I’ve had a crappy last few weeks with Bear. After his hock swelled up and we missed our last event, he became nearly three-legged lame the Monday after. The vet came out, took X-rays and found nothing except a very sore foot, so we kept the shoe off, wrapped and soaked it.

He appeared sound by Friday, so I had the farrier put the shoe back on Saturday, but he went lame again, so we took it off the following Monday. The vet came back out and blocked his foot and determined it to be just a bad bruise. Since I was leaving for Italy for 10 days, we decided to keep him on limited turnout and keep the shoe off, which brings us to today. He seems sound again on a straight line, but not so much to the right on the lunge., The farrier came out today and put his shoe back on in hopes that he’s just off from not having the shoe on. What next? Ugh.

My trainer said maybe it was good timing for him to have some time off, just being a young  horse and because of some back pain caused by my saddle (which turned out to be irreparably broken 😦 )

I agree, but I also don’t like losing time with him. My plan isn’t to keep him forever and I want to be competing! It’s been nearly a year since my last event and I’m getting antsy! His saddle situation is also up in the air since I don’t have one now for him and can’t try any until he’s sound.

Either way, she’s confident that he’ll be fine when he comes back and that he won’t forget anything. I just have to keep telling myself that! I’m still thinking it’s just a bad bruise and that he’s just not a very stoic horse!

Oh So is doing well. My dressage trainer, Nicky, rode him while I was gone and I had a nice flat session this morning. I’m thinking of entering a dressage schooling show in the next few weeks and I’m going to take him to see my jump trainer, Lisa, this weekend for a little gymnastic session in my dressage saddle (the new one is coming soon). He’s ready to start jumping higher, but I don’t want to in that saddle!

My Summer Staples

As I stepped out of the airport and onto the curb on Monday, I was reminded that while I was sweating everyday during my vacation to Italy, at least it wasn’t so oppressively humid!

So, I decided to put together a list of some of my summer essentials in the barn.

I’ll write up a separate post about my vacation, but for now, here’s my list.

EnduraCool Towel

I sweat, a lot, so this refreshing towel is just the trick after I ride. You just get it wet, squeeze it out and snap it to “activate the cooling properties” and it’s instantly cool. It doesn’t really stay cool for hours as the company claims, but it sure beats a normal towel!

Absorbine Botanicals Natural Liniment

I was excited to see a new liniment on the market this season, and considering it’s from Absorbine, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. While their Veterinary Liniment is a bit too strong for both me and my horses, I do like their products and the new Botanicals line is much more mild. Absorbine calls both the Massage Foam and Body Rinse “aromatherapy”, and they both certainly have a pleasant minty smell that’s not overpowering.

The Massage Foam comes in a drip-free pump bottle, while the Body Rinse comes in a convenient squeeze bottle with measurement lines on the side. One squeeze is enough concentrate for an after-workout bath, and one bottle makes 24 gallons.

I’ve used the Body Rinse on Oh So several times and under his wraps with no adverse effects, probably because it contains natural herbs and aloe vera. Bear loves the Massage Foam, which you apply directly onto the coat and massage into the skin.

Kerrits Ice Fil Mesh Shirt

I’ve always liked Kerrits’ show shirts to use under my riding jacket at shows, so I decided to try their new Ice Fil t-shirt. Kerrits claims the Ice Fil fabric will lower your body temperature up to five degrees and will leave behind a cooling sensation.

I found that the fabric is definitely lightweight and thin, but it’s held up to many rides in the summer heat. It definitely does breath more than my Under Armour shirts, but since I sweat so much, it also soaks through quicker, thus cooling me with my own sweat I guess?

Either way, it dries fast and comes in lots of pretty colors (including white for use under a show coat)!

Under Armour UA Tech Shirt

As any athlete knows, breathable fabric is essential, so I’ve stocked up on several Under Armour shirts for the summer. Smartpak carries these with their logo on the sleeve, but I found several more color options on Amazon.com.

Roma Ecole Double Diamond Saddle Pad

When it came time to go to Bear’s first show, I needed to find an affordable saddle pad, so I tried out Roma’s dressage pad. It’s softly quilted, long enough for my saddle and comes in a variety of color combinations (Oh So has black with red trim for schooling). It also dries fast, which is a plus in the summer!