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In January, my mom bought me a Riding Warehouse gift card for my birthday, but it never arrived. We discovered the reason this summer, and I bought Izzy a new halter with about half of it. Over the weekend, I finally needed something, and then I decided I needed something else, and before I knew it, I was trying to spend it down to the last penny. Honestly, I think I just needed some good old fashioned retail therapy, that or more oatmeal cookies. Too late, those are already gone. It all started with a small scratch on Izzy's chin that I finally realized was getting rubbed by his noseband. The sore is well below the noseband, but I think there has been just enough wiggle room that the noseband has been rubbing it just a little bit. Speedy had that issue a few months back when we were at a show. My friend Jen let me have her extra fleece noseband guard which turned out to be exactly what I needed. Over the weekend, I took it out of storage and popped it on Izzy's bridle. Again, it solved the problem perfectly. I liked it so well that I've ordered two, one to put back in my show bag, and one for Jen. Shires SupaFleece Chin/Crank Padded Guard - $5.74 with discount coupon  On backorder, but once they're back in stock, two of them will be on their way. I couldn't very well just buy two chin guards. There is a minimum purchase for free shipping, so I decided to just bite a huge bullet and order a six month supply of Horse Guard Vitamin/Mineral Supplement Pellets. I've been really happy with that product, but when I run out, I forget to reorder it, and then a month goes by, and I really forget about it. This, too, is backordered, but I ordered a bucket anyway. Horse Guard Vitamin/Mineral Supplement Pellets - $67.96 with discount coupon  Also on backorder ... At this point, I had less than $20 left on my gift card. Like I said, in for a penny, in for a pound, so I decided to spend it all without spending any extra cash. I started digging around through Riding Warehouse's website looking for something that I needed/wanted. Socks are always my go-to for hitting the minimum order for free shipping, so I threw a pair of C4 Knee High Riding Socks in my cart. I had ordered a pair a month or so ago that were still unused, but as it happens I just tossed out a blue pair that had finally worn through at the heel, so that first pair is ready to be brought into the rotation. Next to the Noble Outfitter Over the Calf Peddies, these are my favorite socks. This is my fourth pair. C4 Knee High Riding Socks - $8.46 with discount coupon  Not on back order ... By now, all I had was a ten spot and some change left, but I was determined to spend it wisely. I've written quite a few times about the Haas line of brushes, I now have six of them, four that I use every day. The other two live in my horse trailer for shows, clinics, and general travel. The one Haas tool that has proven to be the most useful is actually the least expensive of the bunch, the Haas Striegel New Generation Soft Curry Comb. It is the first, and sometimes, only grooming tool that I use. Both of my horses love it. My trailer set of brushes does not include that curry comb, so I remedied that. A new Striegel is on its way. Haas Striegel New Generation Soft Curry Comb Blue - $6.76 with discount coupon  Also not on backorder ... There's not much that you can do with $3.36, but I knew just what else I needed. I go through hoof picks with surprising frequency, and it's not because I lose them. The pick end just gets shorter and shorter. Our soil is very sandy which is also abrasive. I am also "picky" about hoof picks. I like them to have the brush on the back, and I want a chunky handle. I like Horze products, so I was willing to give their Soft Grip Stainless Steel Hoof Pick w/Brush a try. Horze Soft Grip Stainless Steel Hoof Pick w/Brush - $4.21 with discount coupon.  Chunky hand, sharp pick, brush on the end ... not on backorder! In the end, I "overspent" by a mere $0.75. Not bad for an afternoon therapy session. Now it'll be like Christmas - packages will be rolling in for the rest of the month.
Thanks, Mom! Small number 1: I finally finished my SafeSport annual refresher course. Man I hate that thing. It's probably not as bad as I make it out to be, but on the heels of just having completed HOURS of training on that very subject for work, it's easy to see why YET ANOTHER training irritates me. And before you get all up in my business, know that I am already a MANDATED reporter and could potentially lose my job for NOT reporting. Even at a horse show. I take this stuff seriously. I am trained to spot bullying, cyber bullying, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and on and on. I've been receiving annual training for nearly three decades.  Enough of that. I will will throw US Equestrian a small bone though. Last year, my "refresher date" sailed right on past, and without warning, US Equestrian declared me ineligible for any and all USEF events. Later, several folks reached out to me and gently explained that there had been reminder emails. I get so much junk from USEF that I no doubt deleted them. This year, I received a very polite reminder notice about once a week for the entire month of August. My very OCD self had to be restrained multiple times as she tried to take the course IMMEDIATELY. Common sense self urged patience. The sooner you take the course, the sooner you have to retake the course. It makes more sense to wait until it's actually due.  I swear I did not plan this, but I took each course on the exact same day each year! Small number 2: In the ongoing battle to soothe Izzy's skin, I bought yet another product, this one recommended by a Facebook friend. I checked out the product at their website. One look at their landing page hand me convinced.  How fast can you ship it out? In my enthusiasm, I neglected to search for a better deal. Yes, Ecovet will sell it to you directly, but I don't recommend it. I paid more than at other retailers, and the shipping was EXORBITANT, and I am not exaggerating. I think I paid $15 in shipping, and it took at least ten days to arrive.  Once I came to my senses, I realized that it was also available from my trusty favorite online retailer, the Riding Warehouse. Well, rats. Either way, it finally arrived yesterday afternoon. It's a lot smaller than your typical quart at only 16 ounces, so I sure hope it works as well as it claims. It may be too late to save Izzy's skin and hair this year, but it may still offer him some relief.
So there you have it; two small things. There is a third, but it's irrelevant to dressage or horses, but here goes. Along with the Ecovet, my new office chair arrived last night so I am off to assemble it. My back needs some relief. So there you have it; two smalls and an even smaller small. Sometimes it's the small stuff that gets us through the day. No, wait, don't! Ack, Riding Warehouse is killing me. Right now they're having a 20% off sale on everything. EVERYTHING! I don't need anything, but I couldn't resist.  I might have mentioned something the other day about indulging in a wee bit of retail therapy. That stuff isn't even here yet, but after this week, I felt I deserved just a bit more. I am pretty sure my therapist ordered it. Dr. Buy-All-the-Things, that is!
My buy it finger showed some restraint though as I only bought another Union Hill Dressage Pad - man I love those pads, but really, at $14.36, how could I not buy one? Riding Warehouse is practically giving the thing away! Oh, I also threw in a fresh bottle of fly spray because at this time of year, I buy fly spray no matter what else is in my cart. It was only $12.76, half what it would cost me here in town! I guess if you're going to "self-medicate," a bottle of fly spray is probably a good route to go. I hate flies. Not that anyone likes them, but they drive me batty, and the truth is, our flies are nothing compared to yours (probably). I hear horror stories about the lethalness and cunningness of the flies around the country. Ours are just regular black flies that lazily hover around the manure pile and dive buzz our ears. My least favorite trick is how they like to land on my forearms while I ride because no amount of blowing will dislodge them. I hate the little boogers. Speedy is pretty immune to them, maybe it's his white coat?, but not poor Izzy. The flies love him as much as they do me. It pains me to watch him do the fly shuffle - lift the right leg and shake, lift the left leg and shake, kick your belly with a back leg, repeat all day long. Fortunately, he's not a stomper, just a lazy lifter. I also hate to see the party going on in his eyeball goop. The flies practically swim in the corners of his eyes.  I don't know how fly season always sneaks up on me, you'd think I know it was coming, but it does, and it did. I have some old fly masks that are still in excellent condition, but they're way too small for Izzy. I am not sure why I have two Speedy-sized masks in storage, but he got one of them this weekend.
Riding Warehouse is running a fly control promotion right now that prooved very timely for me. I really want to get Izzy a fly sheet, but I know he'll just destroy it. Instead, he got a new fly mask and a fresh bottle of Pyranha. Riding Warehouse tossed a $10 gift card into my cart without me even needing to enter a promo number. Nice, right?! For me, I tossed in a pair of Noble Outfitters Over the Calf Peddies, my favorite socks. I hate paying shipping if I don't have to, so socks are always my go-to for hitting the order minimum. The Riding Warehouse's Fool the Flies promotion is good through May 11th. If you haven't stocked up on your summer fly defense, this might be a good time to start. Who doesn't love a gift card? You know that adage, when it rains it pours? The holidays are like that for me when it comes to receiving gifts. You see, my birthday is just one week after Christmas which means that my yearly haul comes all once. I have all kinds of new stuff to share with you - like this ...  Where have you been all my life? This item was on the wish list I gave my husband because of all the things that I could have received from my family, this was the one I most wanted. When I didn't get it for Christmas, I got a little worried that I was going to have to buy it myself, but I waited patiently for my birthday to roll around. When I got up on Sunday, my birthday, I waited for my husband to pull out a giant box, instead, he handed me a card and said I'd get a gift later. I was a bit disappointed, but I figured the cart might have been back ordered. Like we always do, I headed out to the barn to ride while my husband took the dog for a hike. It's not totally unusual for him to stop by the barn with the dog, so when I saw his truck pull in, I didn't think much of it. I was actually riding Speedy at the time, so I just shouted out a hello when he said the dog wanted to come and run around. When he dropped his tailgate however, I asked what was up. I am not very clever, obviously. The sly dog had waited for me to go to the barn so that he could put the cart together and deliver it! It is totally awesome - far sturdier than I thought it would be. Once Speedy was back in his stall, I dropped a muck bucket in and wheeled it around the barn, giving it a test drive.  Many other bloggers have written about this cart claiming it is a must have for shows. I'm sold. No longer will I have to schlepp around my 100 pounds of ricketiness that I currently use at shows. While old cart is great for the barn, it can now stay at the barn while a newer, hipper generation takes over.
Interested in having one of your very own? Check it out at the Riding Warehouse. |
About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. 
Photo by Lori Ovanessian
About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)
FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
I love her stuff!
Watercolor Artist and Friend
Bakersfield Dressage approved!
National Rider Awards
USDF Bronze Medal - 2020
USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013
State Rider Awards
CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
State Horse Awards
Speedy G - 3rd Level Horse Performance Award - 2020
Speedy G - 2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2022 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic (Q) Must Qualify 2022 Shows Schedule
(*) Tehachapi 5/22/22 2022 Completed … Pending ... 2022 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying 2 Scores/1 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Archives
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