Book Review: The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse

Title: The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse: Manege Patterns
Author: Charles de Kunffy
Where to buy it: Used on Amazon

This is my second de Kunffy (and not de Knuffy) book review. After enjoying the last book so much, I browsed through some of his other titles and added this one to my Amazon wish list to pick up later. I still had Bobby at that point, and while he had reached the end of his soundness, I was still holding out hope that I was going to get to ride him again. The thought of having a book with a bunch of dressage exercises to ride through put it on my priority list, but a couple weeks later I had to put Bobby down and I never got around to buying it.

Then I was used bookstore browsing one of the times I was out at my mom's in November and I saw it on their shelves. It was $9, so more than I could have bought it used on Amazon, but I grabbed it anyway. Nine bucks for some de Kunffy wisdom? Sold.

I finally got around to starting it a few weeks ago. I read probably four or five books while trying to slog my way through this one. While I really enjoyed and easily made it through Training Strategies for Dressage Riders, this book felt more like a tedious school assignment.

As in the other book, he starts off philosophizing about generalities of the sport horse. I like reading these insights, and I like that he again points out that the best way for a horse to be a horse is to turn them out and let them interact with each other.

From there he starts talking about training the very young, just-broke horse. I was able to pull some useful points out of this as while Opie is certainly already broke to ride and knows how to balance a rider on his back, he's still very much green broke.

One of them was that horses will volunteer actions that we maybe didn't ask for, but should roll with anyway. "Opportunistic riding" basically installs the thought into the horse that everything he does is "allowed to happen by the rider's will." Does he canter instead of extend the trot? Pick up the wrong lead? A horse that's constantly told No will start to get confused and resent the rider. He's not advocating for letting the horse get away with murder, but reminds the rider to make sure their aids are correct and that the ask isn't beyond the horse's ability. "Riders should correct their own, not the horse's, behavior first."

From there on out, the rest of the book had me dragging my nails down my face. He quickly jumps from a horse that has no training yet to one capable of schooling all the lateral work, pirouettes, and changes. While he does point out the difficulty of these exercises and that you shouldn't attempt them until the horse is ready, I had a hard time staying with it when my own horse is just now getting the concept of two whole steps of leg yield at the trot. I think I would have been able to commit more if I was still riding Bobby and these exercises were pertinent and achievable.

Even so, some of the manege patterns were...well:

excuse me as my eyes cross in confusion 

The writing in this book felt more like a dry, ultra-descriptive, ultra-intense training manual than the friendly read-through vibe the other book gave off. That won't be a problem for a lot of you, but it's not my style of learning at all, and I had a hard time getting the paragraph I had just read to stick in my head.

although there were a couple of not book related
picture pages that i guess were nice to look at?

However, there were still quite a few good gems I was able to pluck out.

• On how unnatural it is for horses to be ridden. "Both are creatures of precarious balance, even when left alone to cope with the ground." Amen, sir.
• On collection: "This shifting of the horse's center of gravity towards the haunches liberates his forehand from unnecessarily weight and liberates it from stress. The forelegs being the weaker, riders have learned early the value of saving them and conserving their health." Makes perfect sense of course, but I liked the imagery of this one.
• "Horses will do almost anything from the rider but read his mind." The rider must make sure they're aiding correctly, judiciously, and clearly. The horse will guess to its best ability, but it can only do what the aids are asking it to.
• For the spooky horse:

• "We must remember that it is not sufficient to let the horse move forward, but rather we must ask him to carry forward. ... we ought to insist in our gymnasticizing that the horse move 'forward upward'."
• It goes against the horse's instincts to move away from leg pressure; they instinctively lean into it. When the rider's calf is correctly wrapped around the horse's barrel, it should rest against the muscles that cause the haunches to react by contracting when stimulated by the rider's leg, therefore increasing the activity in the haunches. Active haunches enable him to move away from the leg pressure. I was able to relate to this a lot with Opie who still struggles with going into my leg sometimes instead of away from it.
• OMG, never do haunches-in at the canter. The horse loves to use it as an evasion. He brings this up approximated 47,008 times throughout the book.
• Important that when doing lateral work at the walk to routinely let the horse walk on a loose rein at the free walk to stretch the topline. "Never allow a lazy stroll, but keep a marching attitude."
• The turn on the forehand encourages the horse to "lean and dwell on the forehand", but it also serves as a useful exercise to get the horse off your leg and moving the haunches. 
• On lateral work: "Explosive, impatient young horses will not benefit much from these movements... Premature drilling of these exercises can be harmful and can also cause resistence. ... Infinitely delaying more difficult tasks can also be counterproductive in training strategies. Progress can only be made by challenging the status quo." 

The few actual manege patterns in this book don't come until about the last third of the book. I was able to book mark three that I wanted to try when my horse is a little better trained.

I felt like I deserved a good wrap-up for getting through the last training chapter, but instead the book just...ends.

abruptly, the end.

I would recommend this one to riders that have an easy time processing large blocks of detailed information. That person is not me. I'm glad I got through it, but this isn't one that's going to get a re-read from me.

Book Review: Training Strategies for Dressage Riders

Where to buy: Amazon, or there are a couple used copies on eBay

When we were in Maine this summer, we spent one rainy morning driving out to Bangor to try to find a battery charger for my camera. That was a complete fail by the way, but we passed a tack store in our journeys and obviously swung in so it wasn't a complete loss of a trip. Along with my sparkly spur straps, I also perused the consignment section and grabbed a couple of older books for $8 a piece.

One of them was Training Strategies for Dressage Riders by Charles de Kunffy, and I'm so glad I snagged this. It's one of the few training types books I sat down and read from cover to cover instead of flipping through and only reading the sections I thought were relevant to me.

As an aside, I've been living a lie my whole life and totally thought his last name was de Knuffy. Surely I can't be the only one who thought this? Or are my reading comprehension skills really just that poor? Probably the latter.

First of all, the most important takeaway I got from this book is this:

everyone should wear gloves, you savages. 

This book moves along in a fairly chronological order, from an overview on the goals of classical equitation and how to emulate the best riders and their positions to exercises on bending, flexion, and gymnastics for your horse. It wraps up with a look on judging, competition (and how to throw down a proper salute), and the best tack for dressage.

This book was originally published in 1984, and the one I linked to on Amazon is from 2003. I wonder if any of the pictures got updated because one of my favorite parts of this book is seeing young Arthur Kottas and Steffen Peters in pictures.

A few other takeaways I found interesting:

• The walk. He says many riders neglect the walk for various reasons. Some find it boring, while others feel it's too basic of a gait and is reserved for beginner riders. "Most of us do not 'fall in love' with the art of riding by being attracted to it by the walk. ... Had we desired to creep along at a slow pace, we could have saddled an ox." He also says that insufficient movement during a young horse's growing stages (not enough turnout) can lead to a poor walk. 
• Changes. "The horse is ready for the flying change if he can maintain elasticity in performing the extended trot, half-passes with cadence at the trot, and collected canter." (Or if you're a racehorse and changes come easier than walking in a straight line, Bobby.) Elasticity is the key, these are just the movements that best show off if your horse has it. 
• "The Thoroughbred is an excellent horse." Promising, right? Only it's the first sentence for the chapter titled Insubordination of Horse to Rider. That made me LOL. He goes on to say that while Thoroughbreds are the embodiment of athleticism, it's that very thing that makes them more difficult as a dressage prospect. They're so sensitive and can carry a past with a lot of baggage which makes the relaxation part of dressage not come easily to them. 
• Bits. "The most gentle and therefore the most appropriate bit is a simple jointed snaffle. ... A bit with only one joint in the center is recommended." SUCK. IT. I can't stand reading people harp about how a single jointed snaffle is abuse and so harsh and yada yada. French links aren't for everyone. Bobby hates having any sort of middle piece to his bits and has always gone best in a simple single joint. 

I've also gone back and re-read his section on the double now that we're starting to play with one a little bit. "The use of the full bridle must be earned by the horse and deserved by his rider." I've been reading everything I can find about the double lately because I'm kind of afraid of it still, but I thought it was funny that in this older book he preaches the use of 3-1 reins which is now considered completely out-dated.

looks way too confusing to me

Overall this is one of those books that sits on my side table instead of in my bookcase. Its extensive list of exercises and problem solving is something I keep coming back to, and his chapters on equitation always give me a kick in the ass to sit the fuck up and sit the fuck down. (Then I get sloppy and have to go back and read them yet again because dressage is hard.)

I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone interested in dressage from a basic level to those who have a real interest and passion in it. There's something for everyone, and it's an easy, engrossing read.

Book Review: Solo Schooling

Title: Solo Schooling: Learn to Coach Yourself When You're Riding on Your Own
Author: Wendy Jago
Buy it: Used on Amazon

I bought this book used last year for my birthday with an Amazon gift card. I didn't really read the description or research anything about it. It had been sitting in my wish list for a couple years based solely on its title. Solo schooling? Self policing your rides? I'm all about mental exercises to try to improve my rides, and since I spend most of my time riding alone, this book seemed like it was made for me.

Spoiler alert: It wasn't.

I started it as soon as I got it, but I was immediately bogged down by the writing. I flipped through it and didn't actually see anything that I wanted to dive into. It got set aside...and never opened again until this past weekend. I was between books and it was brutally cold outside so I decided I was going to just sit down and conquer it with a blog review being my biggest motivator to finish it this time around.

The book is basically a giant two hundred page sales brochure for a program called NLP--Nuero-Linguistic Programming. From what I understand, this program wasn't created specifically for equestrians, and while there are examples in every chapter that tie it into the horse world, they all feel like a stretch and didn't do a particularly good job of explaining anything further.

NLP is basically an exploration of how people think, behave, and interact to learn.

Each chapter is broken down into blocks so that you can learn what type of person you are. Do you learn best this way or that way? Do you look at a problem like this or like that? You essentially go through more than half the book trying to figure that out, and then set up your "meta-program" so that you can take it to your NLP coach who now knows how to best teach you.

If you're now like, "Wait, take it to your coach? Aren't you supposed to be solo schooling?" Don't worry. I was confused, too. In fact, I still am. Over and over, the book advises that when you run into a problem, go to your coach with it, or have a friend watch and help you dissect what's going on.

The writing was incredibly dry, and I had a hard time wrapping my head around what I was reading. It felt more like really bad homework than an interesting equestrian training manual. If you're an incredibly detail specific person, or someone that deals with cut and dry business documents on a daily basis, you'd probably have an easier time not getting overwhelmed with this book, but I was hoping for something a little more light.

If you can manage to break it down though, there are some really interesting points interspersed:

• Performance = Potential - Interference
• Presuppositions: Don't go into something with only one mindset about how that situation will play out. "My horse is lazy. I have to get him forward so I'll give him a kick, but now he's just fast and strung out." Instead: "My horse isn't forward today. Maybe it's because of the long ride we had yesterday. Let me loosen him up at a slower pace first before asking him to go more forward."
• Make choices that fit you. If you think that fence is too high, don't let someone's outside opinion influence you to jump it, and then you get dumped. However, go outside your comfort zone into your "stretch zone", or you'll never move forward.
• Framing things: For example, eventers see dressage as a phase they just want to get over with when all it is is getting your horse "obedient, balanced, on the aids, and changing speed and stride-length rapidly." It's just like jumping but without the jumps, so frame it that way in your mind and you won't psych yourself out over it. 
• Don't get caught in behavioral traps: Playing it safe, not being in the moment, and/or getting stuck in repetition.
• Ask better questions: Instead of just saying, "That halt was bad." ask yourself why. Did his haunches move out? If yes, did you have your legs on evenly or did you come in unbalanced? Did he throw his head? If yes, did you pull on the reins and not ride him forward into it? Did you half halt correctly?

Towards the end of the book, there's one chapter that I was able to relate to the most because it had the most to do with riding alone. That's where the asking better questions comes in, and it talks about being flexible and working with your horse if your chosen plan for the day doesn't look like it's going to go the way you want it to. 

Overall? One and half thumbs down. Not something I'd recommend to fellow riders, especially those looking to improve their own actual solo schooling.

Braideez Review and Giveaway

Ask and you shall receive, my lovelies!

A lot of you wanted to know about the Braideez I added to my yearly stock pile. This is a product I've used for years and strongly support, so I'm more than happy to share my opinion of them.

baby bobby dressaging in braideez since he began his baby career in 2012.

Specs:

Name: Braideez braiding wire
Price: $12
Where can I buy these wonderful things?: Available right here, but there's also a list on the website that shows stores that carry them. Yay, shopping!

I originally found these something like five years ago when they were casually mentioned in a COTH post. I'm useless when it comes to sewing in braids--I've tried thread, and I've tried yarn, but I eventually just went back to rubber bands. Obviously, even well done, those aren't the best option. You might be able to get them looking tidy (not if you're me), but they do a very good job of ripping your horse's mane out when you go to the braids out. The Braideez slide right out with zero fuss or hair shredding.

taking out braids after dressage last year. 

The Braideez are a coated copper wire that come in four different color options: black, brown, white, and party pack with all the colors. They come in packs of twenty five which might be too few for hunter riders. You guys put like five thousand braids in, right? And then you always want back ups in case you cut one too small for re-use. I only use them for dressage, and I only put ten button braids in, so I've never run out of full sized wires in all the years I've owned these.

epic christmas braids

They are reusable. Mine probably look a little less tidy than others because I leave an extra long tail when I trim them up, and that leaves me more excess to have to wrap around the braid, but I'd rather leave them a little longer and know that any wire I pick up I can put into any braid.

So. For those of you with seriously challenged braiding skills--just how easy are they to put in?

Don't worry. I'll show you!

It takes me right around one minute to do each braid. Between sectioning off mane, spritzing a little water or braiding spray in, ten braids take me no longer than fifteen minutes to blow through. Easy peasy.

Now I know there are going to be naysayers out there. I'll admit it. They can look a little sloppy from close up. But keep in mind I'm far from the world's best braider, and I zip through these as quickly as I can. I also keep Bobby's mane pretty short year round just for personal taste, so my buttons aren't as big and dreamy as some are. Check out pictures online of other people's work if you want to see fancy things. Either way, from a distance, they fit right in with the dressage world.

will model for cookies.

The Braideez also stay in forever. Before I purchased my infamous Hello Kitty neck cover, I used to braid Bobby the night before and just toss him back in his stall. He loves to nap, so the next morning I might have to pick some shavings or hay out, but the braids were always tight. Let us not forget that I left them in for almost a week after our Christmas photo shoot.

Will they work for long manes? Will they work for your tweaking, overly sensitive horse that hates life and all things, but mostly braiding? Will they tighten up enough for hunter braids?

I don't know honestly. However, the owner of Braideez has very generously agreed to giveaway a pack in the color of a winner's choosing! I'd love to see more blog reviews of these out there, and see how they work on other people's horses. Plus I'd just love to share the love of one of my favorite horse products.

How do you win? Simple! Just leave me a comment on what your braiding routine currently is. Don't braid but would like to try them anyway? No problem. Leave a comment saying what you like about the product. I'll do a random drawing Friday night after 9 p.m. EST, so say words by then.

Book Review: Learn to Ride Using Sports Psychology

Okay, first of all, right?! Is this book not titled specifically for me?

Answer: DUH. Yes it is.

If you guys have been following this blog for approximately three posts, you'll know that after I had a non-falling crash that gave me a concussion, my confidence went right down the shitter over fences. Raised ground pole? Yeah, no. Fuck that. I've regained some of my chops over very tiny fences thanks to some serious schooling sessions on Bobby from BM that have rendered him moderately more rideable when faced with striped sticks, but I am a grand champion at getting in my own head.

A couple weeks ago while I was putting my stuff away after a ride, Hubby was perusing the bookshelf in the tack room and pulled this book. Flipping through it, he showed me this picture:

And was like, "Look! This is exactly what you need to do with jumping." So I took the book home in hopes that it would cure all my riding with an injured brain (and not just physically) problems.

The Specs:

Title: Learn to Ride Using Sports Psychology
Authors: Petra and Wolfgang Holzel
Buy Me: Found on Amazon for a whopping $0.15 used.
Other Shit: This book was published in 1996 by German trainers/husband and wife pair.

The book is eight chapters, and each chapter is broken down into several specific, linear parts. For instance, the chapter on jumping is set out like so:

• Riding in the light or half seat:
• Aim: Why you're doing what you're being told to do.
• Method of learning: How to psychologically get prepared to go into learning this new thing. Usually it's "Take a private!"
• Suggestions for the instructor: This book is not just for the feeble minded beginner or learning rider. It also targets trainers and how they should approach these feeble minded riders.
• Jumping:
• Same bullets as before
• Tips for dealing with any problems which may arise:
• I actually really like this break down. It gives you a few common scenarios (My horse is rushing, I'm getting left behind and catching my horse in the mouth, etc.) and then breaks down what might be going wrong and how you can change what you're doing to fix it.
• Suggestions for the instructor:
• How to troubleshoot any problems your feeble minded rider(s) might be experiencing. 

it also has some excellent drawings.
salsa dancing, guitar playing, and ball fondling anyone?

The book is all bullet points, and I read it from start to finish pretty easily. Scattered throughout are Important Tips and Instructor's Tips. There are a few chapters aimed at beginner-beginners--those who have never taken a riding lesson before in their lives--which weren't particularly useful or enthralling to me, but they were a good brush up on the absolute basics that would certainly be helpful for someone in that position. 

As far as the psychological aspect that this book touts, I'm not really sure I bought into it. The main concept was to visualize every aspect of what exercise you're working on--really break it down by each step and memorize how it felt to ride the movement correctly until it's so ingrained in your head that you do it automatically and stop psyching yourself out over it.

They call it "self talk", and you're supposed to work with your trainer to come up with code words to remind yourself of how to ride the movements correctly. When in doubt, go through your self talk to remember not only your aids, but also that you are a relaxed, in-control person and not a total fucking spaz. The self talk will make it easier to put these positive affirmations into action.

It's a good theory for sure, but not one that I think will do anything for me. I'm very into positive visualization leading up to a show, and I absolutely obsess over every step my horse is going to take in a dressage test or jumping round. I don't picture run outs, spooking, or stops. So far it hasn't helped me much, but I will certainly be testing some of these breathing and relaxation techniques.

perhaps i need to be more relaxed in my face?
oh, wait. i'm too freaked out by this picture.

 All of that said, I was able to pull some good tid-bits out that apply to myself.

• "I will tell myself what I can do, and what I intend to learn. I will not tell myself what I cannot do." Have some self confidence and don't be afraid to talk yourself up. You should be proud of your accomplishments and not drag yourself down for your mistakes. 
• "I will not let myself be put off or 'psyched out' by other people! It is for me and my instructor to judge what is good for me." Don't get distracted by how other people are warming up at shows. If you have a good routine at home, don't change it. Stay focused, stay relaxed, and stay positive.
• "Fear is not only a risk factor in itself. It can also paralyze you and persistently block the learning processes, because it monopolizes your concentration and energy." Particularly relevant for me right now with my jumping fears. 
• "At the FIRST SIGN OF LOSS OF IMPULSION, however slight, immediately RIDE YOUR HORSE FORWARD AGAIN ON A STRAIGHT LINE." Their caps and bolding, and rightly so. This is basically the summation of every one of my ride recaps. Go forward!!!
• "Do no stop until your horse is going the same way as you would like him to between the jumps." BM? Is that you? Land from the jump and make your horse get his shit together and keep cantering like a trained animal. In the problem solving section of this same chapter, it also goes on to say (among other good things), "Turn on to the circle, get the horse under control, and come back to the trot only when the canter is right."
• "Tell yourself: I will stop at the 'last jump but one'." Basically, end on a good note and don't push yourself past your comfort zone to the point where it becomes unsafe. 

Would I recommend this book? For fifteen cents, fuck yeah I would. Even though it might not be the right brain training for me, that doesn't mean someone else wouldn't benefit from these methods. On top of that, there really was a lot of good morsels of information to be picked out, and there's no such thing as too many positive affirmations!

Secret Santa Gift!

I got my blogging Secret Santa in the mail today.

...and no, I didn't take any cute, artsy pictures of the package in various stages of opening because as soon as the tape was cut, I saw caramels and caramels only.

Obviously that means my Secret Santa was Jen!

After I'd eaten one caramel and was working on putting another in my mouth, I moved on to the other item in the box which was what I had not so subtly asked for: a Mango Bay belt in purple so I could hang with all you cool kids that have one (or ten).

trying to be all bloggery mcposerson

The design Jen chose was perfection and the belt itself is awesome--except for the fact that I had to get Hubby to show me how to use the loopy buckle things. But don't hold that against belt design. Hold that against me being blonde. (And no, I do not have red hair, so help me god I will punch you in the vagina if you suggest that.)

trying to convey my emotions to the puppy who is trying to eat the cat who is
trying to climb the tree. 

Jen told me I had to blog the fuck about my impressions of the belt, but I am fucking horrible about product reviews. However, I do love me some fucking bullet points.

So.

The belt is:

• Nice, thick canvas.
• The purple is the perfect shade of purple if you're me.
• It fits easily around my less than ideal waist shape.
• Even idiots can figure out how to fasten it if they have a non-idiot to help them the first time.
• Pretty design. Yay, ponies.
• Fits perfectly in my thin belt loops.

trying for dramatic belt posing. because i'm trying to make that a real thing.

See? The worst at product reviews. But I appreciate the gift and the added bonus of some delicious as fuck caramels. Thanks again, Jen!!

trying to snuggle an upside fat cat without throwing out my back. 

Product Review: SOTM spur straps

It's a day off for Robert, so what better time to do a product review on something sparkly? I think I've proven to be pretty inept at product reviews thus far, but I keep on doing them anyway. You're welcome.

Awhile ago I won a pair of custom spur straps created by Spur of the Moment on etsy from Stacey at Behind the Bit. Stacey got in contact with me right away to get my information and confirm which stone style I wanted. A day later, the owner of SOTM also emailed me to confirm again.

i chose number 32, but they're all fabulous.

Then I honestly kind of forgot about it. A couple weeks later, Sasha (the owner/creator) emailed me again to let me know she'd been busy showing, and that she'd be getting my order out as soon as she could. I ended it receiving it in another week or two.

Now, being the winner of a contest and getting the item completely for free, I didn't feel like I should be bothering anyone for a faster shipping date. I don't know if Sasha would have expedited the process if I'd asked, but I will say she was very prompt when I won, and I appreciated her giving me an update on her own accord on why I hadn't received the spur straps yet. That said, I also can't say if my shipping time was the norm or not.

Now for the actual product review!

at our last dressage show

The spur straps are black leather and are 18" long. The leather quality is alright. It's a little stiff, but it doesn't look cheap, and with more rides they'll probably soften up.

The decoration is also just alright. Pretty, yes, but certainly not the highest quality. The prongs that hold the stones on look a little suspect, and the embellishments around the stones are simply painted a matching blue over some also painted on gold.

The decoration is held onto the strap by a clear fishing line looking material. It's thick, and I'm actually less worried about that breaking than the stones falling off. You don't notice the line at all unless looking at it up close.

close up for details

 
At $30 a set, I'd probably buy these for a friend as a gift. If I wasn't as poor and/or cheap as I am, I'd also probably buy a pair for myself to switch up for shows. I love the extra bling on my boots and I've gotten several compliments on them so far. They're pretty yet subtle--two things I love--but I'm not sure how they'd hold up to every day schooling.

just ignore my sad dropped boot. the shiny!!

 If you're interested in a pair, check them out here!

Product Review: Tekna S Line Dressage Saddle

I liked that everyone was like, "Yay, you dress like an equestrian hobo, and we love you for it!" for my participation in the latest blog hop. (A quick update on my breeches: definitely seeing daylight down there now, if you know what I mean.) In the spirit of sharing things that people with exceptionally limited budgets like myself might like, I thought I'd give an update on the dressage saddle I got for my birthday.

literally the first time i ever rode in it was at a show.

Since I'm not particularly good at product reviews, and since I am so easily distracted and lead myself off on wild tangents not at all pertinent to the subject at hand, I figured I'd break this down into bold headlines and possibly bullet points. Because I love that shit.

Fit, for horse and rider:

I'll start with the pony. Now from what I understand, the tree is based on the Passier tree which means it's somewhat banana shaped. I rode in BO's Passier over the winter and while it didn't fit me in the slightest, it fit Bobby to perfection. Bobby has the typical high withers of a Thoroughbred, and while his rib cage is deceptively enormous, he's not particularly wide. The slightly cutback pommel gives him ample wither clearance, and the medium tree that comes with the saddle was spot on for him.

I can't comment on the ease of changing out the gullets on this saddle since I haven't needed to do it, but just giving the underside of the saddle a glance it appears to be a lot easier than the Wintec system.

you can see the cutback pommel for high withered loving.

For the rider, the only thing I was concerned about is that the flap is shorter than what I was used to in a dressage saddle. I have very long legs, and I was concerned both about feel and how my leg would look. It turned out not to be a problem at all. I still think a longer flap is more attractive for a long legged rider, but as far as how it feels, I haven't noticed any difference while riding.

The seat is deep and comfortable, though I'm sure not as cushiony as more expensive saddles. I wouldn't know. I've never sat in such things. But for a cheap synthetic, it's pretty fabulous. The twist isn't that god awful hip splitting wideness of the Wintecs which is a major plus in my book.

The knee blocks are movable, but I've kept them in their original place. They're unobtrusive, and I don't mind them.

But it's synthetic!

Right, but it really genuinely does not look or feel like a cheap synthetic saddle. It actually doesn't look synthetic at all in person, and the material is very soft without being that plastic slippery shit a lot of synthetics are. My only complaint is that the billets do look like they belong on a cheap synthetic. They're shiny and ugly.

much shinier than the rest of the saddle,
and i don't like the way the holes are numbered.

Doodads:

Tekna is proud of their product I guess. There's no question what brand this baby is. The Tekna name is written at the top of the left saddle flap, both buttons above the dees are the Tekna symbol, and there's a great big, ugly Tekna button on the back where a name plate would go.

ignore the momentary lift of the saddle.
note that someone's head has disappeared to take care of flies.

But are they really for broke folk?

Running around $600, for the quality of this saddle you absolutely cannot beat the price. I would buy another one in a heart beat, and I've already convinced another barn goer to buy one herself after she fondled mine. In fact, once show season is officially over, I'm putting my HDR up for sale and buying a Tekna jump saddle because I love this dressage one so much.

literally a split second from having a full blow pissy attack over flies,
hence the soon to be kicking out hind leg and swishing tail. awkward horse.

Overall?

• I would definitely recommend this for any Thoroughbred owners out there. While I'm sure it would fit plenty of other breeds, the generous cutback pommel is a godsend for high withers.
• If you're short, you will love the flap length. If you're tall, you won't mind it.
• It looks classy enough and cleans up well enough that for once I'm not at all embarrassed to flaunt a saddle in the show ring. At the same time, I have no qualms about not rubbing a rag over it for two weeks while it collects arena dust. 
• Can't beat the price for the quality. Seriously cannot. 

As an end note, my horse is totes sound at all three gaits. Totally throwing a taco party tonight to celebrate because fuck yeah, tacos!

Also, I'm eleven followers away from 200. Want a contest? Want a chance to win something free? FUCKING FOLLOW ME.

Wait, one more thing. What is this Google+ thing and why do people keep adding me to their circles? Who are these people? Why does Google stalk my life?

Product Review: Noble Outfitters MUDS

For those of you already friends with me on facebook, you might have seen that I won a recent giveaway from Dover for a pair of Noble Outfitters Muds boots. It couldn't have been a better giveaway win since I live in Northeastern-central (rural coal country, okay?) Pennsylvania where winter has refused to leave until this past week. I've been kind of sort of getting by with a cheap pair of pony inspired rubber boots from TSC, but they recently sprung a leak so to keep my feet dry I just avoid puddles. Which works really well when everything is under water.

A big box was waiting for me Friday when I got back from the barn where I had done an hour long ride in my tall boots, and almost another hour tromping around the outdoor setting up a course of jumps...and then resetting them when they kept blowing over from the wind. Needless to say, my feet were killing me. My tall boots are not exactly pedestrian friendly as much as they allow my inflexible heels to drop to the ground like I have five pound weight on them.

First impressions?

purple box

purple lining

Purple on the box. I am a marketing whore. Make something shiny, glittery, or purple and I'm your girl. Bonus? THE LINING IS PURPLE. Done. I'm sold. Review over.

the one and only time they'll be clean.

Since my feet were aching from being in riding boots, I stuffed them into these puppies and proceeded to stomp around the house in them for the next three hours because they're so comfortable. The foot bed is incredibly cushioned with enough heft to the bottom of the boot to make you feel like you're not going to step on something and immediately get impaled.

The top is tapered with a slightly fitted calf. It's definitely a lady's boot which I love because it means Hubby can't run off with them and stretch them a foot wider than my leg rendering them Carly-useless. Not that's happened before.

Oh, wait. Yes it has.

I wear a size 11 which is what I ordered these in. With just my slinky boot socks on, they felt maybe half a size too big, but once I put a regular pair of socks on, the fit felt a lot better. However, I still feel like I had enough space so that when winter rolls back around in a month or two (It's only April? Yeah, sure....) I don't think I'll have an issue cramming ten pairs of wool socks in there.

Overall? I've spent a lot of time just walking around in these boots this weekend and I'm in love with them. I like the look, I like that I can now wade through "muddy" manure pile runoff without getting my socks wet, and I'm in love with how comfortable they are. I won't have a problem doing a soggy cross country walk in these bad boys.

So thanks to Dover for the contest, and thanks to Noble Outfitters for a great pair of boots!

Product Review: Horze Club Jacket

Awhile ago, I was one of the lucky winners of She Moved to Texas's giveaway for a Horze Club Jacket. I was without a winter jacket, and spent all of last year in one of Hubby's company jackets that was too big--which didn't matter since it was so thin I had to put about thirty layers underneath it anyway. Needless to say, I was fucking pumped to finally have a coat of my own to ride in.

the horze club jacket.

Because it's a unisex jacket, I ordered it in medium, though I usually take a large in women's coats. I have simian-like arms, and finding clothing with long enough sleeves is a serious pain. First thing I did when my jacket arrived? Stretched my arms over my head. The arms were plenty long enough without compromising the fit of the rest of the jacket. The medium was small enough that it felt like a women's jacket without being so fitted that I wasn't able to wear a hoodie underneath it and huddle up on a bleacher while watching a barnmate at a late night gymkhana during a cold snap last weekend.

Aside from fit, one of the things I love most about Horze stuff (apart from the fact that I giggle like a child when saying their name) is their construction. I have a pair of breeches and a show sheet from them, and both feel like they're built to last. Same with the jacket. It's a tough, waterproof outer shell with thick fleece around the torso area. I can see using this jacket for many more winters.

seriously toasty lining.

The one thing I was a little worried about was the embellishments. Horze can get a little wild, bordering on tacky, with some of their logo placement, but the Club Jacket looks downright classy. On the left side, written in black writing (on a black sleeve) is "Royal Equestrian". There's a small shield-type logo on the right upper arm:

And on the back, just under the collar, is a little flag logo:

Overall? Total A+. I'd recommend this jacket to anyone, and I'd buy it again myself if I had to.

Product Review: Equine Aid

Every spring, I compile a giant list of things I need to get ready for the show season. Occasionally big items crop up: a new saddle (or two), a helmet to replace the one I landed on my head in, or new galloping boots. Mostly, though, it's a grocery list of smaller items:

• Black gloves--because although I start each year with several pairs and keep adding more throughout the months, once I clean out my show trunk they're just...gone. 
• Knee socks--because like black gloves, their soul mates tend to leave them all by themselves. One time I even found a loner in the back (as in bed) of Hubby's truck like a month after a show.
• Hair nets--because I inevitably skewer them with bobby pins to try to tame my very thick, very long hair and then I get frustrated at how long it takes to remove them and just rip the hair net to shreds.
• And speaking of bobby pins....

i mean, really.

Last year on my list of things to replace was my bucket of Horse Quencher. Bobby loved the taste of this when I first bought it in 2011, but by the end of 2012, he slowly began ignoring it and opting for his plain ole H2O. When he wouldn't go near the stuff this year, I started to keep my eye out on something else that would encourage him to drink.

Bobby is an excessive sweater. He stands around when it's hot, swishes his tail, and BAM--he's lathered in sweat. He's never been a bad drinker, but doesn't drink like a horse who sweats so much should. This turns into a bit of a war at horse shows when he doesn't have access to nonstop water on the trailer and he's only had half a bucket to drink in the six-plus hours he's been away from the barn. 

While he does drink a good amount coming off of cross country, he doesn't drink at all after dressage, and usually he doesn't drink while waiting for the jumping phases to start. In PA, where the chances of running an event in 90* heat is high, that's no bueno. 

Back in July, I saw this blog post on Equine Aid. I like any concept of getting my horse to drink, and I bookmarked the page. Then I saw Kate's giveaway on her blog. Free samples? Heck yes! Unfortunately, I didn't win, but fortunately, the wonderful people at Equine Aid contacted me and offered some samples anyway. Ballin'!

I got them today and took them to the barn. It's cool today--in the seventies--so this was definitely going to be a good test if Mr I Don't Drink Unless It's Five Thousand Degrees Out and I Just Ran For Ten Minutes would like the product. I brought him in just before his dinner and dumped the packet in. He was very interested in the crinkly wrapper, but once in the water, he ignored me and took a good chug of his plain water. To be fair, it does kind of make the water look like a Louisiana swamp.

As I was grooming him, he started to lip at the Equine Aid water, and then he started playing in it. It was like he loved the smell of it (sooo good--it smells like delicious muffins!), but couldn't bring himself to drink funky looking water. 

I hung around while he ate his grain, helped BM turn out horses, and then glanced into his stall again. A quarter of the green water was gone! He continued to choose the Equine Aid water over his plain water as he went to work on his hay. Mission accomplished.

I'll definitely be adding these to the show list next spring. I like how compact the packets are so I don't have to lug around a bucket, and I also love the price of them. I really think these will really help Bobby drink more which will hopefully keep him from coming back from a BN or N event looking like he instead ran around the Grand National. Twice. 

because who goes so slow around a BN course that they
pick up time faults, but looks like they just made time at A?

Product Review: Ponytails Bubbles and Bucks Shampoo

I was just about to start typing this post and the monthly testing of the sirens went off. We have a massive siren for the nuclear power plant literally across the road from our house. Longest, loudest three minutes of my life.

I received my bottle of Bubbles and Bucks Conditioning Shampoo from Hillary's contest yesterday afternoon.

First impression? So pretty. What's not to love about a classy black bottle and a shiny gold top? Second impression? I started reading the label on the back and in the very first sentence, the third word was a typo--what should have been "will" was "with". Very....strange?

Since I had already been to the barn, I used it on myself first. No. That's not weird. The shampoo itself has a runnier consistency than most, but I like that about it. I'm sure I'll like it even more when I get to the bottom of the bottle and I'm not banging it against things and shaking it upside down to get the last bit out.

I didn't feel or see much of a difference after one wash of my own hair. No surprise there, as I get out and immediately put my hair in a ponytail. However, I did almost get back in and wash it out. The smell was awful. It smells like Vicks Vapo Rub mixed with rosemary. The minty fresh smell I was expecting after reading Hillary's review was overpowering and not at all flattering.

Regardless, after Bobby got worked this morning, I put a big glob in my bath bucket and gave him a thorough scrubbing. The smell wasn't nearly as overpowering when cut down in a bucket, and BM actually walked by and commented that it smelled really good.

The shampoo washed out really easily and didn't leave any residue behind, which was nice coming off of just finishing a bottle of Microtek that takes forever to get all the suds out. Bobby sun-dried and I brushed him off afterwards. He had a soft, fluffy post-bath coat that didn't feel dried out.

Overall, I probably won't be replacing this bottle with another when it's done. I have a solid dark bay horse so I don't have to be picky about what shampoo he gets. As it is, I usually pick shampoo out by its smell, and the Bucks and Bubbles was not a pleasant odeur.