The Horsepower Homestead

It's ironic, jumping was the part of horseback riding that I missed the most when I wasn't riding. But as a teen, when I rode all the time. Jumping was what I used to dread practicing. And when I was first learning, I found it terrifying. The fright factor may have had something to do with the fact that might first jumping experience was less than ideal. When I was about 10 years old, I was riding a pony (yes, I know that was my first mistake) named Sassy. It was bareback day at Horseback riding camp. So there I was sitting up on Sassy, bare back with nothing but a halter and some clip on reins. The teenager that was "instructing" us would lead Sassy around the arena and then another kid would get on. Other, older riders, were practicing trot poles and little cross jumps in the center area of the arena while we took Sassy along the rail. When it was my turn, the teen instructor's phone started ringing. She looked at me, decided I was one of the bigger ki...

Dating is hard. And dating as a "horse girl", in my opinion, is even harder. The challenge is finding someone who would muck stalls with you, someone who will video your lessons, someone you can call after every ride, who will listen to you cry through the hard rides and provide comfort, who will cheer you on when you accomplish something good, no matter how small. Ideally someone who loves horses too. Who would never ask you to "grow up". I tried internet dating. I made sure to include a picture of Apache and myself. Almost like I was trying to give them fair warning. But that's the thing about most people. They think that they like horses. Or that they're okay with horses. Until they get into the nitty gritty of it. And I wasn't the type to bring a string of strangers around the horses. They're like my kids. You have to earn meeting them. And the ones that insist that they can ride, because "it can't be that hard". They made me w...

I've always had a thing for pintos. Big colorful messes of fur. Some people love them, some people hate them. Some people think they're wild. Some say the ones with blue eyes are crazy. But in my opinion, a good horse is never a bad color. (That's also the name of a great natural horsemanship book by Mark Rashid  if you're ever looking for an easy read but still solid equestrian piece of literature). My first real riding experience as a kid was on a paint. Her name was Sandy, she was an older mare at a horseback riding camp for kids. She was big and a little lazy. My legs were so short I could hardly kick her into a trot, but I did. I thought she was the best thing ever.  Sandy, Circa 1997   The next paint horse that I got myself involved with was Chesapeake. She was a Registered Paint. Her mom was a QH, she was a palomino named Nip. My dad and my brother rode Nip quite frequently. Chesapeake's brother, Ret, also spent some time at our barn prior to ...

Sponsored review of Barrister Custom Tack's stirrup line.   **Disclaimer: I am a part owner of Barrister Custom Tack, I helped fund their initial start up program. And continue to support their products online.   I have 3 pairs of stirrups from Barrister Custom Tack . I have a set of Korsteel standard fillis in BaseTeal. I use these stirrups on my Wintec. I have had them for 6 months, I jump with them, have performed hours of flat work, etc. The color remains flawless. They are easy to clean. Can wipe off with a damp cloth, and good as new. The finish is rust proof. And of course the color is fun. The powdercoat pigments that Barrister Custom tack use are UV resistant and high quality.   BaseTeal stirrups   I also have a set of stirrups in Blueberry Red. These stirrups were my own, and Barrister Custom Tack powder coated them for me. These stirrups were rusted and scratched. I decided that adding a pop of color to them was the perfe...

There are many things in the horse world that correlate to love and dating. Don't fall in love too fast. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Relationships take time and effort. And with horses, just like with people, be careful who you fall in love with. Ducky. OTTB. Grey. 6 year old Gelding. 16.1 hands. And I thought I was falling in love. He was trained, so I had been told. He had been turned out to pasture for the past 2 years. Previously to that, he was mostly ridden by jockeys. The only physical flaw of his, the reason he never made it on the track, are his coon feet. His back pasterns drop a little low. They don't bother him. He's just not cut out for heavy work or intense athletic sports. But for flat work, he's sound. The first day I rode him, one of the other girls said " Are you riding Ducky? I thought he was lame." To which my witty response was, "You're lame." He's easy to catch. He's sweet. He would nuzzle my...

I obtained this saddle from a Flea Market for $45. It came without stirrup leathers, and it was quite dry. But after some oil and TLC, this saddle looked quite nice. I purchased this saddle for riding saddle seat. I was quite involved in Saddlebred shows at the time. It got a few good years of use and now sits in the guest bedroom on a saddle rack until I find my way back to saddle seat later in life. This saddle is quite old and still maintains its use. There's not much to it, but it's a flat saddle, so that's kind of the point. My mom calls it the pancake saddle, since it's so flat. Used Borelli saddles can be found rather cheap. Borelli makes AP and jumper saddles as well. All of them tend to range from $100 to $350 when purchased used. I've never come across any new Borelli saddles, so I suspect that they aren't made anymore. Not really sure about that though. They are an Argentinian brand, and the leather is medium quality. It isn't particularly s...

This time last year, things were very different. I was slumming my way through lousy internet dates that never went anywhere. My riding was mediocre, held back by lack of time, and inadequate practice.  The whole year had been lack luster. 2016 was rough, it was a lot of bumps and bruises. It was a full year of falling off the horse and getting back on again. There were frustrations, and unattainable goals. There was sickness. Loneliness. Loss of friends. Even death. And then January of 2017 really wasn't any better. I was at an all time low with my job. Frustrated, angry, over worked. I set some goals for myself. My New Year's resolutions were big for this year: 1. Get into a Master's Program 2. Find a better job. 3. Get back into Hunter/Jumper riding. My birthday rolled around in February. All of my friends skimped out on my birthday party (With the exception of 2 sweet souls, you know who you are). I started to feel really sad. The weather was cold, dreary. I f...

Let me preface this by saying I've had this saddle since I was 14 years old. If I didn't absolutely love this saddle, I would have sold it years ago because I primarily ride English. It's a 15 1/2 inch seat with a 7 inch gullet, high wither clearance, and full QH bars. I barrel raced in it for a few years but now it mostly gets used for cattle work and trails. This saddle is about 30 years old, but it's been meticulously cared for. Stored indoors on a stand for 100% of its life. Also, I got this saddle 100% for free. It was a gift from my riding instructor after I won my first barrel competition. New, these saddles cost upwards of $1000 depending on how "pretty" they are. Mine is fairly simply: no metal décor, some tooled leather, and minimal conchos. There are used TexTans floating around on Ebay that often run $300 to $800. In my opinion, they are very nice saddles. Sturdy, with high quality leather. My TexTan after a recent cleaning. Summary: ...

My trainer knew a lot of horse people. He had worked with Mark Rashid in his younger years, before moving out of the Western riding circle, away from rodeos and broncos, and into the calmer, smoother world of flatseat and Dressage. I had been a student of Mr. Bee's since I was 10. And one day, during the summer, when I was 16 years old, I was spending nearly everyday at the barn. I had gotten my drivers license a few months before school let out, and I was putting it to good use. Mr. Bee ran a small hippotherapy program, an equestrian therapy program for special needs children. I spent a lot of time helping him with the kids. In return, I rode nearly as much as I desired. Mr. Bee and I had been working with Barrister most of that summer. Barrister had been with us for a year. He was steady, calm, and bomb proof. We had trained him to lay down, so I could put wheelchair bound children on his back without lifting them. Our wheelchair ramp/mounting block was still under construct...

I purchased this item from Amazon.com for $20.90. Tractor Supply sells similar choices. The description as provided by Tough-1: Features 48" fiberglass shaft with grip handle and 66" removable lash with leather popper.               Aid can be used with or without lash Perfect for encouraging your horse at safe distances Ideal Training whip with popper and lash Training whip, Purple Zebra color selection     I purchased this item for lunging and round pen work. This whip is sturdy and easy to "pop". It pops in the air and does not require contact with the horse to facilitate the sound. For the record, if I ever do make "contact" with the horse using the whip, it is a gentle flick or a light touch, so that they know it is there. I am not cracking it down on them or acting like I'm Indiana Jones.   This whip is very similar to Clinton Anderson's Handy st...

I purchased this item off of Amazon.com for $27.90. Dover, and StateLineTack also sell similar extenders. Mine is Havana color. The online listing: Perri's Is Best Known For The Most Complete Line Of The Finest Amish Made Products Available Anywhere. Adds Up To 7 Inches To Girth. Stainless Steel Roller Buckles. Girth extender I purchased this girth extender so that I could use my English saddle on Sonny. When I first started riding him, he was kind of chunky. I was using a 56 inch girth and couldn't get it around his hay belly! I purchased this extender, which if you notice from the picture, adds 4 additional holes. I would attach it to my Wintec at the last billet and I was able to get the girth on Sonny. As he lost weight, I got to a point where I no longer needed the girth extender. I have been using my girth extender on the OTTBs I take lessons on, they're so tall, I often need an extra few inches of girth to strap the saddle down. The elastic on t...

I purchased these from a local Western wear shop in my area. They can also be found online at Amazon, Ebay, etc. I paid $29.90. Western Riding Cowboy Boots Leather Spur Straps Tack Rust Orange Style# 74136     I wear these with my Barrel spurs, I am a size 8/8.5 in boots. I typically wear these on the tightest hole, or the next one over depending on which boots I have on. For those with smaller feet, these straps may be too long. Due to their shape, I would imagine that adding another hole would be very challenging. However with ladies shoe size 8 and up, these with likely fit you! The are very colorful and fun. These look great with any type of spur. They make my simple barrel spurs look fancy. The tooling and color have held up well. I have oiled mine a few times to soften up the leather and it hasn't affected the design.   ProRider also sells a variety of spur straps in interesting colors/designs as well if Orange flowers aren't your style.   ...

At the Hunter/Jumper barn that I take lessons at during the week, there are over 15 different horses. I've only been there a few months. I'm still learning them all. I've ridden about 5 different horses so far. They wanted to offer some variety, make sure they found the best fit for me as a rider. Yesterday, I rode Mickey. I didn't know much about him previously. Even though I've ridden him quite a few times now. He was actually the horse I rode during my first lesson at the barn. He's a very tall, 17 hand, stocky Appendix Quarter horse. He's about 13 years old. Bright red chestnut, thick white blaze, two white socks on his hind legs, and bird catcher spots sprinkled over his back and rump. Mickey  From what I've learned of his bloodlines, he's a very well bred horse. His dad was an OTTB. His mom was Champion AQHA Jumper. He used to do shows. But he got hurt. He has a chip in his back right knee. And an occasional sore back (Ki...

I purchased the Derby Deluxe Grooming Kit from Amazon.com for $19.95. It comes with:       1 Coarse brush (with handle)       1 Soft brush       1 small mane comb       1 Large toothed tail comb       1 Rubber curry       1 Large body sponge       1 squeegee       1 hoof pick with hoof brush and a Plastic zip-up carrying bag with handle.   I purchased this set in mid 2015. It comes in multiple colors. It's not the highest quality grooming kit on the market but you get a variety of supplies for a great price. The brushes and the squeegee are the best items in this kit, in my opinion.   My sponge didn't survive more than 3 washes. But it was a fun addition to the bath routine while it lasted.   The brushes are nice, smooth wooden handles. Nice qua...

My Trainer took me out to an auction house when I was 15 years old. My dad came too. We were there to help my trainer find a new lesson horse. His mare was getting old, and needed to retire. My trainer was also my coach, my lesson instructor, and a dear family friend. We affectionately called him Mr. Bee, as his last name started with a B, and was challenging to pronounce and spell. There were horses crammed into pens. A small round pen surrounded by bleachers and a single wide trailer served as the office. I wandered the pens, trying to find any good options. And there he was. He looked like a giraffe. In a sea of hides and horses, crammed into pens together, his long red neck extended like a flag pole. His head held high above all the other ranch horses, I swear it felt like he was looking right at me. That's the one. That's the one I want I told Mr. Bee. He nodded. He went into the Auction house office and ten minutes later he came back, paperwork ...

I purchased this rope halter off of Amazon.com. Tractor Supply sells similar ones as well. The online listing describes it as: Thin stiff rope halter has twisted crown and knots at pressure points on nose for better control during training. Includes 14ft lead. $14 Rope halter featured on Sonny   This rope halter is made from quality rope. It has held up for over a year, shows minimal wear and tear, and still retains its vibrant color. Sonny has a large head/stocky build, he is 16.1 hands. This rope halter fits him very well. The 14 foot lead rope can be used for lunging and ground work, if desired. This halter and lead set is very similar to the one Clinton Anderson sells on his site, but for a fraction of the cost. There are other colors available as well.   Rope halters are not recommended to be left on without supervision, so they are not good for turning out horses in. They make great training aids.  Rope halter, with lead line being used as reins. ...

As per Boot Barn's Listing: Go western with the authentic western boots you can trust. Justin delivers with their Gypsy line. These boots have an 8" shaft height, a walking heel, and round toe. They are equipped with the J-Flex comfort system which generates return energy by the leather-covered cushioned insole and triple density insole board. Pair with true denim and a plaid button up for a complete outfit. The removable orthotic insert gives an extra layer of cushioning for extra comfort.   Justin Boot's, brand new. This is the Advertisement picture. Style(s): L9610 (Pink Camo) Full-grain leather 8" shaft height Shaft embroidery J-Flex flexible comfort system with removable orthotic insert Walking heel Round toe Rubber outsole I've owned these boots since March 2016. I bought them brand new from Boot Barn for about $70 during one of their sales. I wear a size 8B in these boots. Which is pretty true to size for me, as I normally wear an 8 to 8 1...