Working for my boots

I have some old friends who have been close to me for about 12 years. I met them in a bargain basement of a local tack store and though they were a bit stiff to begin with, we developed a long-term lasting relationship, full of days spent horsing around.

Having the right paddock boots can really put you on the path to success ;)

Over the last two or three years, I have looked at them often and thought sadly, "you're looking pretty crappy and I know I'm going to need new boots soon, but I am really nervous about this impending change" (insert sad/apprehensive face here).

So I went and looked around and was SHOCKED at the cost of paddock boots these days, especially the Ariat Colbalt Quantums, the creme de la creme of Ariat paddock boots with their lovely soft leather and fancy-pants soles. I also liked the Tredstep paddock boots, but they only come in zip-up and I am a lace-up kind of girl.

Then I got the opportunity to work as a temp hire at the local Dover tent sale, and I earned enough money to buy myself the new pair of Colbalt Quantums! So today, after enduring three VERY long and hot days spent working amongst crowds of very eager tent sale shoppers, they became mine. I spent the entire three days worrying that someone else was going to come in and fall in love with the only pair of size 9's off the shelf but they sat, undisturbed, for the duration of the weekend. THANK GOD.

new and old

Speaking of tent sale shoppers, I met a fan today! How cool is that! She recognized me from my blog! Nice to meet you (you know who you are :D)!

After finishing up at Dover, I headed over to the barn with my new boots and other scores, such as horsey electrolytes, UlcerGard, a hay net, and poultice (and you can probably tell why the boots are so exciting...everything else I bought was BORING). Lucy desperately needed a bath after a very hot weekend where she did a lot of sweating and rolling in the cool mud. I let her eat dinner first, then went to town with shampoo and a curry comb.

this horse really loves her dinner.

pony torture.

I packed the trailer and made sure everything else was all set to go. We are in good shape for tomorrow and I am excited and confident that I will meet my goals, which are (as always):

-have fun

-don't fall off

Oh and I added a new goal after getting my dressage test feedback at the last show:

-don't talk incessantly through my entire dressage test

:D

And I will leave you with a photo of Cairo and a doggie friend we are taking care of while his owner is away, bounding happily through the park on a bike ride the other day: