January 2015 – Page 3

Weekend recap: basking in sunlight

Published on January 19, 2015January 19, 2015 by Amanda C40 Comments

Finally! FINALLLLYYY!!! Our true Texas winter has returned. Temperatures in the low 70’s and not a cloud in sight. This is why we endure scorching summers. I hope that cold crap is gone for good.

Even my mood seems vastly improved… at one point yesterday I just sat in a parking lot with my sunroof open, basking in the sun. The stresses of life seem to just melt away on really beautiful days like that. Also – I got to ride my horse again! After almost two weeks I’d pretty much forgotten what that was like.

HenryJan18 from amanda chance on Vimeo.

It was also my first chance to ride, or really even groom, since starting Henry on the omeprazole. He’s now been on it for 10 days, and maybe it’s just purely coincidental but I’m seeing a few subtle changes. First, when I groomed him he did not go to Grump Town when I brushed his right side. Normally as soon as I get over there with a curry, brush, or towel he gives me The Face and sometimes would even pick up his back leg to threaten me away. Yesterday I curried, brushed, AND toweled and got only a single tail swish. Coincidence? Maybe. He also seemed less “jumpy” to my leg under saddle… he’s always been a sensitive horse and I imagine always will be, but I wasn’t getting that quick jerky overreaction like I sometimes do. Of course, that was just based off of one ride so we’ll see if that continues. I also thought he was marching more forward and free in his walk than is normal for him, but that could have been the I-haven’t-been-ridden-in-two-weeks coming out. We’ll see as time goes on, although I’m fairly encouraged to see any changes at all. And glad, because I’ve got omeprazole tubes coming out of my ears. Seriously, my locker looks like a pharmacy. Henry also got his teeth done and sheath cleaned last week while I was off barnsitting. Big thanks to Auntie Brandy for giving him his meds and looking after him while I was away from the barn. And for taking this glorious picture.

The place I was barnsitting is basically my dream property in every way, I had a great time there. I even made SO make the drive on Friday night so I could show him everything and point out why it was a good design, the soil, the footing, the layout, the fencing, blah blah blah. I think his eyes glazed over, but he said he liked it too.

He also spectated while I groomed the Traks and cleaned the barn. As in… spectated from the porch with a cup of coffee while I cleaned and spectated from a safe distance while I groomed. He did actually hold Toni’s lead rope for a few minutes, although he set it down and backed up a step when I told him Toni was a stallion. Toni was not impressed with either of us, but he appreciated having the now-abandoned lead rope to chew on. Whoa there, wild stallion.

All in all it was a nice fun WARM weekend with lots of time spent outside. The next few days look to be equally as lovely, too… I love it.

TOABH: Wish We Could

Published on January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 by Amanda C14 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve done a blog hop, and I still haven’t ridden my horse since last week, so why the heck not?

Beka (my blog wife) over at The Owls Approve asked:

Let’s pretend that financial restrictions don’t exist and logistics isn’t a nightmare. If you could do anything with your Ponykins, what would you do?

Four things immediately come to mind:

1) AEC’s. I know, I know, I talk about it a lot, but it’s my main goal of 2015. Not gonna lie – if we don’t make it I’ll be really disappointed.

2) a Novice 3-day event. Because jog-ups, and roads and tracks, and steeplechase! I’m still a die-hard fan of the long format of eventing so this would be cool in so many ways. Plus I will probably never ever have the cojones to want to jump around any actual FEI level event, so this is a good way to play dress up and do the fun stuff without actually trying to kill myself on a giant solid XC jump. In my dreams I would love to do a N3DE next year, but a) I just dunno about that b) it would depend on if the one that used to happen in Texas ever actually happens again. Fun as it would absolutely for sure definitely be, I can’t see me hauling several states away for something like that.

donahue_extravagance_jersey_09 — What do you mean I’m way overdressed for Novice? This is mini-Rolex!

Henry would be like: WEEEE STEEPLECHAAAASE!

3) Foxhunting. And while I totally would settle for Texas foxhunting (should have put that on my 2015 goals…) in my fantasyland I mean Virginia foxhunting. Not Ireland, because those people are a hair too drunk/crazy, but I’m game for VA style. That seems like a happy medium.

Like this:

But not:

WHAT IN THE HOLY HELL?? NOOO!!! I don’t even bend that way!

4) Ride on the beach. I’ve done this a couple times before in my life but not on my own terms, so it’d be fun to tak Hens for a little gallop by the water.

Time to vote! Best Henry face of 2014.

Published on January 15, 2015January 16, 2015 by Amanda C22 Comments

This post was going to be my top 5 favorite Henry faces of 2014, but once I started looking through pictures I realized I couldn’t narrow it down to 5. So instead I pulled out all of my favorites… mostly silly faces but a few more “normal” ones too. Please scroll down through them all then vote for your favorite at the end!

#2 – Laughing at me behind my back when I tell friends how he almost killed me on XC

#8A (because I can’t count and messed it up the first time) You can take away my bit, but you can never take away my TONGUE FREEEEDDOOOOMMMM

#15 – a new bridle is NOT my idea of a “fun present”, Mom.

#16 – Cross country is the best thing EVAR!

#18 – America’s Next Top Horse Model. Will work for cookies.

Vote away! I’ve allowed you to choose up to 3 different pictures, in case it’s too hard to pick just one.

Review: PS of Sweden Flying Change bridle

Published on January 14, 2015January 15, 2015 by Amanda C40 Comments

I’ve gotten a bit behind on my PS of Sweden reviews, it seems. I still need to do one on the High Five breastplate, but I want to wait until I have a chance to use it more and give it a thorough test. For the Flying Change bridle, though, the time has come.

I’ve had this bridle for about a month now and used it several times. I’ve conditioned it a couple times and cleaned it once. This is not my first bridle from PS of Sweden, I also have the High Jump in dark brown leather. Like the High Jump, I ordered the Flying Change in a cob size. Henry really measures between their cob and full size, but I prefer how the cob size browband fits. The Flying Change was ordered with the intent of being his dressage bridle, so I chose black.

I have gotten really spoiled by PS’s shipping… two days for something to make it from Sweden to my doorstep (it’s ALWAYS two days!) is pretty amazing considering how long most of my other orders take from other places. Plus the bridles come in a fabric bag to store them in to keep the dust off, and there’s always something “extra” in there from PS – either rein stops or a keychain or whatever. Small details, but nice ones. When I opened the package, the first thing I noticed was the thick soft padding on this bridle. The noseband and crown are super soft and squishy for those delicate faces and polls. There’s also a nice thick pad running under the jaw area of the noseband. I gave a quick condition with Higher Standards balm and it was ready to go.

wide padded anatomic crownpiece that is a standard feature on PS bridles

As with the High Jump (and all of PS’s bridles) the browband snaps on and off to be easily removeable and interchangeable. This is an awesome feature if you happen to also own a sparkly PS of Sweden browband like I do. It literally takes 15 seconds to do a browband change. Yes I timed it.

The other super cool “quick change” feature of this bridle is the flash attachment. The tab connecting the flash to the bridle runs between the top layer of leather and the padding. The tab hooks back on itself via a little rounded metal stud, similar to the studs you see on some models of jumping boots. The stud has smooth rounded edges and just barely sticks up from the surface of the leather when the flash is attached, so I’ve had zero worry about it getting snagged on anything. The stud really makes it very quick and easy to put the flash attachment on or take it off. Again, just a matter of seconds. The first time I took it off and put it back on I didn’t push the leather down firmly enough on the stud and it popped off when I went to fasten the flash on the horse. Once I took care to make sure that it was back on the stud correctly, I’ve never had another problem with it popping off. I absolutely LOVE the fact that when you take the flash off of the bridle, you would never know it was there in the first place. No ugly flash tab, and no dents in your padding!

The reins on this bridle are similar to the High Jump but not quite the same. They are made from the same “softy” leather, which I really adore. It’s super super soft and thin and grippy, which makes it very easy and comfortable to hold. They also have the same leather hand stops spaced evenly down the length of the reins. The only difference is that these are not lined in rubber. For a dressage bridle, these reins are really ideal for me. I love having the hand stops to help make sure my reins are even and to help prevent me from letting them slip through my hands – both bad habits of mine.

The noseband came with a clip on the bottom for easier attachment, and while I do love the ease of it I liked the fit a little bit better without it, so I took it off. There are rollers on each side of the hardware under the bottom strap of the noseband for easy and fluid tightening/loosening.

The top of the nose has a slightly squared design to it that molds really nicely around the nose and then tapers to thinner leather on each side. IMO this makes it a very flattering bridle for many different head types.

The reins and cheekpieces also have the same heavy duty elastic “cradle” inserts in the ends as the High Jump has… it’s up to you whether you take them out or leave them in. I’ve left them in for now but will take them out before we start showing just in case a steward ever objects.

Overall I’m just as happy, if not more so, with this bridle as I am with the High Jump. The quality is good, the design is both innovative and beautiful, and the horse goes well in it. I sat here for a while trying to think of something negative to say, but honestly I’ve got nothing of note. The only slight negative, depending on how you look at it, is that one of the keepers on the noseband was very tight. To stretch it out a bit I slathered it in conditioner and stuck a Sharpie in it (it was just the right thickness!), twisted it around a little, and left it for a few days. When I took the Sharpie out it was looser, and the keeper held up perfectly to all the twisting and stretching. I’m excited to debut Henry’s fancy new dressage bridle at events this year! Thanks PS of Sweden for another great product.

Breeches: The Ultimate Fit Guide

Published on January 13, 2015January 22, 2015 by Amanda C51 Comments

It seems like I’ve had a lot of people ask me lately about breech sizing, especially in regard to Aztec Diamond. I decided to pull out all of my breeches (sadly my collection has dwindled since last fall, but I still have 11 pairs across several different brands. Caveat – a couple were given to me and either I don’t know the brand or I haven’t really worn or looked closely at them yet, so I did not include those here) to measure, compare, and photograph. I’ve tried to put as much information in here as I can think of regarding each brand, how they fit, how they wear, and main features. If there’s something I didn’t cover, please feel free to ask and I’ll add it in. Hopefully this helps someone out there! I took pictures of one pair of each brand so you can see what they look like on a real person vs a model. It’s very interesting to see pictures next to each other like this… you can really tell which ones are most flattering to me vs which ones are not!

2 pairs of low rise Trophy Hunter front zips, one knee patch euro seat (size 30R) one full seat (size 30L)

Fabric: 73% cotton 20% polyamide 7% lycra

Measurements (knee patch pair):
Waist: 15.5″
Hips: 19″
Rise: 11″
Inseam to bottom: 24″

Compared to 30L Trophy Hunter full seats: the full seats are 1/4″ smaller in the waist, hips 1″ smaller, inseam 2″ longer, rise is the same.

Features:
Velcro bottom
Two pockets
Belt loop size – 2 1/8″
no euro seat lining

Stain resistant (on a scale of 1 – 5, with 1 being least resistant and 5 being most resistant): 2
Do they stretch out with wear: Yes
Are they stiff or soft out of the wash: Stiff, I usually toss in the dryer on no or low heat for a minute after they’re dry to soften them back up.
Do they dry quickly: Meh. Average.
Are they thick or thin: on the thinner side but not particularly thin
# of wears (approx): My knee patch pair I bought new last spring and have worn approx once a week since. The full seats I bought used and have worn twice myself.
Is there any fading? Yes. It’s not very noticeable with the tan obviously, but the green have already faded a good bit.
Is there any pilling? Not on the knee patch. There is a little pilling on the full seat material of the tan pair.
How well do they hide thigh cheese: Pretty well.
Any fit issues: The waist is a bit gappy on me, I have to wear a belt or they constantly slide down my hips. Especially since the more I wear them, the more they stretch and the worse they sag. Really a size 28 fits me best in the waist, but then the thighs are obscenely tight, so I buy to fit my thighs and deal with the gappy waist. Also – they always do that weird pointy thing to my butt. Always.

one pair of size I-42 and one pair of size I-44

Somehow I have two different sizes of these. The smaller ones were purchased when I was thinner, and although they’re tight now, they still fit. I know they’re two different models but they’re so old I don’t remember the names of them. If I’m able to find out I’ll come back and update.

Navy size I-42
Fabric: 90% polyamide 10% elastane, Euro seat lining 90% polyester 10% elastane.

Measurements:
Waist: 15″
Hips: 18″
Rise: 10″
Inseam to bottom: 27″
Inseam to start of sock bottom: 21″

Tan size I-44
Fabric: 90% polyamide 10% elastane, Euro seat lining 90% polyester 10% elastane.

Measurements:
Waist: 15.5″
Hips: 19″
Rise: 10″
Inseam to bottom: 27″
Inseam to start of sock bottom: 21″

Features:
4 pockets on the navy, 2 pockets on the tan
sock bottoms
lined euro seat for comfort/anti-chafing
belt loop size – 1 3/4″
silicone knee patches

Stain resistant (scale of 1-5): 4
Do they stretch out with wear: No
Do they dry quickly: Fairly quickly
Are they thick or thin: somewhere between average and a little bit thick
# of wears (approx): On the navy pair – a lot. I’ve had those for years and worn the heck out of them. On the tan pair – probably a dozen wears.
Is there any fading? The navy pair has just finally started to get the first beginning signs of fading.
Is there any pilling? At the back of the knee on both pair.
How well do they hide thigh cheese: Pretty well. The navy more than the tan, obviously. The fabric has an almost elastic feel to it that kind of helps to smooth out your more unfortunate areas.
Any fit issues: With the navy pair, no. The tan pair are just a hair big in the waist, so they can slide down a little without a belt. I’m really kind of in between an I-42 and I-44 right now.

Flight breeches and Houndstooth Luxe breeches, UK size 12

Fabric: 94% polyester 6% spandex, Euro seat lining 92% polyester 8% spandex

Measurements (the Flight breeches):
Waist 15.25″
Hips 18.5″
Rise 10.5″
Inseam to bottom 25″
Inseam to start of sock bottom 18″

Compared to Houndstooth pair: all identical measurements except Houndstooth are 1/2″ bigger in hips/upper thigh

Features:
4 pockets on Houndstooth
3 pockets on Flight
Belt loops: 1 3/4″
sock bottoms
silicone knee patches
lined euro seat for comfort/anti-chafing

Stain resistant (scale of 1-5): 4
Do they stretch out with wear: No
Are they stiff or soft out of the wash: Soft
Do they dry quickly: Very quickly
Are they thick or thin: on the thin side
# of wears (approx): The Houndstooth I got in the summer and have worn a lot since. They’re probably my favorite pair. The Flight I just got and have worn twice.
Is there any fading? No.
Is there any pilling? No.
How well do they hide thigh cheese: Pretty darn well.
Any fit issues: None, honestly. They fit like they were made for me and I find these to be the most comfortable.

2 pair of full seat breeches size 30

Fabric: main body 65% cotton, 30% poly, 5% elastane. Seat – 88% poly, 12% polyurethane.

Measurements (hot pink pair):
Waist: elastic lined. Not stretched – 14″. Stretched – 16″.
Hips: 17″, easily stretch to 19″
Rise: 11″
Inseam to bottom: 25″

Compared to same model in Tardis Blue: waist 1/4″ bigger in the blue pair, hips/rise/inseam identical.

Features:
Velcro bottom
2 pockets on one pair (pink), none on other (blue)
Belt loops: 1.5″

Stain resistant (scale of 1-5): 2
Do they stretch out with wear: Yes
Are they stiff or soft out of the wash: a little stiff, I usually toss in the dryer on no or low heat for a minute after they’ve line-dried to soften them back up.
Do they dry quickly: For full seats, decently quickly.
Are they thick or thin: on the thin side
# of wears (approx): Probably about equal on both pairs, around a dozen times each.
Is there any fading? Not yet.
Is there any pilling? Slight pilling behind the knee. A very slight fuzziness to the fabric has started as well.
How well do they hide thigh cheese: Not that well.
Any fit issues: I don’t think they’re very flattering around the tummy area, but they’re comfortable to wear.

one pair of Sit Tight Supreme full seat size Large

We have dubbed these “The Unfortunate Crotch Pants”. Luckily the crotch looks normal when you’re in a riding position, it’s just not so cute when you’re standing around. I was in between the size measurements of a Medium and a Large so I sized up rather than possibly end up with a gross thigh situation. That makes them a bit big for me in the tummy area.

Fabric: body 90% nylon 10% spandex, seat 82% PU 18% poly

Measurements:
Waist: elastic. 14.5″ unstretched, 16.5″ stretched
Hips: 19″ unstretched, 20″ stretched
Rise: 11.5″
Inseam to bottom: 29″

No other pair in this brand for sizing comparison

Features:
Neither velcro nor sock bottom – breeches taper to ankle
No pockets
Full seat is lined with Coolmax material
Belt loops: 2.25″

Stain resistant (scale of 1-5): I have not worn them yet so can’t comment on that. Will update after I wear them.
Do they stretch out with wear: see above
Are they stiff or soft out of the wash: see above again
Do they dry quickly: keep seeing above
Are they thick or thin: Thin. Like I don’t think I would wear these without an underlayer , but maybe I’m being paranoid. I’m not wearing an underlayer in the photo.
# of wears (approx): None.
Is there any fading? See first response.
Is there any pilling? Keep seeing it.
How well do they hide thigh cheese: Actually, for a thin white breech – better than you’d think. They are decently flattering on me (aside from the crotch), for what they are. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re actually all-out flattering, but they aren’t bad.
Any fit issues: The big hips/tummy in comparison to thighs. Wish they were a little smaller up top. Also, they’re quite long. I’m 5’6″ and they work ok for me but I’d imagine a short person would have a lot of extra fabric to deal with.

Looking for other brand/size comparisons? Visit these links for more!

https://zenbabyhorse.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/breeches-the-ultimate-fit-guide/

https://baywithchrome.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/this-is-my-contribution-to/

If anyone else wants to participate and has other brands or other sizes, please send me the info and I will keep adding to this guide for reference. Hope this helps!