Riding pants that ROCK

Sorry for the long delay, I've been busy with work (it's actually kind of exciting, many people are moving their financial lives over to credit unions and that means I'm one busy chick).

Any way, I've had to let my real life take a chill pill while I handled the work load.

(I recently realized that my work life wasn't my REAL life, although I enjoy it. My REAL life is family and horses. LOL)

As a result I've only ridden in these terrific pants once. But they are AMAZING. They are Irideons, just like my other riding pants, but I wanted to get a summer weight tights (I know, it's about to get cold, but with a birthday in October, that's just how these things go).

First I looked at every tight on the market, and picked these because they were boot cut, a brand I like, and have the knee patches and came in denim color. Having always ridden in jeans or my riding pant I wasn't sure if I was going to like the whole "tights" thing.

Color me converted.

First I got the absolute best email notification I've ever gotten that my order was on the way:

Today your order was lovingly removed from our shelves by Julie, our Product Specialist, and placed into our velvet-lined wheelbarrow.

Our 5-member equine team, headed by Royale Rouge, inspected your items to make sure they were in the best possible condition before mailing.

Stephanie, our Ordering Specialist, rang a bell and a hush fell over the barn as Boni, our Shipping Specialist, placed your items into the finest corrugated box that money can buy.

We all had a wonderful celebration afterward and our entire team waved goodbye to your package, on its way to you in our private A.R.T. jet.

I hope you had a wonderful time shopping with us at Action Rider Tack. We certainly did. We wish we had a picture of you and your horse to hang on our wall as “Customer of the Week” and to add to our website photo gallery. We’re all exhausted but can’t wait for you to come back to ACTION RIDER TACK.

Happy Trails!

Candy Kahn BE ONE WITH YOUR HORSE!™

www.ActionRiderTack.com

I totally felt ridiculously special. (no, i did not send them a picture of me and smokey and lily, though I was tempted.)

Then I rode in them. No more hitching up my jeans to lift the leg in the stirrup. No more seam rubbing (which my riding pants are good about, but not my jeans). No more sliding in the saddle.

I felt a little silly in the store, but since they are a quiet blue, they're just like jeggins but better.

Yup. Love 'em. Planning on another pair for Christmas. :)

Gearing up and Lily's leg.

Gear!

We're getting close!

Today I received the bit I ordered for our new horse-to-be-named-darn-soon-cuz-not-having-a-name-is-darn-annoying.

Apparently it took them a while to find the right bit for him, and I'm a big believer in going with what works. This is a change in bits for me, because I've always ridden in some type of snaffle. That or just the halter. Since I'm not riding for show or anything, I haven't put much energy into head set. Frankly I had so much more to deal with on Canyon, other than generally lowering his head, I didn't bother with much fine tuning.



This is a Jack Brainard Custom Pelham. Anyone know about these? Any guidance?

I also finally found a saddle. I sold both my arab saddles - I had a circle y and I loved it (and got back what I paid for it - you have to love that about circle ys), but it was so heavy I never rode in it once I got my trail saddle. The big horn trail saddle I had was very light and very, very comfortable, but not so pretty with the synthetic skirt and fenders. So I was looking and while I'd found some synthetics, there were no big horns and frankly I was getting pretty impatient.


Then I found (and won) this one on ebay.



I decided it was a perfect combo - light enough, but pretty too. And I like the idea of an endurance saddle since I am never likely to do any roping (I suspect I'd knock my self silly). And it was below my budget (I wanted to spend less than I got for the circle Y).

Now I need a girth and a pad... Then I'm ready to RIDE. All I need is a horse. :)



And when I got home from my long day of meetings in Dallas, a beautiful full moon managed to pin itself over the lake and, holding hands with the setting sun, they turned everything golden. Which is, after it's all said and done, exactly what they should do.

(The gold is not captured by my cell phone camera, so you'll have to take my word for it)



Wonderful.



Lily update

Trailer loading and unloading is going well with Lily, we are feeding her in the trailer and she's learning to come out slower. I think we are ready to move to the next stage - standing in the trailer for a longer time and backing up.

Then we'll move on to putting up the butt bar, opening the butt bar and having her come out slowly.

Hopefully I can get some video of all that... Usually we're too busy doing it to remember to capture it on tape!

The bigger issue is Lily and her leg.

It's still ridiculously hot, and it's tough to get the energy up to do more than work on this trailer loading thing. But I am relunctant to ride Lily because of her issue with one leg - she's nodding and showing some discomfort at the trot . We were due for another couple of x-rays this week, but due to problems at the vet, it's been put off till next week.

I want to be careful with it since I have no idea what it is. Here's her xray.

They said this shot is inconclusive. No sign of ring bone thank goodness. She's on a joint supplement, but I want to rule out any serious issues. I don't remember seeing her having any issues before we got her, but honestly I may just not have put 2 and 2 together.

The first vet did a nerve block and it helped, but didn't make it go away completely. Hopefully we can narrow things down. Our farrier is going to take a look at the complete set of xrays and see what he can do.

It's funny, actually. I've been caught in a bit of an odd place with this whole thing. The farrier suggested it was her back causing the problem and suggested I take her to a chiro/vet. So I went to some pains to locate a chiro/vet. I hated not to go to my regular vet, but I have heard of the great things that can be accomplished with chiropactic work on horses.

The chiro vet said it isn't her back and after shooting an xray and doing the nerve block, suggested it was the natural balance shoes, which totally pissed off the farrier. I had to admit I wasn't sure she was hurting before the shoes went on. I just don't remember.

I just want Lily to feel better. If she's just going to be up for light riding, that's okay. I love her and she's our horse. My daughter is really only up for light trail riding and I'm hoping she'll be sound enough for that. But I don't want to be involved shoeing battle 101.

I'm back to my regular vet (who isn't a chiro) and who I feel comfortable with. We'll see where we go from here. If they get their xray machine back up.

And you think your horse is hard to fit

Took me forever to find the right saddle for a horse I used to ride. That boy had a set of withers that wouldn't quit. But I have to think this would have been even more challenging.

Near gear

It's beautiful. Those folks at Black Pond have exceeded my expectations with their lead rope, reins and halter. Here's a picture of the riding halter which you can clip your reins into.

I'll post more tomorrow, I forgot my camera and these are from my phone. The reins are like buttah... I'm just waiting for one little rope they left off. Fantastic detailing and craftsmanship at Black Pond. Glad I spent more time shopping around so I could get the color combos I wanted. I like black on Canyon because he has those black touches on his ears and in his mane...

Thanks to my big sister who bought them for me as a birthday gift. I'd say you shouldn't have, but it wouldn't be sincere. You'd read right through it.

Of course I had to try riding Canyon without a bit in - only his riding halter. He did very well in the arena, where we are working on gaits and transitions. Then we went out on a brief trail ride with Rudy and Canyon did fairly well only in his riding halter, particularly when I noticed that I was nervous. When I got all zen-ish, he calmed down. It was very windy and he still did great other than obsessively checking the pasture for dreaded Texas hill country horse eating crocodiles.

Sometimes you are leading and ya don't even know it.

Not sure I'm ready to give up the bit yet, but it was a good experience. How many times to I have to read that a bit isn't what stops your horse before I believe it?

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Really fun places to go: If you haven't seen the lying down of the horse technique, get thee to GNH's site right now. Very cool video!

My Horse became a dog, part 2

When Rudy walked up to Canyon, Canyon tensed up. He snorted at Rudy's hand then took a quick side step when he tried to mount him.

"That is a one person horse," he said as Canyon trotted off.

I figured Canyon was just being difficult and now I'd have the same trouble with him. So I went over to the other end of the arena and went over to him. Canyon stood still, head relaxed and lowered. I got on and he was completely calm.

"He doesn't give his trust easily, but he's given it to you," Rudy remarked, getting on Woody (who had let me mount just fine, sane horse that he is).

I realized that it's true. Now, after 11 months, something has changed. Canyon is willing to give me some rope. Not all of it, though.

We were on a trail ride today and he bucked and was generally freaked out at the start of the ride. He did a side step so fast he almost lost me.

Thank goodness for those velcro pockets.

I rode him through it, then he had a panic run. I could feel his panic and did all I could in the saddle to reassure him. I let him run a bit, gradually slowing him down. I had to remain dead calm and this time, I managed it. But he was still bratty, still testing me. At one point I had to give him a solid smack on the hindquarters when he was acting up. Then he settled down a bit.

While we got through it, its clear = there's a lot of work I need to do with this crazy horse to get him to a place where he really trusts me all the way. And I'm going to need help because I am beyond my abilities with this.

But he is coming up to me in the field, he's nodding when he sees me, he is fine until we get up to a lope and the energy and nerves rise. So maybe I'm back to day 3 in the stop the bucking lessons. Maybe I need to see about getting some lessons together with a trainer.

But I'm not selling him. He's my crazy dog and unless someone who knows a hell of a lot more than me tells me different, I'm convinced I can find a good place with this life that is in my hands.

As a result, I'm making the ultimate commitment a woman can make with a gelding. I'm buying new tack.
I'm buying a new rope halter from these folks, because if you'll recall Canyon lost his in his panic run through Guadalupe state park. At Black Pond they will custom out everything and the prices are fantastic. I'll post on the quality when I receive it.