Staying Motivated!

It seems I missed posting last week…maybe you noticed or maybe not! I tried to start a blog for last week but really didn’t feel like writing…blame it on the heat or blame it on laziness. The fact of the matter is, sometimes I don’t want to write and my insecure self convinces me that nobody will care. But the craziest things have been occurring lately! People are engaging more than ever on my social media (especially TikTok but even my FaceBook page has been generating more interaction than ever!), my book sales have been soaring, and I have twelve new subscribers this week (Welcome and thank you!) Suddenly I feel energized, despite the brutal 3-digit temperatures and I am suddenly motivated to find my keyboard and start pecking away!

Riding my horses is another area lacking motivation! It is so hard to hop on Gabe, especially after mucking stalls in this heat. I have promised to not do what I did last summer, which was to not ride at all…for that matter, I didn’t do much with them and I refer to last summer as their feral months! No matter what, there has to be at least some type of ground or in-hand work going on and my goal is to ride at least 3-4 times a week. Even if it is just for 15 minutes! I have a series of various ground poles and obstacles set up play with. I also bought a bareback pad for Chance, but I think I need to wait until it is cooler before I subject him to any kind of work other than in-hand, as he is struggles with the heat, although he is doing much better than last summer. He is on a strict regimen of supplements as recommended by Dr. Kellon and by my local holistic vet, including acupuncture to help him get through the summer months. With triple digits this week, he has been struggling to stay cool, despite being hosed off several times a day and standing in front of his powerful fans, so he will get another acupuncture treatment next week as well as start a course of Chinese herbs.

Can you believe it is almost August? Tomorrow, August 1, will be my 39th wedding anniversary! My northern relatives were not happy to come to Florida for a wedding in August and I sometimes wonder what I was thinking, being an autumn girl myself! But here I am still married, amazed that anyone could stay married to me for that long, considering that horses were always a non-negotiable part of the marriage! When asked what I wanted for our anniversary, I said that the new fencing we did last month was good enough! Yep, true horse girl here. However, I did say that next year I want a piece of jewelry for our 40th!

In my last blog, I mentioned that On The Fringe, was going to be released on YouTube on July 14, a day after the premier viewing on the 13th in Palm Beach. Have you watched it yet? If not, you can access it at ON THE FRINGE: Equestrian Show Jumper Gabriela Reutter (Full Documentary)

Produced by my daughter, Jen and her husband Sam, founders of the horseshow management software Pegasus, the film opens with Sam revealing the economic impact of equestrian sports, which are staggering. As a non-horse person until he met Jen, Sam has tried to understand the obsession that women have with horses, and his answer to this question will have you laughing, as did the nearly 200 attendees at the viewing. Sorry, Sam, but the horse blood runs thick in my family, as both my mother and grandmother rode, though I was by far more serious about it than anyone. The film then introduces the viewer to Chilean show jumper Gabriela Reutter, who is attempting to become the first woman show jumper since 1972 to ride in the Olympics for her country. Her parents are quite candid about the finances, the heartbreak and the sacrifices her family has made, in order for Gaby to reach this goal. Her parents were in attendance for the premier and yes, her mother is just as funny and charming in real life! The film, directed and edited by the talented Brady Clayton, eventually morphs into a discussion of the grassroots of equestrian sports, with the USPC showcased and with an emphasis that not everyone has to have a million-dollar horse in order to enjoy the sport! I felt that this was an important message for the film to point out, because we have to be realistic in our riding goals, since the majority of riders are competing at the lower levels. While the film lays out to newcomers of the sport what it takes to get to that top tier, it makes it clear that anyone can enjoy horses without mortgaging their future.

Gaby, who is sponsored by Pegasus, has over 100,000 followers on her social media platforms, which helps support her dream. She embodies what many us dreamt of accomplishing, especially as young girls! What impresses me about Gaby is not only her love for the horse, but that she truly cares about her horses. Followers of her social media will see that not only is the physical aspect of the horse put first, but so is their mental well-being. Unfortunately, we don’t always see equestrians at this level putting their horses physical and mental needs first (and don’t worry, if you noticed those box fans in the film, after mentioning the safety hazards of them, she informed me that those fans had already replaced, as someone else had pointed out to her that they are a fire risk. She was genuinely mortified to have learned that she had used them, not knowing what risk they posed.)

With so many of our idols being portrayed in a negative (and rightly so) light, it is refreshing to see a person at the top of equestrian sports who puts her horses first!

In other news, my riding club had everyone bring their go-to products for the barn. Unfortunately, I missed the meeting, as it conflicted with the premier of On The Fringe. But the pictures of the meeting were pretty hysterical, as one woman held up a pair of padded panties, much to the embarrassment of one of our male members! Other products included supplements, grooming products (from Epona!) and even duct tape for removing ticks. It was fun to see what horse people can’t live without!

My list of my favorite barn items include:

-Hilton Herbs Herball treats and supplements. My horses (and donkeys, goats, even the dog!) LOVE these treats that are low in sugar and are healthy, so you won’t feel guilty feeding them! As a disclaimer, I used to be their U.S. rep and my car and my closet smelled like an Italian diner from keeping so many bags on hand! The Hoof and Health is my all-time favorite hoof supplement. It is so good that my farrier recommends it to his clients. This is the most cost-effective hoof supplement on the market, literally about $10 a month! The Mud Defender lotion is great for all kinds of skin crud. An anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, it has cleared up aural plaque in Gabe’s ears and has even been effective on summer sores. The Bye Bye Itch lotion is a must for stings and the itchies. The lotion and supplement were the one product that worked on my beloved Tucker and his horrible allergies, and is the product that introduced me to the company. I always keep Digestive Support on hand for when there is a case of diarrhea and Phytobalm is my go to for cuts and scrapes. I could go on and on about the different products!

-Epona grooming products. Another company that I used to be a rep for, I love how innovative the products are. All of my grooming products are from Epona. The Tiger Tongue is probably the favorite of both my sensitive Thoroughbreds. It is soft enough that it does not irritate them, yet tough enough to remove the dirt.

-Mad Barn! I appreciate that you can fill out a form and a bona-fide vet or feed nutritionist will get back to you. In my case, I was lucky to have heard back from Dr. Kellon, a leading authority on metabolic disorders, regarding Chance, who has Cushings. She not only devised a plan for him, but she checks in from time to time to see how he is doing and answers any questions that I have.

-Fleeceworks saddle pads. I have a stack of beautiful pads that I have never used (I know that I am not the only one!) The reason is that while I was a rep for Waldhausen, I stocked up on pads. Who can resist buying pads at wholesale? However, a few years ago, Gabe was getting a weird swelling on his right side of his wither after our rides. Nobody could figure out what it was, and it always disappeared within a few hours. I placed a call to Judy at Fleeceworks who suggested that I ride in my fake-sheepskin half pad and to let her know the results. Well besides it being really strange to ride in just the half-pad alone, there was no swelling. She called the swelling a heat callous. She sent me a sheepskin pad and Gabe has not had any issues since. Now I collect sheepskin pads! Anyone want some lovely pads? Or maybe I need another horse?

-Grooming Towel/Rub Rag. I have an old grooming rag from the days of Millers…yes, I am dating myself here! I love this towel and it is probably 30 years old, and other than a tear, it is still in good condition, and it gets the job done! I have a box full of old t-shirts and towels to use in the barn, but they just aren’t the same! Earlier this year, Jen gifted me a beautiful pad from Equine Outfitters. I had never heard of them, so of course I had to check out their website and I discovered that they have cotton waffle hand towels from Sixteen Cypress. Of course I had to order two! They are soft and absorbent and get the job done, whether rubbing down the face, wiping sweat marks, drying wet legs or putting a glow to my boots! They even make a full-sized horse drying towel, which may be put onto my birthday list for next year!

What products or service can you not live without? Share on my social media pages…this will be my text box question on TikTok on Friday!

One last thing…if you have read my book, I would appreciate you leaving a review on Amazon and GoodReads! I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Stay cool! Fall is getting closer! And as always,
Don’t Forget To Hug Your Horse!

Lori