Year: 2014

HenryAug19 from amanda chance on Vimeo.

Some of you might remember my first helmet makeover experiment from a couple months ago. It went so well and looks so good, I decided to finally take the plunge and do my GPA.

I bought my GPA on clearance and got a ridiculously good deal (like less than half price) on it, mainly because it was a “weird” model that had very faint dark gray stars in the middle part. They were so hard to see that I just didn’t care enough to pass up a deal that good. However what had bothered me more and more was the silver vents. I really like the all black look, it’s just more subtle. So since it’s been a couple months since I did the first one and I was now very confident that I could do it and it would turn out well, I painted it a solid matte black.

The GPA is still in really good shape, so all I did to prep it was wipe it down with alcohol, tape over the front logo and back harness (no I still don’t have painter’s tape so leave my hot pink duct tape alone!) and stuff the inside with paper towels to catch the spray that goes through the vents. I used the same brand of paint as the other helmet – Rust-Oleum Universal which is intended for plastics – in Flat Black.

Before:

Say goodbye, stars! I have to admit, they’d really grown on me…

After the first coat, still wet.

I only did two coats. Everything covered so well and so easily, I didn’t see a need for more than that. So I let it dry for about 15 minutes then took it inside for more pics.

And some closer shots so you can see more detail

I’m pretty thrilled with how it came out, it looks even better than the first attempt. You really would never in a million years think it was spray painted, it looks just like a regular finish. And being all black makes it look smaller and more flattering on my head. Pictures of that… someday?

After my successful experiment #2, Auf Der Autobahn’s trainer Lisa (of Austin Eventing) asked me if I’d do her Tipperary schooling helmet. Lisa said she hated the color so much she usually wore her other helmet instead. I still had more than half a can of paint left and I’m getting a little addicted to the helmet makeover thing, so I was totally down with doing another. This one was in rougher shape… it had some pretty decent scratches along the top and a couple of spots where the top layer of finish had been rubbed off. And she wasn’t kidding about the ugly.

I had to do a lot more prep work for this one. First I cleaned it really well with some kitchen cleaner (no residue) then did a very very light sanding to minimize the scratches a little and even out that one spot that was already missing the top layer of finish. It looks like a lot of sanding in the picture but really it’s just a couple swipes with a fine grit sandpaper. Then I wiped it down again with more cleaner to get the dust off.

This helmet also required a lot more taping and covering, because of the harness. The tan part covers a good part of the back of the helmet plus some of the liner fabric is exposed around the ears so I spent a while taping and trimming to get it all just right, then stuffed the inside with paper towels and tucked up the harness underneath. I also took a while to get the front logo taped just right. Lisa said she didn’t care if I painted over it but it’s just not in my little OCD capacity to actually do that, so a-taping I went.

For this one I did three coats. The color was a little harder to cover well and I wanted to make sure it was all even.

This is after the second or third coat, still wet.

And inside later, after it had dried and I removed all the tape.

Hopefully Lisa likes her “new” murdered-out Tipperary! No more weird blue.

And yes, I’m having way too much fun with helmet makeovers.

Change was the theme of the weekend. Most little, one kinda big. Let’s start small and build from there.

First – Henry got his mane done. I did it with the clipper blade method for the first time to help thin it a bit and it seemed to work better. Of course I totally forgot to take a picture of him post-makeover soooo here’s a picture of him eyeball deep in grass, pre-mane job, because his life is so hard.

Second – I changed his bit again. When I first got him I tried him in a Nathe but it didn’t really go that well. But he’s gotten a lot more responsive to seat and leg since winter, plus a lot more balanced, so I gave it another whirl. He definitely does not get behind the bit in it almost ever. On the flipside when I have to really sit and do a big whoa in a line I don’t have quite as much success. Then again the need for a big whoa is also almost never, and really if I was better with my body/seat it’d be a non-issue totally. For now I’m going to keep him in it and see how it goes.

Side note: I noticed the past week that when Henry gets super sweaty and I get super sweaty, I’m not having as much grip on my reins as I used to. Not sure if the rubber is just getting worn down or what because I’ve never had this problem before. My gloves are still pretty pristine so I don’t think they’re the problem. Waiting to see how I feel about the calfskin reins that come with the PS bridle.

The big change was that Trainer wants me to try riding Henry a different way over fences. Basically he wants me to stay up out of the saddle and let him keep cantering more forward/open after the jump, and not sit again until we’re coming out of the corner toward the next jump. We tried it out a bit yesterday and while it’s always hard to make big changes (successfully) all at once, he did seem to go better with that ride. By nature he’s such a compressed little ball of a horse (basically the opposite of my last several horses) that opening him up gave him more lift in the shoulder and kept him more in front of my leg. Of course, now I’ve got to figure this all out on my end and get used to riding differently, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

I also had yet another fun time with helmet makeovers, but we’ll talk about those tomorrow.

Until then, enjoy this shot from a pool party we went to on Saturday night. Yup, that’s a movie on a projector screen. Yup, those are glow sticks floating in the pool. Yup, those are also glow sticks around the rims of our cups of vodka/lemonade/punch mixture. Winning times three.

Thanks to everyone who has participated in the tack swap/sale so far! I have one more thing to toss into the pile – a size 54 brown Tekna Pressure-Eze girth. If you’re interested let me know and I’ll get pictures to you.

Sadie is officially 14 days in foal to Mezcalero! Please cross all your crossables for an easy and problem free pregnancy. The first 60 days are the most nerve-wracking, I don’t think I’ll have any nails left by the end.

We have yet another new blogger among us – everybody go say hi to B at Auf Der Autobahn – she rides at my barn so obviously she’s pretty cool.

Don’t forget the tack sale/swap! InLinkz doesn’t seem to work as well with WordPress so you have to click on the little froggy thing at the bottom of the post to see the links of the other participating bloggers. Celebrate payday by buying yourself something nice.

Also thought I’d share some pics I took the other day at our ice cream factory tour. It was so neat, I loved it. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in the actual production area, but just imagine a sea of machinery and ice cream and cookies and candy and everything amazing. There were giant boxes of cookie dough pieces that I’m pretty sure I’ll spend the rest of my life dreaming about. My head is now also filled with lots of useless information about Blue Bell… if anyone ever needs to know the top 5 best selling flavors, I’ve got you covered.

 And don’t forget to enter Cob Jockey’s awesome giveaway!

Come one, come all! Gather all your excess stuff, raid your piggy bank, and lets have some fun.

So – what do you have for sale? Or trade? What items are you looking for? We need pictures and prices and the whole 9 yards! Think of this as an opportunity to refresh your horse stuff collection.

Here’s what I’ve got to get rid of (maybe trades? not looking for anything specific but I’m always interested in browsing!):

running martingale attachment. Brown Ovation, never used – $15

Le Fash shirt, lavender with black. Size M (approx 36), only worn once. It just doesn’t go with all my navy stuff so I never wear it and it pains me to see it hanging in the closet looking unloved.  – SOLD

Cheval Fashions shirt. I have no idea how I even have this in the first place because it’s not anywhere close to my size. It’s a 14 (approx 42). Super cute though and in great shape, has a snap collar. – $45

Tuffrider pad, navy trim with light blue piping. I used it at two horse shows but just really prefer baby pads. Has some staining at the girth area. – $10

Pro Choice girth 54″, I’ve used it for a couple years but it’s still in great shape. Princess Henry can’t do neoprene. – SOLD

Bits! 5″ baucher and 5″ D-ring – $10 each (Baucher sold)

Horse size custom navy bonnet with dusty rose trim and a row of ivory pearls. I got this for my mare but there’s no way it’ll fit her Hippoverian head. -SOLD

Alright guys – GO!

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