Ariat Sunstopper Shirt Review

AKA the love of my life!!

Ive spoken about this Shirt in a few posts and in quite a few videos on my Youtube Channel also (and now, Im going to talk about it some more!!)

I ordered this Shirt a little over 2 months ago so Ive had some time to review it (although I will admit, I fell in love with it the first ride!) There were so many colours to choose from, I just thought this little dotty number was really smart. I ordered mine in a Small, a size up from my usual as the site recommended and it is the best fitting shirt I have ever owned.

Not only is this Shirt incredibly smart looking, it's also super practical too. There is a fine mesh material on the shoulder blades and from the armpit down to the wrists which although looks very discreet, is a heaven sent gift during those sticky hot summer days during a 45 minute dressage lesson on 1 particularly bratty pony.... This definitely helps to cool you down and keep you focused.

I think I'll even be wearing mine in Winter, its perfect as a base layer as it's so fitted and lightweight.



































I don't feel the need to ever buy any other brand or type of shirt because this one just ticks every box for me:

Its fitted
Its comfortable
Its smart
Its practical
Its stylish
Its lightweight
Its super stretchy and molds to your body shape
And, its frikkin adorable.

What more does a girl need?



This Shirt is a 10/10 for me and I can't wait to treat myself to more colours.

Thank you for reading
India and Elsie x

Dressage Training In Euro Star Matchy Matchy 16/08/2015

Had an interesting session today, to say the least!!
Elsie was in a such a 'typical mare' mood, looking for things to spook at, being uncooperative and a little backwards thinking.
Saying that, we did have some lovely moments,  dont think I'll ever get used to how sensitive and difficult this Pony is to ride, just hope I can someday do her justice and not ride like a potato.

I have been working very hard on improving my general position lately but today was all about practical riding rather than pretty riding.

We worked most on collection and extension in the trot, a little lateral work, some long and low and to finish, canter work, which I have no photo evidence of as it took atleast 8 circles round the arena for Elsie to have had her fun and for me, to be able to stop...ooops.

Started off in walk encouraging Elsie to stretch down and 'seek' the bit, popped in a lot of walk-halt, halt-walk transitions (as always!!) practiced a bit of shoulder in and leg yielding away from and toward the track before moving up to trot.












































































I always start with a fairly loose contact encouraging Elsie to stretch down and get her supple and relaxed but still working in a nice forward trot, I spend some time changing the bend through her neck, Elsie has a habit of hanging on the inside rein a little so I try to get a little flexion to the outside whilst keeping her body straight.

As you can see above, Elsie is not quite tracking up and will try to get away with not using her back end so I incorporate lots of half transitions in my trot work to make her hind end step underneath her more and push her up into the bridle which results in a much nicer trot as you can see below...

After warming up on both reins in a long and low frame, I ask Elsie to sit back on her bum, slow it down and collect the stride, Elsie finds collected trot quite difficult so I just ask for a few strides here and there, pushing her back into a working trot and collecting her back up again.

This is definitely something that I know needs a lot of work (must engage the hocks more and get her a little 'lighter') but I think as Elsie gets fitter, her muscles develop and with practice we'll improve!!

I then moved back into working trot before lengthening the stride out, asking for more impulsion and really engaging the hind end to produce a really lovely, dreamy, floaty trot, or, in more technical terms, a medium trot.

I really was so pleased with the steps she produced here, she really engaged her hind end and worked into the bridle, it was a little bit speedy but we'll work on slowing it down!! Big pats for chubby pony.

I then took Elsie into the field, this is where she feels most comfortable and you can feel a difference in her paces, she is much more relaxed!!

Just messed a round a little in the trot, again sneaking in some steps of leg yield and shoulder in and practicing making the trot bigger and smaller.

I absolutely love these photos of Elsie, she looks like a little pro!

clever, clever pony :)



Elsie wears: Euro Star Dressage pad in Rose blush, Euro Star bandages in Rose Blush, Le Mieux Dressage girth, Equiture Over reaches.
I wear: Ariat Sunstopper shirt, Premier Equine breeches, Sergio Grasso tall boots, Carrots Gloves.


Thankyou so much for reading.
India and Elsie-may x

Summer Photoshoot

My lovely friend Taylor James ( LIKE HER PHOTOGRAPHY PAGE HERE) came to do a photoshoot on Friday, what I really wanted was some photos of Elsie and I looking a little 'smart' and then the complete opposite aka being our usual goofy selves and best friends and I think Taylor captured this PERFECTLY. (as always!!)

I can't think of any words that adequately describe how much I adore these photos and this pony, I'm not even going to try, so, instead ill let you have a little look at some of my favourite photos.

Thank you so much to Taylor for these photos!!
What do you guys think?!

India and Elsie x

Dressage Lesson July 14th 2015

Had a fantastic Dressage lesson with Elsie this morning, I'm over the moon with her and a little bit chuffed with my own riding (for once!!)

Last weeks lesson was a bit of a fail on my part, I was far too 'active' with my left hand as I was trying to compensate for Elsie being so on the forehand, forgetting how sensitive she is in the mouth which resulted in a very tense speedy pony and a very tense me!!

For some reason I just could not keep that left rein still (despite my poor instructor shouting it at me what felt like every 2 seconds!)

The left rein has also been giving me some trouble lately, i know most horses are better, more supple, on one rein compared to the other but the difference in Elsie's 2 reins is massive, on the right rein she feels light, supple, forward and free through the back, on the left she resembles a brick wall!
Felt a little disheartened after that session, not Elsie's fault though, she is so incredibly forgiving and honest!

After beating myself up over it for a week, I went into  this mornings lesson in a different state of mind and tried to relax.

And wow.

Managed to keep my left rein completely still and I stayed really relaxed, Elsie definitely noticed and produced some of THE nicest trot work I have ever felt from her, ON THE LEFT REIN!!
My instructor had us practise collected trot, not usually Elsies favourite (shes always looking to go longer, faster, extended) but today she complied beautifully, the power that pony has in her back end baffles me!!

We found the key to get Elsie working properly and engaging her brain (she tends to drift off and find things to spook at/stare at/ignore me at when shes bored) is to do lots and lots of different things constantly, we did lines of 8 poles today at different lengths, tonnes of transitions, collecting and lengthening the stride, couldn't really fault Elsie, you could tell she really enjoyed it, she does love showing off.

As always at the end of a dressage lesson with Elsie we pop her into canter and see what we are working with, we find it best to leave until the end as she tends to get really strong, wound up and on the forehand after a canter. Elsie finds canter really difficult, it isn't a 'natural' pace for her (being a gypsy trotter) she tends to find pacing in a 4 time beat much easier but at times she can produce a really nice rhythmic 3 time beat for a few strides or occasionally even for extended periods of time
(depending on what mind-set

she is in) it'll be hard work and I know it wont happen over night but Im certain one day we will establish and maintain a 3 time beat canter, just a matter of building up her confidence.

My main fault in the canter is asking for too much inside bend which makes Elsie fall through the shoulder and go disunited.

Today we worked on having a little bit of outside bend to encourage Elsie to step through with her hind legs a little more, a little easier said than done!

Elsie is so used to me being there to support her with the inside hand she now hangs off it and threatens to run through the fence instead of turning a corner or turning on a circle, so it's my job to try and sit still and continue half halting with the outside bend and ignore Elsies attempt at trapping me into using that inside rein, at one point today I managed to keep her straight/slightly bent to the outside for a whole 20m circle (big accomplishment!!) I was so chuffed with myself!

Elsie was absolutely shattered after that lesson but very content, she loves to work and I was happy as Larry!

My instructor is going to have a little sit on Elsie next week so she can feel what Im working with as she hasn't ridden Elsie before andIi think it would be beneficial for her to know all Elsies quirks and the right buttons to press etc.

Then my instructor is going to treat Elsie to a sports massage too.

I also had an amazing offer from my instructor to go to her yard and ride her 18hh dressage horse, obviously I said Yes!! (Will DEFINITELY have to photograph that!)

Super happy with Elsie today, i think i might start taking a few photos each lesson so I have something to look back on and analyse and look out for improvement etc as I feel that can be quite motivating!

Wore my gorgeous Ariat sunstopper shirt today (in the rain, thank you Britain!) I definitely think I rode better today, my position felt better overall, think it does help when you wear something you are comfortable in!!

Thank you for reading.
India and Elsie May x

New video!

A little OOTD (outfit of the day) video, a pony version!!
Elsie makes a fab model, I must admit.

Matchy Mondays #1

This Mondays Matchy set is from the absolutely stunning Eurostar S/S collection, the excellence dressage pad in Rose blush, quite possibly one of my favourite colours of the season! (paired with super sparkly over reaches from Horka) love love love.

A Le Mieux obsession is started!!

I recently treated the spoilt brat to a new saddlecloth and boots (justified by convincing myself she needed an 'every day matchy set'. A lovely lady on a Buy and Sell matchy group on Facebook was selling a brand new gorgeous vogue glint Le Mieux dressage square in Stone for £45 which, naturally, I just HAD to have!!

When it arrived in all its diamanté glory I was immediately obsessed, the quality of this item is incredible and the fit under a saddle couldn't be better, the fact the billet straps attach to the D rings on the saddle as opposed to the girth straps under the saddle flap is a really cool feature also.

I ordered the Le Mieux patent crocodile boots to match the saddle pad (as sometimes bandages are too much effort!!) These are probably the nicest boots I've laid eyes on, they are super fancy and eye-catching but also really smart at the same time. Again the fit was really good and very high quality (well, if its good enough for Charlotte Dujardin...)  I thought the brushing boots were a tad pricey at £32.50 a pair but well worth the money.

     

This set works really nicely together especially paired with my Le Mieux sheepskin dressage girth (FAR too fancy for an everyday set, sigh) although the recent hot weather and fluffy brushing boots are probably not the best combination so I've ordered Elsie some Pro-sport boots in the same Stone colour as the pad which I can't wait to try out and review!!


Thank you for reading,
LGT

Neckrope riding!? 23/03/2015

Apparently I was feeling incredibly brave (or stupid..) this morning as I decided I wanted to ride Elsie tackless.....

                          Now, I can't say we have the best track record for tackless riding....