Author: Amanda

product review · safety

Product Review: Road ID: It’s here! & coupon giveaway

Amanda3 Comments

Product Review: Road ID

A few weeks back, I purchased a RoadID during their anniversary sale. I got a great deal, snagged a limited edition color for the band that matched my barn colors (gray), and was all in all excited.

It shipped and arrived quickly, with great customer service. Kudos to them! I’m only just now getting around to blogging about it.

First, the shipping email? Adorable. A+. Complimenting Vermont always gets you points in my book.

Packaging was straightforward and simple.

Here’s what I got on mine:
Full Name
Birth Date
Matt [phone number] HUSB (okay, I jumped the gun by a few months, but there’s no point in buying one that won’t last)
NKA – NO MED HISTORY
FIND HORSE

My mother was amused/horrified that I wrote find horse, but I think that’s actually really important. I don’t want to wake up in a hospital three days later and learn that no one has been searching for Tristan, if something awful has happened. And honestly, even if I’m incapacitated in a completely non-horse related accident, I want someone checking on my horse!

Note to everyone: if something happens to me, check on my horse. No matter what.

I also bought the RoadID Slim, in medium size, which I was happy with. The Slim is about the width of those Livestrong style plastic bracelets, and medium was good for my wrist, which is on the more solid side – I’m 5’9″ and 160lbs, so not fine boned! If I were any bigger, I’d want to go up a size, but this is a perfect, just short of snug size.

The plastic of the bracelet itself doesn’t snag on arm hair, and is unobtrusive. Right now, for example, I’m wearing it on my left arm and typing and I can only tell it’s there when I think about it. With a little while longer in wear, I’ll forget it is there entirely.

When it arrived, I tucked my RoadID down into my purse to bring to the barn…and promptly forgot about it. For a few weeks. So it jostled around in my bag with my keys, Kindle, purse, books, papers, aspirin bottle, you name it. For weeks. And you know what? It still looks great. Other than some dust from various things, which brushed right off, there is not a scratch on the metal plate, which is quite frankly kind of amazing. Most other things that live in my purse for that long get beat up.

See? Pretty good size, nice and discreet. 
I am so happy with it I actually bought the fiance one for Christmas for him to wear while skiing.

Now, when it arrived, it came with a bunch of coupons for $1 off a RoadID that it said to give to family and friends. I don’t need ’em.

If you would like a RoadID coupon, comment here and let me know, then follow up with an email to beljoeor[at]gmail[dot]com so that I have your contact information. I have three coupons, so first three people who want them get them!

fashion

Explain to Me: Belts?

Amanda10 Comments

Many years ago, I was a Pony Club DC. I loved it. Pony Club to me still represents the highest possible standard of horsemanship. Ever since then, I’ve jumped at chances to stay involved, which mostly means judging at ratings, and since I am nobody’s idea of a dressage or jumping judge, that means a lot of stable management and turnout inspections. I love doing them.

Pony Club = the best.

Pony Club requires – at a certain level of turnout – belts.

I have literally never worn a belt in my life. Not on my everyday pants, and not on my breeches.

I understand the background behind Pony Club requirements, and I once saw it with my own eyes. I arrived at the county fairgrounds just about ten years ago and as I walked over to the stabling area I heard “loose horse!” Around the corner came barreling a gelding who belonged to one of my kids. He was D-O-N-E, despite typically being a solid citizen.

He spied me, and my trainer, who was standing next to us, and he went faster, right toward us. We did what you do when presented with a loose horse: make yourself big, hold your hands out wide, and talk in a low, soothing voice. He skidded to a halt in front of us, obviously relieved, and in that moment my trainer took off her belt and in one smooth motion put it around his neck and re-buckled it. She led him like that back to the barn, where he was put back in his stall to think about what he’d done while I interrogated the kid.

I often think “that was really practical and useful” and it’s the reason I’ve kept a halter and lead rope in every car I’ve ever owned, and always keep a lead rope near to me when I’m hauling horses, even if they’re not my own.

But every time I wear a belt all I can think is how awful they are. They cut into my stomach. They make the fabric of my pants all bendy and wrinkled and uncomfortable. Then the pants slip down and the belt is just on my skin and the belt loops are inverted and EVERYTHING IS AWFUL.

I love the look of them, especially the adorably styled ones that are starting to come out. I admit, my heart goes pitter-patter when I see a coordinated polo and belt. It’s such a nice, trim, turnout. I am jealous of all of you who wear them and shop for them and look awesome in them. Every so often I think I should get one and wear one and then I think about the feeling of a belt on the skin of my stomach and how much I want to set them on fire inside of fifteen minutes.

So: why do you wear belts? Am I doing it all wrong? Should I try again?

bareback

Bareback December

Amanda6 Comments

I don’t know, that post title sounds kind of dirty when I really think about it.

Anyway: it is too.flipping.cold. to deal with saddles. So the new routine is to pull blanket, fling on quarter sheet and bridle, and head to the arena.

This has many benefits: it keeps me warmer, it works on my balance & muscling, and it helps with the long slow work that we’re doing right now. (Much less temptation to canter!)

Tuesday night, we did about 35 minutes of w/t work like that. I was surprised both by how well I sat the trot and by how he loosened up into the trot quite nicely, even with me sitting – usually he stiffens and fusses for quite a while, but he really was stretching long and low by lap 2.

This is not to say that I trotted for more than a few laps at a time bareback. I’m not that strong yet. But we’ll get there.

If I ever get to the barn again while there’s daylight (spoiler alert: not for at least then next 10 days, ugh), I’ll hack him out bareback too.

What do you think, can I get through December without using a saddle once?

rescue

Giving Tuesday: Horse-Related Causes to Consider

Amanda6 Comments

Giving Tuesday started a few years ago as an alternative to the commercialism of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It’s a day set aside for donations to worthy causes. End of the year giving is a major push for nonprofits, as people look at their overall giving through the year and start to calculate their tax deductions. There are some statistics that suggest that budgets are balanced on the donations of the next four weeks.

With that in mind, here are a few horse-related worthy causes that are near and dear to my heart that I hope you consider during this holiday season.

Ever After Mustang Rescue

I adopted Tristan from this rescue almost ten years ago. Located in Southern Maine, they taken in unwanted mustangs from across the northeast. They specialize in BLM-gathered horses that have fallen on bad times. Some of them come in off the range and go into unsuitable homes, despite precautions, and it’s a swift downhill slide from there. The summer I spent working there taught me more about horses than every moment I’d spent around horses before that summer.

They do extraordinary work, and they’re in the midst of a capital campaign now to refurbish the outdated barn and provide real facilities to intake badly neglected horses and retrain them.

Equine Cushings and Insulin Resistant Group

As I’m sure you know from reading this blog, Tristan was diagnosed with Cushing’s this past fall. This group, headed by Dr. Elaine Kellon, has been instrumental in helping me learn about the disease, and their commitment to scientific research, dissemination of information, and finding solutions have been instrumental in developing new therapies and making effective therapies more widely available. Even ten years ago, Tristan’s prognosis would have been very serious, but he’s doing great now at least in part to the work of this group. So check them out and consider donating!

United States Eventing Association Equine Cardiovascular Research Study

I love eventing, and it breaks my heart that so many horses are dying while doing it. This study has good people doing good work to help figure out the problems, and help make eventing safer for everyone. The link is to the main USEA donation page, but you can earmark your donation for the study by using the check boxes provided.

blog roundup

Weekly Blog Roundup

Amanda4 Comments

Last week’s blog roundup was shortened on account of me being insanely busy with a professional conference. Here, have a special edition horse blog roundup for your reading enjoyment!

Go-Everywhere, Ride Camp Dog from In Omnia Paratus
I am a huge fan of Liz’s Husky Kenai, and I loved her round up of ways in which you should train your dog to be a solid citizen when out and about. Arya is slowly, slowly becoming a more civilized barn dog but she’s nowhere near ready yet. Here’s something to aim for.

Crop to the Rescue from A Gift Horse
Oh man. I have many flaws as a rider, but my elbows might be the most egregious. I might have to try this.

Happy on Horseback from Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
I know some people hate her, but I kind of love this blog, and have for many years now – almost 10, I think? Here’s a great example of the gorgeous photos she takes of working ranch horses. (As an aside, I once stumbled across a blog that was solely a hate blog for Pioneer Woman; it basically mirrored each of her posts with reasons why everything she wrote was terrible. It was a mystifying example of anonymous internet nastiness. The pinnacle, for me, was reached when the blog tried to prove that their ranch horses were abused because they had sweat marks!!1!!1! Oy.)

The Weenie Eventers Head to Hagyard Midsouth Three Day Challenge from A Filly’s Best Friend
Really cool goal, cool story, and a chance to both enter a giveaway and bid on some great horse products for a good cause. Check it out! (You can also head directly to their Go Fund Me page and their Facebook page.)

Winter Wear Review from All In
I could basically read winter gear reviews all day. Some really drool-worthy tops on here.

What It’s Like Being an Anxious Horse Owner from She Moved to Texas
THIS IS MY LIFE.

Rehabbing Real Life from Confessions of an AA Event Rider
Kind of an important lesson for me right now. Be as kind to yourself and as thoughtful about your progression as you are about your horse’s.

Working a horse show from Hand Gallop
Here’s the other side of all those drool-worthy mobile tack units you see at horse shows. I know I’ve personally bought panicky last-minute items more than a few times, and browsed every time I can. So many pretty things!

Wofford on Grooming from Incidents of Guidance
This is clear, precise, and yet still nearly spiritual. It made me want to go to the barn immediately.

winter

Covet

Amanda3 Comments

Why is it that as soon as you put yourself on a no-spending budget, you find things to covet?

It is snowing sideways in whiteout conditions outside, and I can’t stop sighing over these boots for barn chores.

Smartpak All Terrain Waterproof Winter Boot
I don’t even have any plans to do barn chores this winter, AND I have some perfectly good winter stomping boots, both for home and the barn.
Some girls want jewelry, some girls want fleece-lined stomping boots for the barn.
Also on the covet list: Carhart coveralls. Yes, you heard me. 
Doesn’t she look warm? and competent? and warm?
I love Vermont, I love Vermont, I love Vermont…
blanketing

Small Things

Amanda3 Comments

I got to see my horse last night! Whooooooo!

I did not ride, on account of still not being able to take a deep breath without wheezing. But I brought him out of his stall and let him hoover up the little bits of spilled hay in the aisle, and pulled his blanket, and curried and brushed him all over. He was happy to see me, which is always a nice feeling, and it was heavenly to spend even 30 minutes in the quiet with him.

He was wearing his heavyweight and not too warm. I remain amazed by this. It was 34 degrees outside, which is not that cold! Good grief. Of all the changes wrought on his body by aging, this is one that continues to flummox me. How is MY horse, Tristan, my tough little mustang, who lived outside 24/7 through multiple Vermont winters, who turned up his nose at going in the shelter in driving snow, how is he wearing a heavyweight blanket in November comfortably?

Also, what are we going to do when it gets actually cold? He is carrying a bit too much weight right now, so on the one hand being a little cold and burning some calories wouldn’t be the worst idea; on the other hand, I am still utterly terrified of the one cold-induced colic that he had.

sigh.

No barn tonight, on account of our Thanksgiving storm. Hopefully Friday.

Tristan is pretty firmly in that 10″ purple band.