BY-da

Bye Ida! Today was our last day with our sweet 8 year old leased mare, Ida. I had a great time with Ida and definitely learned a lot from her. What did I learn? For one thing, that a spooky horse requires constant stimulation from me to keep her focused and going forward. So, I learned to be a more aggressive rider in particular situations in which the horse needed a clear leader. I surely learned how to sit through and control a bolt after a spook. Overall, the horse was kind enough to half take care of me, so I gathered some confidence. But, she pushed me to use the confidence that I had acquired at other times...if that makes sense.

I had a great time grooming her and scratching her in the spots that she loved to have scratched. I also thoroughly enjoyed being with a mare, as this is the first one that I have had the pleasure of caring for. She was a riot when she was in her estrous! She would prance around showing everyone her hind end. She was such a hussy!

So, farewell to Ida! We will miss you. We wish you green pastures and all of the alfalfa you can chew.

Tally ho though! Next up, you'll get to meet Oliver, the new (but quite old) dressage mount. He's a retired eventer! Stay tuned. I can tell he's going to be quite the model - he is half arabian.

Jess and Ida's last ride together

 

I had hoped to get a little video of each of our gates. Alas, I failed to adequately prepare the camera as I had been kindly reminded of before leaving home. So here is a nice 1 lap at the trot for us on the last ride. At the end, we will go past a large window that is our spooky, bolting spot. It took me two months to get smoothly past that area.

horseworship

Well you know, I really have lagged on the old posting. The problem, it seems, is that I was getting very obsessed about making elaborate, long posts with wonderful photos. What I've realized though, is that this isn't Dappled Grey. It isn't going to be perfect and it isn't going to always look fantastic. I have neither the time nor the background (nor the financial interest) for such an aesthetically pleasing or well researched blog. So in the spirit of my productive buddies from Behind the Bit and Spotty Horse, let the laid back blogging begin.

Horseworship. I love the simplicity and depth of this phrase. This is how I would describe the emotion deep in my chest that I feel for horses. I think I saw these guys in the Dappled Grey holiday gift guide. And of course I fell in love. Because I should really be spending $120 on a horse sweatshirt as opposed to the the Rambo quarter sheet or winter waterproof Mountain Horse boots, right? (However, I am about to move to Austin, Texas, and don't know if these would be overkill for the weather there. Anyone know?)

It's funny. I found this line in an online designer British fashion boutique that I am constantly trolling, Shopbop. Eventually, everything on Shopbop will go on sale and you don't have to pay tax on it. So, if you like the Arabian line of horseworship's apparel, you could hold out for a deal on Shopbop.

The style I am lusting over is this one. I just love the elegant, baroque inspired image of the horses Incidentally, I really should be using my money for something useful like this!

Rambo Newmarket Quarter Sheet. Originally saw this on a horse in an episode of Midsommer Murder!

For all of my dressage buddies, like Dressage Mom and Behind the Bit, this one is for you!

Introducing Ida

Ida and I at Star Vaughn. This was our first day riding together.

I will tell you honestly, I am guilty of horse crushes. During these phases, I silently stalked and admired certain horses at my ranch from afar whom I felt possessed a combination of both beauty and individual flair. I would seek out their stalls and covertly learn their names. Their full, graceful tales and funny facial expressions would go with me as I went forth in the world from the ranch. I'd purposefully go out of my way when wheeling about horse poop to walk by them in their turnout. Secretly, I would feed them treats like a naughty girl overfeeding a fat pony.

All of that has stopped though. I met Ida about four weeks ago now.  This mare is just to die for. There are a lot of reasons that I have fallen head over heels for her and no longer have extra-relationship horse crushes. Here is a very small and by no means all inclusive sampling:

A) As the author of a "beauty blog for horse and rider," one might expect that I have a particular passion for grooming. Luke, the other model featured in this blog, exasperatingly despises my beautification obsessions and simply does not tolerate any sort of grooming....except having his tail hot oil treated . Don't ask me, I don't get it. Well, Ida just adores my fawning and fussing. She just sinks into me and melts when I scratch behind her ears and at the jowls of her mandible. She falls asleep as I curry and curry her until her coat shines like a diamond.
 B) She came without shoes and the lease agreement that she is not to be shod. Yes, I drank the purple Kool Aid of hippy blasphemy in the hunter show world: I prefer unshod feet. I subscribe to "natural hoof shaping."
C) Her tail is ombre. Ombre is so fashionable and on trend right now. Like bow ties.
D) She is so sweet and appears to enjoy me, which is far more than I can say about my grumpy old TB Luke who at best tolerates me.
E) She came with the name Ida. I love old timey, vintage names. I have a list of "dream horse names" to include examples such as "Irene Adler" and "Tzarina Nicola the First."

Please look at Ida's face and not mine. Apparently, my trainer is handing me a "plate of shit" from the look on my face.

I just wanted to introduce her as one of the new primary models for Fourteen Carrots. Ida is half Connemara pony and half Dutch Warmblood. She is 15.2 hands and still fits the exact same girths as my 16.2 hand boy Luke (here I am trying to tell you nicely that she is "stout" or she "doesn't need any more treats" or she "could be on her way to equine metabolic syndrome"). Ida is eight years old now. We need to help her develop her hind end a bit, work on our circles, and effectively stand still at the halt. Love her to bits and pieces and am so happy that she came to hang out with us for awhile! You will be seeing lots of shots of this beauty to come.

English pleasure class at Star Vaughn

EOOTD (Equine Outfit of the Day): The Skull and Crops Saddle Pad

Outfits of the day are a fine tradition on the usual beauty and style blogs. I offer the Equine Outfit of the Day (EOOTD) in which a specially dressed horse is shown off. The first featured  EOOTD was styled this past weekend during the Ladies Riding Posse gathering at Clay Station Ranch.

Corinthian "Ian" matched his black half pad to his skull and crops embroidered saddle pad for a thoroughly bad ass Thoroughbred outfit.

The horses at our ranch LOVE to air their tongues.

Black on black is so stylish and practical on a chestnut.

Skull and Crops

Unfortunately, this custom saddle pad is not available to the general public. It was designed for a private eventing event on the East coast and my friend lucked out on getting one. It is both fierce and classic at the same time.

Another great outfit of the day! Tate was basically naked in his outfit. This is the most mellow three year old you have ever met.

Malin Baryard-Johnsson: A small treatise on my favorite rider

I first began to admire Malin Baryard-Johnsson after Horse Junkies United posted their article Stirrups are for Losers in which they showcased Malin losing her stirrups in the 2011 FEI World Cup jump off and still finishing third. I have watched this video over and over again - trying to find inspiration for and the example of composure, calm, perseverance and trust in the face of a ride that did not go as planned.

Just to round out a proper bio, I should give you the usual detail that Malin is Swedish and has been riding since 6 years old. She won a team Silver for Sweden in show jumping in the 2004 Athens Olympics. She also has a long list of accomplishments when she was a junior rider.

Obsessed with this video in late 2011, I sort of forgot about it until quite recently when I had been doing some cantering without stirrups. I frantically searched YouTube for the video and came across some surprises and gems that firmly placed Malin as my favorite rider based both on her riding performance and total style. Malin is sponsored by H&M and they produced a series of high quality videos of Malin and Peder Fredricson explaining their favorite riding exercises.

Do you know the phrase that gets thrown around which goes something like "make it easy for the horse to do the right thing"? Malin to me is an excellent example in these videos of how to make it easy for the horse to do the right thing. She invokes this capacity to invite the horse to do the right thing in my mind with her calmness and interactions with the horse.  I wouldn't really call her a "form rider" in the way that George Morris will describe people - but, really, what the hell do I know?  I just LOVE the way she trills at the horse to both praise and soothe.

                                          Lesson 1

                                          Lesson 5

                                    
                                         Lesson 8

                                         Lesson 9

                                          Meet Malin's Gaggle of Mounts

Ok. So all this riding jazz is fine and dandy and I'm just loving watching Malin ride. And then....I find the total gem! Malin does a music video called "Do You Wanna Ride?" My jaw drops. Just drops. Now I am a quirky lady with some totally unrelated interests, and this video includes quite a bit of them! First, Malin is just beautiful in that special Scandinavian way and project both grace and a sort of personal weirdness (I guess we can call that individualtiy). The lyrics of the song are genuinely about riding a course with "oxer" and "vertical" and horse clicks all being mixed. I'm pretty sure its really her voice and all of her horses that she introduces in the above video. Then the video gets pretty random and there is a guitar player totally shredding in her barn in a pile of hay. I just can't get enough of it. It is so entertaining and original and speaks to so many of the things I love: style, the countryside, animals, riding. All in a nerdy and aesthetically appealing way - to me. And I present to you............

                                           Do you wanna ride?

Another reason that I so appreciate Malin and her video is because you don't often see media presenting actual equestrians when they show horses. For example, I have been elated to see two different Vanity Fair spreads in which fashion is presented with horses. Plus, a few seasons ago, Gossip Girl had an episode that took place partially at a polo match. I get so excited about the horses but then notice something that isn't quite right (or just outright wrong or dangerous) with the photos and video because the featured person doesn't actually know how to ride.

They didn't even attempt to put Kristen Stewart on horseback in that dress! Yes, yes I would sit on a horse in that dress and with that hat. Incidentally, I am obsessed with the white horse second from the left in the upper photo. He (I assume) is beyond gorgeous. Look at that head carriage!

Back to the point. Gossip Girl had an episode in which Serena van der Woodsen gallops a polo pony. Look at this photo: her leg isn't even in the right place.

Actually....I don't think that horse is even moving in this photo. This is the video from this episode. The riding starts at 2min mark.

My entire point is that it is fun to see real equestrians in stylized photos and in vide, like Malin Baryard.

Photo from H&M corporate website

Thus ends my odd praise of Malin Baryard who both rides phenomenally and has some excellent style.

Hot Oil Treatment for the Equine Tail

Is a hot oil treatment for your horse's tail necessary? Certainly not.
Is giving your equine buddy a hot oil treatment somewhat silly and overkill? Probably.
Are you nuts for your horse? Likely yes.
Why, keep on reading then!

A Hot Oil Treatment for the Equine Tail: A Tutorial

I recommend having very specific goals in mind for your horse when contemplating a hot oil treatment. This treatment is certainly messy and can produce an overly greasy tail that is hard to work with if excess oil is used. Basically, do not try this the night before a show, hunt, parade, insert event, for which you plan on gloriously braiding your horses tail.

My horse, Luke (aka Sweet G), has somewhat of a kinky, dry and thin tail (see Figure A and B). My goal with this treatment is to both A) nourish and condition Sweet G's tail and to B) relax the hair, creating the illusion of straightness. I presume that the treatment relaxes the hair because some of the oil stays in the tail, weighing down the shaft and creating a temporarily more straight hair.

Fig A: Dry, kinky tail

Fig B: Before treatment

Here is what you need for this procedure:
-Horse with tail
-Tail brush (optional)
-Olive oil or other nourishing oil of choice
-Water
-A variety of hair clips: duckbill, wave clips, regular clips
-Extremely cheap shower caps
-Spray bottle
-Shampoo

Tally Ho!

Step 1: Pick the hay, weeds, shavings, peppermint candies and other whatnot out of your horses tail. If you are willing to comb your horses tail, now would be a good time to do so. I do. I can't resist.

Step 2: You will now divide your horse's tail into sections. I divide the shorter hairs on top from the longer hairs coming off mid-dock. The above photo is an example of the sections that I divide the upper dock into with a variety of different clips that I use to get the hair to stay in place.

Step 3: When you are ready to begin spraying the horses tail, warm your oil and water up. I generally use a 1 cup:3 cups or 1 cup:4 cups ratio of oil to water. (Please do not use a 50/50 mixture. I promise this is too much oil.) You should have MUCH LESS oil than water. I put the two liquids in the microwave and heat them for about one minute and then pour them into a spray bottle.
 
Step 4: Spray a section of the upper dock hairs and then roll into a bun and clip. Spray the next section with oil until saturated, roll into a bun and then clip. The photo above shows how they will sit when rolled and clipped down.

Step 5: Cover the upper dock buns/rolls with a shower cap.

Step 6: Now, we will divide up the lower, long tail into sections that are held in clips. Please see the photo below.

Lower tail in gathered sections

 
 Step 7: Spray a section of lateral/side hair until saturated, roll into a bun, and clip in place. Spray the other lateral/side section, roll into a bun, and clip in place.

Step 8: Spray down the final, middle section of tail hair into a pretty and tidy bun. Clip in place, and then cover the lower three buns in a shower cap.

Please note that this is a dry example of the lower tail roll.

Step 9: See how long your horse can hang out with his tail all wound up like this as you contemplate the deep question of what would happen if he poos during this part. Sweet G can make it about 7-20 minutes. You can test your horse's patience during this step by doing silly things like trying to put a shower cap on his head while you wait.

Step 10: Wash his tail with shampoo. I do not condition his tail after this shampoo. You may actually need to wash twice, or wash again the next time you see your friend.

And voila!

After treatment

After

Before

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial for how to give your equine buddy an unrequested hot oil treatment.

Los Altos Hounds beginning a hunt at Van Vleck Ranch

The Horse Used It Up! #1

"I used it up" are always one of my favorite types of beauty blog posts. When I say that I love to talk about products I have completed, I really mean I could wax poetically for an obscene and unnecessary amount of time. That said, I will try to keep these posts reasonably brief and leave the loquaciousness for full product reviews, in which you have consented to a diatribe about that particular product.

So, tally ho then.

Farnam Nature's Defense 

Farnam describes this as their "Water-Based Fly Repellent Spray." And it is a concoction of the supposed anti-insect essential oils: citronella, clove, mint, and thyme. Let's see here, I paid about thirteen bucks for 32oz of this. I personally only use the non-pyrethrin based repellants on my geldings, and I find this one to be as good as any other. I do like having both an SPF and non-SPF based fly repellent (I do recognize this desire to be a bit excessive and over-thinking of the situation). I use the non-sunscreen based repellant at night time when there isn't going to be any sunlight. This one serves my non-SPF needs and I definitely would repurchase. Plus, the label has this pretty vintage looking water color scene of wild-flowers that makes me happy.

Espree Aloe Herbal Horse Spray

I've been through two bottles of this gem so far. I dig it because it not only has the fly repellants but also contains coat conditioners and sunscreen! This is the fly repellant I use when the horse is going back to his pasture during the day. This one contains these essential oils: citronella, cedarwood, and eucalyptus. I believe that Espree considers the aloe to be the coat conditioner. I certainly would repurchase this. It is about $16 for thirty two fluid ounces.

Eqyss Premier Spray - Marigold Sent

I love this spray so much that if I could only have one equine horse grooming product, this would be it. It is multi useful to the extreme. I predominantly use it as a conditioner for my gelding's coat. I use it to psychologically calm down myself and Luke before or after a ride - does this work? Hell if I know, but it makes me feel like I'm at least trying! In a pinch, I use it as a spot cleaner for him or myself. The thing to know about this product is that the scent is somewhat strong and you've got to like floral scents to enjoy it. Personally, I really love the smell and the scent inspires sunshine and warmth to me. Though I have to admit it is somewhat fragrance-y. I notice sometimes at the barn people exclaim "Is someone spraying perfume?" but I just keep applying and don't admit that it is me. I've gone through two bottles now and plan to buy a gallon, which I've figured to be a ten dollar savings if you buy the equivalent in the 32 oz spray bottles. So, it ain't cheap but I think it's quite worth it. 

SmartPak Smart Calm

This is SmarPak's brand supplement line version of nervous system support. Specifically, they describe it as "A cost-effective, non-herbal formula that supports proper nervous system function, helping to manage skittishness." It's a concoction of magnesium, taurine, inositol and vitamin B1. These are some of the basics of human nervous system supplementation as well. I bought this because my boy Luke had a hard time adjusting to his new life when he came to live with us at Clay Station Ranch. The pellets are pretty inexpensive - like twenty four bucks or something; had many great reviews; and I was sort of throwing anything I could at the horse to help him calm down and adjust. I also wasn't really sure of the horse's nutritional status prior to coming into my life. Did it work? Hard to say. I made a lot of changes all at once: pro-CMC, hock injections, multi-vitamins etc. I am not going to continue him on it. However, I don't think it hurts to give a horse a boost of magnesium and b-vitamins when you are trying to solve some behavioral issues. I found this to be good quality and a reasonable price. 

Our beloved Hanoverian, Getty