Belated Barn Blog Hop

As usual I'm a little behind jumping on the bandwagon, but I have really enjoyed getting a photo-tour of other bloggers barns that I wanted to share pix of the yard where I keep my girls!
Massive thank you to Sprinklerbandit for sharing The Process of Learning's idea with us!

1. A view of the barn

I've cheated and borrowed an aerial shot from website - LINK

2. Your horse's living space

The girls have neighbouring stables and thankfully get on great - i think the fact they get turned out together every day and spent 24/7 together for 6 months last year helped them become firm friends...LOL, I didn't really give them much choice in the matter!

Kika is on the right & Nancy on the left - sorry for poor photo quality, taken at night with my cphone

Their stables are a little dark and sadly they do not have windows or a paddock which are options for boarders at my yard. However my girls spend their afternoons & evenings outside in a turnout area which I have been lucky to get separate from the yard - unfortunately there is no winter turnout option offered at my yard.

Nancy on left, Kika on right

In saying that I am very happy with their stables as although they do not have windows, they are right beside the hay & straw so I can top them up whenever I want and unlike the majority of window stables, my girls don't have to step down into their stable nor have they a ledge/step at the back of their stables - so they have slightly larger boxes then those with windows.

3. The Tack Room

Please ignore the mess

View from outside the doorway

I have three tack lockers, although I have only taken a photo of the two i use regularly. The third one is just storage at the moment. I am technically only supposed to have one per horse, but before Nancy came into the picture the tack locker below the one I had for Kika became available - for a tenner a month I could rent the extra locker. Rather than give one up and risk not being able to get an extra locker again, I was selfish and hung on to the third one when Nancy arrived *blush*

4. Where you ride

Largest indoor arena (25x65m²) with wall full of mirrors at one end and a raised viewing platform
 Photo borrowed from yard website - LINK

I am spoiled rotten with the facilities at my yard, we have three indoor arenas, an outdoor and a smaller lunging arena which I have been known to ride in when bringing the ponios back into work after injury as less space for them to take notions in...

My favourite arena to ride in (20x40m²)
 Click to enlarge & LINK

Oldest arena (20x40m²) & mostly used for
Riding School in evenings, so rarely available
when I ride - LINK

The outdoor is huge, 25x75m² and has floodlights if you want to ride in the evenings or when it is dark.

LINK to website

We also have access to at least 17kms of forrestry hacking, but as you may remember I took the girls off-site for a few months this summer by hacking them from the yard to another of the YO (yard owners) fields off-property in a neighbouring area. LINK to blog post.

5. My favourite feature

Nancy "modeling" (patiently waiting for me to ride her) in grooming area nearest their stables,
 also lunging arena on lefthand side

I can't just pick one thing sadly, I love the people, the fact that it is 10minutes walk from where I live and that my girls are well looked after & I can see them everyday - if not in fact twice a day as I zoom there and back on my lunchbreak to turn them out during the winter months. I am spoiled rotten by the facilities and I haven't even mentioned the solariums, washbays, grooming areas &/or walker! For full breakdown of facilities available check out LINK to stable webpage, although many pictures have been shared by my of the girls in different areas on this blog throughout the years.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this whistlestop tour of the girls "home"!

New Year/New Stuff - Sales Shopping Wishlist

Image borrowed from Google Images - no copyright infringement intended

New GPA Speedair helmet - Kika & I broke the peak a year and a half - two years ago...I need to find helmet on sale again to condone the splurge as my helmet itself is fine just aesthetically odd. Makes me feel like a mushroom head!

New Rugs - preferably Horseware as I ♥ them. I want a new light-, medium- and heavy-weight stable rug for each girl and Nancy needs a new turnout rug. I love Kika's so much I want to splurge on one for Nancy.
Ideally I want two of each stable rug weight for each girl so that they can wear one while the other is being cleaned. At the moment their rugs are minging *blush*

Again Image borrowed from Google Images

Turnout rugs needn't be multi-weighted in my book as I put them on over stable rugs pending the weather (eg: the last two weeks it has been so mild that the girls haven't had their stable rugs under the turnouts and have been grand). I do prefer neck covers as it means I can still ride in the evening after a downpour & love Kika's as it is easily detachable and is another reason I want to upgrade N's turnout (on top of the fact that hers is now third-hand and not as 100% waterproof anymore *LeSadTimes*)
I will continue to layer these with the liners I already have (2-3?!) as needs be - so that the little dears don't get cold.

Google Images

Plus a Newmarket fleece or two wouldn't go astray as I've always coveted them! ;-)
Now to find a way to place such an order without breaking in the bank & perhaps convincing the retailer to throw in something free to sweeten the deal...unlikely sadly as this will not be a bulk-buy purchase. Purse strings won't allow it! :-/ It'll have to be a slow & steady collection through sales bargain buys - just like I built up Kika's initial rug collection which is now being shared with Nancy...thankfully I'd stupidly thought Kika needed larger rugs at one stage and bought some the next size up which now fit N perfectly ;-)
If I manage to pull these purchases pff - I think I'll need to start a Rug-Hoggers Anonymous support group if I can pull this off ;-)

New boots & gaiters + long boots (well this is a semi-fantasy/long-term wishlist post)
I love my Tredstep Pro G2 gaiters and Mackey jodh boots. Which after a couple breaking in sessions with bruised knees are now a dream to use & maintain - especially considering the abuse they get! Although one of the zips may go within the next 6-months to a year and there are leather bits on the side that have come unstuck and flap when I walk *sniggers*
Yes I hang-my-head-in-shame / hold-my-hand up and admit I do not clean my gear anywhere near as often as I should...think warm months & only when the mood takes me. *beetroot-blush / LeShame*

Image Link

I used to clean my stuff every week when I was in Ireland & jumping at weekends, sadly my standards have slipped since moving out here and buying a second horse - but in all honesty it's the weather in the winter that deters me most as I find tack cleaning itself theraputic - but the thought of my hands in cold water when it's freezing outside...brrrr, no thanks!

Image Link

If the long boot dream were to become a real possibility I would need advice as this would be my first pair! *EXCITEMENT - even though I've no plans to immediately splurge...can't beat the pull of new stuff*
I am so in love with my Tredstep gaiters & love promoting Irish brands *Green Pride*; my friend has a pair of deNiros that she splurged on at Equitana last March which are also fab. I think this will be a back-burner goal and I'll see if I can browbeat *ahem* convince Tredstep Ireland to have a stand at the Equitana in 2015 (2014 edition is open air) - I can try all the different options under one roof and go with my favs!
Aesthetically I've haven't been overly fond of the Field Boots with laces, always tending more towards the cleaner all-in-one look of other (more-dressage?) boots. However, methinks that the laces option offered by the Field Boots make them easier to walk in and ride in generally seeing as they are aimed at jumpers (more moveability of ankles) - please correct me if I am way off the mark here!!!

Image Link

Now for two slightly more immediate & attainable purchases - LOL!

Ornella Prosperi - RIP

Riding Jacket - I need one badly!  It NEEDS to be warm, waterproof and without a hood or one that conveniently rolls up & tucks away or comes off. My trusty Ornella Prosperi's zipper bust and I now have to climb in and out of it + it no longer closes...not really ideal for winter wear!

Google Image

Google Image

UPDATE I drafted this post when I woke at silly o'clock this morning not knowing the day would end up taking me to a tack shop this afternoon! While I'd still LOVE a Horseware and/or Spooks jackets with the lovely big collars I ended up splurging on a Eurostar Carlotta jacket in Navy @ 40% off with a further €40 off as the winter boots my mam got me for Christmas didn't fit and had to be returned. *SadTimes*
I also snapped up a pair of sadly-not-on-sale-but-oh-so-fab Horze grey check jodhpurs!

Sorry for the state of me - I was just in the door from the barn

I've also just remembered that I'm also sorely in need of some new waterproof trousers as my trusty Rambo pair that I got at the same time as my Ornella Prosperi jacket ripped (embarrassingly the crotch area) just before I left Ireland (ahem - in 2010) and I still haven't gotten around to replacing them! *oh-for-shame* And yes, in heavy rain & snow I do still wear them ripped or not they keep me dry & warm! *nod*

Mane & Tail detangler/conditioner - easily the most attainable purchase on this list!
I have always used Canter Mane & Tail Spray,  but would love to hear your recommendations - please tell me all about the other options out there!
(Another update since drafting post this am) EquestrianTrend last night posted about a really cool sounding product line which I am hoping to learn more about & try out. It's called Ecolicious, is made from natural products & all packaging is recyclable - love the sound of that and really hope to source some and try it out asap!

Platimun Royale - Image Link

Penultimate wishlist/dream purchase is another big'un - New saddles for the girls!
Nancy has earned one fitted for her & it has been well documented how finnickety Kika can be about her back - she deff lets me know when she's ouchy and/or if her saddle is no longer snug for her princess-and-the-pea sensitive back. Not that I'm complaining really - I am secretly delighted that she won't play the martyr and let me think her tack fits when it doesn't!
In dream-land scenario I'd love a GP & Dressage saddle for each - aesthetically I drool over the Albion. Sadly the Albion rep/retailer for our neck of the woods is the douchebag saddler who sold me the saddle that almost ruined Kika - so unless we get another rep in the area (sadly unlikely) I won't be getting one as I will never work with that saddle fitter again!

As for GPs, I love my Stubben Genesis for Kika, so will keep that so long as it fits & can be kept that way. It has already twice been sent to Switzerland for amendments and is prob due another trip when I have the €€€s saved to have my saddle fitter come check the girls over & finally buy Nancy her own saddle!
Much as I love my Stubben on Kika it isn't the best saddle for me and this is extreemly noticeable when I ride Nancy as my leg swings forward. It's not just my saddle as I tried another Stubben a friend was selling shortly after N arrived last year and my position was awful in it.
So it'll be a blank slate / the possibilities are endless as to what my dream saddle with Nancy will be!

Equitrek - Google Images

As I'm listing dreamland purchases - I'm also seriously hankering after a 2-horse little truck, like an equitrek or something to ferry my girls around in. I've this pathetic dream of bringing them "home" back to my mothers family place & yard I used to keep Kika on when we lived in Ireland and where Nancy was born & bred.

As for actual blogging news, I did ride both girls this evening, and even snuck in an in between spin in a new livery's new young Irish Draft gelding - who was being a right donkey and refusing to move for her. Kika was an angelic superstar, despite only having being lunged this week - eep, long-time readers of this blog did you think we'd get to this day when our blogging adventure started?! Exactly a week since Miss Kika had a saddle on and not a squeak out of her as I hopped up without any pre-lunging etc, we walked once around the arena on foot & off we went to work!
Nancy was great initially for trot & canter work, I still have issues with walk (how one might ask - yet somehow I manage, she keeps wanting to trot) and our trot work after cantering is an awful mess...I sometimes can't get her to settle back to me and relax. Here's hoping L & I can coordinate for our first lesson tomorrow with Miss Nancy as I want to stop these issues - as make no mistake, they are my issues I am somehow sending mixed signals or tensing or something - basically I need eyes on the ground help.

Right, as usual this has gotten monsterously long and wordy. Hopefully the photos help break up the waffle!
Please leave comments/tips/advice/suggestions on brands options I haven't come across and as always

THANKS FOR READING

Working Woes

Sadly another week has slipped by without my seeing much saddle time.
I need to get my act together, work out a routine/schedule & stick to it. Now if only work'll play ball and let me get out of there at a reasonable time ;-)

I've to discuss this with the Guru, but if possible I'd love to get a lesson/pointers on a Sunday. Wednesdays I have decided are going to be lunging days, to break up the week a bit; change the scenery slightly, work on ground-work and mostly it cannot do any harm. Especially for Miss Nancy's muscle building & strengthening.
As L (the Guru)'s mare is not 100% and with navicular will sadly never be again, if she's willing I'd love for her to be able to ride one or both girls at least once a week also - I view this as training rides for them while hopefully helping to keep my friend happy.
So that should wrap up 3 of the 7 days of the week, they'll also get at least one day off depending on how hard they work they may get another one to mull stuff over. Which leaves me with 3 days to play with - already I am feeling better about this haphazard schedule than the floating I have been doing thus far this winter.

Monday was the 6th of Jan - Epiphany or Nollaig na mban (Women's Christmas in Irish). Some people (read:women like my mother & her sister in Ireland) have taken to celebrating this day by having women-only meals, gathering groups of female friends and going for dinner or cooking up a storm to mingle & chat and make new friends or see familiar faces that you might otherwise only see rarely.
Basically it's a great excuse for an evening out with friends & banter. :-D

Tuesday I sadly got a migraine while in work - my first one & an experience I hope to avoid repeating in the future. I have been prone to odd bouts of tunnel/fuzzy/squiggly vision when staring at a screen too long if I'm over tired, but this was the first time it has blossomed into a proper headache.
NOT FUN! :-(
So sadly again no riding that day - my horses live the life of Riley as I stress myself out traipsing across the city by public transport (2 buses each way) and a 10min power walk up hill to get to the yard, change rugs, turn the three of them out and power walk back down the hill within a half hour window to get the buses back to work so that I am not away from my desk for too much over 1h30. (Technically I only have an hour lunchbreak but I am in half an hour early and often stay late to make up the time - I'm on a badge in&out system at work so don't get away with doing less then my allocated hours)

Wednesday the hope to lunge the girls half went to plan. As sadly became the norm this week I was later leaving work than intended and only managed to lunge Kika. She however was a superstar despite us having to change arena just after hooking up the pessoa, which meant interruption of warm up & changing of surroundings which has been known to lead to a Kika brain meltdown in the past.
Not so that day, she settled straight into a lovely floaty striding trot (not easy to get under saddle as she tenses her back & prefers to start with choppy short strides). Another livery was riding her young horse in the arena, which always helps K settle to have equine company. We worked on circles of varying sizes moving around the arena, changing direction, tempo and transitioning between w/t/c. I honestly couldn't have been happier with her nor prouder.
♥ her!

Thursday was Nancy's turn to do something ;-)
I had last ridden her on Saturday, very briefly outside in a downpour on  a very wet arena surface. We stuck to walk & trot that day as farrier is needed and I didn't want her tripping or losing her balance on sopping footing. She had been very good, much improved on the mixed-bag from the day before. As always I am the problem and forget that I am actually capable of riding sometimes! Take me out of my comfort zone and suddenly the things we struggled with the previous day worked because I was worrying about something else (weather/footing) - happy side effect: ability to just let my body & hers do their things in synch for a wonderful change.
As is often the way when things go so well for me, the next time I ride I become a sack of spuds trying to recapture the previous good work.
Thursday evening was another mixed-bag; we had lovely soft work at times and importantly for us managed to work our transitions without speeding as much as usual after changing down a gear. It sadly went kind of south, on that front, at the end as one of the other riders in the ring kept getting too close & while this didn't bother Nancy, I was unable to keep relaxed and concentrate on us & frustration got the better of me which translated to Nancy who was already tiring. It ended up unravelling a little and our trot work was more rushed then we're capable of, which is a pity but I have no one to blame but myself - as always I need to concentrate more on me & my horse then what those around me are doing. It is as much up to them to keep out of my way as it's mine to keep out of theirs!

Friday (today) was another wasted day sadly as I didn't het out of the office until 6.45, which meant it was going on 8 when I got to the yard. With three horses to bring in, prepare stables for the night, feed + vitamines (thankfully they are almost finished), carrots/apples & hay etc all to be completed before lights out at 10pm it made riding impossible. :-(

As an aside, I was able to snap the b&w headshotss in this post (sorry there aren't more photos to balance out the verbal diarrhea); I also met a lovely new livery who owns a young Irish Draught horse recently imported from Ireland - small world, eh?! Hoping to cross paths with her again & learn more about them both.

The plan for the weekend is to meet L at 10.30 tomorrow morning to turn out the three girls and catch up. We haven't seen each other since Tuesday as her company spent the last two days doing crazy hours to log inventory. I am hoping to run my PoA (plan of attack) to counteract the poor run of saddle time I've logged so far this Autumn/Winter - namely; lunging Wednesdays, lesson Sunday & a schooling ride by her for each girl (preferably separate days so that i can ride one and she rides one).
Fingers crossed this PoA appeals to her & that we can make it work. Both Kika & Nancy are being so good that it is unfair on them that they are getting worked so haphazardly which is completely my fault! And while i am eternally grateful for all the work L puts in to them, i want to learn with them - does that make me selfish?

Ack - I Apologise!

The Festive period simply got away from me and my blogging time was non-exsistant! My apologies to all those who have been waiting on the Chirstmas Contest results!

I wish to start of 2014 by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who entered & to Niamh @LifeofRiley / TraceALine for allowing me place a custom order for her gorgeous Paper Cuts.
All the entries were fabulous & inspirational, I am only sorry that I didn't manage to snap any Xmas photos of my own girls - as i mentioned above the time just got away from me! :(

FIRST PLACE

Amanda & Simba @ChasingTheSun

SECOND PLACE

L. Williams & Carlos @VivaCarlos

Originally I had planned that the Paper Cut prizes would be of the winning Christmas photos, but as 2013 was a challenging year for both L & Amanda with the devastating losses of their equine partners - I hope Niamh won't mind that I open the prize up to allow the winners chose their favourite photo to have immortalised with her fabulous Paper Cuts.

In news of myself & the girls, please feel free to tune out now as probably will get waffly ;-)
My festive plans of pony bootcamp for myself & the girls to make up for my lack of saddle time in November & December didn't quite happen sadly, I did however use the time to buy myself a gorgeous kitchen at half price which the shop will hold till my flat is ready to have it installed - so although no saddle time it was time none the less well spent.
I shared the pictures in my previous post of my "baby" sister & I riding the girls on Christmas Eve, I also have a video of myself & Nancy that my sis caught for me. I am disappointed with my hands & as always my ankles - on going battles with myself!
I apologise for it being sideways & sound - I'm afraid I am a technophobe when it comes to videos and have no idea who to (a) remove sound or (b) fix it right way up.

I know Nancy can be inclined to curl up and duck behind the vertical, we are working with her and as she muscles & strengthens up we'll hopefully be able to help her stay more balanced in the way she carries herself.

Another photo from our Christmas Eve spin

 The girls then got a good few days to laze about the turnout & stuff themselves with hay as my backside didn't get back into the saddle until Sunday 29th before taking another break for the Kitchen hunt & purchase (eek the expense *blubber*), I managed to get three days work into the girls once the New Year started, including an unfortunate soaking for myself as I was forced to ride Nancy outside in the rain on Saturday as all other arenas in use between a carriage driving clinic & preparations for the yard Party & Quadrilles on Sunday 5th.

Kika hasn't quite reverted to her Horsey Houdini antics thankfully, however she has taken to stealing her neighbours hay! I swear this horse will be the death of me - but as ever she is entertaining to those around me!

I missed the chance to review 2013 & set goals for 2014 in individual posts, so I guess I'll do a quick recap here. Last year I posted some goals for 2013:

"Looking forward to 2013 ...

I should probably set some goals for myself, but in all honesty if I can just keep making baby step improvements and enjoy my horse riding I'll be overjoyed.
I haven't really gotten into the competitive scene out here, but who knows maybe if we can keep on our upward cycle of improvements we might look into taking out a license and trying to get some outings under our belts...
Balancing two will be interesting and a whole new challenge, but one I am thoroughly looking forward to!

PS: I know I need to stop looking down and must also work more on my heels to (a) keep them down and (b) stop niggling at her with them...amongst all my other faults - but sure if I'd nothing to work on 2013 would be boring, right? :-)"

My 2014 goals shall continue along those lines, although having found out how much it costs to take out a license to compete here that goal may be a long-term thing depending on how things go for myself & the girls. I am just hoping that I can get more saddle time that I got towards the tail end of last year!

I am super proud of the work done with both Nancy & Kika, when Nancy arrived last January we took a good few months to gel and relax into our ridden work partnership. The months spent hacking in the woods worked wonders for us - we haven't looked back since and although we still have plenty to work on, we are getting there. Slowly but surely with both girls - I have no deadlines or set goals to achieve so so long as both girls are healthy and happy in the work we do I will be overjoyed!

Highlight of the year has to be our trip to the Beach in August - sadly I still haven't gotten the photos from my friend, I really must get after her for that!

Roll on 2014, here's hoping we can keep improving & learning together and who knows maybe I'll find some ambition & set myself some monthly goals or something! My biggest hope is to be able to find time to take lessons again so that I don't flounder and stall through my lack of knowledge & sour my horses to arena work! :/

Happy Holidays!

First off I want to wish everyone a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Apologies, I am no good at gifs or anything fancy and I sadly have not yet had the time to snap my own horses in Christmas get-up however I'm hoping to do those photos tomorrow as I for one cannot wait to see Nancy rock the red!
I am afraid I am blatantly self-advertising with this post and shall be "borrowing" pictures from the entrants into my Christmas Contest.

DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN TODAY!!!

To qualify for the contest:
- post a picture of your horse in Xmas get-up (doesn't have to have been taken this year)
- link back to my contest post & to Niamh's TraceALine etsy shop
- please leave a comment on my blog with a link to your post so that I can find the photos, ;-)

A massive thank you to all who have entered thus far - we have fabulous photos and you've all made it very difficult to pick a winner & runner-up!

Here are the entries I have received so far. :)

Carlos from L @VivaCarlos

Simba from Amanda @ChasingTheSun one of many fab Xmas pictures

Dijon from Olivia by email as she doesn't have a blog

Simon from Lauren @shemovedtotexas

Bobby from Carly @poorwomanshowing and YES - those are real lights! C be cray-cray

Val from @calmforwardstraight

 

From Andrea @uncatchablenumber257 - first of three pictures

Lucy from Kate @theadventuresoflucy



Quick Christmas Catch Up

Just a quick Christmas post with some photos of my 'baby' sister & I playing with the ponies this Christmas Eve.

Nancy ready for osteo last Wednesday

Rare photo of me & my two girls - Kika is as happy as i am to have her photo taken

Kika behaving great for 'baby' sis

Apologies for blurry mirror pic

Fun pic of 'baby' sis & two girls

PS: don't forget the deadline for the Christmas Contest is tomorrow. Be sure to get your entries in by commenting with a link to your Christmas photo(s) post includings links back to my blog (contest post) & TraceALine's etsy shop!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Christmas Contest

I mentioned the possibility of hosting a Christmas Contest in my last post - having spoken to Niamh the amazing artist @LifeorRiley / TraceALine. I have settled on a prize & an idea for the contest - hopefully you guys will participate in high numbers. :)

Last year I had fun playing with Kika taking these Christmas photos - well this year I'd love for my readers to join me in playing Xmas dress Up with their ponies!

To Enter:

- Snap photos of your horse(s) in Xmas gear
- Post photo(s) on your blog with a link back to this post & a link to Niamh's etsy shop, TraceALine - LINK
- Comment on this blog post with a link to your post

Deadline for entries is 25th of Dec!

I'll announce the winner on St Stephen's Day (26th of December).

What will you win - you ask...well there will be two prizes.
First place and a runner up will win a Paper Cuts made by the wonderfully talented Niamh!
LINK to her fab etsy shop - for more examples of her work.
First place will win a paper cut of their choice of photo (either the winning Xmas one or another one of their choosing);
and the
Runner Up will win a paper cut of their winning Xmas photo

Example of Niamh's fab work

I will however ask that there be a minimum of 5 entries for this contest to be run - so grab the Santa Hat, Reindeer Ears, Tinsel & Camera to capture some fun snapshots of your horse(s) - I hope to get some of both girls this year!

In actual update news - both girls had a timely visit from the osteo last night so have two days off to mope around the turnout area and scoff to their heart's content. My "baby" sister will be back in Lux on Friday - I am hoping she might come to the yard with me over the weekend to snap some riding footage of me as i re-acquaint myself and the girls with some ridden work! :D

PS: Please spread the word about the contest - hopefully we can get at least 5 entries while also promoting Niamh's fabulous Paper cuts!