Clover Ledge Farm

First, let me say THANK YOU for sharing your opinions on my shipping boots/leg wraps/naked legs post.  I have still not made a final decision on what I am going to do with Miss Ellie's legs for traveling this year, but at least I have more ideas to consider.  It isn't a clear cut issue, which is what makes it tough for me to decide what to do. * Being stuck in a never-ending cycle of winter sadness and sickness hasn't been fun; sadness because it won't stop sn*wing/icing and sickness in the form of a two-month head cold from hell.  Thankfully my children had the milder form, yet my head cold turned into pneumonia, which is something I never want to experience again.  I was so freaking sick!! Feeling stir crazy and crappy makes me seek out random projects to complete.  Bonus if it includes filling an online shopping cart and then waiting for a package delivery haha.  I admit I did my fair share of internet surfing and impulse shopping this winter!...

I love reading about what other people use in their horsekeeping arrangements, and last summer I started a little series "What's in YOUR Tack Room?" I didn't get very far... Showing Edition  (show tack and clothing, which has changed slightly with the new pony) Trailer Edition (what is in the trailer tack room) First Aid Kit Edition Grooming Tote Edition What else should I write about?  School is winding down, and I am not taking any graduate courses this summer, so I am going to need to do some writing haha! Weird weather in Maine yesterday, as it was raining at the house/barn but not in the fields haha.  This is what happens when the storm follows the river on the opposite side of the property.  We got in a good 45 minute ride before I hurried home because the entire sky darkened.  Just as I was untacking in the barn, it POURED! 

While we are waiting for ALL the media to arrive from Championships from both the pro photographer and groom extraordinaire Rachel, I figured it was time for another "What's in YOUR tack room?"  This one is the grooming tote edition, which was what I was planning to review next anyway but also I felt inspired by Terisé over at Breeches and Boatshoes after she did her own post on the subject.  I have used various grooming totes over the years, ranging from my first ever tote, the tried and true Fortiflex grooming tote (it was blue with yellow horsey bumper stickers all over it LOL!), to this grooming stool box thingy (kinda wish I still had it), to a handmade (but SUPER heavy) wooden box made by my father, to various fabric totes that eventually fell apart (two I know were won as prizes at horse shows) and I have no idea what brand.  Right now I am using a cute little Kensington plaid tote , one in hunter green for Snappy and the tan/black "blackwatch" for Dre...

I have always kept a well-stocked first aid kit for my horses.  It is a no-brainer and it has always amazed me when I hear about/talk to horse owner's who have never taken the time to understand how to administer basic first aid.  Even if you board your horse, I firmly believe it is a horse owner's responsibility to understand how to treat the horse before the vet arrives (or even in place of vet care for minor problems). When I moved into the new barn here at our new house, I had my dad build me a wooden cabinet to store all the first-aid supplies.  I do have a large assortment of wraps and towels as well, but I keep them in a separate trunk.  ;-) I keep the items I use most often on the bottom shelf.  I have a variety of gauze pads in various sizes, rolled gauze, and surgical pads.  Obviously, these are for underneath vetwrap and a standing wrap for cuts.  I also have two large cotton rolls, but I have honestly had these forever (think 20...

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.   My first rig - still own the truck (bought that new and paid it off as well!) 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 sto...

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 Pon...