Day 29- A style/trend in tack/riding apparel that you don’t like

Day 29- A style/trend in tack/riding apparel that you don’t like

Western. Pleasure. Show. Clothing.

I posted these before…and I still feel the same…Dislike.

Okay. Soooooo I kind of like this one...I know. I know...

 

Day 27- You know you’re an equestrian when…..

 Day 27- You know you’re an equestrian when….. (Give 5 original ones)

You know you’re an equestrian when you open your large, gold, studded purse at the grocery store to pay and find a pair of stirrups and a dressage girth. (true story, happened this week!)

You know you’re and equestrian when you find yourself being snarky about every single girl and their mother wearing riding boots to trot around town. (I know, I know…my pet peeve is rude horse people, but these aren’t horse people!!)

You know you’re an equestrian when your hair stylist doesn't even flinch anymore when she finds bedding or hay in your hair (or under her chair).

 

You know you’re an equestrian when you seriously think about having your paycheck direct deposited to the vet.

You know you’re an equestrian when you can’t remember some of your childhood friends or what they looked like but remember every single horse’s name and color that you’ve ever encountered in your life.

Day 26- Biggest riding pet peeve

Day 26- Biggest riding pet peeve

This is aneasy one.Riders who are stuck up and rude. Now I am not saying that we shouldall have to get along, but rolling your eyes, or talking down to me is reallynot appreciated. I like to ask questions about horses and when I get a bitchyrude response it makes me want to slap the person…but mostly makes me want tocry. I’m a pretty sensitive gal and take things really hard. I remember onceasking a girl about barrel racing one day and she got all high and mightysaying how hard it was and that a person like me probably wouldn’t even be goodat it since I was just starting to ride. All I wanted to know was if it was funand if she could give me some pointers.

I once tooka beginner horsemanship class when I was in college. It was a class that wasdescribe as a class for BEGINNERS to learn about horses and riding and all thatfun stuff. But that class seriously made me sink down into a deep darkdepression. I didn’t want to ride or be around horses after taking that class.It took me a few years before I even started to think about riding again. The professorwas some old cowboy who knew everything about horses. All the girls in my classhad been riding since they were in their mother’s womb. The horse I was assignedwas a naughty horse that had been kicked off a string of horses at a dude ranchbecause he was an ass. Prior to taking this class I had mostly ridden English.I’d never saddled up a western horse and I didn’t know much about westernriding. Which was why I took the class to learn as much as I could. Well Istruggled with the saddle, I always had a hard time remembering how to securethe cinch. So the instructor would make a big production about helping me out,and the girls in the class would giggle the whole time. You know if I saw aclassmate struggling I would go help her, but that is just me. Every class wewould get our horses and then tie them up in the arena and then have a quickmeeting in the tack room about the day’s lesson. I tied my horse up like theytaught me and when I returned, sure enough, my horse was wandering around thearena. I apparently had the horse that could undo quick release knots. Soobviously I got lectured and more giggle from the girls in my class. Almostevery ride I would get singled out by the professor and he’d basically say “whateverK.K is doing…do the opposite.” By the end of the semester I was so emotionallydrained and hated that class so much. I had to hold a classmates horse for herand I stood there near the horses head and it sneezed, all over me. and myprofessor yelled across the areana “Reason #345 why we don’t stand in front ofa horse”. Obviously everyone in class laughed their butts off. When I left Icried the whole way home. To be honest I don’t think I even went back and tookmy final exam. I was so crushed at how rude everyone was to me. It was then andthere that I decided if I ever got back into horses I would be as friendly andhelpful to everyone as I could be. And I do try hard to be helpful and nice tomy fellow riders. We can all use a little help now and then. It’s just easierif we are at least nice to each other.

Day 25- Your dream trailer

Day 25- Your dream trailer

Easy question...This beauty.

 I''m kidding...I like this single horse beast.

OR this one...

Homemade?

OK, so I was kidding. These all look like deathtraps really...but in all actuality that is how I see trailers.. Trailers are terrifying to me. Absolutely terrifying. After my accident in the trailer I don't have any confidence in them or around them.

Our trailer

This is the trailer we ended up with. It had all the things I wanted. It was extra tall and wide, with a ramp and full escape doors, and the price was where we wanted to be. Still terrifying to me. But she does a good job hauling the horses, if we can get them in there. Piney didn't load in anything and Duke hates ramps. Pistol is like "pssssht, I'll ride on a flat bed if you want me too. Is that hay in there? I'm in." It is my dream trailer in that I've always dreamed of having my own trailer some day. And now I have one. It's not everyone's dream trailer, but it is mine.

add these to the don't play list...

Seriously I could cause major flooding here in town when I listen to this song. I'm quite positive this wasn't written about the day I put Piney down, but it certainly feels like it.

 

And then there is this one. Because I am a glutton for punishment. I've cried every single time I have heard this song. And it doesn't help that there is a horse in this video. And It doesn't help that I love this song and put it on repeat and drive around looking like a crazy person crying all over town...

So if you are wanting to have a good old fashioned, sobbing, body shaking cry...listen to these...

Day 24- Your best riding friend

Day 24- Your best riding friend

I would have to say that my husband is my best riding friend. When I met him he told me that he had a horse and I was probably like “yes, lets be friends!” Unfortunately for him, I haven’t been a good riding buddy since Piney died. My desire to saddle up sort of fizzled out. When I started to ride Pistol a bit more it didn’t really help that he got that abcess shortly after which put him off for a while. I made a little promise to myself that I will ride more this year. Lately I have really, really wanted to saddle up and go for a ride, but obviously these horrific temperatures have kept me out of the saddle. I do feel bad that I’m not much of a rider these day. But this year I promise to be a better rider!

Hubby has been into horses most of his life. As I said he had a horse when I met him. It was at grandma’s farm. His mother grew up showing and breeding Arabians. So horses are in his blood. We like doing different things when we ride. He enjoys trail riding and I enjoy riding around in an arena but we do both enjoy time in the saddle.

Day 23- Picture of your favorite jump/combo

Day 23- Picture of your favorite jump/combo

I haven’t done a whole bunch of jumping in my time in the saddle. BUT that didn’t stop me from buying these sweet mini jumps at an auction for $3!! They are small, and not horse sized. But they are jumps none the less and kids seem to get as big of a kick out of them as I do. I thought I'd share them again...Obviously the jump with the chestnut is my absolute favorite jump for obvious reasons...

 

 

When Piney was still with me I used them and set up this little “course” and we went over them…*ahem* he knocked over every single pole. Every. Single. Pole. I had them nice and low but a serious case of laziness set in and he knew that I was riding by myself and was too lazy myself to have to dismount and get back on each time I fixed the poles, so he figured he’d just knock them all down and that would be the end of it…he was smarter than I thought…