October Roundup

A compilation of a few of my favourite things from the last month!

From myself: Group Trail Rides! (More to come in a blog entry, like, tomorrow.)

From blogger, The Militant Baker: The Body Love Conference (which I intend to attend, if everything goes the way that it should!)

From The Body Is Not An Apology: 

From Horse Junkies United: How My Non Horsey Boyfriend Has Survived The Equine World

And from... the internet? The other side of the world? The INCREDIBLE Greta Clip.

Last call for merchandise in 2013!

Just for a side note for those who do not follow the Facebook page -- tomorrow is the deadline for the last merch order of 2013. You can see the photos/details here! This will be the last order before 2014 so if you are looking to buy yourself or a friend a Christmas gift, now is the time. I am hoping to have some neat new designs in the new year!

Product Review: Higher Standards Leather Care Products

Check out Higher Standards Farm's ETSY SHOP and use coupon code EASYKEEPER to get 20% off your order until Monday, October 21st!

So... here's the thing. I really, really hate cleaning tack.

Okay, maybe I'm lazy. Maybe I enjoy hands on downtime with my horse more than I enjoy sudsing up a collection of tack that is largely strap goods. I don't know what it is. I just know that it is not something that I generally enjoy and is, therefore, something that I generally don't do.

I think that could change.

Enter Higher Standards Leather Care products:

Cute packaging, huh?

Libby from HS sent me an 8oz tub of Fox's Vanilla Lavender leather soap ($14.95 USD) and an 8oz tub of Handmade Leather Balm ($18.95 USD), which are available through the Higher Standards Leather Care Etsy Shop along with a couple of other mouthwatering scents of soap, including a limited edition Starla's Sugar & Spice scent that sounds like it is right up my alley.




When I opened them up, I realized one of the biggest reasons I am not much of a tack cleaner. Tiny tack sponges. I never have them, when I do get them, I can't seem to keep track of them. Huzzah, the leather soap has a tiny tack sponge with it, and it fits right in the tub, so you don't have to worry about keeping track of it, it just nestles right in the tub, cutelike. And did I mention that it SMELLS AMAZING? Seriously, I think that I have solved my tack cleaning boredom thing JUST by adding a good scent to the soap.

Directions are clear and concise and were in both the packaging that the product was sent to me in as well as on the product itself (bonus, another less thing to lose!).

Okay, now I am going to install a warning. If you are someone who loves tack, and loves clean tack, the picture I am about to show you might change your opinion about me forever. So if you want to keep liking me, maybe you shouldn't keep reading.

My saddle is synthetic so wouldn't benefit from this stuff as much, and I have two back to back group trail rides over the next couple of weekends during which I would like Bronwyn and I not to look like we just crawled on our bellies through the mud, so I thought it would be a good idea to clean my bridle as a tester.

This is my bridle:

It has never been cleaned or conditioned. When I bought it, oh... five years or so ago?, it was a cheapish new bridle and the girl at the shop who sold it to me said something along the lines of 'if you condition it up and take good care of it, there is little difference between it and an expensive one, especially for the type of stuff you do'. I had good intentions, I really did. But I never took it apart and cleaned it. It has had a wipe down a time or two, but never a legit, open all the buckles, take all the parts apart cleaning. Yes, I am probably a bad person.

So I took it apart. Some of the buckles were not so easy to open. Eventually, I got it into pieces, with the help of Morrie.

PS: Morrie thinks cleaning tack is boring.

Let me try to help you understand how dirty my bridle was.

Yeah, it was that dirty.

This is what it looked like after:

 Not too freaking shabby, I would say. (You can click on any of the images for a larger picture, if I recall correctly.)

The soap smelled wonderful, the balm was AWESOME. Not too thick/greasy but clearly did the job. My bridle felt buttery soft afterwards and pretty much all of the buckles/loops that came apart hard came back together like butter. I will never make this $60 bridle into a $200 bridle, but if I had a $200 bridle, I would not hesitate to use this stuff on it!

Overall, for convenience, value, presentation, quality, and pretty much anything else that you can measure by, I give this product the highest marks. I blasted the tunes while I was working and really enjoyed the product.

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Thank You.

Here in Canada, it is turkey day. I started thinking about writing a big blog entry about how grateful I was for so many things (especially when I woke up with only a few hours' sleep after a night shift (in order to get Thanksgiving dinner ready) yesterday to G bringing me a cup of coffee!) in my life - I wanted to share that with you... but you know, the above image kind of sums everything up.

However... to add to it, my Thanksgiving blog entry is about you, my readership. I say it sometimes but maybe not often enough... there would be no blog if it wasn't for those of you who are reading these words right now and I am so grateful for the community we have built together of people that have all experienced the same challenges and issues. When I feel high and accomplished, I can share that with you. When I feel low and lacking confidence, I can share that with you. When I step out of line because this whole body love movement is still so new and still feels foreign to me sometimes, you let me know and guide me gently back where I belong. I would likely never have known a thing about body positivity if it weren't for writing the blog. I would be minus a few "real life" friends, too.

There are also challenges that have arisen as a result of writing the blog, and I can be grateful for those, too. When someone takes aim at me for riding as a fat girl, I know that is saving someone else who might not be able to handle it, from bearing the brunt of ignorance. I have learned to be more sure of myself, of the things that I know, and of my horse. Through some of these comments, I have learned to listen, not to respond immediately with anger and hurt, sometimes to respond evenly and factually and I have learned those times that sometimes, you just have to walk away from that fight with your dignity and self worth intact. I have learned that when others make unkind comments to people for absolutely no reason at all, or bring up their concerns framing them in offensive language, it says a lot more about them as a person than me. I am grateful to have learned that what others think of me is none of my business. 

I am grateful for all of the lessons that I have learned, the love that I have gained and been able to give away. I am grateful for my silly, goofy girl who puts up with my foolishness and looks forward to our rides with enthusiasm. I am grateful for the many, many blessings in my life that have come about as a direct result of this blog, and I am grateful for each and every one of you who take the time to listen to me, put up with me, and encourage me.

THANK YOU!

(From Bronwyn, too!)