DIY Saddlepad

In my opinion, there aren't enough skull and crossbones in dressage. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and remedy the situation. Following is a step by step tutorial for jazzing up a plain old saddle pad. As with most DIY projects, the goal here isn't so much saving money as it is creating something you envision but cannot find.
 

Supplies:
low/medium quality saddlepad
iron on applique
ironing board
iron
flat cloth
horse (to look badass wearing the saddlepad, of course!)

Step 1. 
First you need to select a saddle pad and appliques. I chose a low grade quality saddle pad because I wasn't sure how well the rhinestone applique that I was going to use would stick. Therefore, I didn't want to ruin a good saddle pad for no reason. This one is a pretty unimpressive pad I got for like $11 or something in the Dover Saddlery 12 Days of Christmas. The appliques were from Micheal's and I think were $3 a piece. These are rhinestone skull and crossbones.

Boring dressage saddlepad

Rhinestone skull and crossbone appliques

Step 2.
Next, you want to figure out where you want these bad boys to be placed on the saddle pad. Because these are individual rhinestones, I placed them as far out of the way as possible so that my boots would be less likely to rub against them and knock off the stones.

I also used the grid design of the saddle pad to help me place the applique. I lined the edges of the plastic up with the stitching. See?

 
Step 3.
I have a pretty powerful Rowenta iron because I used to be hardcore into sewing. Now I ride horses. I set this on the highest heat level but turned off the steam. I lay a flat cloth over the applique to help distribute the heat evenly and not melt the plastic that holds the applique.

Iron over the cloth that is over the applique for like 2 minutes.

Step 4. The most important step!
After you have ironed, you must let the applique adhesive set. I let the applique alone until it is completely cooled off. Do not remove the plastic over the applique or the adhesive on the actual applique will not harden and do its job of sticking.

Cooling...cooling...cooling

 

 Step 5.
After you have let the applique completely cool. Then remove the plastic topping. Voila!

Step 6.
Repeat on the other side of the saddle pad so that you have symmetrical designs.

 
 Here is the finished product after its first ride. It is holding up ok. We will see after a few more rides if it still looks this intact. I got two compliments on its maiden voyage!

EOOTD - Embroidered Flowers

Since I just brought you The Punisher in the last Equine Outfit of the Day, I thought it appropriate to sort of tone things down and get a bit girly and flowery. If only I could have put red lipstick on Oliver for the photo-shoot and spritzed him down with Chanel No5. I guess that wouldn't be so much girly as much as horse-drag.

Here is Oliver wearing his Dura-Tech Embroidered Flower Pad in Hunter. I think he looks just smashing in this color green.

Saddle: Bates
Saddle pad: Dura-Tech
Half Pad: Dura-Tech Anti-Slip Gel Half Pad


This saddle pad is currently on closeout at Schneider Saddlery. Check it out here.

As you may have seen in Oliver's introduction, he has massively tall withers. The cut at the withers on this pad actually fits him quite nicely even though this isn't specifically a wither designed pad. That sharp take off upwards really works well for Oliver. I have to say, I have four Dura-Tech products now and I think that the value for money is just fantastic. Dura-Tech is Schneider Saddlery's house brand. The Dura-Tech are the best quality saddle pads that I have come across for a house label brand. The stitching is quality and the materials are nice and thick.

If you haven't entered the Holiday Giveaway, please do so here!

Helloooooo Olllliver

Just a quick post to introduce you to this great 20 year old Anglo-Arab that I have been riding. He is called Oliver.

Oliver the Horse

Please do not confuse the eye candy above with the other new Oliver in my life.

The Oliver from Arrow

Anyway, I've happily entered the dressage world and am training with Colleen Reid at Equine Sports Complex. Oliver is a wonderful first dressage mount for me, and he is a retired eventer. Now, I do not fancy myself a gelding lover. I far prefer a mare. But Oliver and I are getting along spectacularly and he entertains me with very comical facial expressions. I think his new career is stand up comedian.

My husband and I have nicknamed Oliver "Mr. Withers." His withers are so high I had to get him a special wither saddle pad.

Mr. Withers' high withers

 Please don't confuse Mr. Withers with Mr. Whiskers.

Mr. Whiskers, beloved psychic kitty from Frankenweenie

I highly recommend this high wither pad from Dura-Tech. This is the nicest quality saddle pad I own by far.  That's what you get when you spend 50 bucks for a saddle pad instead of 15 bucks, I guess. The pad needs to be a bit more spectacular looking though. I am thinking of adding some olive badges to it. Get it? Olives. Oliver.

Mr. Withers' new V Free Dressage Saddle Pad

So far, Oliver and I are working on lots of trot-walk transitions. I am trying to learn to sit on my bum better and not be so on the forehand. We are doing lots of circles too. Today, Oliver and I cantered together for the first time! It went unbelievably well.

Oliver aka Mr. Withers

If you haven't yet entered my Holiday Giveaway for an Ultimate Hoof Pick and Eqyss Premier Marigold Spray, click here.

Holiday Horse Giving - Part 2: The Giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Casey and Tate who now have a hoof pick to last a lifetime and the best coat spray!


Okay now! I am excitedly rubbing my hands together because I have a holiday gift for you! Fourteen Carrots is giving away two very useful and enjoyable products. There will be one winner who will receive both of these products. First up, we have the Eqyss Premier Marigold Spray. I have raved about this here and here. To top it off, we have the most spectacular hoof pick I have ever used, the Ultimate Hoofpick, self described as the "jack hammer". I really hate dirty hooves, which is just silly because they will immediately get dirty as soon as you are done cleaning them. In my opinion, this is the end all be all of hoof picks. It is the super star of hoof picks - like the Mick Jagger of hoof picks. I think you will only need one for the rest of your life.

The Jack Hammer

So here are the rules/parameters of the game:

1) You have to donate money - any money, I don't care how much - to one of the three charities listed in Part 1.

2) You have to follow Fourteen Carrots on Twitter.

3) You have to leave a comment below sharing a horse product that you love too and would give away if this was your blog.

4) It would be just lovely if you also liked Fourteen Carrots on Facebook, but this isn't a requirement.

The giveaway is only open to people who are in the United States. Contest ends 12/25 and will be shipped out after the New Year.

Holiday Horse Giving - Part 1: The Charities

I have been so pickled and excited about this blog post! And now it's here. Yay.

I have definitely broke the bank this December on horse products because of all the totally awesome deals going on between Black Friday up till 12/25. So far, I have bought one dressage saddle pad, one all purpose saddle pad, a new hunter bridle and a new dressage bridle. All for >60% off!

Regardless of my shallow shopping, I also like to throw money at charities this time of year. Specifically, I appreciate getting donations to my favorite charities as gifts. And I like to give donations to charities as gift. I present to you this giving and receiving season, three charities that I think are super cool. I have donated to each of these organizations over the past year and can vouch for them all.

I am so thrilled to present a new horse charity that I just discovered, of all places, in my profession's magazine "PA Professional". I am a physician assistant. My main job is in heart and lung surgery, assisting in surgeries. However, I financially support my horse habit by filling in at the Veterans Administration, providing medical care in the Emergency Department. Therefore, I feel quite an affinity with Horse Rhythm Foundation. Horse Rhythm Foundation was founded by Sahika Riley - a physician assistant with an impressive bio - to provide equine therapy to veterans as well as other first responders. I can't even look at their website without crying. Their mission statement is:

Horse Rhythm Foundation (HRF) is committed to excellence by offering highly specialized Equine Assisted Services (EAS), Outdoor Therapies (OT), and Wellness for Veterans, First Responders and their families suffering from war time afflictions, mental health disorders, and physical disabilities. The foundation provides EAS and OT in an effort to bridge the gap between traditional healing methodologies and true whole-being wellness of the mind, body, and spirit. HRF will provide a transitional and wellness center as a broad-based collaborative community initiative for Veterans and First Responders while undergoing these therapies.

Horse Rhythm Foundations is who I will be donating to this year in honor of my family. You can donate too by going to their giving page here. They offer a lot of different donation options from monthly packages to needed services and goods. I am thinking of sponsoring a Veteran/First Responder for a six week therapy session. Their option of donating to the wheel chair accessible carriage is another excellent and creative donating route. This would be a great donation gift for me - hint, hint Mom!

Cottonwood Cash

  

This absolutely beautiful gelding with an amazing coat and perfect ears is Mr. Cottonwood Cash, or just Cash. He is a three year old bay gelding who is being rehabilitated from his original racing schooling by my friend Jessica of Spotty Horse blog. Jessica co-founded Northern California Racehorse Re-education Alliance. Cash is currently accepting cash to help fund his re-education, room and board, carrots, and cookies. He is chilling out in west Sonoma County, which can be an expensive place for a horse to call home! You too can help provide Cash with extra large carrots, butterscotch snaps, and peppermints here.

KISS Horse Center's DRAFT HORSE DRILL TEAM

Now I just love a drill team. But I really, really, really love a draft horse drill team. Like really. KISS' moto is "Make your butt look smaller...ride a draft horse." This drill team rides together in order to promote awareness for horse rescue. And they do it all on draft horses! And all the draft horses are rescued! This is them doing their thing. Not to be a show off or anything, but I was totally at this performance.

 You can donate to these amazing draft performers here.

In Holiday Horse Giving - Part 2: The Giveaway! you can win some super snazzy and useful items for you and the ole' bag o' bones....just kidding. You can win some super shweet product and tools for your equine buddy! 

 

Pyrrha

My friend ...who is a dude...introduced me to this beautiful line of jewelry, Pyrrha.

Pyrrha makes just gorgeous replications of 18th and 19th century wax seals. Furthermore, they responsibily cast them into reclaimed metals! Yeehaw! Check out their eco practices here.

Now why do I have this on Fourteen Carrots? You guessed it! Check out the rad horse themed ones!

Here we have the horseshoe themed ones:

This one above with the horse shoe and wings is called the "Luck and Protection Talisman"

This handcrafted talisman necklace features a horseshoe representing luck. The wings which flank the horseshoe signify protection. I don't know about you, but I can always use luck and protection when I am riding.


And for the fox hunter:

And lastly, the horsies!

This is the one I particularly am drooling over. It is the "Running Horse Talisman". The translation of the French is Valiant by Land and Sea. The horse is described as representative of  "unconditional bravery."

They also have several unicorn and dragon pieces that I just love. However, I felt showing these on a horse blog would be controversial. For instance, many people distinctly feel there is no relation between unicorns or horses or pegasuses (pegasi?) and are offended by the implication. Dragons could eat a horse. Enough said.

The Horse Used It Up #2

Ida finished up a few products before she went back to her original home. Here they are in no particular order. And yes, I "intelligently" keep these empties around the house, patiently waiting until they are blogged about.

Sound Hoof Conditioner
So, the hoof is like a modified fingernail, right? I think of this as like a nice hand cream, a nail conditioner, or a cuticle cream that I would use on my own hands and nails. The product smells like cake batter and the primary ingredient is essential fatty acids. I am not dependent on this product per se, but I do like to have it around. I will purchase again for sure, once the winter season is over. I suspect I am going to be dependent on it when I move to Texas though (because it is so dry there).

Perhaps even more than the product itself, I totally dig the small business model of this company as well as their overall ethos and social/environmental responsibility. This hoof conditioner is all natural and environmentally compatible. It isn't petroleum based. I can attest to this being totally nontoxic if ingested, because the barn dogs at my stable were constantly licking it up off the ground after I shellacked it on my horses' hooves; and they never died.

Cowboy Magic Greenspot Remover
I find it essential to have a spray around that is multi-usable on saddle, boots, and horse. I don't know about your equine companions, but mine get covered in their own apples whether they are in a stall or in a field. And they slobber hay all over me, which of course I love. It is definitely gentle enough to use on their coat and skin. The product has a lovely botanical and non-synthetic fragrance, which is clutch for me. Here are a few of the ingredients: glycerine, honey extract, rose flower extract, sage leaf extract, nettle flower extract, matricaria flower extract, peppermint leaf extract, comfrey extract, horsetail extract, witch hazel extract. It does have parabens in it and sodium laureth sulfate, which I find annoying but not a deal breaker. Will I buy it again? Yes.....if I don't find something I like more. The botanical ingredient list is really wonderful, which should be enough for me really. The problem is.....and this is so shallow....the branding. Now I love Lonesome Dove as much as the next cowgirl but I actually ain't a cowgirl. I jump fences and shit! If they called this "The Foxhunter's Etheral and Special Fox Urine Multi Purpose Cleaner," I would have my holy grail multi-purpose cleanser.  

Farnam Thrush-XX
Let me be clear: I *'&%* hate this product. It's my least favorite horse product of all time. I will never buy it again. Why? The smell is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. And even if I didn't actually get the product on me, just holding the bottle was enough to transfer the scent onto me for hours. Furthermore, no matter how much I would wash my hands I still stunk. The smell gave me migraines. Furthermore, I found it awkward to apply. Plus it is aerosol based, which isn't all that hot for the ozone layer. There are way better options than this. I am far happier with Thrush Buster.

Mustad Tuff Stuff
Before Ida came into her stall for the rainy times here, she had some pretty muddy areas in her field. We all know wet hooves are the penthouse for microbes. And thrush just irritates the shit out of me. Not the horse. Just me. The Tuff Stuff did the job of being like a rain coat for her hoof. I will definitely repurchase as a staple in my stash.

Eqyss Premier Spray - Marigold Sent 
I love this stuff. I've actually blogged about it before, here. I have slowed down on my use of this, mostly for cost saving reasons. When I have the extra change in the future, I definitely will repurchase.

And lastly.......Uncle Jimmy's Licky Thing

I know it isn't all used up yet, but it will be a while before it's back in the house. You'll let that slide, right? This is an Uncle Jimmy's Licky Thing and I bought the value pack. Want to hear a funny story about this Uncle Jimmy's Licky Thing? Well, the interesting thing about a horse is that its anus is level with its mouth. I hung the Licky Thing so that it was at a good level for Ida to play with (with her face). One day, I noticed that there was horse apples on the Licky Thing and I thought to myself "Huh? How did she defecate on her suspended toy?" Then I realized that a horse's ass is level with their face. When they are turned around with their lower gastrointestinal tract towards the Licky Thing, low and behold horse apples will appear on the Licky Thing. Ida loved her Licky Thing. It certainly is a boredom killer for the stall, which is what it is billed as. I will certainly repurchase refills.