Clover Ledge Farm

YAY!!!  Thirty days of posting for NaBloPoMo!  Here is the final entry!  This was fun and helped keep me focused through the month, but yeah, I am definitely feeling some writing fatigue!  :-)

In the immediate future, I hope to continue bringing Ellie along so she trusts me and we build a partnership.  I prefer the slow, systematic, patient approach, so while she is going to be six next June, I don't feel the need to push her because of her age.  We have all the time in the world.  I do hope to get her out more to little shows next year, putzing around at maybe Intro B and C at the local dressage shows and then becoming confident enough in jumping to do some little three phases.  Maybe I'll try more of the H/J shows to do pleasure and equitation classes, since I tend to put MUCH less pressure on myself at those types of shows than in dressage/eventing.  Maybe someday we will try a Morgan show, but I don't know if I want to do that type of showing any longer. Mostly it would…

I definitely am not a huge fan of the weird bridles out there lately.  As I have written about before, I love tack, I love browsing online for tack, I love looking at Instagram pics of horses/tack, I love buying new tack.  But man, the style of bridles lately is just not for me.  It doesn't bother me that others love these new styles, but to my old fashioned eye, I just cannot put any of this on my horses.

I love the classic, sophisticated, refined look in a bridle. On a side note, I searched FOREVER to find a new dressage bridle last year without a flash.  Seriously, it is like never mind if your horse actually needs a flash or not (mine don't!), but let's just put one on every bridle because no horse can do dress-ahhhhhhggggggge without one.  OMG.

I had a hard time looking at the Micklems at first, but I admit they grew on me.  I bought one once in a weak moment and neither Dreamy nor Snappy liked it, so I sold it two years later.  Maybe Ellie would like it, but too late f…

Always a helmet.  Yes, I have ridden without one before (the few times I showed saddleseat), but even I know that was a stupid thing to do (on a young horse, no less).  I don't mind wearing a helmet, I don't have any vanity about helmet hair, and they honestly really don't bother me.

I am not a helmet nazi, going around on social media calling people out over not wearing one, because I keep my comments/thoughts to myself.  But I do admit my heart drops when I see someone without a helmet and I was SUPER thrilled when USEF passed their new helmet rules.  

Riding is a sport full of risks and I think it is smart to minimize the risks when possible!



An InLinkz Link-up

You know you're an equestrian when... (#withfunhashtags and a gif edition haha)

5.  You can get totally swept down the rabbit hole that is Smartpak supplements online (or whatever else equine related online) and do entirely too much research and clicking around about diet, nutrition, and supplements.  Every so often (though not recently), I get it into my head my horse needs XYZ supplement or what-have-you.  #whyyesihave27tabsopeninmybrowser

4.  You have a tube of Banamine in your purse.  And when it falls out onto the Dunks' counter, the cashier's horrified look just makes you snort laugh.  #askmehowIknow #thismayhaveoccuredmorethanonce

3.  You consistently and automatically use the terms off fore/hind and near fore/hind to describe the tires on your truck.  #mymechanicthinksimaweirdo

Face Palm Shake My Head GIF from Facepalm GIFs

2. Your barn broom wears out once a year.  You've never needed to replace your house floor broom.  #truestory
1.  You catch yourself analyzing th…

This is sort of a tough one!  There isn't much about riding that truly peeves me, because I just work hard and try to do the best I can for my horses.  One thing that does drive me kinda nuts when it rains what feels like every single day in the fall and my "ring" (aka, a flat corner of the turnout paddock/field) turns to slippery mud.  It dries out fine in the spring and summer, but once it turns colder, it just doesn't dry out well.  It's just a bummer because there is nothing I can do about it.  Eventually, I will have enough money saved up for a real ring with fantastic drainage!  Until then, I'm just patient and creative about where I ride (and cursing the rain, under my breath haha)!

I don't post pics of my kids much on social media, but these are just too darn cute not to share!  We were doing turn in and the mares always get a cookie each before we go back inside.  


An InLinkz Link-up

Ohhhhh, if money wasn't an option!!  

I like our trailer because it serves several functions, but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to give it to my husband as his cattle trailer and get my very own real horse trailer.


Previously, I owned an Eby stock trailer and loved the quality.  I would do another Eby three horse slant (or 2plus1) with tack room and living quarters.  I don't need the living quarters, but it sure would come in handy!  This is my dream trailer after all!

It was hard to find an exact pic of the Eby I would want (I assume it's a special order), so here is at least the base models for the two I like.






An InLinkz Link-up

For many years, I had three riding friends: one who was local and we rode/lessoned a lot together, one who I did most of my showing with and who lived a little further away, and one who was in a neighboring state so I didn't see often.

Funny things happen when you get divorced, improve your life tremendously, and then suddenly one day find yourself with a new partner.  Some friends cannot handle it and leave you behind.  I get it, this is part of life and I don't blame anyone.  I avoid drama at all costs, but when others create it, there is not much I can do.  And at my age and stage in life, I just don't have interest in drama or negativity or acting like high schoolers.  No thank you!

Local riding friend's husband is a high school friend of Jason's, and he made it extremely clear he was not happy we decided to get married.  (I mean clearly, I am a terrible, terrible choice in a wife LMAO!) To be polite and not get into the horrid details of the way he acted, let…

Normally, a critique would imply finding fault and being critical.  I don't exactly feel I am one to judge ANYONE'S ride, so instead I am going to compliment!  I am also going to do a dressage test and a jumping round, because I do what I want.  ;-)


You can say what you want about training methods and the Dutch and all that (NOT a fan of rollkur here!), but it cannot be denied that the WEG 2006 freestyle test performed by mare Blu Hors Matiné and rider Andreas Helgstrand was one of the best ever.  That mare is positively dancing!  This is my all time favorite video and it still brings goosebumps no matter how many times I have watched her.



Secondly, I have to go back to Daryl, because she is simply amazing and I want my leg to be as steady as her's someday.  Here she is at GMHA with Rosie, a TB mare she has brought along from a timid horse who quit at tiny crossrails to placing 4th here at Intermediate (in a field of 24!).  Daryl created what you see here and that is amazing…

While I try not to let my horses run my entire life, well, they kinda do.  I mean, yes, I got to work as a teacher, I take care of my children, I like to read and write, but otherwise everything else is mostly about the horses.  My career was carefully chosen so that I would have time off in the summer to play horses (no lie) and my life (when not at work) revolves around chores and the two year olds nap time!

Riding is important in my life, but even more than that, HORSES are important in my life.  I don't even know what I would do with my time if I didn't have horses.  I think I have a hard time relating to other people because they don't have horses, and while that used to bother me, I have begun to accept it as I nudge towards forty!  ;-)

I don't know if I can adequately describe it in words how horses define me as a person.  It is not a hobby.  It is who I AM.  Horses are as much a part of me as being a woman is a part of me.  Horses challenge me, make me whole, kee…

I am pretty boring when it comes to my schooling outfits and I rarely feel as though I qualify as someone who needs to take a selfie with #rootd on it hahaha.  However, there are some tried-and-true items I do like!


I do own a pair of tan Pikeur breeches for showing and a few pairs of SmartPak's Pipers (one white pair for dressage and one tan/turquoise pair for schooling).  However, my most favorite pair of breeches are the Tuff Rider Ribbed Full Seats because they actually fit my body.  They are also incredibly cheap as far as breeches go and they wear like iron.  Seriously, I wash, dry, and wear these things just about every day and they last forever.  I have a few pairs that are at least eight years old and they are still looking great.  I think I own five pairs at the moment hahaha (grey, black, navy, tan, white).

I have a bunch of different riding shirts, but I do like the Romfh Chill Factor Sun Shirt a lot, and of course I own my favorite turquoise!  ;-)  If it is ridiculously…

My favorite horse show would have to be anything at the University of New Hampshire, because it is my favorite venue!  It is not that far from home, it has great trailer parking, and I went to college there!!!  That is the biggest reason I love to show at UNH; as an alumna I feel like I am riding on my home turf.  A lot of people dislike riding at UNH because of the set-up and the small(er) warm up.  But I just love it, and Dreamy always loved showing there.

I have competed at UNH in the combined test, spring/fall horse trials, dressage shows, jumper shows, and even the Little Royal livestock show (only open to students, where the horses went first, then the dairy cows.  The top horse and top dairy person competed against each other for the Overall winner).  Hopefully, once Ellie is ready to enter rated shows, we will do both the dressage and horse trials down there.  

For this post, I would definitely have to say playing polo.  I have tried so many disciplines that I really think this is the only one left anyway (haha), plus it seems like it would be fun despite the fact I would be terrible at it!  Olivia at DIY Horseownership played in college, which seems like a good way to try it.  There is a polo club down at Myopia, but I am 100% sure I will never have a chance to get involved, because that's for people who actually have a clue.  If there is ever a polo clinic in the area, I might give it a shot, but otherwise it is one of those random dreams.

I guess I could also add endurance, calf roping, cowboy mounted shooting, and TB racing to my list of disciplines I have never done before.  But none of those truly interest me to do myself.

So what disciplines have I tried?  Let's have a fun photo dump, because it kinda amazes me. I tried to mark the ones I have only done with one certain horse, despite the fact I used mostly Dreamy pics.

Dressage


E…