Odd Coincidence

On Saturday, I went to watch the Region 6 Dressage Championships with Ellie. She has a post with a ton of photos here, if you're interested.

The coincidence was this:

I found this bumper sticker, which is pretty much perfect for me. I'm stickler for clean tack and horse and proper turnout.

I bought it, but I also hate bumper stickers (they distract from the natural beauty of the car, right?) so I am looking for a magnet to stick on and attach to either my car or refrigerator.

Then I went out to ride Sunday morning. Due to my ridiculous standards of equine cleanliness, Izzy usually looks like this when I get her:

A tiny bit dusty, but otherwise clean.

Ha! On Sunday, Ms Mare had apparently slept and rolled in the horrid sticky weed of doom and her entire body was COATED in sticky nastiness. Yes, I should have taken a picture, but I was so overwhelmed by the amount of yuck, that I immediately tried to groom it off.

No go. The dust came off and she did some end of summer shedding, but the icky goo stayed put. If I put a saddle pad on this horse, she will gunk it up.

Cue BATHTIME!!

Again, I didn't take a picture, but here's an approximation of what Izzy looked like after the bath:

Unfortunately, Rinsie was not here to help this time, but I got the job done.

Of course, by then it was hot. I rode for about 25 minutes, but a hot wind was blowing in off the desert and it was over 90 and I still had stalls to clean.

It was a short ride, but I am convinced that the estimable GM would approve. You cannot and should not ride if your horse is covered in nasty stickiness.