Month: November 2020

Me, emerging from the rubble of Black Friday weekend:

Mostly because I went through those sales like this:

Look, in my defense, a lot of what I got was essentials. I tend to use the Black Friday sales to find the best prices on stuff like fly spray, clipper blades, grooming stuff, etc… things I would be buying anyway, but on more of a discount than I’d otherwise find. And I feel zero guilt about any of those things, because it’s stuff I need and use and would have to buy no matter what. $35 for a gallon of Pyranha?? Sign. Me. Up. This is Texas, fly season never stops. I go through fly spray like water.

I’ve also been really good all year, buying very little “fun” stuff for myself. I’ve been hoarding money until we got past buying the house, moving, and all the expenses that entails. Now that I’m on the other side of those big things, and since I paid off my truck a couple months early (woot), and since my company is doing really well this year… I did a little bit of a Treat Yo’self too. At a discount, of course.

It started with non-horse stuff, surprisingly. See, when I cleaned out EVERYTHING in prep to move into the tiny house, I really really really purged. Deeply. If I didn’t love it, I didn’t keep it. Which is how I found myself whittled down to one pair of jeans and zero non-sports bras. Which, uh… could be problematic when this work from home stuff comes to an end. So I did grab a couple pairs of jeans and a real bra, and decided that at 37 years old it was probably time to stop wearing the same cheap shitty drug-store makeup brands that I’ve used since I was 16, and got myself something nicer. I should probably start being kinder to my skin. Granted, I’ve put on makeup like… twice since March… but now I’ll be prepared for if/when I ever go back out in public. And all that stuff was 30-50% off so no guilt here.

Initially I was coming up a bit dry on horse stuff. Then the Riding Warehouse sale went live, and that seemed to be my gateway drug. I’ve been wanting to buy a new girth for Presto, because while Henry’s technically does fit him, it’s on pretty much the highest holes on both sides. I also never really liked that girth a whole lot from the start, so maybe I was looking for excuses to replace it. Either way, I found one at like 35% off it’s original price so into the cart it went, along with a sheepskin grooming mitt (my favorite thing in the winter, and my last one got destroyed by a leaking container of Majyk Cushion years ago but I never replaced it) and a couple things for my blogger Secret Santa gift recipient.

Then I hopped on over to Corro for the essentials, which for me were fly spray, Presto’s flaxseed oil, and a couple Uncle Jimmy’s hanging balls. Then over to Big Dee’s for clipper blades and a couple Jolly Mega balls and a new cover. Yes, Presto’s toys are essential. Both for his entertainment and for mine. He inevitably destroys them though, so I might as well stock up.

Since I haven’t really been buying much stuff this year, I’ve been keeping a running list of wants/when it’s on sale/when I have money type items. I wanted another one of the big nice hay nets that I have for Henry so that when I’m hauling both boys they can each have a nice one. Those were on sale, so add to cart.

I also finally caved and got another spiked browband, this time in black. I’ve wanted a black one since the day I got my brown one, because that spiked browband is legit one of my favorite things I own. Since it was on sale, I figured now was a great time. Presto can have a spiked browband (very on brand for him, as we all know) no matter what color bridle he’s wearing. Henry might borrow it too, because lets be honest he’s very spiky about dressage.

I’ve also really been wanting to pick up a leather bit to try out on Presto. Or even Henry too, honestly. I’ve had friends that have had really good luck with leather bits on sensitive or fussy horses, and it’s one of the few things I don’t already have in my bit collection.

I had zero intention of buying any riding clothes for me, but while perusing Horze I noticed that they make my favorite Grand Prix breeches in green. HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS? I’ve been bitching for years saying that they should make them in more colors and this year they did, and I didn’t even realize it. 20% off, into the cart they went. I live in those breeches half the year (when it’s not hot AF) and some of my oldest ones are starting to look ratty, so… justified? Also, they’re green. Come on.

Last but not least I rounded it out with one completely frivolous purchase, because look – I just really wanted them ok? And SALE.

Yup, the Majyk Equipe leather sparkle boots. And I don’t even feel bad about it. See, those navy glitter Punk Ponies boots that I got last year have brought me so much joy every time I use them. For real, I just love them. The only issue with those is that they’re fabric, and fleece lined, so they’re not particularly ideal for any kind of wet weather, nor are they really quite “fancy show” appropriate, IMO. So when Majyk came out with these I legit squealed, because they’re SO classy, and SO nice, but also sparkly and fun. I’m obsessed. I’ve been obsessed since I saw the first photo of them. Did I need them? No. Not particularly. I am I really excited about them anyway? Heck yes. New fancy glittery show boots for the boys and I can’t wait to use them.

I also managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done, which wasn’t much. The only thing I totally failed at was house stuff. I am so paralyzed by trying to buy furniture online, I just can’t decide. It’s really hard for me without seeing it in person first. That gets shelved for now.

How did everyone else do with the sales this year? Did you get some stuff you needed? Gifts? Things that just make you happy? It was nice to be able to pump a little bit of money back onto some small businesses.

Aaaaand here. we. go. 2020 Black Friday sales – equestrian edition!

Some of these sales are already active, others won’t be live until tomorrow or Friday. I’ve included date info where I can, but if you’re not seeing the sale yet, try their page again later. I’m tracking many more that haven’t announced specific info yet, so I will keep adding to this list as more details are announced. Keep checking back here! New ones will be posted AT THE BOTTOM BY DATE ADDED so they don’t get lost in the mix. Happy Shopping! Buy me something pretty.

Riding Warehouse – 20% off sitewide from 11/27-11/30

Luxe EQ – various discounts up to 50% off brands like Asmar, Cavalleria Toscana, Essex, Kask, and more. Check back daily for more deals!

Cambox – up to 30% off plus NEW V4 Pro bundle marked down to $485

Higher Standards Leather Care – EXCLUSIVE COUPON CODE get 20% off with code PRESTO! from 11/26-11/30

Levade Kentucky – 20% off from 11/25 through 11/30

Spot On Braiding Wax – 15% off (applied at checkout) from 11/24-12/4

Dark Jewel Designs – 15% off browband orders, plus a few special sale items from 11/27-11/29.

The Herbal Horse – 30% off with code BFCM from 11/26-11/30

Horse and Rider Books –  20% off sitewide through Christmas, plus each week’s orders are entered to win an additional $50 gift certificate

Standard Issue Equestrian – 25% off any single set with code BFCM25, 35% off any order of two or more sets with code BUYMORE35. Free mainland US shipping.

Teddy’s Tack Trunk – 10% off with code HOLIDAY10 through 11/30

The Printable Pony – 20% off sitewide plus free shipping

Hands High Fly Bonnets – 15% off custom orders on 11/27 (not for Christmas delivery)

Ponyo Horsewear – 20% off from 11/27-11/30

Rowen Ahearn Photography – central Texas folks! Now until Dec 20th book Christmas mini sessions for $95 (20 minutes, 5 images).

Anatomeq – 15% to 20% off holiday bundles with promocode SUPPORTSMALLBIZ

One Horse Threads – 40% off sale items through 11/30 (discount applied at checkout)

Majyk Equipe – free christmas bonnet with every $75 spent through 12/16. Free shipping and flash sales on certain items 11/27-11/30. $25 gift cards on orders over $150.

Blake Goods – 30% off with code AUTUMN30 through Nov 30

Blanket Safe – 50% off orders $75 or more on washes, waterproofers, and sets with code BlackFriday

Remarkable Leather Goods – free nameplate with halter purchase with code Holiday from Nov 28-30, 10% off Lovestruck leather lead and lead shank on 11/28 with code SBS2020.

Equizone Online – 30% off sitewide plus various discounts up to 70% off

Henry James Saddlery – starting 11/27 up to 40% off select products, plus 25% off purchases over £250 20% off purchases over £200 15% off purchases over £150, or 10% off with no minimum

Free Ride Equestrian – 10% off with code Merry, 15% off orders $180+ with code thankful, 20% off orders of $400+ with code 40020, and 50% off Last Call items

Equestriess Atelier – Breeks + Brata $40 off if purchased together with code BREEKSXBRATA, Trews + Brata $40 off if purchased together with code TREWSXBRATA, 20% off Trews with code EquestrianChic, and 10% off Breeks with code BreeksBrigade through 11/30

Hay Where’s That – 25% off 16oz bottles with code 25OFF, 15% off gallons with code 15OFF

Mare Goods – 20% off sitewide through 12/4 with code BF2020.

Ride Heels Down – 20% off with code 20RHDBF through 11/30 plus free shipping on in stock items. Save $5 on ear warmers, beanies, and jump flag earrings. 50% off zip sportpacks. Some exclusions.

Pixio – $70 Pixem + tripod bundle

Equisense – 50% off Motion until 11/30

Horseloverz – daily deals up to 90% off

Horze (Equinavia) – 20-70% off breeches and tights, other various deals, plus daily giveaways

Buckwild Breeches – $99 breeches, $79 tights

The Tack Hack – extra 25% off at checkout through 11/27

Equestrianista – free $25 gift card with any $100 purchase

Hunt Club –25% off with code BLACKFRIYAY and up to 50% off sale items

Point Two – 25% off black Pro Air jackets

Asmar Equestrian –  various items on sale

DecoPony – 15% off sitewide with code Black15

DecoDarling – 35% off with code BLACK35

Spur of the Moment – 25% off all stock and premium options

Big Dee’s – various sales up to 30% off plus daily deals

Grey Horse Candle Co – 10% off with code HORSEGIRL 11/27 through 11/30

It’s a Haggerty’s – buy 2 get 1 free on 11/27, 20% off sitewide 11/28-29 with code SAVEBIG, and buy 1 get 20% off ready to wear on 11/30

Enviro Equine and Pet – Buy one get one free on various products from 11/27-11/30

Chick’s Saddlery – various deals up to 70% off

Voltaire Design – 20% off accessories plus free shipping

Total Saddle Fit – 20% off sitewide on 11/27 with code BLACK

C4 belts – 30% off sitewide

Pur vida Healthy Horse –20% off site-wide, 40% off ANY order over $100 USD until 11/30

JODS online – 20% off through 11/30 with code SAVE20 (some exclusions)

Horsemen’s Outlet – 20% off any one item 11/27, 20% off gift cards 11/30

EQU Lifestyle Boutique – up to 40% off various brands

Equestroom – up to 50% off select items

Dreamers & Schemers – daily deals

Schneiders – up to 75% off various items

Criniere – up to 25% off and free US shipping on 11/27

Seaver – 20% off CEEFIT or CEEFIT Pulse + ECG plus free 6 month premium subscription with code BLACKFRIDAY20

Saratoga Horseworks – Get 25% off purchases of 2 or more items and free shipping on all orders through 11/30

Equiport – new deals daily during Black Week

Topline Leather – 50% off unicorn bits

Aztec Diamond Equestrian – up to 65% off various products on 11/26

Adam’s Horse Supplies – up to 60% off various items

Manhattan Saddlery –20% with code FALL20 (some exclusions)

Barnes Tack Room – 15% off through 11/30

Dover Saddlery – up to 40% off select items plus various daily deals and free shipping on orders over $35

Animo – up to 70% off sitewide

Equestrian Stockholm – up to 50% off various items

Sporthorselifestyle – 20% off with code Black Friday through 11/27

Arista – up to 45% off all cool clothing through 11/30

Mary’s Tack – up to 50% off various items

Al’s Equine Conditioner – 25% off through 11/30

LA Saddlery – various sales and discounts sitewide

Equiderma – 20% off sitewide with code BF20 through 11/29

Huff Equestrian – up to 40% off select items

Hay Chix –discounts on all hay nets, free shipping, 2 for and 4 for deals starting 11/27

Parlanti Boots – 20% off items under $1000 and 15% off items under $1000

Rose & Lace Equestrian – 25% off with code Blackfriday

Horseplay Apparel – 25% off with code BLACKFRIDAY plus free shipping through 11/30

Dapper Horse – up to 30% off and free shipping starting 11/27

Belle and Bow Equestrian – 20% off with code FRIDAY

Sync Equestrian – 20% off any purchase of 2 or more items with code BUNDLEUP

Flexible Fit – buy any bridle, get reins 50% through 11/30 or 30% off order of $75 or more with code SMALL50.

Macrider Saddlery – 20% off all bridles through 11/30 with code Sale20

The Equestrian’s Concierge – use code SMALL at checkout for free shipping

Smartpak – 15% off with BF2020

Equus Now – up to 40% off

Ayr Equestrian – up to 50% off select brands

Rick’s Heritage Saddlery – various deals up to 50% off 11/27-11/20

Collegiate Saddlery – up to 70% off various items

Fager Bits – 15-25% off 11/27 through 11/30 with code FAGERBLACK

Equifuse – free shipping with code SHIPCOUPON on 11/27 plus special deals on 11/30

The Collected Pony – from midnight 11/27 through 11/30 get 20% off with code BLACKFRIDAY20

Nunn Finer – 15% Off Everything + FREE Shipping Over $150 with code BF2020

Bit by Bit Apparel – 15% off through 11/27

HLH Equestrian – 15% off orders under $100AUD with code BFCM15, 20% off orders between $100-300AUD with code BFCM20, 25% off orders over $300AUD with code BFCM25

EQU Lifestyle Boutique – 20% off Parlanti, GPA, KASK, Grand Prix, Pikeur & Essex Classics

Hufglocken –25% off with code MERRY

Country and Stable – various discounts and deals

Ippico – $20 off brushing boots

Kastel Denmark – 25% off sitewide starting 11/26

Vision Saddlery – 20% off sitewide plus 30% off belts, show shirts, men’s clothing, and summer gloves, and 35% off Vision girths from 11/27-11/30

Toklat – 10% off and free shipping with code BAOD85GJ10

Goode Rider – 20% off sitewide with code BF20, or 25% off orders over $175 (no code needed) through 11/30

Dublin – 20% off Weatherbeeta and Dublin

Fair Hill Saddlery – various deals up to 50% off

Ronnar Design – 30% off already on sale items

Black Heart Equestrian – up to 70% off starting 11/26

Leveza – various items on sale through 11/30

Equestrian Fashion Outfitters – up to 70% off sitewide 11/27-11/30

Equestrian Coach – through 11/30 get 50% off a one year membership when you become an annual member, plus lock in $99 renewal rate for life.

Espana Silk – sale starts 11/27

Eponia USA – sale starts 11/27

Dalia Lehmann – various items up to 70% off

The Equine Edge – 15% off through 11/30 with code NOV15

Redmond Equine – various deals sitewide plus free shipping on all orders

Oaklyn Tack – 20-50% off select items on 11/28

The Horselet – 30-70% off PS of Sweden

The Connected Rider – up to 70% off select items

Hunt Seat Paper Co – various discounts on gift sets plus free saddle pad with $125 purchase

Chillout Equestrian – up to 80% off starting 11/26

Amare Equipment – various items on sale 11/27

AmazeBrush – up to 15% off through 11/30

11/25 Evening Update

Halter Ego – 20% off sitewide (some exceptions) and 15% off custom orders through 11/30

Olson’s Tack Shop – 20% off sitewide through 11/30

Swish Horse Rugs – various items up to 50% off through 12/2

Halo Joint Supplement – buy 3 get 1 free

Devoucoux – $150 off bridles and $75 off reins 11/27-11/29

Tailored Equestrian – 20% off with code BLACK20

Saddle Box – 50% off with code BLACKFRIDAY

Joules – up to 60% off various items

Great British Equinery – 15% off with code AEC15 through 12/1

Revita Vet – 25% off with code USEA

Retired Racehorse Project – Tops buy one get the rest 30% off plus 10% off outerwear 11/27-11/30

World Equestrian Brands – 20% off with code BFCM20 from 11/27-11/30

Cross Country App – 33% off 11/27-11/29

USEA – 15% off all apparel, free shipping on orders over $50 from 11/27-11/29 with code BLACKFRI15

Vencedora Eq – up to 75% off sitewide

Equi-prism – 20% off sitewide 11/27-11/30

Joshua Jones UK – 10% off sitewide 11/27-11/29

Shop USEF – 35% off regular items, 75% off sale items through 11/29

Hannah Childs – Use code BF20 for 20% off $150, BF25 for 25% off $250 or use code BF30 for 30% off $350

The Distance Depot – $20 off tack sets through 11/30, and 15% off sitewide including clearance with code 15THANKS through 11/30

Bravo’s Book Nook – discount on exclusive autographed copies of Horse Crazy by Sarah Maslin Nir with code BLACKHORSEF

FITS Riding – 20% off sitewide with BUYNOW20 through 11/28

Charlotte’s Saddlery – various brands discounted through 11/30

11/26 Morning Update

Pearlescent Pony – 20% off bridles, browbands, and stirrups through 11/29

Pivo – up to 35% off pods, up to 50% off packs, and up to 35% off accessories. (if you’re using it for riding, get the Silver, you can read about mine here)

Lady Godiva Equestrian – up to 20% off on 11/27 only

Maximilian Equestrian – up to 40% off various items 11/26-11/27

Gray & Co Designs – 20% off sitewide through 12/4 with code THANKS2020

Carolina Hemp Company – 25% off sitewide 11/27-11/30

Urban Horsewear – 20% off sitewide plus BOGO 1/2 price custom tall boots starting 11/27

Foxy Equestrian – 10% off from 11/27-11-29 with code BLACK FOX

Swanky Saddle – 30% off entire store with code BIG30 through 11/30

Lumiere Equestrian – 20% off bridles and breastplates, discount applied at checkout.

Royal Equine – 10% off with code thanks

Herd of Zebras – 25% off all orders and free gift on orders over $150 with code JOLLY25 from 11/27-11/30

Breeches.com – 40% off sitewide with code THANKS40

Arista Equestrian – up to 45% off sitewide through 11/30

Equishop – up to 70% off 11/27

Hay Gain – Free starter pack plus 5% off on every hay steamer purchase

Ellany – 25% off sitewide with code HOLIDAY20 through 11/30

Snaks 5th Avenchew – 5 days of deals, buy one get one 50% off with code GOBBLE15 or check their Instagram daily for specials/codes

Sweet Iron Co – 20% off sitewide with code cyber_sale

The Simple Equine – free shipping on orders over $50 plus stocking stuffer mini-bundle specials 11/27-11/30. Instagram jewelry sale 11/28

Farm House Tack – 20% off with code Holiday20 through 11/30

The Tried Equestrian – 15% off on 11/27, Spend $150 – Earn a $25 gift card Spend $250 – Earn a $75 gift card Spend $500 – Earn a $150 gift card on 11/28-11/29, free gifts with purchase 11/30

11/27 Morning Update

Corro – 20% off and free shipping through 11/30

Myst Equine – 25% off through 11/30

SD Design – 20% off with code BF20

Ethos Equestrian – $10 off plus free shipping

Two Bits Equestrian – 50% off through 11/30

Thinline – 20% off plus free gifts with code CyberMonday20 through 11/30

Sporthorse Essentials – 15% off through 11/30

Cavallo Hoof Boots – 40% off all boots with code BLACKFRIDAY40

Arion Tack – 10% off through 11/29 with code blackfriday

Eglove – up to 50% off certain colors/styles

Coast to Coast Equestrian – 15% off through 12/1

Circuit Style – Buy 2 get 1 free plus free US shipping on all apparel

Equestrian AF apparel – 15% off tees through 11/30

Eliza T Equestrian Apparel – 20% off sitewide with code BLACKFRI

American Equus – 10% off sitewide with code HOLIDAY2020

Draper Therapies – 15% off plus free shipping with code happygiving through 11/30

HERS Equine – 15% off all dresses and skirts on 11/27

Hyaluronex – $50 off your first half gallon order with code NEW50

Divoza – 27% off any item with code 27BLACKFRIDAY plus discounts on various products

Belle Equestrian – 30% off sitewide with code BLACKFRIDAY30 and 40% off accessories with code ACCESSORIES40, and free bridle bag with orders over $300AUD

Equestic Saddle Clip – 25% off

Forestier – 20% off accessories with code SOLIDAIRE20

Kerrits – Buy 1 get 1 50% off Fleece Lite tights, additional 10% off clearance items, 25% off EQL gift box. 40% off EQL candle

Ecogold – up to 15% off anything black plus more pads on clearance

Kavallerie – up to 25% off with code BFKAV25

Espana Silk – 20% off all online orders and $10 off gift sets with code BlackFriday112720 plus free shipping on orders over $99 through 11/30

Evo Equine – up to 40% off select products and 10% off browbands with BROW10

Jeffers Equine – 10% off with code BFSALE through 11/30

EQUUS – up to 50% off select brands

Redpost Equestrian – various deals up to 70% off

Worldwide Tack – 20% off with code SHOPPINGSPREE through 12/1

Practical Horseman Magazine – 1 year gift subscription for $15

Super X Country – up to 50% off various items and free UK shipping with code BF20

Just Riding – 30% off sitewide and various discounts up to 70% off through 11/30

Naivo Equestrian – up to 70% off through 11/30

Canter and Sea – Buy one get one 25% off Technical Riding Tights or Base Layers

Horse Scents – 20% off through 11/30 with code BLACKFRIDAY20

Equine and Design – 20% off with code HOLIDAY2020

Equisani – 25% off with code blackfriday through 11/30

Back on Track – 20% off through 11/30 with code HOLIDAY20

Equestrian Collective – 15% off with code BF15 through 11/30

ReRide Tack – up to 30% off various brands

11/27 Afternoon Update

Incrediwear – 25% off sitewide

If the Bonnet Fits – Buy one custom bonnet get the second bonnet half price. Only open for 20 people. Offer valid until 11/30 or until limit is reached. Contact on fb or Insta to order.

Anique – buy one get one free 11/27

Horse and Country TV – 25% off H&C+ annual pass with code 25OFF through 11/29

Equinutrix – 10% off with code THANKS10 through 11/30

Pony Suds – 40% off orders of $15 or more with code BLACKFRIDAY on 11/27

La Mundial – 20% off custom boots

Redingote Equestrian – 15% off from 11/30 through 12/6

Alympic Equestrian – up to 30% off sitewide

Pure Harmony Equine – 15% off with code HOLIDAY2020 through 12/5

EquiRelease – 60% off massage gun

Custom Equine Nutrition – 20% off 25lb bags of Vermont Blend, Vermont Blend PRO, and Vermont Blend No Selenium

Equiline – 10% off regularly priced items with code BFSAVE

Annie’s USA – 20% off with code CHEERS through 11/30

Struck Apparel – get a $50 gift card with every $300 spent. First 30 orders also get a free mask.

Wallace Eventing – 15% off sitewide with code BFCM2020

Alessandro Albanese – buy one, get one half price through 11/30

CWD – 25% off all horse and rider equipment through 11/29

EquiRibbon Creations – 20% off pillows, stockings, stuffed animals, and ribbon art through 11/30

Noble Equestrian – 20% off most items with code CMXBF through 11/29

Makebe – 20% off sitewide (discount at checkout)

EquiInStyle – various items on sale and free shipping in the US

Equifit – 15% off sitewide and free shipping on orders over $150

Dark Horse Equestrian UK – 20% off sitewide with code BLACK20

Rebecca Ray Designs – 40% off with code HOLIDAYJOY

Bare Equestrian – 15% off sitewide through 11/28

Husk Equestrian – various discounts on most items through 11/30

Toujours Equine – up to 50% off select items

Equine Velocity – 25% off with code BLACKFRIDAY through 11/30

Equine Culture – storewide discounts

My Barn Child – 15% off sitewide and free shipping on orders over $100

Stablewear – sitewide discounts

Bonjour Tack – through Dec 1 use code Black for $200 off $2000+ saddles, free bundle of tack, and free shipping

Equine Exchange – 20% off sitewide (some exclusions) plus extra discounts on sale items through 11/30

Orchard Equestrian – 10% off sitewide with code BLACK20 through 11/29

Valley Vet – various deals up to 20% off, gift card specials, and free shipping on most orders over $49

Horseware – 20% off plus free shipping through 11/30

Performance Equine Nutrition – free shipping on 11/27 with code FREESHIPFRIDAY

Botori – various items on sale plus free US shipping on orders over $50

11/27 Evening Update

The Infused Equestrian – 30% off through 11/28 with code MY INFUSED DAY

The Posh Pony – 20% off sitewide and free gift with every purchase

Ice Horse – 20% off sitewide with code BF2020

Red Gorilla – 20% off sitewide with code BFCM

Maelort – 20% off with code BLKF

Traumavoid – 20% off through 11/30

Bit and Bloom – 20% off with code THANKFUL

Breeches and Bays – 30% off with code BLKFRIDAY

Fenwick Equestrian – 30% off LT, Softshell, and EquSuede blankets plus free shipping on US orders

Stick and Ball – buy one get 20% off, buy two, get 35% off, buy three + get 40% off through 11/30

Pink Equine – 15% off all sale, in stock, and christmas gifts

An Capall Equestrian – 20% off when you spend $145 plus, 25% off when you spend $300+, 30% off when you spend $450+, 35% off when you spend $650+

StressLess Horse Supplement – 10% off with code SL2020

11/28 Update

Reigns by Savannah Fellers – 50% off with code SAVANNAHSMILES

Silver Oaks Farm – various items up to 40% off

Rivet Leatherworks – free shipping with code ship4free through 11/28

Stylish in the Saddle – 20% off sitewide plus free shipping on orders over $100

Centerline Candles – 20% off sitewide with code BLACKFRIDAY through 12/1

The Cheeky Gelding – 20% off through Dec 2nd

Clever with Leather – 15% off belts on 11/28 with code SBS15

Premier Equine – £10 off any £50 purchase with code FESTIVE2

Alberto Fasciani – 30% off with code BLACK30

Nupafeed – Cyber Monday sale on 11/30, lowest prices all year

Cavaliere Couture – 30% off sitewide wtih code BLKFRIDAY30

VTO Saddlery – 30% off Bargain Basement with code CLEARANCE

Rideaway Equestrian – various deals up to 30% off

Huntley Equestrian – 40% off with code BFRIHAY through 11/29

The Tack Room – 20% off with code TACK20

My Horse’s Closet – 15% off on orders over $50 through 11/28

Horseplay Apparel – 25% off with code BLACKFRIDAY through 11/30

Equestrian Wellness – get free Stable to City cleansing towelettes with the purchase of Essential Helmet Spray

Mango Bay Design – 20% off belts and fall shirts with code SBS20

11/29 Update

New Vocations – 50% off adoption fees through 11/30

Horse Health UK – discounts on select Le Mieux

Kahm CBD – sitewide discounts

Somerset Equestrian Trading – 25% off sitewide through 11/30

Epplejack – up to 50% off

Walsh Products – 15% off with code WALSH15 through 11/30

SoCali Equestrian – 35% off sitewide (discount automatically applied in cart), $25 gift card with $100 purchase, $50 gift card with $200 purchase

Accuhorsemat – 50% off with code BFAHM through 12/4

Uckele – 15% off sitewide and free gift over $50 with code TURKEYDAY2020

Equi-Resp – up to $150 off kits plus free shipping through 11/30

Equipad – up to 25% off sitewide

GhoDho – 15% with code black20 through 11/29

For once I feel like I come here with updates of solutions instead of problems. For now anyway. Knocking on wood for the second post in a row. Well ok, ants did try to invade the kitchen on Sunday, which was met with full-on warfare. Did I go get 5 different types of ant killers/repellants? Yes. Did I use all of them in various ways? You bet your ass. It was mass genocide. I’m not messing around. They haven’t been back since though (probably because they’re all murdered).

Anyway, the good news is: water leak is fixed! I had to be kinda rude in an email to finally get a response from the warranty contact, but then he did send a team over on Saturday. I knew it was leaking from the water line coming in, so they were able to peel back the underside barrier on that side, find the leak, fix it, and replace the wet insulation in about an hour. So, yay, water in the house again. Annoying that it took a week to get fixed but relieved that it was relatively easy. I had visions of them having to crawl all underneath the house (which isn’t easy with the tires and shit in the way) and peel back/replace everything, which would have been a nightmare. Definitely glad that wasn’t the case.

The timing was good too, because yesterday the skirting guy arrived to start closing up the bottom of the house. It’s taken longer than I wanted to get someone out here for that – closing up the underside to keep critters out was a top priority – but it was ridiculously hard to find someone to come do this. Or to get people to call/email me back at all. Then he had to order the skirting, which took another couple weeks. I guess it’s kind of fortuitous how it worked out though, because if we’d gotten the skirting on right away we might never have seen that water leak, which would have been really bad.

He got half of the skirting done yesterday and will be back today to finish and build the stairs off the back porch. That’s the last of the major, expensive things on my list (hopefully, since my truck needs tires ($) and we’re carrying two house payments ($) until the house in town gets fixed up ($) and rented out). Over the winter I’d like to put a little very low-key landscaping around the front but that won’t be as big of a project or nearly as expensive, nor is it as important.

So now I can start to focus a bit more on the furniture and decor again. The couch is purchased of course, although it wont be here for a couple more months, so that really just leaves a coffee table, a bookshelf for the reading nook, a couple wall-mounted shelves for the living room, and some rugs. And furniture for the back porch, which I’m leaving to SO to pick out. I already got the one thing I wanted for back there, my hanging egg chair. I don’t care about the rest.

Speaking of which, last week when I dropped the dogs off for their grooming appointment, I decided to hit up HomeGoods to kill some time. I’ve never been in that store before and it was a little dangerous. Mostly in the pet section when I saw that they had miniature hanging egg chairs for cats!!!

Not gonna lie, almost bought one. Still might, eventually.

For Black Friday though my priority item is a coffee table. We want a lift top, of a relatively specific general size, black or gray. I have my eye on a few already, so I’ll spend some time digging through the sales later this week and see if I can find a promising one.

It feels like everything is starting to settle and come together, finally!

Alright, that’s it, I officially hate 2020. It can fuck right off and go back to the hell whence it came. The good news is, neither of the boys are injured (knocking on every bit of wood I can find because omg fml), but now I’m the one down for the count.

The week started off pretty well, aside from dealing with the water leak in the house and the warranty people being unresponsive to my plight. But ya know, the weather was pleasant and work was ok and I was able to ride, so by my definition things were good. I rode Henry and lunged Presto the first couple days of the week, then on Wednesday I rode Presto for the first time in almost 6 weeks. He picked right up where he left off, like he hadn’t missed a single day. We just did some w/t work in the arena for about 10 minutes then I hacked him out in the field and he was a super good boy. My plan was to start riding him more like 3 days a week after his break was over, and that was ride #1 in the books, kicking off his winter schedule.

And then the next morning I tried to rip my foot off. What had happened was…

I woke up and put the dogs out, putting Quinn in his wheelchair, then went back in to use the bathroom. I came back out to get the dogs, lifted Quinn out of his chair, took a step, and my sandal got caught on the latching arm of his chair. We both went down, me twisting to try to break his fall. I was so worried I hurt him that I got up, kicked the chair off my foot, picked him up, and went and sat on the stairs to make sure he was ok. My foot was stinging but I figured I just scraped it or something, so once I verified that Quinn was indeed fine, I got up and went in the house. I carried him straight back to his bed, then went back to the door to take my sandals off. I looked down and saw blood. Blood everywhere. A trail of blood through the house, a pool of blood in my sandal… just blood.

My first thought was “well fuck, that’s definitely gotta be from me”. I looked down at my foot and just about passed out. I’m not particularly squeamish, I don’t have a problem with blood or things like that, but there was something about watching the blood pulsing out of my own very cut foot at 5:30am that almost did me in. I grabbed a paper towel to staunch the flow and sat down on the bed for a minute until I was sure I wasn’t gonna hit the deck. I didn’t have any bandaging stuff in the house except for bandaids, which WERE NOT gonna cut it for this injury, so I taped a panty liner to it and rode my bike down to the barn.

Once I fed the horses I went through the med kit and grabbed stuff to clean and bandage it, and… it was pretty borderline for needing stitches. Just the thought of it made me woozy AF again, so I just cleaned it really well, bandaged it up, and have been careful with it.

So far it’s healing well (I’m def anal about keeping it clean) but god it’s in a really uncomfortable place. Wearing shoes hurts. I can only sleep on one side. I have to walk a little funny to compensate, which has made my old bad ankle sprain flare up again. Getting old is stupid and having a sliced up foot is just freakin irritating. I was putting my foot in a barn boot to clean stalls the first couple days, but afterward it was so aggravated I kinda gave up on that, put a bag over my foot, and put a flip flop on. Problem solved. Looks janky as hell but it’s much more comfortable. I’m trying to do the smart thing (for once in my damn life) and rest it as much as possible so I don’t just keep ripping it open, thus I haven’t been riding. Putting it in a boot seems to piss it right off and doesn’t feel particularly nice either.

It’s definitely a lot better today. I’ll probably give it at least one more day out of a boot lest I prolong this agony any further than absolutely necessary.

So anyway, all my riding plans quickly went kibosh. Presto got… a ride… and then it looks like another week off. I guess at this point it clearly doesn’t matter much, but I was trying to take advantage of the good weather while it existed. Some rain (which we desperately need so I won’t complain) is popping up in the forecast, along with cooler temps. I was hoping to have him fully back in the swing of things before the weather started to turn a little more frisky, but oh well.

Henry of course has decided he’s a feral retired horse now and has been a complete moron about everything. He’s already had almost a week off and it shows. Hopefully this foot will be ready to go back in a boot by tomorrow! We’ll see.

On to our next Glamour Shots installment! Er, well… sort of Glamoury. Glamour-ish. I love Ellie to bits and she’s very sweet, but she’s not particularly interested in dressing up and showing off for photos. She’s 0% diva and it shows. She did get braided up though, and the effort was made, and honestly… I think you can see a lot about Ellie in these, even if they aren’t particularly fancy pictures.

Like the fact that she was far more interested in shmoozing with the humans than anything else. She lives for rubbies and pets.

Or how, even though this was meant to be an ELLIE photo shoot, she really seemed to be more interested in hamming it up with her friends.

And while trying to get her to fancy prance around didn’t really amount to much, she did give it a little bit of a try. For a few seconds anyway. She does like to gallop sometimes.

She also rarely misses an opportunity to remind everyone (ok, Ollie, mostly BFF Ollie) that she’s the biggest.

She did humor us by throwing in some very noble headshots too. They even make her ears look normal-sized.

Mostly though, this girl likes to eat, and photo sessions are no exception. She’s always here for the snacks.

She’s just a low-drama, jeans and t-shirt and pizza kind of girl. Glamour shots maybe aren’t really her thing. Glamour-ish is good enough.

All we’ve got left is Ollie’s glamour shots and then that’s a wrap for the 2020 foals!

If there’s one thing Presto’s got, it’s persistence. And chutzpah… pleeeeenty of chutzpah. Therefore it should be no surprise that he’s started to tear down Henry’s extra spikey walls, and while I wouldn’t quite say they’re friends yet (does Henry really even have actual friends?), there has definitely been a truce. This time last week Henry was chasing Presto around, trying to pin him in a corner and murder him. Now… Henry’s being civil at least.

A big part of it is that Presto stopped running from him, and stopped trying to hide behind Quinnie. He’s got a lot of bite marks to show for it, but it was a wise choice to be brave and take a stand. Henry is a bully to the worst extent, and only respects other horses if they don’t seem weak. If they run from him, he is brutal and unrelenting. So as long as Henry said “move” and Presto said “yes sir” with fear, Henry was just the worst kind of asshole. Somewhere over the weekend a shift began in their dynamic, and Presto stopped running. Henry would come at him with teeth bared, and Presto would take a step back, but he didn’t run and hide, and as soon as Henry relented he would step back up again. Kiddo decided enough was enough I guess. Henry has decided maybe this kid isn’t such a weak sorry excuse for a horse anymore after all. He’s earned some respect.

I mean, don’t get me wrong – they aren’t buddies. Henry has just moved from outright disdain to mostly just pretending that Presto doesn’t exist. I’m not sure if y’all know a damn thing about Presto, but… he is hard to ignore. That kid is in-your-face, and he’s persistent, and he’s not the best at taking no for an answer when he really wants something. And what he really wanted was to play.

Presto loves to play. Bitey Face is his game of choice, but he’s also really into Chase. He and his buddy JB would play a lot, all throughout the day, and I think now that JB is spending the winter in Florida, Presto is missing having a play buddy. He knows better than to try with Quinnie – she is NOT messing around – but he’s thinking there might be a chance with Henry. So Presto did what Presto does best: antagonized the shit out of him.

To Henry’s credit, he put up with it for a while before Presto finally broke him down. It’s hard to ignore a giant bouncing baby horse that’s trying to bite your face though. Subtle, Presto is not. After a few minutes Henry finally reacted, and while he wasn’t quite sure he really wanted to play with this BabyIdiot, he did humor him a little bit at least.

Since then they seem to have come to an agreement. Henry still makes grumpy faces and pretends to hate him, but it’s all empty threats. He’ll bite Presto at night check when I’m giving out cookies and Presto puts his face in Henry’s stall, but it lacks the viciousness it did in the beginning. Plus Presto doesn’t seem to mind, which apparently takes all the fun out of it for Henry. I’ve even caught them playing actual Bitey Face a couple more times. It’s not at the level that Presto and JB played, but it’s something. Dare I say that Uncle Henry might be developing a bit of a soft spot for the kid that just won’t take no for an answer?

Well, I think the Pivo has officially paid for itself in pure entertainment value. Some people say that it doesn’t work well for jumping – PFFFFT! I beg to freakin differ! It works well for jumping AND for vaulting.

On Sunday I moved a few jumps around to make a semi-new course, and took Henry out to jump. Nothing fancy, just our once-weekly hop around to keep most of the rust at bay. I hadn’t used my Pivo in a while and have definitely been lacking on media, so I carried it out with me and set it up. I will admit that sometimes when I first set up the Pivo I get kind of paranoid about whether or not it’s working, and half of my attention ends up on it. That’s exactly what happened this time… I jumped the first fence, passed behind a tree around a corner, and flicked my gaze over to the Pivo for a few strides to see if it had stayed with us past the tree. Henry could 100% tell I’d stopped paying attention, by the time I looked back at the jump again my distance was off, the canter was shit, and while sure he could have bailed me out and gone anyway, he thought instead he’d give me a quick riding lesson.

He was, as usual, 100% right. I had that one coming. He’ll cover plenty of mistakes for me, but not ones where I was being a complete asshat. You have to admit though, it was a really good flip. And the fact that he deposited his sidepull on the ground with me, then turned around and flipped me the bird before sauntering smugly off… savage. Point taken, dude.

Luckily if you’re going to fall off, that’s one of the best ways to land. It rattled my bones, for sure (honestly my back has felt better since then so maybe he adjusted something for me) but otherwise my sufficiently fleshy ass absorbed the majority of the impact. And, bonus, my helmet never even made contact, which was literally my first thought as I hit the ground.

I got up, caught Henry, put his bridle back on, apologized profusely, and got back on. He seemed to think that he’d said all that was necessary, and he was right. I got my mind in the game, focused on what I was doing, and never once glanced at the Pivo again. We jumped around two courses with no problem, Henry’s mood undeniably chipper, and called it a day.

When we were done I made my way back to the Pivo, really hoping that it had managed to catch that. And of course, because Pivo has very rarely let me down (why do I feel the need to stare at it sometimes then??? shit.), it got all of it. It didn’t miss a single thing the whole time, and even calmly followed Henry after he deposited me on the ground and sauntered off. Excellent. That’s the kind of performance I’m after right there. What a dutiful little gadget.

By the time I got back up to the barn and watched the video, I was chuckling. By the time I got it into my editing app and played it in slow-mo and reverse, I was in absolute fits of laughter. Pivo, you tricky little bastard. I’m not sure if I should blame you for being the reason I fell off, or applaud you for not missing a beat and ensuring that this particular blip can be enjoyed forever. Is he the hero or the villain of this story? Undecided.

Anyway… obviously I’m fine. Henry made his point loud and clear, and my days of obsessively checking on the Pivo are over. Obviously it doesn’t need to be checked on anyway, since it has yet to miss a beat – for better or worse. Lesson learned? Hopefully…

Good news first, right? First and foremost, I officially have internet service in the t!ny h0use. I could get enough wifi from the barn owner’s house to at least do my work, so that was convenient to get me started, but obviously we needed our own service. We don’t get most types of internet out here so there aren’t a lot of options – wireless broadband or satellite are about it. Last Monday the first provider came out, the one the barn owners use, and they couldn’t get a clear line of sight to any of their towers, even running a pole 30′ up in the air. I admit, I started to sweat a little bit. Your mind immediately goes “what if we’re in some weird dead zone where literally nothing will work and we can’t get internet at all omg”. Well… if you’re me that’s where your mind goes anyway.

The technician from that company was super helpful though, and recommended another company for me to try. He used to work for them and said he was pretty sure they’d be able to get something set up for me. I went on my phone and made the appointment before we’d even finished our conversation, and they scheduled a technician to come the next day. Many props to second company for ease of experience. The first company required that I email them so they could call me to ask me questions, so they could then email me an application form, so I could then email it back so that they could then schedule a tech to come out in a week. Second company I went on their website, entered my info, and the appointment was made on the spot for less than 24 hours later. Plus no installation fee and cheaper monthly rates.

So their tech came out the following day, was able to get service (not quite as fast as I was hoping for, so he made sure to call in to let them know what speeds he was getting so they could adjust my monthly plan appropriately and not overcharge me for speeds I couldn’t get). Now I have a little dish on the side of the house (didn’t have to go up on a pole thank goodness) that can see a little tower a few miles away, and it’s enough to get decent internet. I can stream netflix and live streams and stuff anyway, and that’s all a girl really needs. Internet service: check.

I also got a few more little things for the house.

Your eyes do not deceive you, that is a purple rug. Or, according to the website, “dusty purple”. I got it for the reading nook ultimately, but until we get something for the bedroom it’s living in there. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the color but I actually do like it, it seems like a good peaceful color for a reading nook without being boring gray or white.

The rug was also joined by a beanbag, which also will ultimately go in the reading nook but for now is serving as my only piece of living room furniture. At least until January when our couch shows up. It gives me somewhere to sit that isn’t the bed or the porch. I did drag it up to the loft to make sure it fits in the reading nook and indeed it does. I think I might get a second one so there can be two up there, for the ultimate lounging experience.

Keen observers might see the other acquisition in the above photo. That’s right, I got a robot vacuum.

I’ve been dithering back and forth on one of these for years. At first they were all expensive, and I couldn’t really justify the purchase. Now though there are robot vacuums in every price range, and some really good “budget” ones too. I spent a couple days researching to figure out what options I really wanted/needed, then reading reviews and watching videos before I settled on the Coredy R500+. AND, Amazon has a coupon for it right now that dropped it from $190 to $138. I figured for that price it was definitely worth a try. Even if all it did was help pick up some of the dirt so that I didn’t have to sweep as often, it would be worth it.

Turns out I’m kind of obsessed with this thing. It’s pretty basic, and I only want it to run when I tell it to, so I haven’t played with a lot of it’s features. I swear I’ve probably spent at least an hour watching it work so far though. Right now I’m running it every 2-3 days and it REALLY helps keep this place cleaner. Between myself and the dogs we track in a lot of sand and grass and bits of hay and shavings, plus there’s always dog hair. This little guy, already affectionately named Monster (because we did have one incident where he CLIMBED OVER MY BARRIER and got stuck under the bed, entangling himself in a charging cord in the process), is fantastic.

Mostly I’m just questioning why it took me so long to buy one of these things. For how cheap it was, I’m pretty impressed. Anything that means less time spent cleaning is a total freakin win in my book.

The dogs love it perhaps a bit less than I do. Well… Stewie anyway. Quinn, per usual, doesn’t give a single shit about it. Stewie was very distrustful of it at first but is slowly getting used to it.

Monster might be my favorite purchase of 2020, right after Pivo.

I haven’t bought anything else since last week, nor have I even given any thought to what else I need to get. For now I’ve got the things I actually need to live here comfortably, so I need a break from 1) spending money 2) thinking about this all the time.

Plus – ready for the bad news? – I’ve got a bigger problem now. On Saturday the SO and I discovered a leak under the house. A steady drip drip drip drip, and an obvious accumulation of water in the barrier that covers the bottom. Thats… not good. It certainly isn’t supposed to be there, anyway. I’ve contacted the company through our warranty person, but I’m still waiting for some resolution. Clearly there’s a major leak in there somewhere, but that’s about all I can tell.

In the meantime I turned the water off to the house. Once the leak stopped dripping I turned the water back on at the source, but didn’t actually run any water inside the house, trying to see if the problem was originating in the incoming water supply pipes, or if it was something related to the water draining out. Within minutes of turning the water back on at the source, the drip was back. So, I think the problem is with the water coming in. I turned the water back off.

While I wait, I have no water in the house. Luckily, because of the incinerating toilet (which obviously doesn’t require water), this isn’t as big a deal as it otherwise might be. I can go up to the barn owner’s house to take a shower, I have re-filled bottles of tap water for brushing my teeth and washing my hands, there’s a washing machine at the barn, and I grabbed some disposable utensils and plates to use for now. It’s ultra-annoying, but survivable for the short term. I will rapidly lose patience with this situation if they take much longer to come fix it, though, that’s for sure. I don’t really even know what they’ll have to do. I assume it will involve getting under there, peeling back the barrier, removing insulation, and finding where the problem is. Sounds like a massive PITA and not a small job.

Never a dull moment around here.

I’m not that superstitious. A little stitious, maybe, mostly when it comes to juju and karma and jinxing oneself or wearing socks with messaging that does not suit the occasion (will I ever wear my “welcome to the shitshow” socks to a horse show? absolutely friggin not.). But I’ve never had a problem with black cats or broken mirrors or things like… Friday the 13th. Indeed, historically Friday the 13th’s always tend to be pretty lucky and good days for me. I mean, they’re Fridays, how bad can they be by default? I guess I hadn’t yet learned my lesson about 2020’s particular brand of Friday the 13th’s though, the first one being in March when a national state of emergency was declared due to covid and things started to shut down. Still though, come on November, this one has to be better right?

It wasted no time either, being shitty right out the gate. I woke up to the smell of piss to see that Quinn had peed himself and then proceeded to drag himself through it, acting like a corgi mop as he coated both the floor and himself. I stepped over most of it (a few toes didn’t quite clear it, of course) snatched him up in a towel, and took him straight outside. I put him in his wheelchair so he could continue to potty (or… potty again?) and turned to go back inside to clean up the pee. However, I caught the toe of a sandal on a stair, causing me to smash my shin into the stair above it. It was the kind of smash where you break the skin and instantly have a huge lump. After some cursing I continued inside, cleaned up all the pee, then went back out to get the dog. I brought him in and starting bathing him in the sink, and he decided that was a great time to poop. In the sink.

That was all before 6am.

I started doing all the pee laundry, went and fed the horses, came back inside and was sending a work email when BOOM – the laundry detergent fell off the dryer, hit the floor, and exploded like a damn bomb. The new, very very full bottle of liquid laundry detergent. There was detergent on the appliances, the rugs, the walls, the bed… every fucking where. And in the two seconds it took me to jump up and grab the bottle, it spilled half of it’s contents underneath the washer. FML. I used an entire roll of paper towels cleaning that up.

You’d think that would be enough right? Oh no. We were just getting started.

At midday I went down to clean stalls, and since I was in a hurry I took my truck. And proceeded to back right over Quinn’s wheelchair (don’t worry, he wasn’t in it), bending one of the arms at an impossible angle. I came back to the house, took the dogs out again, made some lunch, and as I was taking my first bite of a sandwich, Stewie poops on the floor. He had just been out. So I cleaned that up, took him back out again, and tripped up the stairs AGAIN, although this time I didn’t bang my shin. Improvement. In the afternoon when I was done working I decided to body clip Henry, and he proceeded to break not one but two halters. Both in completely freak ways, not because he was being bad, but still. TWO HALTERS. Including his beautiful braided one that I love so much (I immediately ordered a new one bc I’m obsessed with it).

Needless to say, Friday was ridiculous. You’d think I’d have gotten all the bullshit out of the way after all that, right? Nah fam, nah. This is 2020, there are no rules.

Saturday the SO came out to help me do a couple things around the house, like move the washer so I could get the rest of the spilled laundry detergent, hang some lights on the back porch, etc. In the process of that we discovered a huge problem happening with the house (which we’ll talk about tomorrow) and then realized that the lights I had, which I’d found in a closet while I was cleaning my shit out of the other house, didn’t connect end to end. Who TF makes string lights that don’t connect end to end?

So off to Lowe’s we went to get some different lights. We decided to get the bigger bulb ones, got them home, and proceeded to drop them and break two bulbs. Then we realized our hanging method wasn’t going to work. At this point I just quit. I give up. Can’t even hang some damn lights on the damn porch. I was supposed to take Henry to a show in the afternoon to do a couple jumper classes, but by this point it was clear that I wasn’t going to make it, #1, and honestly with the way things were going did I really want to make it? Read the room, girl.

So instead I did barn chores, bathed Presto, sent some emails about the house problem, and stanned Presto’s doppelganger/brother-from-another-mother, Mama’s Magic Way (aka Mason), on the Tryon live stream. First 4*L and double clear XC to finish 10th, you gotta be impressed with that.

Would it be weird if I covered Presto’s stall walls in posters of Mason?

By Sunday I had learned my lesson, and aside from getting up and feeding everyone, I stayed hunkered down watching the Tryon showjumping for most of the morning. At least until Mason went.

Then I went up and did chores, rode Henry (which also was not without peril, but we’ll talk about THAT another day too), then bodyclipped Presto. I know, I’m a glutton for punishment, body clipping both horses when clearly I’m already having a shitluck weekend, but I wanted it done before he started really working again. I had every intent of starting him back to hacking this weekend but those plans got derailed. That got pushed to this week instead, and since we’ve got highs at/near 80, I really didn’t want to be working him with that massive thick coat he had. And he’s in the barn now, where he’s easier to blanket, so… why not.

He was both super good and super annoying. Good because he doesn’t care about the clippers at all, annoying because as with all things, his attention span is maybe a minute. Plus he wants to put everything in his mouth. I spent as much time trying to get him to stop doing whatever he was doing, or removing things from his mouth (at one point he tried to eat the CLIPPER CORD), as I did actually clipping. I do have to give him props though, he’s never had his face/head/ears clipped before and he had no problem with any of that. I kept the inside of his ears au naturel, but the backs of them are clipped. Honestly that was the only part he actually stood still for, because I finally had his interest.

He looked beautiful for all of 10 minutes before I turned him back out and he ruined it.

When he’s clipped you can easily see all the scars around his throat from the IV catheter he wore for the first few weeks of his life in the hospital. I admit that I paused a bit when I uncovered those, remembering how they got there and realizing he’ll have them forever. They tell a story though, and they’re a reminder of how tough that kiddo really is. He wears the scars well, I think.

And the bite marks. Aaaaaalll the Henry bite marks. He wears those well too. And considering that he keeps relentlessly trying to get Henry to play Bitey Face with him, he’ll probably just accumulate more of them.

Here’s to hoping this week goes a little bit easier than the weekend did…

If you’re anything like me, one of the things helping all of us get through 2020 is the cute foal pictures every Friday. Few things make me happier than cute baby horses, especially when the rest of the world is trying it’s best to fall apart. Therefore I have to say that the unsung heroes are the photographers and helpers that have made all these pictures possible for us to enjoy this year. Most have been taken by Michelle, sometimes by Belinda, and assisted by family and friends when necessary. And while it might be a fun job with high reward, foaltography doesn’t come without peril, either.

Like in the early days when the foals have more zoomies than respect for personal space, and you may just find that foal growing rapidly larger as you look through your lens.

Sometimes it’s even punctuated with a little too much sass, which hopefully stays far enough away from your head.

And then of course the foals get nosy. Really really nosy. You end up with about a million nose shots and you and your equipment may or may not get eaten or sat upon at some point (ok, at many points).

And pictures that start like this…

end up like this, because foaltographers are inevitably also very good foal-scratchers. It’s a prerequisite I think, or maybe just a skill you acquire on the job.

Sometimes you also have to pause from your work to get in on the family portrait.

Can’t really blame the foaltographer for becoming a part of their work though, I mean… look at the conditions they’re up against. How could anyone resist?

And that’s the biggest perk of this perilous job – the bonus snuggles. Foals are really good at that. Good thing, since that’s the only payment you get in return.

Thank you thank you thank you to our Foal Friday foaltographers that have made all these pictures possible and kept me going from one week to the next! You da real MVP.