We had an absolute deluge all day on Friday, and as a result, Surefire was canceled! I am so bummed. It was going to be the easiest commute to an event ever, and I was excited to do a course I hadn’t done in awhile.

Of course today was dry and tomorrow should be too, but with the amount of rain we got and all three phases on grass, I guess I’m kind of glad they made the decision for me.

Oh well. On to the next. They’re hosting a schooling day on July 4, so I guess we’ll do that instead.

With all of the rain this spring and early summer, Oh So has been breaking out in hives, and I’ve been battling rain rot and crud on his legs and haunches.

I pulled out a product I’d tested for COTH before, Coat Defense powder. I kind of avoided using it before because it’s a bit messy compared to a spray.

When I was getting Oh So ready for the PVDA show before his rain rot blew up, he was acting super weird when I groomed him. He flinched practically to the ground when I brushed over his back and hindquarters, but I couldn’t find any signs of rain rot. I could barely do his top few braids because he wouldn’t let me touch his poll area. Of course I feared the worst–did he get kicked or pull a muscle?

After doing some research I determined it might be a skin thing, maybe dew poisoning since he sleeps outside on the grass now whereas at the last barn he was living in hock-deep mud most of the time. It seemed his skin was just on fire and super sensitive.

I sprinkled the Coat Defense on and brushed it in, and I swear, the next day when I went to get him ready for the show again, he was back to normal. I think the peppermint oil, bentonite clay and other ingredients acted as a soothing agent.

I’ve since been using it a few times a week as a preventative, although I slacked off recently and he’s back to hives again since we just had more rain. So I slathered him again today after a medicated shampoo bath. We’ll see! Coat Defense has many other uses and comes in a paste form too.

I’ve been really disappointed with Smartpak’s Piper Breeches lately. Every pair I’ve had wears holes through the full seat at the upper thigh, rendering them useless because they start to rub.

I actually contacted Smartpak about a pair I bought in November that I wear once or twice a week, and while they wouldn’t refund me, to their credit, they offered me 30% off any other kind of breeches.

I decided to give the Smartpak Hadleys a try because I liked the ocean blue color. They’re a bit pricier than the Pipers, but still a decent mid-range price. They definitely seem higher quality. The outer material is moisture wicking and stain and water resistant, and the fit is slightly higher rise so I can wear them without a belt. Yay!

The breeches have four-way stretch and a front zip.

My only complaint is that the back pockets are zippered and quite shallow and narrow, so I can’t fit my phone. The front ones are also super shallow and can’t hold my phone at all 😦

Time will tell if the full seat holds up better than the Pipers, but it seems to feel a bit sturdier so fingers crossed.

SaveSave