Doing What You Can With What You’ve Got and the Beauty of New Boots.

Every time I realize how long it has been since I’ve posted I feel horrible. Unfortunately this is my life right now. I have a full time job in the Navy (so my life isn’t really my own. YET!) an almost three year old daughter who can be at moments a holy terror, a farm, a big property to maintain and a house to keep clean and organized. 

So my life is pretty full. What this means is that I ride when I can but all my plans for competitions, clinics, and lessons went out the window a while ago. These days when I need a little flatwork inspiration I hit up some of my favorite trainers on YouTube. It’s not as good as being able to have a lesson with a dressage coach or a jumping coach but it’s what fits my life right now. 

I moved to a new command this past January.  And it’s not exactly what I was hoping for. I was hoping for a nice quiet shore duty to spend my last three years in the Navy before I retire and move on to a life that I get to orchestrate and make the choices for.  This is not that command. I travel. A LOT!  The first five months I was at the command I was only really in the office for a total of two weeks.  This winter I’ll be spending three months away from home with jaunts back to the farm for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I will miss my daughter’s third Halloween, but not her birthday thankfully.

My whole family is actually taking a vacation together. Every October the biggest hot air balloon festival in the United States, maybe the World happens in Albuquerque, New 

Mexico.  Which is really close to where Superhubs grew up and his family still lives.  We decided to take Her Majesty the Queen of Babies to the festival this year.  My mother, sisters, nephew and brother-in-law decided they wanted to come too.  AND! My husband sprang on me a surprise trip to the Grand Canyon while we are out in the Southwest! I’ve never been and I’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise so we are going to make that trip happen as well. 

So what has been going on with my horses you ask?  Not a lot. I’ve been riding when I can, which with the current weather has either been super early in the morning or really late in the evening.  Recently I’ve had the Red Rogue Pony working on transitions and cavaletti work.  Plus working on the right side bend. He is super stiff and unyielding to that direction.  I’m pretty sure it’s due to me favoring that side and not being as strong on my left which I’m also trying to work on. 

I’ve also been riding Cowboy a little bit.  He’s still not my first choice to ride but we’re managing to get along.  He also can be super stiff so we’re working on bending and cavaletti work as well.   I’m hoping someday to take him to a dressage show but with my work life pretty much sucking up all my time and what’s left going to my daughter I just can’t ride as much as I used to. So I have to work with what I’ve got. 

My daughter while not completely sold on the aspect of horses as far as riding goes does occasionally ask me to ride.  I always choose Fox because he is the least likely to do something stupid when we are just strolling at the slowest walk possible. Which Fox and my daughter both love. My daughter has her own little helmet and I see tiny jods and paddock boots in her future. Super horsey mommy squeal!

Even though I’m not riding as much as I was this fact has not stopped me from acquiring some new equestrian items. Because my pre-pregnancy Kerrits Cross-over breeches don’t quite fit the way they used to I got a couple new pairs of breeches. My Kerrits are low rise, and having seen the photos of myself post pregnancy in those breeches I opted for mid-rise to er camouflage certain aspects of my anatomy that I don’t want to announce to the world.  Love handles cough cough.   I bought two pairs from two different brands. I bought a very nice pair of Romfh full seats, and a lovely pair of Ariat Tri-factor full seats.   I haven’t had a chance to wear the Romfhs yet but the Ariat’s wore really well and made me feel very secure in the saddle. I’ll put a full review on all my new stuff under that tab on the main page.

I also got two more new things. One I already have and LOVE, the other will be arriving tomorrow.  Since the beginning of my riding life as a wee little girl on ponies I have hated riding in my tall boots.  Prior to getting half chaps I rode in breeches in paddock boots almost exclusively unless I was showing.  Then I got half chaps and adored them. I have a pair of black suede Ariat half chaps that are nearly 20 years old.  In the way back days of my childhood when my parents couldn’t afford a pair of fancy tall boots I had a PVC pair that I would shine with Armor All for shows.  Then later when my feet stopped growing my mom bought me a pair of Devonaire pull on tall boots.  I loved the look but really hated riding in them because I lost the close contact feel.  When I could afford to buy my own boots and after I broke my ankle and I absolutely had to have zip up boots I got a pair of Ariat Crown Pros.  I was very much in love with them but again I lost the feel my half chaps gave me. Yet again I only wore them when I had to for shows.  

So I dealt with it, relegated my tall boots for when I had no choice. Then one day at the local tack shop I was perusing the tall boots and saw this style of boot that I’d heard of, seen on a few upper level riders but thought were kind of odd looking.  Enter the Ariat Volants.  The minute I tried on those boots it was an instant affair.  They were so comfortable and the already broken in panel on the inside had me sighing and trying to figure out how to afford them.   I stalked e-bay and anywhere else that might have them at a discount. No joy.  I put my unrequited love aside.  Until Smartpak put their Ariat Sport V’s on clearance at the same time I had some extra funds.  I snapped up a pair and they have now become my favorite boot to ride in. Along with the new breeches I feel like a tornado couldn’t dislodge me from the saddle.

The last new item, that is at this moment winging its way to me, is a new bridle.  I am a certified bridle hoarder.  I’d have to physically count all my bridles, something I am loath to do, but I think this will make bridle number 14.  I only have two ridable horses.  Did acknowledging my bridle hoarding stop me from buying a new bridle? Nope.  I got a new PS of Sweden Jump Off Bridle.  I was dithering back and forth between the Jump Off and the High Jump, but ultimately went with the Jump Off.  I’m really excited to see if either or both of the boys likes this bridle more than the SmartPak dressage bridle they both currently share. 

We shall have to see.  What’s up next for us?  Just training and trying to be more fit. My job will have me traveling again for several months. I just keep telling myself I only have a couple of years left and then I can do whatever the hell I want.

Until then, keep it between the flags my friends. 

The Sweet Spot

     Home again, home again, jiggety, jig! I’ve finally been home for longer than a week! And the weather hasn’t been totally horrible! I’ve managed to ride Fox twice and Cowboy twice.  We are only doing tack walking with a lap of the field at the trot as the end of the work out.  Since the ponies haven’t been ridden since May I want to take it easy on them and gently get everyone, myself included back in to shape.

Meanwhile I’ve had the Farrier Fairy out to attend to hooves, and my vet to get everyone’s shots, and coggins up to date for the spring.  Plus I got some x-rays done of Fox’s front feet so that the Farrier Fairy and I can make some more informed decisions about how to best take care of Fox’s feet.

Riding the two boys has been interesting. Fox is the lazy, I will only do the smallest amount unless pushed horse.  He is also the one that when he thinks the ride should be done he’ll try and shy, grab the bit and run back towards his girlfriend.  Naughty brat.

Cowboy on the other hand has been a sort of delightful surprise.  I’m not saying he doesn’t have his moments of “I don’t wanna.”   He does and he has more of a reason to protest than Fox does.  Cowboy has been my husband’s sometimes trail horse for the last six years. Meaning he got ridden maybe three or four times a year.  I had no serious interest in riding him. I mean come on I had the lovely High Queen and all her high jinks, then the Sunday Stroller gelding.

But Cowboy is that horse that always comes to the gate first, would always rather follow you around than be with the other horses. He is curious about absolutely everything. Plus he is super pretty and he is a very lovely mover.  I didn’t realize what a gift it is to sit on a nice mover until I rode Cowboy a few days ago.  Trotting him was such a change, a floating, gorgeous change from riding Fox that I was really kicking myself for not doing it ages ago.  Then he got a moment of naughty and broke in to a canter.  The most balanced, uphill canter I’ve sat on in years.

Now I love Fox, he is that easy going, never really spook at anything, best trail horse, level headed, jump anything pony that I wanted for a long, long time.  But he is also a lot of work. He is never going to be that self initiated forward mover.  I always have to work hard to get him to do dressage the way it needs to be done.  And while this makes me a better rider, it can be exhausting.

And then there is Cowboy.   He is naturally foward, not hot, just a big, energetic mover.  I have been over the last couple of months, from when the summer of hell finally ended, tried to be kinder to Cowboy, to try and see him as less of a brat who is always bugging you, and more of a friend who always wants to be part of what you are doing.  I’ve spent more time with him, groomed him more and generally went about changing the way I see him.


Another blogger, who I love, writes about her riding of her spicy mare. They went to a clinic with Dom Schramm, one of my favorite riders and clinicians.  Dom told the rider to ride her mare like she’s sweet.  I took this to mean that if you expect naughty, bad behavior, you are going to get it. I’m not saying not to be prepared, but don’t look for it.  I’m trying to ride Cowboy as if he’s sweet, letting go over past transgressions and trying to appreciate what Cowboy has to offer.

In honor of that, when the vet came out I asked her to list Cowboy’s show name on his coggins so that if I can get him to some shows this year I can show him with the name I chose.   Which is
“The Sweet Spot”

Keep it between the flags everyone! And Happy New Year!