic panel it's usually on the other side of the zipper. This also explains why the poppers at the top are too short to snap closed. I'm not mad about it, because they wouldn't fit me without that panel, and I didn't pay much for them anyway. Other than those little things, they are really pretty boots!

So that's it for this year's Chanukah edition! Next week we'll do Christmas. I haven't decided what we're wearing for that yet though! We'll see what the weather brings, that will help guide us. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

I feel like a lifetime has passed since last Wednesday. December is a RIDE isn't it?! Aside from the usual duties at home, I've attended three holiday band concerts for my nieces, a holiday party at last year's winter barn, and I got a new part time job! Also found some time to finish holiday shopping, wrap all the presents, and the holiday cards are heading to the mailbox in the morning (I'm a little late on those). So yeah, it's been busy. Add to that a snow storm and my helper out sick Monday.... Vacation can't come soon enough!

Okay, let's back things up a little. Last week was really cold around here, but I did still manage to ride pretty much every day. Even of some of the days were walk only rides. I'll take it, better than nothing! Then Saturday was actually quite nice. I was a little late getting chores done so rides were a little short, but we were able to do all the things. Might be the last time I get to canter for awhile! Haha! 

It was supposed to end at 10am (this photo was around 8) 
but it kept going until mid afternoon. 

And then Sunday. We were supposed to get a little snow. 2-4" they said. They were incorrect. We got about 6". Enough for the plow guy to come. Which thank goodness I found one before this storm happened! I can't tell you how difficult it was to find someone. But I did, so should be all set for the season with him. 

Tools of the trade on a snowy day

As much as I dislike the snow, the horses seem to enjoy it. Well. The boys do. Shiny doesn't seem to have an opinion really. The boys both like to prance through the snow. Eros does the big trot and Al gets full on zoomies. But Al also really loves to eat the snow, and wandered around clearing all the snow off all the jumps. It was pretty cute. 

I had briefly considered riding them in the snow after chores, but the wind started to pick up and honestly I was pretty frozen. So they enjoyed a few days off after the snow. 

My worker had texted me Friday evening that he came down with a fever and I should disinfect the barn... Yeah, after I had already touched everything he touched.... But I did anyway, better safe than sorry! So Sunday evening I set an early alarm in case he was still unwell and couldn't come to work. Which good thing I did that because he called out at 6am. Totally understandable, if you're sick I don't want all the cooties in the barn anyway. But I will say, he probably had an inkling Sunday that he needed another day... could have let me know the night before. The worst part about the extra day of chores, wasn't the chores at all. It was the fact that when I went out to the barn at 7 it was 8 degrees. Not feels like 8. Actually 8. Miserable! I puttered a bit hoping the sun would warm things up a little before I put the horses out. It kind of did... It was 11 when they all got out around 8:30. They really don't seem to mind the cold too much though. They were content out there while I cleaned up inside. Since it was Monday it was their usual day off. But I wouldn't have gotten on anyway with it being so stupid cold. 

Tuesday was a little better. It got almost to 30, and the sun was out part of the day. But I opted to wait one more day to ride because starting today, we're getting temps in the 40's!! Yay! But Tuesday everyone got a good grooming, and I finally got around to conditioning and brushing out their tails. I don't really comb them out much in the summer because they're always swishing and knotting them up. Too much chance to pull hairs with all those tangles. So unless we're showing, I just leave them be. But come winter I like to keep them brushed and conditioned. I've been slacking though, it was definitely time!

Today I finally climbed aboard! I made a pretty big error last time we got shoes and forgot to get winter shoes put on, so despite it being downright warm out, we stuck to tack walking. They were all getting snow balls, Eros the worst of all because he's the only one with front shoes on. I'm not out to get anyone hurt, so we just all had nice meanders through what's left of the snow. They'll be due soon, so we'll get proper footwear then. Well. Eros will all around and Al will behind. All the rest of our feet are barefoot. 

Oddly enough, Al was the smartest in the snow. He walked carefully and calmly and only had a snowball issue once that I can think of. The other two kind of got a little panicky about the snowballs. But they did figure it out eventually. Tomorrow is another nice day, so we'll probably do more of the same. Friday will definitely be a day off for the horses though. We're supposed to get a crazy rain storm with 50mph winds... And then it will probably all freeze over night. So ice. Ice everywhere. Then it will warm up a little again, so I dunno. We'll see what we end up with. 

We're supposed to do our family Chanukah party Friday night, but most everyone else has been sick, so we may postpone that until next week. I wouldn't mind. Germs are gross.

And the last little bit of news. I am officially working very part time for Turnout HQ! I would love to interact with you all over there, so check it out if you haven't already!

How's the weather where you are? Is winter doing it's thing super early for you too? Or is it just here because I decided to stay home this winter? I'm kind of thinking it might be the second one...