To be or not to be?
| May 1, 2009 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
I’m off to a poker ride this weekend with family and friends. My first organized non-endurance event! What to be (or not to be)?
Option A: wannabe cowgirl
The look: tight jeans, knee high cowboy boots (with hearts!), belt with buckle, helmet optional (I have a cool hat), little western shirt, and just possibly, some makeup. If it’s rainy, perhaps there will be a duster.
The downside: I look no older than 16 with this particular look, it’s EXTREMELY hard to mount a horse with jeans as tight as I was planning, AND I’ll be using an english saddle -awkward to say the least.
(no no no – stand square! Don’t look at me!)
Option B: crazy endurance rider
The look: tights – preferably some outrageous color such as purple, athletic shoes (with crazy knee high socks???), running singlet top, helmet with big ol’salamander sun brim with a handkerchief duck-taped to the back, sponge on saddle, if it’s raining there will definitely be a trash bag or two. Extra points for color coordination of synthetic tack, tights, and saddle bags.
The downside: I will be shunned. The colored tights do not do my fat bottom any justice. There are far more upsides to this option: Everyone will be so busy looking at my tight-clad-bottom it is doubtful they will notice I’m riding an arab, I will be comfy, I won’t have to talk to anyone, AND the flapping trashbags might scare enough of my fellow riders that I will be the only one in the running for any prizes……mmmmmm.
(Nice butt! Again with the not standing square thing….*sigh*)
In reality it’s suppose to rain – so I’ll probably don waterproof-english-looking boots, my polartec riding tights, duster, and a helmet – hopefully with a water proof cover if I can find one. Hello warming hot hands stuffed inside of gloves!
Farley and I have put in some serious arena work this week and we are both better for it. Mugwump’s blog has been extremely informative regarding cantering issues. Last night I worked on trot/canter transitions and picking up the correct lead (that right lead is a &$#@!). I feel more balanced and confident during the up transitions and (surprise!) so does she. I can’t wait until my first lesson (next weekend) in over a year to show off what I’ve been practicing to my riding instructor (this will be my 4th lesson ever!! ) Arena work is HARD compared to the trail! I think this is the longest I’ve ever had a sound horse (Minx was constantly lame/not lame/lame/not lame) and it’s wonderful what can be accomplished with regular work. Farley has only had regular work since June/July of last year!
(Farely’s hair “quilt” as her summer coat is coming it!)
Pictured throughout the post is my attempt at some conditioning photos. I always wait until dusk, when she’s on an uneven surface AND I’ve just unsaddled so she’s waiting for her beet pulp mash. *sigh* She’s starting to look pretty good! I still want to put a bit more weight on her, and then we’ll go to maintenance mode. Goal is a 5.5 condition score! I can’t see her ribs any more so I’m getting close.
Oooo! I think you should go as the crazy endurance lady!! Haha! Of course that is bold of me since I ride in jeans and sweatshirts! But then I have my frumpy sweats days, usually when I am wearing more then one pair of pants, it was cold in March!
I would love to see more pictures of Farley, its hard to see her in those that you have, but I do agree that she could maybe use a little bit more weight. I don’t like the arab owners who say that their horse is skinny becuase its an Arab, or because its an endurance horse! It doesn’t matter what sport or breed the horse still needs plently of meat on its bones!
Lucy is super hard to keep weight on! Which I have never understood because she is a QH! They usually have huge butts! Not her though, she can’t be bothered to put on wieght! But then Kezi, my morab, had a huge hay belly over the winter, just goes to show that breed doesn’t always dictate what their body is going to be like!
Have fun this weekend! I am still not riding,not till my trimmer can get out to see Lucy. I think she is enjoying her week off, hopefully it wont’ be any longer then that!
I will definitely be expelled from the Endurance Church of the One True Faith if I vote for anything other than tights, especially purple! Thus, I so vote.
Besides, tights are way more comfy, and the salamander beak is good for keeping rain off the face as well as sun.
Also: if you wear the endurance outfit, there’s always a possibility that someone will ask you to Testify about the One True Faith…and maybe you’ll get a convert!
I guess I’m going with the endurance look – haven’t done the tight jeans thing since high school! LOL.
Thanks for stopping by AareneX.
JB – I’ll get more pics soon. It’s funny how hard it is to take pics of a horse. She’s only ~14.1-14.2 so she’s a small girl. She doesn’t have a great hip which means she’ll never have that “full” butt and coupled with the hunters bump….well I’ll just say her hindquarters are a work in progress!
There’s been a couple of studies of horses completing the Tevis, and it from my reading I’ve picked up the following: for optimal chance of completion Farley + my weight needs to be under 1200 pounds (not a problem) AND ideally Farley’s body condition will be a 5.5. She’s a 4.9-5.0 right now (yeah! no visible ribs) so I’m thinking about 30-40 pounds? The beet pulp and oil continues!
The beauty of dressing “Endurance” is comfort, and fun! So you know my vote…whatever works, and protects your noggin.
~E.G. (who’s probably too late to vote anyway)
Nope you are not too late to vote, just leaving now! I’ll be going as a (albeit tuned down) endurance rider! The cowgirl thing was slightly tongue in cheek – no one and mean NO one wears riding tights around here (where I grew up). I do have a convert in my sister though….
EG – I totally agree about the noggin thing, at this point, if I could wear a helmet, I don’t know if I could choose NOT to wear one!