♣Ambitious♣

The whole equestrian trend thing is still prevalent in today's fashion, although much of it has hit the clearance rack at Polo Ralph Lauren. Of course, my mom and I had to make a stop at the outlets after my lesson (of course). I'd say I was the best dressed person in the store (complete with barn scented perfume). I did make away with a few items: one yellow polo, one bright coral polo, . . . and a pair of jodhpur style leggings. Yes, I know I've probably broken some kind of equestrian cardinal rule, but these things are soooo comfy! The material is only slightly thinner than my TuffRiders. Aside from the fact that the knee patches are absolutely useless and kind of annoying, they'd work pretty well in the saddle. Not that I'm riding in them any time soon. Miss J would maim me. I paired them with a horse cardigan to keep up that equestrian vibe. Gotta say I was feeling pretty good today. On another note, the past couple of weeks, I've been working o

Can you tell that my alliteration is on point? So, first, that lesson on Wednesday, kind of bummed that we didn't get to stay outside for the entirety of it. I had to ride Todd because Baby was being ridden by a someone showing this weekend. It was eh, so, so, nothing too exciting to talk about. We did quite a bit of back and forth between rising and sitting trot plus some half seat and no stirrup work. Todd is a special kind of behemoth, one that won't canter unless you get everything precisely right, so that didn't happen a whole lot, and, when it did, it took an effort. Then came the whole staying with him over a fence. The behemoth also has a special kind of jump. Imagine the flattest jump possible, make a graph out of the horse's topline, find the function that corresponds with that graph, then make a vertical compression by infinity. In simpler terms, he jumps flat. We did complete a course in the indoor that almost made up for the large amount of disagreement

I must say I've always been a fan of snakes. 1. H & M ribbed shirt     www.hm.com 2. Diamond Snake Earrings     www.1stdibs.com 3. Maison Boinet Python Belt     www.barneys.com 4. Samshield Shadow Matt Helmet     www.smartpakequine.com 5. Pikeur Latasha Contrast Ladies Breeches     www.redpostequestrian.co.uk 6. Shires Fleece Lined Airflow Half Pad     www.vtosaddlery.com 7. Stubben S Portos Elite Saddle     www.stubbennorthamerica.com 8. Equine Couture Fleur De Lis All Purpose Saddle Pad     www.breeches.com 9. Petrie Superior Classic Riding Boots     www.ooteman.nl

I took a ride on the pony today. There's a show this weekend that I'm not doing, but I still need to meet some kind of ride quota, so I went out today, and I have a lesson tomorrow. Baby was being used, which means I can't get to the coop until next week. I also have a gymnastic that I want to set up, something simple. I've been watching Laine Ashker's videos on Instagram. Can you say inspired? Of course, I can't do anything big, but poles are amazing. Simple stuff I didn't do anything too complicated, mainly walk and trot with some canter to the right and two 8" fences. It seemed like the entire time, she was focused on everything else, looking everywhere, going in every direction . . . I couldn't have cared less. I guess it's good that I can keep myself in some kind of working state of mind while I'm on her, but, ya know, a focused horse is always a blessing.

A while back, my dad confessed to me that we almost moved to Texas shortly after I was born. Of course, that didn't happen. I'm still braving the Eastern Shore winter. In reality, it's not as bad as it could be, but I'd prefer a warmer climate. Since I do have to layer up a bit, I actually got winterized gear this year. Now that winter is ending, and they have seen a full winter of regular use and abuse, here are condensed reviews for each. Romfh Scandia Winter Knee Patch Breeches║ www.equestriancollections.com Winter breeches were the first absolute necessity. Winter tights under regular breeches didn't work at all last year, but these breeches have left me a whole lot happier. For the most part, the fit is great. They're fitted but not tight, and they are just the right length for me. They are small in the waist, so size up if you're in between. They have that crinkly material for the outer shell, which I don't like all that much, but the interior

There are many ways to show love for your equine friend, but proper care is the best. info-graphic is from Animal Health's How Healthy is your Horse?

I'm glad I rode yesterday because today was horrid. The humidity sky rocketed after a light rain last night. By 9:30am, it was uncomfortably warm, but there were things to do, and they did get done. Car and the new boarder were riding today, too, and they tried to avoid the heat by riding early. Unfortunately, Charming was in the small outdoor, so they had to ride indoors. Just thinking about being in the indoor on such a hot day makes me uncomfortable. I got the pasture done, despite wanting to fall over the entire time (probably had something to do with the fact that I skipped breakfast, but whatever), and Baby was happy to be bathed at the hottest point of the day. I didn't even bother with the whitening shampoo, just a simple bath, paying special attention to her legs, which are long overdue for a clip job. She's also not completely shed out, mostly, but not completely, so that was a bit frustrating. Oh so clean All in all, she's whiter than when I started.

'Cause I'm keeping that stride CONdensed and CONtrolled, hehe. I came up with that joke before I even got on today. Canter poles change me. The past two rides have been just like Wednesday, except we were outside and in the bridle. The big outdoor is concrete until the next rain, so the small outdoor has been my safe haven. It's been quite a bit of work for both Baby and I, especially with the heat factor. Luckily, we've been spared with the humidity, but even the light long sleeve shirts are going to need to be retired soon. We're still getting a good amount of sweat, despite her being almost entirely shed out. The biggest issue yesterday was focus. She was very looky on the spooky end of the arena, which is understandable, but then it extended past that end because everything outside of the ring is apparently very interesting. Once I got to the polework and the cross bar, it was me who was losing focus (and my leg). So, the first part of our ride was me k

I will admit that this is a rather old set, made before spring even actually set in. I was being hopeful. 1. High Line Seersucker Knee-Patch Riding Breeches     no longer available 2. Cole Haan wide navy blue belt     no longer available 3. Glove     www.doversaddlery.com 4. The North Face Women's Impulse 1/4 Zip     www.thenorthface.com

I kind of just want to explode when we have rides this nice. Baby and I had a pretty serious workout today in the sidepull. I even did an extra lap of two point . . . in both directions . . . at the trot. Nothing can compare to these legs. #rootd is pretty blue  We did quite a bit of trot work, throwing in some trot poles, then a little walk break, then back to the trot poles. I had three going across the diagonal, then two on a corner that led into a line with another two trot poles and a crossbar at the end. I broke it up and did the corner first, then added the two, then finally the whole thing with the cross bar at the end and a halt. Perfect . We cantered a bit after that. I did film today, but it stopped before the canter, which makes me really mad. My canter has been feeling a lot different lately, but different doesn't always mean correct, so I was trying to see what it looked like on tape. Technology is frustrating. My canter actually felt worse today than it has b

Swedish oxers and slanted verticals are not my thing, no matter how many distances Leo will take them from. Now take into consideration that I experienced something pretty close to torture prior to jumping. I was physically done before we even cantered. As much as I'm loving the nice weather, it was pretty hot and humid on Sunday, and our lesson was at 1pm. Horses and riders all need to be getting into better shape as higher temperatures become the norm, so this lesson was a work out to say the least. We started out with our usual two-point at the walk and trot. From the very beginning, it was work. We two-pointed at the trot for 2-3 times longer than usual, then it was rising trot with circles in every corner, which also took longer, then it was back to two-point for many laps in both directions . Miss J said that Leo was moving with such little impulsion that he looked like he was dying. I think I was the more dead one of the two of us. When we did finish the flatwork bootca

And broken wrists, probably, but never mind that. There was a mandatory schooling at the show grounds today, but thank God I didn't have to wake up any earlier than usual. I got to the barn just after 9am to help load horses and tack. We started schooling some time around 11am. The weather was nice, just some gusts of wind at times. Baby flatted well, looking off at as many distractions as possible before settling down for the canter. I did a little hand gallop down the long side, but she wasn't too keen on maintaining that pace. I can't complain. I joined another group of kids in trotting over poles. It was all good until the second to last time when trot poles became canter poles in Baby's mind. Stop. Back. Retry. She was fine afterwards. There was quite a bit of jumping at various heights, starting at 18" and slowly working up to 2', then 2'3", then 2'6", and finally the 2'9"-3' range for me. I had asked Miss S if I could j

Fly spray, that is, and not even for flies, but for some nats with nasty manners (or should I say natsy manners? ahahahaha). I'd appreciate a mass decimation of the fly/knat/tiny flying bug population, but that would cause an environmental collapse, which is not okay, so the flies can live . . . for now. Other than some talented face rubbing whilst trotting, Baby wasn't too bothered today. The new boarder even asked if the chiro had come out because Baby was moving better, but no, just the same old. I managed to get in a good ride before a storm hit. If you ever need a method to feel hella punk rock, ride under dark storm clouds. I rode in the small outdoor and did a few simple poles at the trot. I trot a cross bar a couple of times. There were no trot overs today, but she maitained her pace and picked up a slow canter afterwards. Still, I added a halt each time. After that, I did a couple of lead changes through canter poles, plus a halt afterwards. It would've be

I didn't quite get the European sizing right, so my Harry's Horse breeches ended up being a bit big. It's not a super big size difference, but it's enough to bother me. After a couple of trips through the dryer, they are *almost* right. I think I'll leave them like this, though. I need some space for tucking in winter layers. The university equestrian club doesn't have an indoor ring; these pants will be an alternative to the Tredsteps. #ROOTD still on point Anyway, it did feel like Winter Part II today. On and off rain—and I mean on and off as in absolutely pouring and gentle mist—made for a cold, humid walk from the small barn to the indoor. I had to pull out the winter paddock boots, it was that serious. My sidepull is in and has now seen one use. Ordering different parts means that not everything was the same shade of brown . . . but Baby's brown fur is not the same brown as my skin, so I'll just use this bridle as a metaphor for our relationsh

Or at least add a storm to that wind. Jesus can't ascend to heaven when he's getting tossed around like a plastic bag. idk, I'm pretty mad about this wind I still rode outside though because I'm stubborn as a mule and refuse to believe that the changing of seasons takes time it was still warm out, and the indoor wasn't gonna be comfortable to ride in. I came up with an idea to nip the rushing in the bud. Instead of having actual jumps, I put trot and canter poles between standards. Pole work is fun for us, and jumping isn't fun when it turns into a steeple chase, so when you combine the two, the positive and the negative cancel out, and then stuff happens, right? Eh, it kind worked. It was fine when we trotted, but trying to canter the whole thing was pushing it, so the rest of this week will be trotting courses of trot poles, with the triple being the most important element. Seriously, of all the things to rush . . . Not feeling the ketchup and

We rode outside twice this week. The jumps are (mostly) up in the big outdoor. I. Am. Ready. And so is Baby, as I found out today. Room to move is, well, room to move, and boy did she move. Even in the indoor, she was rushing today, and there isn't any room for that. She started out pretty slow; Miss S had us do the same figure-8 from the last lesson at the trot and canter. Apparently, my canter is looking better, but it likely has to do with how relaxed I was. We cantered some poles (which is where the rushing started), then a gymnastic, which wasn't bad. After that, we went to the outdoor and attempted a course, which required two one-rein stops. We tried it again, only a single one-rein stop, but I had to repeat two fences directly after. I think those last four fences of the second course were the only point in time where I had some sort of control. Snoopin' Heavy hands returned, and blisters ensued. Everything was stiff, literally everything; I wasn't eve

As warmer months linger in the near future, companies are slowly starting to release their new lines of items, and because I am so obsessed with fashion, I have kept tabs on who's doing what. Unfortunately, other aspects of life tend to be intertwined with riding, especially on the scheduling side of things. For me, riding directly after work is the most ideal situation, and there are also times when I ride right after school, or I have something to do after riding, or my parents decide that I can only ride for 20 minutes before we go get pizza. There's almost no way to avoid situations where you have to go somewhere else in your riding clothes. Now that it's getting warmer and leaving your house to socialize with other people is a reasonable thing to do, here are a couple of brands that will help you go seamlessly from the barn to the not-the-barn. 1. Lesebi Jewelry║ www.lesebi.com Lesebi is a fairly new brand that proved to be a perfect accent in last week's

Yes, the spring collection of charms is finally here! I don't care if it's still cold outside. The calendar says it's spring. Mother Nature will not control me. All of these charms will be available on eBay by tomorrow evening. These charms are now $6 each with a 2 for $10 option on in person orders. Custom charms are now $8 each.