Month: January 2021

What a week, y’all. What. A. Week. There is a decidedly different feeling in the air though, and I’ve seen more positivity this week on social media than I’ve seen in literal years.

The inauguration was cool and all, but holy crap how mindblowing was Amanda Gorman? I’m sure everyone on earth has already seen the performance of her poem “The Hill We Climb”, but if not there’s video here and a transcript here. I had chills watching her, feeling like I was seeing history being made. What an incredible young woman. I am a bit of a poetry nerd (I have the last two lines of Invictus tattooed on my body, for god’s sake) and there’s been a bit of a void since my all-time favorite Maya Angelou passed away, but Ms. Gorman may have just stepped right in to fill it. I had to pre-order her debut book (direct from publisher here or Amazon here) and absolutely CANNOT WAIT to get it.

The other highlight was Garth Brooks, for sure. I have always been and will always be a Garth fan (quick – rank his top 3 songs! For me: The Red Strokes, Standing Outside the Fire, The River) but I did not know he was going to be there, nor would I have expected it in a thousand years, so it did my heart good to see him. Garth forever.

And then of course, the gift that has kept on giving after Inauguration Day: the Bernie memes. Omg the Bernie memes. They’re all over social media so I won’t post a ton, but I think this has to be my favorite non-horse one:

And my favorite horse one (courtesy of WTW):

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A post shared by WillowTreeWarmbloods (@willowtreewarmbloods)

Ok, anyway, enough of that stuff. Let’s pivot.

Speaking of WTW, since a lot of y’all are sort of invested in the babies after watching them grow up via the blog and social media, I’m excited to be able to say that Mari has found the perfect new home. She’s been sold to upper level eventer (and U25-er) Megan Sykes, who you can follow here. Megan was familiar with Mari already and liked her, and her team got together to purchase Mari for her as a surprise. The “unveiling” video was pretty cute.

Those two seem like a great match so I’m looking forward to watching what they can do together. And with that there are no more WTW sale horses left. Good thing we’ve got 7 foals coming?

Last but not least, pivoting off the baby event horse thing, the US Event Horse Futurity has officially starting posting the entries for the 2021 Futurity. They kicked it off with a familiar face

and will be posting horses every day until they’re all formally introduced. I think there are 18 or 20 this year so it should be a really good group. After they post everyone’s official intro photo they’ll get started posting the breeding vlogs for each horse in February. I already submitted mine so hopefully it’ll be one of the first posted again.

The Futurity does their own fan prizes throughout the year – for example the person with the most comments, or someone who shares the posts or likes a bunch of them, etc. They reward fan interaction, so please like and comment and share away. Aside from just the draw of winning stuff, any publicity you can help bring to the program is greatly appreciated. The two awesome ladies running the Futurity (who also have lots of other commitments) are working their butts off to help breeders, trainers, and US-bred horses, with no outside assistance or funding or PR from other organizations, so any kind of support really is greatly appreciated. The more we can spotlight our US-bred horses, the more it helps our breeders, which is a benefit to everyone here, not just the pros. And the more we spotlight our good US-based young horse trainers, the more we can help their businesses and get the horses in good hands right from the very start, which can benefit all of us in the long run too.

So with that in mind, I’m going to be offering my own little side prize as well. Each time there is a Presto post on the Futurity page, anyone who likes (or loves… I’m a big fan of those loves…) his post AND leaves a comment will get entered into a pot to win a “Presto’s favorites” prize package, to be given away at the culmination of the Futurity – basically a basket of items that Presto loves and fully endorses. If you SHARE a post, that will get you TWO additional entries for each one you share – just make sure the shared post is set to public on your privacy settings so that I can see you shared it. So that’s up to possible 3 entries for each Presto post. Only caveat to win is that you must be following the US Event Horse Futurity page. I also greatly encourage you to look at and like and comment on ALL the entrants pictures if you can, or if you feel so inclined. Your interactions with the page help bring it more attention and expand the audience, and that’s what we’re after. Plus, let’s give all the entrants some love – each and every one of these horses has been years of blood, sweat, and tears for someone, and they also represent someone’s big hopes and dreams. Sometimes just a simple handful of likes can make someone’s day, so please spread the love if and when you can.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Of all the stuff I’ve mentioned doing on here lately, I’m pretty sure the only thing I’ve actually accomplished is going in circles. Does that count as progress?

The first thing is the blog rebranding. Most names I ruled out immediately, and all the others I talked myself into and then subsequently out of. Maybe the problem is that I don’t love any of them. Maybe the problem is that if you let me overthink it too much, I won’t love any of them. I narrowed it down to Chance Events and BreederRiderEventer (or EventerRiderBreeder or RiderBreederEventer or… yeah that’s a rabbit hole I went down for a few days). But then I sat down and wrote out a list of questions for myself.

Does the title alone give the reader a good idea of what the blog might be about?

Chance Events – No / BreederRiderEventer – Yes

Is it generic enough to have longevity, without being too boring?

Chance Events – Yes / BreederRiderEventer – Yes

Is it applicable to ME/what I do?

Chance Events – Yes / BreederRiderEventer – Yes

Could there be any negative connotations?

Chance Events – Not really? / BreederRiderEventer – Maybe

Is the .com domain name available?

Chance Events – No / BreederRiderEventer – Yes

Are the social media handles available?

Chance Events – No / BreederRiderEventer – Yes

If you google it do you get a lot of random unrelated crap?

Chance Events – Yes / BreederRiderEventer – No

Based on those I ended up nixing Chance Events. It DOES sound like an event planner, and indeed there actually is an event planner in the UK and an event planning decor company in the US by that name. The social media handles are taken and lots of random stuff comes up when you google it.

But it’s not like BreederRiderEventer (or EventerRiderBreeder or RiderBreederEventer?) is particularly flawless either. Based on the questions I asked myself I definitely like it more – no one else is using it, not much comes up when you google, it clearly defines what to expect before you even scroll down. I think my lone sticking point is the word “breeder” for fear that it would garner some unfavorable visits. That word means something else to muggles. Then again, I asked a breeder friend who has a blog with “BREEDER” and “BREEDING” all over it like 9 million times and she said that other than a stray random comment here and there, which she just deletes, she hasn’t had any issue. I already get those randos here anyway, so that wouldn’t be anything new.

I tried about 9000 combinations and ways to make Bloodlines & _________ work, but I never found anything I really liked. For now BRE (or ERB or RBE) is the front runner. Obviously I haven’t actually taken any steps toward making any of the rebranding work happen though, because I can’t even get past the damn name.

I put that whole thing on the back burner, hoping that if I just let it simmer there for a little while I’ll come to a decision. We’ll see. Instead I’ve spent the last week throwing myself into the “Next Saddle for Presto” quest (Presto Questo? Help me it’s been a long week.).

I came out of the gate running and full of optimism. I emailed a few brand reps, a couple local fitters, and a few fitters from out of the area. While I waited for responses I started looking deeper into the monoflap jump saddles for the different brands they carried, making a list of ones I wanted to try, researching the different options, scouring the internet for them, and being an overall stalker. And then the days started to tick by, one after the next, and NOT A SINGLE PERSON RESPONDED TO ME.

Until yesterday that is, when one of the brand reps responded with a simple “I don’t have any monoflap demos”. That was it. The entire message, beginning middle and end. No “lets see if we can find one for you to trial” or “here’s someone else you could contact”. Nope. Just an “I don’t have one”. Um, ok. Cool then. Uh… thanks… I guess. I’ll just, um, see myself out?

Yesterday afternoon a fitter from DFW responded and said she’d tentatively be down here in about a month and could put me on her list, although it might be a awhile before she firms up her plans. I said that was fine and asked her to go ahead and pencil me in, since I’m not exactly lining people up to assist me at this point.

I’ve gone so far as to friend request these people on FB since I’m not getting responses from their websites or business pages. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s being really annoying.

I do have a few more people on my list to contact, the second tier choices, if I don’t hear back from the first ones. I suppose I’ll give it another week before I roll to plan B.

So, ya know… basically I’ve accomplished nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. But, um, it’s not for lack of trying I guess?

This one was really Stacie‘s idea so she gets the credit, but I’m always fascinated (and ok mildly obsessed) with horse wardrobes. Show me what you’ve got for your horses! Bonus points if you point out your favorites or why you like/dislike certain ones. Everybody’s always looking for feedback on horse clothes, right? Mostly I’m glad that in the past year or two I’ve given away almost 10 blankets/quarter sheets/coolers or otherwise this would be extra embarrassing. It’s also probably a good thing we live in a place with mild winters, because I can’t imagine what this list might look like if it actually got cold here. ANYWAY, here’s the boys’ collection:

Turnout Sheets

Presto’s Pony-O unicorn 0g sheet- Pony-O has the best patterns, I’m kind of obsessed. They fit Presto nicely too, and they’re holding up pretty well to his terrible abuse (he ripped the front velcro flap off the unicorn sheet but otherwise that’s all he’s done, which is pretty impressive considering how terrible he is).

Riding Warehouse waterproof rain sheets – I have two of these, identical color and size. They’re deep in the body which is nice for a rain sheet, I’ve been pleased with them so far especially considering how cheap they are, and there are nice details like the belly straps having elastic inserts. The navy is definitely more french blue though.

Hug Abrazo turnout sheet – I have two of these also, the one Henry wears and then a smaller 72 that was Presto’s when he was a yearling. I should probably give that one away. Sigh. Hugs are really the only blankets Henry can wear on a regular basis and not get rubs… I went through 7 different brands before I figured that out. They’re getting hard to find, which is a bummer. I’m not sure why more people don’t use these, they’re great, and def much easier than dealing with blanket rubs or bibs.

Another Hug – this was Henry’s original Hug before I bought him navy ones. These got passed down to Presto to wear last year, and he managed to tear the lining and two spots on the outside. Technically it’s still useable though so I keep it as a spare.

Turnout blankets (Texas heavy aka everyone else’s medium weight)

Pony-O – THE BEST BLANKET EVER MADE. For real though, this thing makes me smile every time I put it on. Look at it.

Hug Abrazo turnout blanket – The same as Henry’s turnout sheet but with fill.

Hug Abrazo turnout blanket – Henry’s old Hug, just like the sheet, which is now a spare.

Turnout accessories

All the neck covers. I love that every Pony-O rug comes with a matching neck cover (and I especially love how easy they are to take on and off, the Hug one is annoying in that regard).

Stable rugs

Horsegear Lodix – this is one of the new ones I just got, sort of a knock off of the Kentucky rugs but significantly cheaper.

Back on Track mesh sheet – Henry has definitely worn this a lot at winter shows.

Some rando Dover brand cotton sheet. I got this as a super lightweight option or something for traveling. I think Henry’s worn it once.

Coolers

Curvon custom cooler – I happened to find this on consignment for cheap in Henry’s colors and size, so I snatched it up. It’s a nice lightweight fabric, which makes it useful for our climate.

Saratoga awards cooler – this is the one Henry won at AEC’s, which he used to wear a lot but now Presto has been using it since it’s his color. I like the fabric on these a lot, it can do double duty as a dress sheet or a light cooler.

Horsegear Allure cooler – the other new acquisition, and the only fleece item in my arsenal. I’m still grumbly about fleece but this is a nice weight and really cute so it gets a pass.

Other miscellaneous clothing

Triple Crown custom scrim – I’m sad Triple Crown is no more, but I do love this scrim sheet. I got it a couple years ago on Black Friday for Presto and as of yet he’s never worn it, but SOON, dammit… SOON.

PS of Sweden quarter sheet – after all the drama of getting this thing from their clearance site it has yet to be a cold enough day to actually use it, but at least I’m prepared right?

Jammies super hero outfit – or hood, I guess, if you want to call it that. Only used to protect braids overnight at shows but it’s served us well. I like the Jammies brand with the zipper.

That’s it! Not too bad right? I’m kind of glad I don’t have a reason to need heavier blankets and coolers, I dunno where I’d store all these clothes.

Show me what your horses have and what you like!

Well, it finally happened. My Pivo finally glitched and ate my video footage. I always read about people having random issues here and there – it’s technology after all, and susceptible to app glitches – but I’ve never had an issue with mine before. I guess I was overdue. SUPER bummed though, because the footage it lost was probably the best flatwork I’ve ever gotten from Presto, as well as his first attempts at trotting through a little grid (with everything set down to just poles on the ground) and cantering some single poles.

Luckily I didn’t lose totally everything. I had the first 10 minutes of warmup, after which I realized I’d forgotten to put my phone in airplane mode, so I went over to the Pivo and stopped the first video, closed everything, put my phone in airplane mode, and started a new video again. I didn’t want it to drop the video, which it can do if you get a phone call or tons of notifications while videoing, hence airplane mode. Trying to be careful ultimately bit me in the ass though, because when I went back over after we were done and hit stop, the whole app crashed and it didn’t save. Boo. Granted it’s the first real issue I’ve had since I got the thing last spring, so I guess I can’t complain too much. I’m mostly just sad that it lost the footage it did. Pivo, I thought we were friends.

Since I have no actual proof of anything besides warmup, you’ll just have to take my word for it that any of these things happened. Media fail.

Presto is at that really fun point where he feels more and more “broke” with every ride. Buttons are quickly getting installed, and brick by brick a real horse is starting to form. He’s still mega unfocused and goofy but he’s a quick learner and things are definitely getting easier as he gets stronger. It was the first time I’d ridden him in the jump field in a while, which can be kind of a challenging space for a baby since it’s 1) on a bit of a slope 2) got a lot of trees in it that require relatively exact steering lest you hit one. He’s moving off the leg pretty well now, and the straightness is much improved, so I no longer feel like I might end up decapitated if I ride him in there.

I set up what will eventually become his “learner” grid – a really simple trot in canter out one stride. I like starting them in a grid with placement poles to help them figure out their feet and straightness and get them making a good shape in the air without the rider having to interfere much. For now I left it at poles so he can trot through and work on being straight and rhythmical, but eventually I’ll start building it up to crossrail to vertical and then crossrail to oxer. We’ve also been cantering single poles, so he can start to sort out what to do with his feet from a variety of distances (he’s got the long one down pat but the legs tend to go every direction when we get to a short one – compressing the step is still hard).

I think I’ve decided that we’ll aim for March being his first actual horse trial. The local farm that has little schooling shows caters to the very low levels, starting from literally poles on the ground and going up through BN. I think he’d easily be able to do the Green as Grass division, which is like 2′ with really basic little XC and does Intro Test C. The dressage might be super drunk and the whole thing might be very distracted, but he could go do it easily and a really small show like that is the perfect first event to dip his toe into this eventing thing. It’s close, so he doesn’t have to spend half the day in the trailer or stay overnight somewhere, and if we have any problems they’re super friendly about giving you the time you need to work it out and end on a good note. So that’s officially penciled in on our calendar… we’ve got a month and a half to prepare.

Sometime in the next few weeks I want to take him back over there to school again so he can get in their dressage ring and practice going out on the XC course by himself with no buddy to hold his hand. That combined with his 2 second attention span will probably be the biggest challenge. The jumps themselves will be the easy part I think, its everything in between that I’ll have to manage.

In the meantime I have heard precisely zip zilch zero and nada from any of the brand reps or saddle fitters I’ve messaged and emailed in the past week. Literally crickets from all of them. Big. Heavy. Sigh. I want to give you money, people! Take my money!

It occurred to me this weekend that I’ve not done very many product review posts on the blog in the past year. Mostly that’s because review posts take a little more effort and planning, and with everything else going on in my life/the world, things that take effort and planning for the blog have largely fallen by the wayside. This place has been my refuge away from that stuff, for the most part. But I’ve also added a lot of products that I know people wanted me to review, although damned if I can remember them all now.

I know there were bridles… Henry’s La Cense bridle and Presto’s Halter Ego bridles.

I think the only other tack I added was Presto’s Pro Choice girth and a few bits, unless I’m forgetting things. Oh, and Presto’s Super X Country neck strap. I think that’s it? My tack ho-ing has been at a minimum, I feel like (okay, barring Presto’s saddle which was a necessity and therefore doesn’t count towards tack ho status). Probably because there’s like no tack left in the world for me to get except every bridle ever made (come to me, my pretties).

There are also things like Presto’s Pony-O blankets, the Cambox V4, my Charles Owen MyPS helmet, my Levade tights, and my Mountain Horse Opus High Rider boots. There have probably been tons of things I’ve totally forgotten about by now. Maybe it would just be easier to do a couple “mini reviews” posts and cram a bunch of stuff together? Is there anything in particular you’d like to see included (either that I’ve mentioned or forgotten about)?

I’ve gotten a few new things recently too, that I’m not ready to review but could do a “first impressions” type of thing on. My “Kentucky-style without the nauseating pricetag” fluffy cooler and stable rug arrived. Presto looks very Hugh Hefner-esque, they’re very loungewear chic.

I’m starting to notice that I collect horse clothes like I collect bridles, but hey, at least the boys are prepared for any and every occasion right? Maybe we need a horse clothes post to cover their extensive wardrobes.

I also managed to win something in the Horse & Style Magazine Christmas giveaway. Well, I actually won TWO of their 12 days of Christmas giveaways, and when I alerted them to the fact that they had chosen me twice they told me I must be extra lucky and let me have both prizes, which was nice of them. The first was a Butet leather care package, which I was pretty excited about because I love leather care products (I currently have Belvoir, PSoS, and Higher Standards products in my tack cleaning drawer) and while it’s been a while since I used anything from Beval, I knew I liked their conditioner when I used it in the past. The full kit is $120 worth of product, so it certainly makes you feel fancy at least.

The other thing I won was a package of swag from WEC Ocala, but I haven’t heard anything about that yet so I’m not sure what it entails or if/when it’s coming.

I also might be overdue for some update posts on various items or projects. Like a “how’s that working out” type thing? Granted the only thing I can really think of that I’ve done recently is my spray painted glitter stirrups. There’s probably more that my brain just isn’t recalling. It was a long 2020.

Basically I’m asking what y’all want to see or what you’re curious about. I’ve completely lost track of what people have asked about or what I promised to circle back on, but I want to remedy that now.

I also feel like I’m ready to start jumping back into some more serious topics again, if there’s anything y’all think I should address about my own stuff or harder topics I’ve glossed over/opted out of as of late. I will fully admit that I’ve leaned more toward light and breezy than I typically would or probably ever have done before, and it’s time to get back to my nitty gritty roots. There’s far too much fluff happening around here these days.

So here’s your open call to drop me a comment or a DM on what you want to see, whether it’s as simple as a specific product review or a sticky/controversial subject that I’ve as yet avoided. Hit me!