Merry Christmas + Product Reviews

Merry Christmas! We've spent our day opening gifts, lounging, eating and watching movies. My dog Millie had her first Christmas (she's almost three but was pulled from a kill shelter, so I doubt whoever had her before cared enough to get her gifts.) She was VERY excited to have things to open. Even my cat was happy with his new toys.

I got some horse goodies, and because they're sized and a lot of people fret about ordering the correct size, I have photos and reviews of a few things I got!

Product #1 is the Rambo Competition Quarter Sheet. It comes in four colors--classic Newmarket, charcoal, blue, chocolate (all are striped.) Apollo got the chocolate one. He got a size large. He's 16.1hh and is a good length, but he's narrowly built. It fits him PERFECTLY! The fleece is high quality and thick--it was maybe 20 degrees today and we went on a trail ride. He stayed nice and toasty! We tried it on my mom's OTTB, who is both taller and much heavier built. It didn't fit him so well, so if you have a thicker built/overall BIG horse, go for the XL.

Apollo also got a Rambo Fleece cooler! It comes in the same color options as the quarter sheet. His cooler is blue. Same material and quality--FANTASTIC! He normally wears a 75 in blankets, but my mom got me a 78 in case I put it on over his saddle. It fits perfectly even without the saddle on, which is weird. If you order this, I'd go up one size.

He had plenty of chest room but wasn't swimming in material. I'd definitely give both products a thumbs up! Also thanks to my mom for modeling baby horse.

I also got a Mountain Horse Windsor Riding coat. I got it in navy and it's a large. I'm 5'2" and 120 lbs, but it's a REALLY warm coat, and you want to be able to layer during the winter months. I fit three extra layers under this coat with ease. Hardware is nice, pockets are nice, my neck stayed toasty warm. It's elastic cinched at the waist, which REALLY helps keep the heat in. It also has a double zipper and a butt flap so you can ride without it bunching or scratching your saddle. It has zipper pockets and a spacious hood. DEFINITELY worth the $$!! Unfortunately I don't have photos.

My last product review is SmartPak's Piper full seat breeches. I got the blue ones with brown seat and stitching. THEY ARE AMAZING!!! Perfect fit, stretchy without losing their shape, soft but won't wear through. They're mid-low rise with a regular zipper and two hook closures. The ankles are elastic, and you have front AND back pockets. I LOVE THESE BREECHES!!!!!!!!!! I will definitely be buying these from now on!

My big surprise gift of the day was my very own big yellow watch. I'm only doing starter/BN this spring and summer, but I want to learn to use it before I need to compete with it. It's also good for timing how long I do exercises with Apollo.

We went on a nice trail ride today. He was really well behaved, especially considering he hasn't gone on a trail ride since October. We cantered up a nice sized hill, very relaxed just floating the rein to him. I just sat up and practiced my "rubber elbows" (helpful tip from Jane Savoie's book Dressage 101) while also trying my best to keep a straight line from shoulder-hip-heel.

I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year!