LeMieux has, undoubtedly, been one of the hottest brands of the past few years. Their matchy sets really put them on the map, and the product line has rapidly expanded to all kinds of horse and rider wear, grooming equipment, and stable supplies. I am not a fan of the matchy sets myself (thats… a lot of color…), but LeMieux does make some REALLY nice saddle pads. I’ve had my eye on the merino+ half lined dressage pad, because man LOOK AT THAT WITHER PROFILE. And the d-ring strap attachments are brilliant because I hate billet straps with every fiber of my being.

While LeMieux rose to fame on their saddle pads and polo wraps, those are admittedly two items from them that I don’t own. I have three LeMieux things in my arsenal now – bell boots, bandage pads, and ice boots. And my feelings about them vary quite a bit.

The first thing I bought was the leather wraparound bell boots.

I’d had a pair of leather bell boots before and I LOVED the look of them but they died within a couple months. I mostly ride outside of the arena, and grass can really wear on the material. When I went shopping for a new pair I decided to try one more time on the leather but go with LeMieux. It’s been 6 months, and while they’re starting to show some wear on the bottom edges of the leather, they’ve certainly held up a lot better than I thought they would and far surpassed the previous brand. I feel like the leather gives a little bit more protection (Henry grabbed THE SHIT out of himself once to the point where he almost fell down and there was just a very slight ding in the leather. Probably would have been a rip in rubber.) and I haven’t had a problem with them getting wet or muddy. I just hose them off. I’ve been happy with these, and feel like the price is really reasonable. Would love them even more if they came in navy (navy is a lifestyle, I can’t help it).

The next LeMieux purchase was bandage pads.

These were kind of an impulse purchase when I was trying to replace my really old no-bow’s, couldn’t decide what I wanted, and just panicked and threw something in the cart. LeMieux says they can be used as stable bandages or exercise bandages, and I use them as stable bandages, but I would say they’re probably better suited as exercise bandages. I think they’re just a bit small and short and thin and flimsy for a stable bandage, personally. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the towel-like material on the inner lining, because if I’m just dry wrapping, it’s great, but if I’m wrapping over wet poultice paper, I’m not so thrilled. I also thought I would really like the velcro tabs in the middle but turns out I hate them because they’re right where I want to tuck my wrap in to start it. I would probably like those features a lot if I was using them as exercise bandages, but as stable bandages they’re not my favorite. They certainly work just fine as stable bandages but wouldn’t be my first choice for that purpose.

The last and most recent purchase was the ice boots I impulse-purchased at Burghley.

Sigh. These things. I really like the boot itself… I think it’s designed well, I like that it goes all the way down to the hoof, and that the elastic straps let you adjust it tighter if you desire. The interior pocket is insulated and has a zipper that allows easy access to take the ice pack in and out. So what do I hate? Said mother effing ice pack. It SUCKS. The shape is nice, and it doesn’t get stiff, but it’s SO THIN that it doesn’t hold the cold at all. Like I took the packs directly out of the freezer, put them in the boots, put the boots on my horse’s wet legs, and when I took them off 20 minutes later the legs and the ice packs were both warm. Not cold. Not even cool. Like body temperature warm. That’s… relatively terrible. For the price of the boots, the ice packs should be a lot better than that. I know it’s hot here, but geez.

I’m experimenting with making my own ice packs to see if I can make these work, since I do like the actual boot itself.

Despite not loving those, it was really fun to walk through the giant LeMieux tent at Burghley and get to touch/feel everything. I remain impressed by all the boots and saddle pads (in fact I talked both of my traveling companions into buying fluffy boots), and some of their clothing looked nice as well (anybody have the base layer?). Certainly no one can hold a candle to their variety of colors, that’s for sure. Shit, they even make pompom helmet covers, and y’all know how I feel about that. I have a lot of regrets over not buying the sparkly pompom beanie hat. Maybe next time…

First order of business: did the baby boys’ blankets survive the cold snap? I know, y’all are probably just totally on the edge of your seats about this. The answer is, shockingly, yes. Both blankets are still in tact even after several days/nights of wear. Although I think perhaps it’s a testament to the blankets more than it is a credit to the boys.

But yesterday I found a Unicorn blanket and now I really really want it so I need to find an excuse. Henry can’t wear it, since it’s not a HUG, but Presto could. I mean… I guess I could just get a bigger one and keep it for Presto for next year. Does he need another sheet? No. Not right now anyway. He probably will next year since I don’t own anything bigger than a 78 and there’s no way he’ll still fit in a 78 in a year’s time. So technically I kinda need it but not right now. But… unicorns. Rainbow unicorns.

Speaking of unicorns, the vet came back out this weekend to check on Henry’s mouth and do some annual maintenance. Having a big hole in his head (ok fine it’s in his mouth) is still freaking me out. Despite flushing it twice a day with the hose he still had some chewed up hay stuck around there, and the vet got it flushed out then checked the hole. Seems to be healing as expected. I don’t think I’ll relax about it for another like… year, probably.

Henry seems to be feeling fine though, considering he spent Saturday morning’s ride squealing and crowhopping with his nose planted between his knees. I’m totally okay with it though, because my cool weather horse is so much happier than my hot weather horse. It was a gross summer. I think we’re both more than ready to get back to our regular schedule, even if it means I’m riding a cracked out dolphin.

Henry got yesterday off, so I brought Presto in for his weekly “remember you’re not feral” session. He still comes to the gate and happily marches away from his pasture without a peep, so I’m pleased. I haaaaate herdbound shit, so I’m glad to have avoided any issues with that so far, knock on wood. Presto has always been pretty confident in himself, though.

I brought him up, brushed him, and threw a saddle on him. Fun fact: he fits in Henry’s girth now. It goes up to almost the highest holes, but still… it fits. Ha. Hahahahaha. Helpme. Anyone want a used twice 22″ FlexRider girth? I will add it to the pile of things I need to sell.

I didn’t really know what else to do with Presto at that point, he stands in the crossties pretty darn well and was half asleep, resting a hind foot. So we went around the barn investigating everything, sniffing all the cool stuff, and looking at the other horses.

It was uneventful. He’s the same dude he’s always been, which is a really freaking nice quality to have in a 2yo. I bred for the brain first and foremost, and he hasn’t let me down yet.

I also finally caved to the peer pressure and put a stick on him for the first time in months. I have regrets. He’s 16.2h at the wither. The butt is higher so I didn’t put a stick on that because I just can’t. I thought we’d agreed that he wouldn’t be bigger than 16.3h at maturity but I’m starting to think he’s not going to keep his end of the bargain. But hey, until he actually passes 16.3 I can still pretend it’s not going to happen. Denial, it’s my chosen coping mechanism.

When he was sick so much as a foal I was worried that he might end up stunted. I’ve changed my mind, some stunting would be fine. We’ll also ignore the fact that the saddle actually sits much taller on him than it does on Henry because this creature’s withers haven’t really popped yet, therefore his back is actually like SEVERAL inches higher than Henry’s. My eyeballs are solidly at mid-knee pad level. Maybe I should have bred Sadie to a Connemara stallion instead.

This really just reaffirms that my highest priority Black Friday purchase will be a bigass mounting block. Definitely feeling reaaaaaally glad that I’ve already done lots of mounting lessons with this giraffe, otherwise I’d be dreading the idea of trying to climb on it come spring. Maybe I should just stop feeding him? Joking. Sort of…

Some of you may remember my post back in the spring where I introduced our French friend Mimi, and spoke of the… um… special bond she has with Presto. They haven’t actually met, but they’ve become internet friends of sorts, as Mimi has been recreating her own versions of classic Presto pictures for most of his life. As their relationship has evolved, we’ve discovered that Presto and Mimi really are kindred spirits, sometimes so alike that it’s borderline creepy. Like that time Presto ripped out his braid and, turns out, Mimi already had a similar tuft of hair from too many straightening treatments.

Plus they share a bit of a French connection, with Presto’s sire living in France just a couple hours away from where Mimi lives. They also have kind of an eerily similar personality, energetic and perky with lots to say, and because of that, Mimi really seems to “get” him. The Mimi recreations of Presto pictures is definitely one of my favorite things ever, and endlessly entertaining. She manages to nail it pretty spot on every time, in a way that only those with a true spiritual connection could pull off. We’ve even had thoughts of making a calendar or a coffee table book and donating the proceeds. Working on it. Sort of.

Until then, enjoy round two of Presto and Mimi!

It’s not just the clothes in the mouth, it’s also the devilish expression. Nailed it.

Mimi’s very unwilling husband also nailed his role as Henry for this shot, even though he didn’t mean to. See, Presto and Mimi both have the same effect on those around them.

What, you don’t eat salad in front of a fan on the regular? Judging.

Soulmates.

Ah yes, elegant Presto/Mimi basking gloriously in the sunlight (we’re working on Mimi’s ear hair, it’s not quite up to par).

Turns out they eat cookies the same way too.

Clearly they detest being roused unexpectedly from their naps.

And of course, they both agree that hydration is very important.

What kind of shenanigans will Presto and Mimi (Primi? Mimo? Misto?) get up to next? Only they know. Guess we’ll just have to stay tuned to find out!

It’s Halloween, my most favorite holiday! It’s socially acceptable to scare children. There’s tons of candy. You don’t have to buy anyone a present. What more could you want from a holiday? The arrival of Halloween also means that we’re now less than a month out from Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday. I know, I know… it’s a little overwhelming to think about.

People can hate on the gross consumerism of the whole thing, but the truth is that there are great deals, and I have horses that love the vet, so… there’s a lot to like about a good deal, if you ask me. I’ve been bookmarking sites over the past few months, specifically to wait and see if they offer any specials or discounts. Partly so that I don’t forget things in the onslaught of emails and social media posts, but also to help prioritize things. I always have a little bit set aside to spend, but I sure can’t buy everything. There are the high priority items, and then like… dozens of “I WANT IT” items. The I WANT IT’s don’t happen unless the sale is just way too tempting to pass up and there’s room left over after the NEEDs. How does that shake out this year? Let’s take a look…

Nebulizer

I’ve been thinking more and more lately about trying a nebulizer with Henry, since he struggles so much with his breathing in warm weather. I had a hard time justifying the cost of the Flexineb though, not knowing how much it may or may not really help him over time. My vet said you can make them yourself, but… I don’t trust myself on that one when it comes to medical equipment. Seeing that Riding Warehouse just started carrying the Jack’s version, which is less than 1/3 the price of a Flexineb… hmmmm. There are a few other cheaper brands out there too, so I need to look more closely at all of the ones near that price point and compare them.

Coveralls

Ok I know, all the northerners are laughing at me because I live in Texas so I’m being a BIG BABY, but since I’m going to be on my own out at the farm this year I think I want some coveralls. It would be nice to be able to have my house clothes on, pull on the coveralls, go out and do chores, remove said coveralls, and still have clean and wearable house clothes. Especially since I go in and out a lot. It just seems easier than keeping track of multiple jackets and sweatshirts and constantly having to change. Also I am lazy. Also it was 33 degrees this morning, wtf. I haven’t decided which ones I want, gonna keep my eye on the sales.

Big mounting block

You know why I need this. His name starts with a Pest and ends with an o. Hoping Tractor Supply has a coupon so I can just go pick one up at a bit of a discount!

Horse Vacuum

Well realistically I’m thinking more along the lines of a quieter shop vac, since they’re considerably cheaper and can do the same job. The great thing about the new farm is that the soil is very sandy, much sandier than anywhere else around here. It drains well and doesn’t get nearly as hard. But, it IS sand, so the horses get it down in their coats and it’s hard to get out. Also have I mentioned I’m lazy? A vacuum sounds nice. I could use it on my sheepskin pads, too. I’ve done a lot of googling about different shop vacs, but I’m definitely open to suggestions on what other people have liked and used!

Fuzzy show pads

I’m loving my everyday navy ones, so it’s time to pick up some white ones for shows. I’m definitely leaning towards the merino wool pads from Premier (especially if Premier has a more sitewide sale, since I also want to try a few of their other things… we’ll get to that…) but I’m open to Mattes too if there’s a too-good-to-pass-up sale somewhere. Definitely keeping an eye on Hufglocken.

Those are the higher priority things on my list. All pretty practical. Nothing that exciting. But you know me… you KNOW I have all kinds of stuff bookmarked that I don’t need but has caught my eye. My Riding Warehouse wish list (I both love and hate whoever decided to add that feature to their website) is looking a little ridiculous. The New Items page right now is enough to short circuit my brain completely.

And look, I just… I WANT TO TRY THE SPACE BOOTS. I’m so intrigued. Plus if I had these Henry could go as an astronaut for Halloween. Dual purpose.

Back over at Premier Equine there are a few things I could “add to cart” and not be sad about. I really want to try their breeches, and I don’t have any burgundy in my collection anymore, which seems borderline criminal when you have brown boots.

I also really want their shipping boots, in navy for Henry and green for Presto (because color-coded horses, naturally).

Waaaay on the other side of the world, Australian company Black Horse Clothing continues to make shirts that I want.

Like this perforated zip top

and this sunshirt

and also there’s NAVY LACE.

Blogger Meg has got me a little obsessed with eGlove, who makes a dark green glove. Those are so hard to find. I did promise myself that I wouldn’t buy anymore gloves, since I have like 6 pairs right now and still only one pair of hands. I don’t have any green gloves though, so does that count as a loophole? I really love gloves.

What companies or items do you guys have your eye on this year?

Last winter I had the sneaking suspicion that by this winter Presto would be wearing Henry-size blankets. Instead of buying all new blankets for Presto, I decided to pass Henry’s old ones along to Presto and buy Henry all new ones. He is the goodest boy, he deserved new blankets. Plus it finally gave me a good excuse to get Henry out of those ugly 3 year old teal HUG’s and into some pretty new navy ones. So Presto got a 72 last year to hold him over (which he wore… twice…) and Henry got new 78’s in navy. The old teal 78’s were washed and stored for Presto to wear this year.

I have a major obsession with these HUG blankets, and they’re getting harder and harder to find. But they’re the only ones I’ve ever found that don’t rub Henry, and I like how much shoulder freedom the horses have in them. I’m convinced it has to be more comfortable when they’re walking or running around. Considering how many horses I see during the winter with shoulder rubs, I’ve never understood why the HUGs aren’t more popular. I have five of them now. Shoot, I even considered buying the fly sheet even though horses can’t really wear fly sheets here in the devil’s armpit. Anyway, moral of this part of the story: I love my HUGs. I am a devotee.

It’s supposed to get down near freezing for the next couple nights, so last weekend when I had Presto up in the main barn I tried Henry’s sheet on him for size. Yup, as suspected, 78 it is. I went to my blanket bin in the garage, pulled out the stored teal 78 sheet, and took it to the barn. I brought Presto up to his shed so I could put it on him and get all the straps adjusted to fit him before he actually had to wear it for real. And that’s when I realized that this poor, precious, hideously teal HUG has basically a 0% chance of surviving the week, much less the winter. Why? Let me show you why.

They just could not keep the damn thing out of their mouths the entire time I was trying to adjust it. At one point I had to tug-o-war a surcingle strap away from Presto, only to look up and find JB pulling on a leg strap on the other side. Omg. Baby horses are the worst.

I’m gonna be really mad when they both destroy their (or each others?) blankets. This is why they can’t have nice things. Unappreciative little turds. And destroying one of my beloved HUGs, no less. I’m mad at them in advance. Because let’s be real, it’s not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”.

What Presto doesn’t know is that when he destroys this one, he’s going back in his 72 from last year. He can just have a cold butt hanging out the back. That’s what he’ll deserve.

I feel like we should have some kind of death pool for the poor HUG sheet so it can go out with a bang. How long do you think it’ll last? How exactly will it die? Which baby idiot will kill it?

Stay tuned to find out…