May's 10 Questions

Please thank Rhiannon for content because I am currently not with horses and have no ideas.

 What are your summer goals?
Compete at 2'6". Go to my first Dressage show. Then there's all that assorted stuff on my 2017 goals list that pertains to fitness and such.

Do you have any tips or tricks for fly control?
Buy frog to sit on your shoulder while you ride. No, jk. I actually don't have many tips outside of picking a really good fly spray. I tend to just suffer.


How often do you bathe your horse?
I always hose down after a ride on hot days, but then there was also that particularly hot day last summer where I hosed Max for his own sake. There will probably be plenty of those this summer. Other than that, they only get full baths before shows.

Do you have any upcoming travel plans? Equine related or otherwise?
I'm actually on vacation right now, and I'm hoping to take a weekend trip to New York with a friend at the end of the summer.

What is your favorite way to beat the heat?
Stay inside, lol. I actually like hot, humid weather, but if it's ever too much, I just wait to go outside until the evening. The weather always tends to be doable after 5pm.

Do you do anything to prevent your horse from sunbleaching?
Nighttime turnout, but, frankly, I've never cared about coat bleaching. It only bothers me when the tail bleaches and the hairs begin to break.


How hot is too hot for you to ride?
I'm uncomfortable when it's in the 80s, but I can deal if it's overcast or if I have an indoor arena to ride in. Of course, ponies will be thoroughly hosed after.

How important is sun protection for you riding or just in general?
The perks of having melanin mean that I don't need extra sun protection . . . well, I probably need it, but ol' soleil hasn't killed me yet. For the horses, white noses get sun screen/protection as needed, but I've never had to deal with sun burn past burnt noses.


Have you ever gone swimming with your horse?
NO AND I WANT TO SO BAD BUT EVERYONE GOES SWIMMING WHEN I'M NOT THERE.

And because shopping is always on my mind, what’s on your summer wish list?
At this point, to avoid prolonged frustration and the need to plan things ridiculously far in advance, a horse of my own would be real nice.


Category Is

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2017 at 9:38 AM

    Your blog asks some good questions which all have great answers, very informational. The part I picked up on was when you mentioned waiting until the evening to ride your horse. I completely agree with you, this is the best way to keep safe from the heat. While I was looking through different horse posts, I came across a blog which mentions summer essentials to keep both you and your horse safe if you decide to ride in the heat. Here’s the link, http://www.oliviasworld.co.uk/essentials-to-take-on-a-horse-ride-in-summer.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unspoken Rules of the Hunter Ring

Image
Ever since I started riding, I've been a part of the hunter ring. It's not an easy sport, and it's kind of difficult to really fit into a hunter operation if you've never experienced it before. So, if you're about to switch disciplines or just dipping a toe into the sport, keep these bits of information in mind. From one hunter to the next, good luck! 1. Only black or white saddle pads are allowed. I cannot stress this enough. It's about being profeshunal, people. Just because the page on Dover said HUNTER green, doesn't mean it's allowed in a hunter barn. Common mistake. Don't make it. sin!!! sin, I say!!! 2. Your everyday riding attire will be as follows: solid colored polo shirt (tucked in), beige Tailored Sportsman breeches, a black belt, black tallboots (either Ariat, Tredstep, or Parlanti). The only time you can divert from this is at shows. Then, you are allowed to school in a quarter zip, but that's it. Also, I'd like to r...
Read more

The Regionals Swing

Image
Yup, that time of year again. I still didn't qualify for regionals, but after seeing how last year went, I didn't even put it down as a goal. Eh, I might try senior year. I don't feel too pressured about it. Reaching (in vain) for my taco My parents and I made the 2.5 hour drive on Saturday morning. We actually arrived early, so I started helping bring horses in and unblanket them. Everything ran smoothly during set up. I was only schooling Leia, which went fine except her being super slow. Over the past year and a half, Leia has gone from being super strong and forward to fences to being a leg ride the whole time. We started with some trash distances but got it together for a good school. Unfortunately, so was just as slow and chippy with most of the people who rode her. Eh. Horses are kind annoying anyway. Looking for free tacos I spent a decent amount of time cuddling with Carlos in the morning before helping tack up Murry for the flat classes. I also finally...
Read more

A fortunate snow day, believe it or not

Image
So, yeah, it snowed, and waaayyy more than expected. Forecast said we'd get 3"-6". Final totals were anywhere between 8" and 11" for the Eastern Shore. My Saturday lesson was cancelled, and the sub-freezing temperatures haven't let the snow melt at all. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow and Wednesday. We'll see. Still, it's fortunate because guess what's happening down in Wellington??? I'm still on Anne Kursinski's ride , but her horse and the information she's giving is a little bit more relevant to my current riding state than the whole session was last year. First, the horse she's on is quite similar to Silver. He's an apparently laid back gray gelding that, every once in a while, loses focus and gets dramatic. He's even weaker to the right and occasionally swaps off behind, just like Silver. Big difference is that Anne's horse is significantly less dramatic than Silver. He swaps off, thinks for a minute,...
Read more