♣Ambitious♣

This was supposed to be posted a while ago when I got my new Horze riser half pad, but I guess I forgot to ever hit publish . . . oh well, better late than never. I've had my Padded Ponies correction half pad for over four years now, so it's safe to say this is a well informed review. Padded Ponies Half Pad with Shims My saddle was purchased while I was still in undergrad and riding with the IHSA team. I knew that I wanted to get an adjustable half pad to have more flexibility. At the time, I was just getting into  Etsy  and the growing number of small equestrian businesses that rely on the platform. My stirrup irons are also from an Etsy shop as well as my half chap monograms . Many shops sell Ogilvy dupes, but I've never been a fan of memory foam nor do I aesthetically like the pads. Padded Ponies was the only shop at the time that had a traditional looking half pad with pockets for shims. Match made in heaven! After three and a half years of service, this pad has ...

This isn't one of my normal product reviews, but I've noticed something about myself since the start of quarantine. For a couple weeks, I was the only one in my office, which meant that I could wear basically whatever I wanted. Obviously I wore my breeches and a simple top because I would ride directly after work. Did I look like a bum? Yah. Did any clients see me? Also yes, but no one told me that we were starting to allow clients in the office again. I am a good egg. Very professional. This outfit was such a LOOK It didn't take long for me to notice that I was really favoring my pull-on TuffRider breeches for both work and riding. I've had these bad boys for years . Seriously, they were purchased for  a clinic in 2014  when I was at least one size smaller. And guess what? They still fit! Mainly because they're like 99% spandex, but I ain't complaining. Really, I'm only writing this because I've had these pants for six years and with the excep...

Ya know, I expected to get this post out sooner because I expected these boots to be out of commission much sooner. They're still going. Valiantly. Seriously, these boots have genuinely surprised me. They're not perfect by any means, but they've been very reliable for the past several months. If you want my first impressions, they're at 1:50 in my September vlog from last year. Let's start from the beginning. I purchased these boots from Wish sometime in August and they came within a month. Obviously, the picture on the advertisement wasn't going to match the physical product. If you are unaware, Wish.com is basically Amazon without the nationwide warehouse employee strike. The products are cheaper to buy and even cheaper to make. Often times, the picture used to sell an item is taken from a more popular brand (Meshki, girl, I am so sorry). The product that you receive is usually a poor man's dupe of the original. Sometimes the product is still good...

Subscribe for more Subway commentary. Song: Snow Christmas Days mix by Feardog

Ask anyone who knows me (well, maybe not my mom, but most other people) and they'll confirm that I am the queen of cool breeches. I am a fan of the unordinary. Part of it is likely rooted in my contempt with the droning simplicity of hunter ring fashion (the switch from polo shirts to sun shirts over the past few years has revived me), but then there's also the fact that I like to have fun. My collection has grown from the two I had at the start of this blog to 11 pairs total. I very much used to be a jeans and rubber boots kinda gal, but times change. So, in ascending order of preference, here are all my coolio pants. 11. FixDesign Cotton Riding Breeches Style : Euroseat Fit : Runs small Material : 67% rayon, 26.5% nylon, 6.5% spandex Use : Rare FixDesign is an Italy high fashion company that happens to have a line of riding clothing as well. It's like Gucci but more appropriately priced. I found out about them through fellow blogger Silvia of Equestrian Trend,...

In light of International Helmet Awareness Day, I'd like to share a review of my absolute favorite helmet thus far. It's not too late to take advantage of the sales. Your melon needs minding! For the most part, I like to keep my show gear and my everyday riding gear separate. My helmets are one of those items that I have a show and schooling category for. I also took into consideration that my show helmet was a gift, and I needed it to last, so began the search for a helmet that was both inexpensive and attractive. Ovation has always had my back on this. from Dover Saddlery Ovations are a step up from Troxels in price, but they're a leap in quality. I dealt with the Troxel; my time with it is the very reason that I asked for my IRH, but, honestly, neither of them quite compare to my Ovation. The helmet itself comes in S, M, L sizes rather than your typical inches, but the dial makes this thing fit perfectly. The summers around here get fairly humid, and I sweat a ...

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...

I have a mild obsession with Ariat as in I won't put anything else on my feet. Ariats have super duper quality at super duper prices. I wouldn't have gone with another boot when I needed up upgrade from my cheapo show boots. Image from SmartPak Equine Granted, I couldn't go with much else. I have a hard to fit calf. It's slightly too large for a regular width calf, but the difference is enough that a regular calf will not go up without a struggle, and it won't feel good while it's on. Fortunately, the Heritage Contours have a stretch panel. It has just the right amount of give for me. I get my zipper up without any issue, and it's a comfortable boot to ride in . . . after the break in process. Yes, Ariats are known for taking a while to break in and stretch out. Mine were no different. It took maybe two months worth of weekly lessons and a couple of shows to fully break them in. Now that mine are well used, they are comfortable to wear for lengthy...

Sometime back when I had picked out a dress to order for the awards banquet this year, I decided that I also needed a pair of breeches, so I asked my mom for her credit card and splurged on a pair of Tredsteps. I needed a pair of French Blue breeches. Every collection must have a pair of French Blue breeches. In reality, the breeches were Slate Blue, which is about a shade or two lighter than French Blue, but close enough, and the breeches were true to color. I actually got the right size this time, too. When the breeches arrived, and I tried them on for the first time, I was disheartened. Both pairs of my Tredsteps are made of a stiff fabric, and the ankles are worse than skinny jeans. They felt very tight, but I'm not one to quit on the first try. The next day, I donned them to the SATs and then to the barn. After a three hour test, and hour and a half on a horse, then a two hour conversation, I have no complaints. I don't know what happened. I don't know if the...

My, what a mouthful. A while back, as I was making sets on Polyvore, I came across a site selling some very unique saddlepads. Of course, no saddlepad collection is complete without a patterned pad, so I got myself a nice Venetia pad.   I waited maybe three days before it showed up in the mail (website said 5-10 days, so I was happy). I was honestly expecting a basic, navy blue square pad with some moderately shiny threads, ya know, your average saddlepad, just prettier. I was surprised to see that the blue on the pad was actually cords of a velvety material. "Moderately shiny" is an insult to the threads on this pad. Close up of the material Long story short, the thing is gorgeous, and it fits very well under the Stubben. The filling is slightly thicker than my other square pads—with most of those pads being Rider's International pads from Dover. It isn't thick enough to impede saddle fit in the slightest, and the filling itself is soft to press agains...

I am a big fan of small and upcoming businesses. They tend to have more out of the box products at bargain prices. Sure, I gamble with quality, but sometimes it's totally worth it. The Tiff-Annie Blue breeches from Annie's Equestrienne were very much worth it. I have two pairs of basic schooling breeches, so I thought I might as well go outside the box a bit with my third pair. Blue isn't my favorite color, but Tiffany Blue is the one shade that can grace any horse or rider (don't try to argue, it's true, it will always be true). Plus, these breeches had a dove gray full seat on 'em. I couldn't resist. I placed my order. Of course, I ordered them right as their shipments had stopped; the Kleppers, founders of the company, were going through stock and putting together new designs for the fall line. Nothing was to be shipped until the 29th of June. So I waited, and I waited, but, finally, $85 and nine days later, my breeches arrived (and...

I've personally found that I end up liking most of the products I buy horse-wise. Even the cheapo items handle my abuse pretty well, but, while I like most items, there are only a select few that I absolutely love . These gloves are one of the select few (and my half chaps are and a I would do a review but they were discontinued). I never really thought about wearing gloves at home until I suffered, er, I mean, took those lessons with Miss E. Now that I'm actually riding on contact and have steady weight on my hands, that one area on my ring finger has been torn up quite a bit. The skin isn't like it used to be, and I still actually have discoloration from last summer (whoa, it's been a year already). On Instagram, I happen to follow a lot of companies, one of which is Noble Outfitters. They repost pictures of people who use their items. They, along with another biggish account that I follow, were going crazy over these Perfect Fit gloves that they sell. I was needi...