WHAT A GOOD IDEA

So the other day, Alyssa offered to come out and take pictures for me. Courage and I haven't been doing much to excite in terms of jumping lately and I wanted a progress check on the dressage.

We did a solid warm up, then ran through our first-ever dressage test (that I made up).

working trot

I was trying so hard. I had my eyes up and my body up and I was sitting up straight and I was REALLY happy with how my horse was going.

stretchy trot

Courage was soft and rateable and rideable and comfortable. He had no shadow of an issue with turning right (huzzah!) and was just lovely.












I was really, really happy with my ride.

And then I went home and saw the pictures.

And omg.

Horse= A+, Self=WTF

There are some really lovely shots of Courage. He's progressing really well and I couldn't be prouder of him. I see him changing. I feel him starting to get it.

I'm so happy about that.

WHY

But I look through all the pictures of myself actually riding...

And I'm not impressed. WHAT AM I EVEN DOING.

I don't know. I can't explain how it is I think my horse will go better if I tip forward with my hands in my lap. I don't know why I think if I push my heels up and toes out and put my tone-less calf on his side, that ANYTHING will happen.

best shot

I guess I can explain why when I overuse my inside rein how that hinders him from working correctly, but hasn't seemed to help me fix it all that much.

For us to advance, I need to get stronger on my outside aids both directions. And shorten my reins to get my hands out of my lap. AND SIT UP. And get my ass under me.

AND THEN like, maybe learn how to dressage.

halt, salute. mic drop.

So I'm very understandably frustrated with myself for doing the same things wrong I always do and have always done.

And then I get this nice note from a fancy (and kind) (and expensive) local trainer, inviting me to participate in a cool clinic.

It's $$$.

It's in two weeks.

I can (just barely) afford it if I do no shows next month.

My dressage trainer and boarding friends have nothing but good things to say about the clinician.

So who is it with?

Um.

picture kypped from internet

I'm a little bit freaking out right now.

OK A LOT FREAKING OUT. WHAT HAVE I DONE. SERIOUS FREAK OUT HAPPENING RIGHT HERE.

I realize clinics are all about learning and I (obviously) need all the help I can get.

AND OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I'M CLINICING WITH ARTHUR KOTTAS

Cue panic.

The Big Exciting Updates You've All Been Waiting For

best at poles

I feel like my blog has a shocking dearth of exciting things to talk about lately. I mean, I wanted to write a riding update last week. I was really excited about all the progress we were making. I started typing "you guys we CANTERED OVER GROUND POLES and Courage wanted to whig out but I rode like a BADASS and we FIGURED IT OUT and F*** YEAH GROUND POLES."

But like... would you read that?

No. No you would not. Not even if you were my mother.

HEADSHOT

In fact, you'd be like "SB, western pleasure horses do that ALL DAY LONG. Can't you try a little harder?"

Ok. So then I hopped on in the indoor and had THE BEST RIDE EVER for us in dressage. Walk. Trot. Canter. Both leads. Direction changes. Courage was soft and uphill and balanced and relaxed.

And I was riding alone, so obviously there is no photo evidence besides a fancy head shot.

So I was going to write a post about that, but then I realized I was literally bragging that my horse could walk, trot, and canter in a 20 meter circle in an indoor, which is like, less impressive than a horse with 30 days under saddle who can do the EXACT SAME THING.

Sigh.

doing it right eventually

I know I'm going slow with Courage because I want him to learn things the right way. I know there's no point in jumping until he's rateable on the flat, then over poles. I know I'm being ridiculous and going too slow and that I could just ram and jam and screw flatwork and I know that makes better blog fodder.

I mean, let's face it: if I was all "HELLZ YEAH JUMPING 3'6" ON C RAGE", everyone would be like "omg you're so amazing and your horse is sooooo cool". But when I say "yep cantering ground poles," even my response is "yawn hella boring moving right along".

but is it fancy enough?

All that to say: Courage and I are working away at the all-important basics. We're making, slow, steady, non-linear progress.

Oh, and I might have some exciting updates soon.

Things a Tack Ho Doesn't Sell

also horses. don't sell horses.

aka "what to buy, I guess"

I'm basically a revolving door of really excellent tack. I rarely pay full price for anything and I almost never personalize because I know I won't keep anything forever.

Over the past few years, there have been a few things that stayed with me.

KEEPSIES

1) Bits.

I do not sell bits.

I want to be that crazy old lady with an enormous trunks of bits in my barn who has every design under the sun. I do not want to be that lady with strap goods or saddle pads, but bits? NEVER LET THOSE BABIES GO.

(Unless you have two in the same size/design and think it's unlikely you'll need them at the same time. I sold a copper mouth french link loose ring because I had two.)

srsly old phone pic

2) Equifit T Boots

Truth: I bought my set years ago on super sale brand new from a rep. I thought I wanted the hook stud models, ended up with the velcros, and never looked back. They're just fantastic boots. They are a basic color, they look classy on every horse, they fit very well (on everything I've used them on) and they are easy to clean. They haven't rubbed even my most sensitive of princesses and they're suitable for nearly every occasion.

I've sold lots of open front boots (and I still have lots), but these are the only ones that seem to have gained a permanent spot in the vault.

memories are forever

3) Nice halters

This one sort of doesn't count but also sort of does. I buy a really nice halter when I get a horse. I put the horse's name on it and the halter stays with the horse.

Unless it's a bitch like Izzy and then I sell it when she moves away. Ha!

But for real. Halters are the one thing that "belongs" to the horse, if you will, and they are special to me.

you aren't looking at the saddle pad

4) Saddle pads

This category does not include half pads. I sell those all the time (and buy them even more frequently). I am such a miser about spending money on saddle pads in the first place that when I finally do have them, I just keep them until they have to be thrown away. They need to be nice neutral colors that don't clash with any given color scheme and they need to fit my saddles.

And if they fit that criteria, I pretty much just keep them. That's what rubbermaids are for, right?

might be keeping these

I'm trying to think if there's anything else, but nothing comes to mind. These aren't necessarily the things I enjoy the most, just the ones I keep the longest. I mean, my #1 love is strap goods, but no one wants to be that lady with 30 year old bridles that is all "these were so hot three decades back".

At least, I can't imagine it.

Am I just weird? What else do you keep forever?

Ultimate Trotting Picture Progression Post

IT'S HERE!!! I got really excited about progression pictures, so I went back to my beginning with Courage and took a trotting picture from each month to the present. 90% of these are pulled off the blog. I tried to get them as late in the month as possible. I wanted them to accurately represent where we were at, training-wise. None are taken while approaching poles/jumps and all of them feature me as rider or handler. Enjoy!

August 2013 - right off the track

September 2013

October 2013

November 2013

December 2013

January 2014

February  2014

March  2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

no trotting pictures in September so enjoy cute puppy

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

I realize that's a lot of pictures and I'd probably be better served by consolidating down to quarterly or something, but now that I've done the work to run down all these pictures, you get them all.

Besides. Look how far my little man has come!

Review of Three Budget-Friendly Breeches

breeches make a difference

I may be a tack ho of the best variety, but that does not extend to the breech collection. It KILLS ME to pay $200+ for pants that I will wear out in the sun and rain and mud and snow and destroy. Kills me. I can't do it.

I'm told that more expensive pants wear better, but I'm pretty sure the law of diminishing returns comes in to play in a hurry. Plus it seems that people who are most impressed by durability actually do the least things, you know? Like "omg these breeches lasted me 10 years!" but they only ride one horse for 20 minutes twice a week.

Full disclosure: I spent the past couple years working in a pro situation, which meant 8+ hour days on the regular, all in breeches. I'm currently LOVING the ammy life and I ride my one horse 5-6x a week and do practically no barn chores.

I want a breech to be stretchy enough to not unduly restrict me, firm enough that any unacceptable lumps are smoothed out, durable enough that I can use them for 1-2 years, AREN'T LOW RISE, are front zip, and have sock bottoms. Need normal rise. Hate velcro bottoms. Don't need hips looking wider/more awkward (here's looking at you, side zip).

Tredstep breeches in action

Bachelor #1: Tredstep Symphony Nero Breech in smokie pearl

List price: $89.95
What I paid: ~$75

I was in desperate need of breeches last year and hit a 20% off sale at Bit of Britain. I like Tredstep half chaps, the breeches were well reviewed, and I needed SOMETHING.

I'm normally a 34, I got the 34 and they fit fine. These breeches have a nice sock bottom and an ok rise. The color is fine. They are definitely pants.

That said, they are my least favorite breeches of the lot. The fabric doesn't really have any give to it, which means it's constantly pulling at my knees. It "stretches" out quickly and looks unattractive. The breeches slide down even with a belt on. And despite being stiff and uncomfortable, they really don't flatter anything. I guess the durability is fine, in that I only use them when I desperately need to do laundry, so they're unlikely to wear out soon.

I would not buy these again. It's possible the top fo the line tredsteps are much improved, but if you can't impress me at $90, I'm not shelling out $200.

Equine Couture in action

Bachelor #2: Equine Couture Brittni Knee Patch Breeches in chocolate

List price: $89.95
What I paid: ~$75

These are the product of the same Bit of Britain sale. I basically picked things with a price I could stomach and color I could deal with and clicked order.

Again, got 34 and the 34 fit fine. These breeches also have a sock bottom. It's double layered and doesn't really have a seam at the bottom, which makes them smooth under paddock boots, but it's a minor PITA to put on. Not a deal breaker.

I actually quite like these breeches--they smooth what needs smoothing, give where it matters, and look sharp day in and day out. They don't sag or wear strangely and I really love the grippy silicone knee patch thingy. It grips without making me hotter, which is fantastic.

That said. They are low rise. Not the lowest rise ever, but HELLOOOOOOO MUFFIN TOP. You'll note I only ever wear them with baggy shirts because wow yeah, no one needs to see that. If you are a short-waisted low-rise-loving person, these are the pants for you.

I might buy these again, but I wouldn't pay full price. They do come in nice colors. They have also started to pill somewhat, but since they work twice as hard at the Tredsteps (at least), I'm not too concerned.

sadly no fantastic in action shots yet

Bachelor #3: Smartpak Equine Piper Knee Patch Breeches in ALL THE COLORS

List price: $79.95
What I paid: ~$64

I'm the queen of the 20% off sale. What can I say? Even with cheap breeches, I can't stomach full price.

I have reviewed the Piper breeches before. I kind of liked them. After I wrote the initial review, I liked them less because I was working in a barn and the pipers definitely have a crotch sag issue (no bueno) and they wore out pretty fast.

old pipers in action

But hey! That was almost two years ago.

So here's the updated review.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors. Who doesn't? Fun colors, good price point. My objection to the old fasteners is gone--they covered the painful metal things with fabric and it's all good there.

The Pipers hit every single one of my must have list in breeches--the rise actually works for my long-waisted self, the sock bottoms are spot on, etc.

So what's not to like?

another old piper shot.

Well, the crotch sag is still a thing. It doesn't matter when I'm riding because obviously there's a whole horse+saddle to hold them up. Since my habits no longer include long working barn days, I'm not really concerned about it. And yeah, they'll wear out eventually, but again, riding one horse means that I'm not putting a ton of wear on them.

I will also say that while this fabric is fantastic for the first few hours, it does sort of stretch out and look less flattering after a while on long days. It snaps back when you wash it, but if you're an industry pro, I wouldn't choose these breeches.

As a one horse adult ammy, I pretty much love them.

also not buying more of these

As a size 34, I don't expect breeches to make me look like a 24. I just want them not to make it worse. Maybe someday I'll cave and buy really, truly expensive breeches. Until then, I remain the budget breeches queen and I am not ashamed.

So there you have it. Three kinds of breeches under $100 each. It can be done.

Teach Me Tuesday: Boarding

Courage mostly cares about grass

Some days, I envy those of you who don't board. Other days, it's 5f and icy (SUCKAS).

Anyways. I've been thinking about boarding lately. I've been at a growing number of barns and each one had pluses and minuses. Two I wouldn't go back to. The rest I would under the right circumstances.

What really makes a boarding place worthwhile? It obviously has to fit the budget, but when we're talking luxury item (horse), the budget is fuzzy. We can do cheaper board and more lessons or more board and lots of auditing. You know the drill.

or awesome ribbons. do those sway you?

There is certainly the "what is the board paying for" mentality--I'll pay X for standard board and X+2 for board with extra amenities.

And then there are non-negotiables like horse care. Except they totally vary from person to person.

And commute time. How far am I willing to drive give tn above list? How much time can I just slice out of my day every time I want to go to the barn?

Trainers on site? Trailer parking? Jumps? Trails?

What is your ideal barn and how close is your boarding barn to that ideal?

Pictures and Progress But Not Progress Pictures

Good news! Micaylah came out to the barn and took pictures this past weekend, so I have actual riding pictures.

It was really fun to have her around, because I feel like I've spent the last four-ish weeks alternately spinning my wheels and regressing (and mostly regressing). Micaylah pointed out that we have, in fact (somehow) made progress and there are visible changes both in my ride and in Courage's way of going.

So yay!

eyes are up

Because if I'm being honest, I've been really discouraged about riding lately.

I'm killing myself to progress.

And I keep having to go back further in the dressage.

And we're trotting/cantering poles to "jump".

that tricksy lead

 I mean, I'm a grown adult. I can look at the big picture and tell you that we have training holes to fill and that my very talented horse needs time to learn and my less talented self needs to figure out how to ride more effectively.

insta-arty

But there's something about being able to look at pictures of riding. In the black and white shot, for the first time, I see some semblance of a dressage position in myself. It's not perfect, but I'm sitting up and my leg is effective and my hip angle is open.

Even our overly-challenging right lead canter has positive points. I'm sitting on him more than I used to be able to. My hands are more up.

And hey, let's just all admire how he's not bolting into the sunset. Definitely a win for team brain there.

he's just so good looking. i have a hard time seeing bad things.

Beyond that, here's a shot of our first time in a dressage saddle less than a year ago. (Also when he was going well mid-summer).


It doesn't look as bad as it felt. I was totally out of balance. We had no rhythm.

So yeah. Courage isn't the second coming of Valegro (TEAM CHARLOTTE AM I RIGHT TOTO GOING DOOOOOOWN AT WORLD CUP), but we are making progress.

bay colored glasses

It isn't flashy. It isn't fancy. It isn't world beating, but my little horse is learning to use his body, power off that gorgeous hind end of his, and go forward into a reliable, elastic (sometimes) contact.

And I taught him all that.

And that's actually pretty cool.

See, this is why I love pictures. They aren't always perfect and beautiful. They are always honest.

I can't see myself objectively, but I can look back and see how far we've come.

And then I feel a little less discouraged and a little more like trying again tomorrow.