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. 

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.