Equestrian Challenge: Day 6 & 7

Life has popped up and reared it's ugly head, meaning I am very behind on these challenges, so you get two in one day! Yipee!

Day 06- All the tack and riding clothes you have 
(brand/color/other details)

This one is a joke... right? haha. I am obsessed with tack & riding clothes, but here goes, the short list....

This is my Jeff Smith Cowhorse, I am in love with it - it's an awesome saddle. However, lately i've been noticing some dry spots after hard workouts with Jingle, so I think it might have to be traded in. So sad.... I'm crazy enough to want to keep it, just because I love it so much, and buy another saddle for Jingle. But, after an ouchy truck-bill I got from the mechanic today, that's just not happening.

So, anyone looking for a Jeff Smith cowhorse saddle, FQHB? Super nice saddle, would fit any normal QH build (except for my scrawny, awkward withered horse) Bought it in September for $2600, always kept in a heated tack locker, mainly ridden inside, only been outside twice. Comes with Nettles stirrups & i'll throw in a brand new Billy Cook mohair cinch.

Jingle has Red Professional's Choice SMB's, front and backs, aswell as black PC bell-boots.

Here you can see his two bridles, I forget the brand of one, but it's nice, it's my back-up bridle and for quick-change bits. Then second-in from the right is my Weaver headstall that I'm in love with. I have the matching breast collar, and it's my only full tack set. Then his two halters, one is a weaver with rawhide noseband, the second is halter I had made from Chick's saddlery, it has his barn name on the noseband, and his registered name on both cheek pieces. Love it.

Then, as you guys now, Jingle chose to be ridden in a sidepull, so bye bye bits and beautiful headstalls - hello ugly, plain sidepull. This one is a weaver sidepull, it's nice - gets the job done. 

In my tack locker I have a little self container of odds and ends, here you can see my helmet, the aforementioned breast collar, and Jingle's Weatherbeeta cooler, with attached neck piece. He also has a rugged wear medium blanket, a weatherbeeta heavy blanket, and two different rain/summer sheets.

Odds & Ends - notepad and pens to jot things down, extra dewormer, a couple bits, and chin straps.

Extra reins, lunge line, Mane & Tail Shampoo & Conditioner. This is also where his Vetricyn, MTG and miscellaneous oils & potions I have goes.

Tack Box, contains brushes, hoof picks, Riva's remedy salve for inflammation that I sometimes apply to his face after a hard ride, Leave in-conditioner for his mane and tail, braiding elastics, etc.

As for riding clothes.... my favourite riding jeans are Wrangler Sadies, and I have 3 different Lululemon Stride Jackets that I love to ride in. They are pretty much just sweaters, but they are super long, so they don't ride up under my vests, and they have the loops for your thumbs, so they keep my hands warm. I I always ride in a vest, my favourites are the ones from Marks, waterproof and super warm. Finally, my favourite socks are Justin boot socks, super warm, and they go really tall but don't dig into your legs... which a lot of high socks I have do. Finally, I have my go-to Justin's that I ride in, they are pink high tops, and I adore them. I rarely ride in anything else. I also have my pink muck boots, which are essential in keeping my toes warm pre and post ride. :)

Day 07- Your favorite ribbon won at a show and why

Haha, this one is easy to include beeeeecaaaaauuuuussseeeee... I have never won a ribbon before - maybe one day. I sure hope so.

Yum.

This WP outfit/saddle/horse combination, yummy.

I loooove the red.

Such a sucker for Western Pleasure sometimes.

"A Good Intention" in the Senior Western Pleasure @ the APHA World Fall Show

(btw his Barn Name is "Baby Mac, too cute)

Want: Dubarry Boots

 You've probably seen these boots at all the major horse trade shows. They're called Dubarrys, all the ones here are from their "Country" Line of footwear, and generally at the shows you see reps standing in a bucket of water, declaring their water resistant, warm, miracle technology!

Well... I have been suckered into the hype, plus, I just think they are really cute. My go-to for warm footwear are my Muck Boots, but i'm uncomfortable riding with how bulky they are, plus they aren't exactly the cutest things to wear from school to the barn.

Dubarry's on the other hand.... 

Drooooooolllllll

Unfortunately, their price tag is disgustingly steep, and definitely not something I can ever justify spending money on. Sigh.

A girl can dream...

An Ode to Wranglers

Confession time: I love jeans.

More Confession time: I love Wranglers & I love riding in them. 

I don't know if it's the "cowboy aura" of them, the history behind them, or how those big W's make my bum look - but i'm hooked. In fact, I'm becoming a total Wrangler hoarder. I have about 7 pairs, ranging from your everyday, on the farm, type Wranglers to blingy, white-stitched, going-out and two-steppin' Wranglers.

This company "gets me" ad-wise

&, although I hate to admit it, i'm starting more and more to really love my blinged out Wranglers.

BUT, I have a seriously problem - when the HECK did Wranglers become so expensive? I recently had an old rancher tell me "Just buy mens, they are only like $30 bucks."

... But then I wont have decorated pockets, or pretty white stitching, or fading...

Now, I don't know the exact price of men's jeans, I believe somewhere between $30-$70, but all of the Wranglers I like are seemingly $100 and up! Girl, that is insane!

I am buying these jeans to predominantly ride in, aka I will be shoveling POO in $100 dollar jeans, I will be getting whacked my tree limbs desperate to rip up my knees in these jeans... and you are telling me that my poo covered, ripped up jeans are worth $100 dollars?! Woah Jeez.

Case in point, I recently found these beautiful Wranglers, which are part of the new "Booty Up" line.

Ladies, these looked really, really good on my bum, let me tell you something! Apparently they have "patent-pending" technology, darts, that lift and define the bum area... I don't know if that's true, but I dig this line of jeans. I have one pair that make me look phenomenal. I was so ready to buy them, plus about 20 other pairs, when I saw the price tag $110 !! WHAT?! No way jose.

I did some research on the Wrangler website and it seems the three lines I love the most, being...

1) Booty Up 2) Sadie 3) Mae 

...are all "Wrangler Premium", which i'm reading in-between the lines of as "super hella expensive." I haven't even LOOKED into the Wrangler Rock 47 line ever since last summer when a pair caught my eye and they turned out to be $140... heartattack central.

Then, there's what Wrangler touts as the "ultimate riding jean" - the Q-Baby, a lot of my friends, young and old, have had great success with this style of jean. I, on the other hand, have not. They fit me awkwardly, they make my bum look like a big saggy mess, and they just generally are not that flattering. (Refer to the model in the above ad.. those jeans aren't doing much for her, that horse is making her look way better, drool) Not a fan.. and yet I have two pairs, sigh.. as is life. If I remember correctly the Q-Baby's are slightly less expensive at around $80-$90.

Finally, Wrangler has "cowboy cut", "blues", "as real as Wrangler" and "Aura"... I have tried the Aura's (again.. gave me a serious case of the mom butt, and the other 3 I have yet to try.) I'm sure they are all slightly cheaper than the blingier, trendier fare I seem to gravitate towards, and that's because they are a little more plain, and that's all fine and dandy by me... if they made me look good.

But, like, let us compare...

vs.

.... the Booty Up's win again.

Thus, Dear Wrangler, please lower your prices. I've looked at other brands, and nothing is the same as your big W's across my bum... but your hurting my bank account, and thus.. my heart. Sincerely, Louisa.

What are your guys favourite styles of jeans for riding? Anything that's a little trendier but more on the cheap side?

Also - 10 followers!! You are all wonderful and I love reading all of your blogs. Thanks for joining the ride! Hope you don't look I'm too insane with all this clothing related rambling !! <3

The Season of Spending: Attire!

... to continue on my series of "Louisa, why do you spend so much money all the time you big idiot?!"

A friend & I got these shirts (Panhandle Slim's) together, we plan to get them customized with the name of our ranch down one of the arm (Wrangler shirt style), and the logo on the back. Possibly with our job titles on the other arm? Not sure yet.

I'm very excited, we're already planning the photoshoot and perhaps trying our hands at blinging out some tack?! (Obviously that will be featured in said photoshoot). Pictures to follow!

Anyways.. this brings me to another point, finding plain wrangler shirts for women is THE HARDEST THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD at any of the western stores in Calgary. I don't want Wrangler & Jack Daniels. I don't want Wrangler and Justin Boots (... or whatever). I just wanted Wrangler. I also don't want to have to wear a man's XS that still makes me look like a child attempting to dress in big boy clothes.

Impossible.

This is a Rock 47 shirt, I got a wicked deal on it - like 50%, it'll be a nice summer shirt - loose and sheer.

The white may be a deal breaker though... I'm not exactly the tidiest, cleanest person in the world.

Finally, because I love looking like cowgirl barbie, (hahaha.. only kind of joking) a Justin hat with camo-ventilated back. This hat was super cheap though, and it'll beat my pink rhinestone John Deere hat I sometimes sport in the summer...

It's fun, to be a redneck idiot sometimes.

First Snow Fall of the Year

So, most of southern Alberta experienced the first official snowfall today. You know, I'm one to complain about snow.. I truly am, winter isn't my thing and I'm a big cry baby. I enjoy the beauty of winter, I love Christmastime, and I can appreciate the season - I can look like a fool on skates, and, as of last year, I have decided I quite enjoy snowshoeing. I don't mind snowboarding - as long as it involves beer afterwards, and there is something pretty amazing about riding in a crystalline paradise of white. 

However; there is nothing fun about getting stuck in a snow drift up to your horses shoulder, there is nothing fun about your car spinning out and refusing to stop (this happened to me quite a few times in a 5 minute drive this morning) and there is just nothing fun about having to prepare 15 layers of clothing before you leave your house.

But, I won't complain too much yet, today turned out to be semi-decent and most of the snow has already disappeared or retreated onto grass only. When one of those big 6 day snowdumps occurs though, Oh yeah.. i'll be whinin'.

Here's a couple pictures of me on a -30 day in Alberta two winter's ago; tending to some horses. You gotta be crazy in love with a creature to haul hay out to them 2 times a day in -30... no wonder my friends don't get this whole "horse thing" of mine.

The herd, snowy fur included.

I'll have you know on this particular day in Alberta I was wearing a sports bra, a tank top, a t-shirt, a long sleeve, what looks like two sweaters, a shell of a snowboarding jacket, and a puffy vest. Leggings, Jeans, snow pants, two pairs of gloves (the snowboarding gloves were off for this photo), and i'm assuming at the time i was wearing three pairs of socks in rubber boots. Aswell as a bandanna, followed by a toque and a facewarmer. ... Lovely; things to look forward too.

Snow, and snow, and snow for miles.