Model Status

Got plenty of show prep accomplished this week, whew! Sunday when the weather was gross, I pulled all my tack in to clean in. The weather was making me nervous, but Monday and Tuesday were beautiful, Wednesday was gross so I planned a day off for both of us, and then last night I had a lesson. Tonight I'll haul up to school at the show venue, and then voila - we'll make our 1st Level (schooling show) debut on Saturday! Both my classes Saturday are just me, so auto blues and less pressure 🤣 Sunday I am actually riding in a class with several people I know, which will be cool! Hopefully Ruby and I don't embarrass ourselves haha. Ruby is more than capable of all the test movements, and I'm capable of asking for them if I don't go full lizard brain and curl into the fetal position. And after practicing them in my extremely short court, doing them in a regulation arena will feel so spacious! 

Model status on Tuesday 😍

She was SO GOOD that I quit after 30 minutes and we just hacked.

Trying to fit in a weeknight lesson means I was on the road basically the minute I got home from work and didn't make it back until 9:30, so I didn't even have a chance to LOOK at lesson media, much less pull any for coherent thoughts. I'll try to get a recap up next week but I imagine it'll be eclipsed by show media lol. It was a REALLY GOOD lesson, that I desperately needed. We ARE capable of this, I just need to get TF out of my own head and ride the horse. Picking up my new fancy boots definitely helped from a confidence perspective ❤️❤️

I got photos of Ruby's fancy new boots, but not mine 🤦‍♀️

It was a dark rainy night so conditions in the indoor were challenging for photos, but DH took a ton of video instead so hopefully I can get that up next week!

Wish us luck! ☺️

Teach Me Thursday - Away Shows with Tack Stalls

I'm sort of bastardizing Aimee's old teach me Tuesday series, but it fit better on Thursday this week and the letters still work so 🤣 here we are. 

#accurateAF except add booze

I have a ton of experience showing day shows off my trailer. In 2015, I had it down to a SCIENCE - I showed Ruby and Topaz every other weekend from March through November and could pack in my sleep. I'm showing off the trailer this weekend (pray for good weather lol), but I'm trying to look ahead for next year....and in 2022, my goal is to make it to some away rated shows. Which means I probably need to start slowly gathering things I'll need so the last minute shopping trip for the first show doesn't give me sticker shock lol. 

I mean..... Obviously I need this for... Something? Right? 

So. Teach me! What are your must have items for shows when you have a tack stall or are showing out of the aisle when your trailer isn't easily accessible? Do you have a packing list? What's one weird thing you really love that makes your life easier? Links are welcome (dare I say, encouraged?!). I've got Amazon promotional credits and Christmas lists to make, so go crazy in the comments! Or if you've ever written about this on your own blog, link me to your post. If Blogger is being dumb and won't let you comment, feel free to contact me via any social media accounts or email (trainwreckinteal@gmail.com). Looking forward to hearing what your must-have items are!

WW: More Surprise Mail

I get daily USPS Informed Delivery emails telling me what is coming in the mail each day, and Saturday I was scheduled to receive a mystery package - about a 50-50 chance its something DH ordered, or an #anonymousocopus.... guess what Saturday's was LOL. 

I'm not explaining why this is addressed to Grandma but it does narrow the senders down to a very small group of people WHO WILL NOT FESS UP TO WHO IS SENDING THESE. Unless they're just taking turns driving me crazy. 

Combining my love of teal and plants and apparently the forced love I have for octopuses. (I still think the plural should be octopi)

Last Week's Rides

Just a real quick dump of some ride photos and notes about last week's work with the girls! After being so grumpy the previous week because of all the rain, last week ended up being a banner week for riding. That's Missouri for you though, there's no balance, the weather is either consistently great or consistently terrible lol. Ah well. Until I'm independently wealthy enough to have an indoor, it is what it is. Someday!

The arena looked so good when I got home from Indiana that I HAD to ride!

Ruby disagreed, lol. 

She was a good girl though! Productive workout. 

I'm back to swapping off evenings for the girls, so Cinna had the next day. She was shockingly adult (I don't know why I still act shocked, she's been consistently really reliable for a while now, it shouldn't shock me anymore). 

She is fat and out of shape though, so we both got sweaty. 

You saw photos from Ruby's ride in her fancy new SIE set (which I am frankly NOT impressed with, the second time I went to use it there was a massive rubbed/pilled spot under one of my boots, sigh). 

Looks good from far away I guess!

Much more pleased with the DJD browband, natch. 

That wasn't a serious school though, rain was moving in so it was mostly walking, although we did trot and canter a few laps, just to be a little productive. 

The next evening was PERFECT VEST WEATHER, I was so excited. The ride was so-so -- Ruby was back to being VERY anticipatory about the canter. Thankfully I had already scheduled a lesson for this week before the show. Fingers crossed. I know new trainer will be able to reinstall the gerbils in both our brains, and hopefully it'll hold through the show weekend lol. 

Jack busted the very expensive feeder he eats obscenely expensive amounts of food out of and wasn't sorry at all, clearly. 

Cinna was next in the rotation - she was VERY VERY VERY convinced there were dead people in the corner of the arena this ride. Not our most productive ride, but we'll keep chipping away. 

We did hang out in dead people corner for a while though. Just in case. 

Saturday's trail ride got it's own post yesterday, and then Sunday we had severe weather warnings and shit weather all day, so everyone got the day off! 

Another decent ride on Monday - not our best, not our worst, but had some good moments.

And needed to break out the cooler and lights after, sob 😭 so dark so early, and it's only going to get worse.

Here's hoping the weather keeps cooperating for consistent riding through when it starts getting really cold anyway! I posted looking for an indoor to haul to when the weather looked so bad last weekend, and I've sourced a few options, so maybe I can keep us going between that and lessons all winter. 

Trail Adventures: Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area October 2021

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." -- The Anne of Green Gables series was one of my favorite growing up (seriously, I probably read the entire 8-book series 20+ times, haha), and I have to agree with LM Mongomery about Octobers <3 last week I was feeling a bit cheated, because I hadn't been out on the trails since my solo trip to Broemmelsiek back in August. Between DH wanting to take the new boat out a lot this summer, and our mutual decision that we could split weekends between that and my lessons, we haven't actually hauled out and ridden together since.... I think T was here in May? The weekend I was in Indiana probably would have been good but ya know... I was 350 miles away lol. The forecast for this past weekend looked GARBAGE all week, but Saturday when I pulled up the radar, it actually looked like the worst of the rain would miss us until the evening. DH had started a garage project, but he needed to borrow a very specific drill from his dad, who conveniently lives not too far from Rudolf Bennitt (which you may remember garnered a brief mention last summer riding at this same park when our diesel damn near dropped its driveshaft in the road due to a moronic mechanic and his dad came out with tools to save the day). I proposed we dash out, ride for a bit, grab the drill, and be back before the rain -- easy peasy lemon squeezy :)

As we pulled up, DH asked me if the park was closed for hunting season.... D'oh! Thankfully this ended up being the last weekend they were open before youth firearm season and then regular firearm season in November. During hunting season we pretty much exclusively head east to ride at Indian Camp Creek and Broemmelsiek. 

Ironically enough on the way there, FB memories reminded me that 6 or 7 years ago was our first trip to Indian Camp Creek, and there were photos of me riding in a tank top because it was 75 degrees. Unfortunately this day was about 55 degrees and annoyingly overcast. But the foliage was still pretty!

These two are ridiculous

Brrrrrrr. I ended up riding with my hands in my vest pockets like 70% of the way. Thankfully Ruby doesn't really require steering, even when we rode past the (very very very active) rifle range. 

All ring work and no trails makes Ruby a grumpy girl - she was so happy to be out!

No hands necessary. I love her. 

The trail runs right next to the rifle range, which was hopping! Thankfully my horses give zero fucks about gunfire. 

I always love how her neck looks with a fresh roach.

DH did not trust my navigation skills LOL. 

Due to where we parked, we had limited loop options, but we still put together a nice 2-hour ride and then swung by his dad's (ponies hung out munching hay on the trailer), grabbed the drill, and were home before the rain, giving DH enough time to finish his garage project. Productive day!

Fashion Friday

It's been a BANNER WEEK FOR MAIL 🤩🤩🤩 however, I fucking hate Blogger because for some stupid reason it put the first photo I tried to insert AT THE BOTTOM of this post, sigh. 

The first thing I got this week was the Standard Issue Equestrian set in teal I pre-ordered.... A while ago. I have some thoughts about that process and some minor annoyances, but damn if I don't love the shit out of the final product. 

Mmm that trim!

She was absolutely filthy and I didn't bother to clean up her legs but I just wanted to see how they'd look. 

SO 🔥

Ruby, bored with her life as a model, clearly 🤣

Mirror selfies FTW

The bonnet has Velcro to keep it attached to the bridle, which is pretty cool!

DH came out to read for me to work through 1-1 and 1-2. He also got some video and so of course I got screenshots. 

Zoom zoom lol

The canter elevation tho 🤷‍♀️

Wednesday was another good mail day - I custom ordered this DJD browband last month, and Amelia worked very hard to match multiple different tones in my show shirt/two show jackets. 

She KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK 🤩🤩🤩

I cannot get over how perfect this browband is. 

Rain was moving in so it wasn't a serious school -- clearly 🤣

Blue steel 

My two favorites ❤️

The Holo carrying bag might actually randomly be my favorite lol. 

So! We may not be ready for the show at the end of the month but goddamn we will look the part 🤣