Clover Ledge Farm

Here is the latest installment of "What's in YOUR tack room?" and this time we are looking at what I keep in my trailer!  First installment is here.

My first trailer was a neat 20' Eby stock trailer that I purchased in 2003 and paid for myself.  It is the first thing I bought and paid for new on my own, and I towed that thing everywhere from here in Maine to New Jersey and even Kentucky.  I loved that trailer and was sad to sell it, but it was pretty exciting to purchase another new one, just a bit longer (gotta fit husband's pulling oxen!).  So now it is not a "horse trailer" but a "livestock trailer" haha.  



I admit, at first I was not super impressed with owning a stock trailer.  It just didn't seem as cool as the nice slant horse trailers with real dressing rooms and real horse windows.  Of course, it didn't take long for me to realize that a stock trailer, while not as fancy, is much more versatile than a regular trailer.  I have mo…

Between my husband's cattle and my horses, there seems to always be something to build, improve, or repair around the farm.  The other day I randomly remarked that we ought to have a hitching post of sorts, a place where my husband can yoke his cattle and I can bathe my horses.  He usually ties his cattle to the side of the trailer or the dump trailer, which is fine, and I always just hose off or bathe my horses while holding their leads.  They are both well trained enough to stand and not move (Snappy still isn't fond of water, but she stands fairly still because she knows I expect it).  But an actually hitching post would be nice.

So the first night he digs the holes and cements in the posts.  The second night he notches in the rail across the top and we decide to add the small pressure treated 2x4 since we decided we didn't want his calves to think about going UNDER the railing.  






I will use the middle tie ring with a safety release knot in the lead rope, but my husband f…

I have no problem admitting I am a tack whore.  I love tack shops, browsing online for tack, and checking out used tack for sale online.  Also, I personally love reading what other people use for tack, especially for showing.  Because I have recently changed up many of the items I use for showing because they have either fallen apart or simply needed replacing for other random reasons (including the just because I need it reason), I have been considering doing a series of posts about what I use and what I love.  

So here is the showing edition!  I will break this down into the three phases...

For dressage, I use a DK Freedom dressage saddle.  This is new-to-me, having just bought it mid June and I had it fitted to Snappy on June 23!  So far, I love it and it is super comfortable.  After using saddle pads for years that looked like my horses were wearing a blanket, I finally got smart and ordered a PRI pony sized saddle pad from Just for Ponies.  It is just a little bit shorter than a re…

Besides Blogger, I use Facebook and of course, Snap Dancer has her own page as does our farm.  Starting in the fall, the school where I teach is going to begin a student enrichment group (one of many) to help "brand" our school district through Twitter and Instagram.  

Hmmmmm.  This is a good idea, however I do not use either platform.  So, in an effort to remain tech savvy and engaged with the district, I started both Twitter and Instagram accounts.



I am still not totally sure how either of them work, and I definitely don't have a strong hashtag game.  I also don't totally understand how I should use each one.  Do I post the same things over and over?  How boring!  It already feels redundant when I post about a horse show to my personal Facebook, Snappy's page, and the farm page.  I am not really sure how I want to use them yet, if at all.  

Sounds like a good summer research project for this teacher!  ;-)

Our second event of the year was this past weekend at an equestrian center in New Hampshire.  It was a gorgeous summer day when the sun was behind the clouds and blazing hot when the clouds parted LOL!  Despite the heat, Snappy was quite good.  My thirteen year old agreed to come along as my photographer and he did a great job.  

We warmed up easily for dressage and put in a decent test for a 28.1, which landed us in third place out of a division of five riders.  






Cross country went well and the only fence she was pretty sure was a big no was a 2' black drainage pipe thing.  She paused at the base of the fence but I was ready and pony kicked her over it haha.  No way you are stopping on the little fences, mare, because I know you are brave deep down!  There were thirteen total fences, ranging from tiny logs (see pic below of fence #1, the smallest fence on course) to railroad ties, coops, and a little brush fence.  I think had I not been riding her forward in a brave and quiet manne…

Seven years ago, it took me forever to find the dressage right saddle for Dreamy.  I tried many different saddles and eventually settled on a Stubben Juventus which I adore!  I made it work well enough for Snappy last year with a Mattes pad and a lot of cringing, but she is built downhill and I knew the saddle really didn't work for her.  With Dreamy essentially retired, I knew it was time to get the Stubben looked at for Snappy.  Ashley Hutchinson of Whole Horse Works came out last week and evaluated the fit on both the dressage saddle and my other Juventus which is a jumping saddle.

Because of her downhill build, the dressage saddle was sitting too low in front.  However, because of her wither shape and large shoulders, there was no way we could go with a smaller width tree (it is a 31 cm, medium wide) because then it wouldn't fit.  While the back gussets work well for her shape, she really could use front gussets.  Of course, the saddle is designed so there was no more room …