This and That

Whether you groom for yourself at shows or you employ the aid of the friendly neighborhood barn kid or your best friend, this list should definitely be of assistance!! Having been a groom myself, these are some tips and tricks I've discovered. (And I apologize for the lack of a list format. If someone could tell me a way to do it without sending my post early, I would greatly appreciate it 😂) 1. A hoof pick with a good stiff brush. This pick is not for the horse's feet, but rather to scrape and scrub wet sand off wraps and boots. This. Is. A. LIFE SAVER!!!!! It will keep the sand collection in your ringside bag to a minimum and will keep the wraps/boots clean for longer!!! 2. A mesh drawstring bag to stuff wraps/boots into. The sand can fall through the mesh and you won't get your grooming backpack filled with grit. 3. Water bottles for you, your rider, and the syringe used to wash out the horse's mouth. Bonus points for packing snacks!! (But be sure to not give the rider anything sugary before the class. Sugar can make nerves worse) 4. A GPS to track your rider. I say this humorously, but you may want to take this seriously, because whenever they leave you alone with the horse, they are almost guaranteed to be found on the opposite end of the facility. 5. Damp cloth/baby wipes. Excellent for last minute stain/dirt/mark removal from clothes, the horse, boots, etc. A damp cloth easily shines up the horse's coat and minimalizes the appearance of dust. 6. Treats for the horse, of course!! 7. Always carry the whip with you, you'll never know when the rider may need some assistance with the horse responding to the aids. The same goes for a lead rope, in case the horse needs to be led in hand from ring to ring. 8. Sunscreen and a hat!! Summer days in the heat can be brutal otherwise! 9. Lastly but not least, carry with you always kind words, a positive attitude, and calm energy so regardless of how the day goes, your rider knows you are there to support and cheer on!!!

I feel so blessed to have the love of my two horses, and I can only thank them for their trust by loving them a thousand times more 🤎

My black whip holder really stood out against my rosegold horseshoes and wood in the tack room, so I took some spray paint and sprayed them rosegold, like the horseshoes. I think they look fabulous!!

When PS first started out, they produced their bridles in a gorgeous rich lighter brown colour called cognac! (See pics) over the years the stopped producing this colour and opted to only produce in a very dark brown, and black. As someone who only rides in the rich newmarkets, oaks, tans, cognacs it has driven me mad for years that if I ride in a ps bridle, even though it is brown, it looks like I’m one of those colourblind riders who doesn’t care about having mud matching tack and riding in a brown saddle with a black bridle!! Honestly the brown is so dark nowadays I find it almost impossible to distinguish from their black tack! I feel like over the past decade the rich lighter browns have become way more popular and if PS were to bring back cognac, it would sell very well! Probably out performing the dark brown! When I discovered the cognac I searched the globe and found a bridle to buy in Australia (I’m in South Africa) I got it here and am so happy that I can now ride in a PS bridle as I really felt I was missing out. I now buy any cognac colour leatherwork I find in my travels from PS but I would love NOTHING more than to be able to buy new bridles from them in different styles in cognac colour! Poll below please participate!!

I'm very happy that the renovations of our over 100-year-old historic stable are finally in full swing 💪 There is a chance that by the end of September, the complete renovation of two arenas - the small and the large - will be finished. We also have a new quartz lunging ring and the possibility to ride on a large grass arena. In future plans, there's an idea to create an additional quartz outdoor riding area and build more paddocks 😻 With the completion of the renovations, an intensive program of competitions and events will be launched in this newly renovated center. I can't wait 🤩

So thankful for him, I am not that experienced in jumping, so I’m super happy that it is getting better each time🤎

I just wanted to share something that you guys might find helpful now or for future bit fitting, since in this particular case, this is not what I thought would have worked. 😂 Anyway, so if you've read my bio, you know I work with a stallion. Stallions, as one vet clinic said, "we treat them like the divas they are." They're not joking when they call them that! While the one I ride is a pretty good, he's very, and justifiably so, fussy about his tack. Recently, I had to get him new EVERYTHING. The hardest part was the bit. His previous owner (I do not own him) rode him in a D-ring, as I saw in photos. I was told by his rider before me that he couldn't be ridden in a bit because he was too mouthy. I refuse to ride such a horse as a stallion without a bit, so I decided to treat the situation as if he were a young horse. At a local tack sale, I found a copper single joint full cheek bit for cheap and decided to buy it because it had the full cheeks, which would help me should he not have very good steering. However, he is a Gypsy and being draft, he has a big tongue and low palate. Turns out he was mouthy because both bits, mine and the former rider's, were single joint and so they were jabbing him in the mouth. So, I searched for what he was ridden in to find the D-ring. Again, a bit that would help with steering. I borrowed one with my beloved double joint and while there was significant improvement, he wouldn't take contact for more than a second at a time. So, after a lot of thinking, with my only reason to try this being that a cheap dressage legal D-ring is really hard to find, I decided to borrow a loose ring double joint snaffle to see how he could take contact. It is very easy for him to blow through the bit on his stiff side, so I didn't want to make it even easier by using a straight bar. To my surprise, his steering was improved despite the "weak" cheekpieces, the loose ring even made him better on his stiff side, and he was MUCH happier to take contact!! All this to say, it's absolutely worth trying the opposite of what you think would work. Sometimes, that's exactly what's needed! 😁

Pony waiting for his clinic! Donna Gatchell is definitely my equestrian icon and I’m so blessed to be able to ride with her! She solved 3 months of our problems in 45 minutes and is just so positive. Has anyone else ridden with her? 💗