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. :)

I have the best horse in world

Actually, unfairly I have TWO!

I know, I know. YOU have the best horse in the world.

But let me tell you about my best horses.

Today I rode my five year old boy, who came up to the gate, practically wagging his tail. Seriously the flies were that bad. But he came up.

I've been doing this lately. I greet my horses, and if I don't have a specific plan, I ride the horse who walks up to me. A slight variation on riding the horse that shows up.

Smokey rode for the first time in a bosal. I have been riding him in a riding halter, but can't get his head down very easily, i get the feeling the signal isnt clear. I had read on mugs that horses teeth change a good bit betwwen 4 and 6, and that she rode horses that age in a hack more. I had a sense his mouth just wasnt as comfortable with the bit.

The bosal was perfect, a slight pressure on the reins and his head dropped. And he worked off my seat and legs in a way that felt seamless.

We rode with Stephanie and Cibolo, Janice and Lucy, Kimber and Cody (it was my birthday trail ride). We lead most of the time and he was so willing and easy going that I had that feeling bubble up like soda fizz.

Joy.

I even went down a steep hill which has been nerve wracking for me lately. We both went down like it was no big deal. Which it isn't, of course.

That's the crux of it, isn't it. Since it was no big deal to me, he was fine. There were still moments when I had to work to convince him a bit, but they were tiny battles. Teeny tiny. Just enough to remind me he is young, generally trust worthy, but still young

This is one of the by products of joy, I think. It all feels so different.

Then there's the other best horse in the world. But I'll have to tell you about the remarkable Miss Lily next time. Plus I have a vendor/product endorsement.

I'm going to sleep to dream about riding.

Joy!

I have no idea where this is from, or who the child is, but it makes me beam.

Now for something off topic.

During our very difficult time (of which elements continue, of course), everything felt like it was on fire, burning all around me, burning to the ground. Everywhere I turned things that I had worked for over decades turned to ashes at our feet.

At one point, when I was walking through the house late at night I felt there was only one thing left I had control over.

Me.

I could wait for happiness to come on the heels of some change in fortune or I could try to grow it in this rubble. I worked on finding positive things, even if they were extremely slight. I downloaded the "optimist's creed" and taped it to my mirror.

But every day the creed was there on my mirror. I'd take one line and try to live it during the day. I found it was harder than I thought to keep to it, and I failed often. Yet it was still there on the mirror the next morning.

After about 3 months I started to feel different. It wasn't always easier, but deeper. It didn't feel as forced, thnking and being positive came much easier.

Then in small ways our lives turned around. Very small things at first, the equivalent of finding a few extra dollars in life's sofa cushion. Happiness showed up unexpected around corners. And then the big change when DH landed work.

What I realize is that the job, while a blessing, is not our source of happiness. No question that it relieves the pressure, but the happiness arrived before the job.

The next step on the journey slowly bloomed. I recently decided that it is my role in life (well one of them) to spread joy. Sure I have a humor column and that's a start. But I've been (obnoxiously at times) working on finding ways to bring joy to people. Making the guy on the phone at the pharmacy laugh. sending thank you notes. Calling colleagues to check on their family. You know, daily nice things, hoping it'll be a brighter point in someone's day.

Not changing the world, not yet. But working from the inside out.

I've taken this approach with my horses too. I've presumed that they too could use some joy. It's not about cookies, it's mostly taking time, trusting my instincts, and becoming more quiet, gentle and consistent.

The change there has been gradual too. Only recently have I been able to even become aware of the shift. I don't have a name for it, but I know one thing.

It sure is more fun.

Smokey's Hat Trick

So you might know I'm big on clicker training. It's helped me bridge things with my horses like the noise of a plastic bottle, taking a bit, lifting hooves. It's not a cure all and things still require maintenance, but it's made a big difference.

Plus having trained dogs, I get the idea of this, so there wasn't near the learning curve.

Anyway, Smokey is very, very lippy. I figured given all the things he wants to grab, it might be useful to put this to use and teach him to pick up a hat from the ground. This video is step #2 in that process. Step 1 was getting him to touch it with our command "target". Step 2 is to hold it in his teeth with the command "grab."

I don't even want to think about step 3 yet.



(we did this today and he actually did really well, but more on that later.)