Tag: barn fashion

Blowout sale on various apparel

Thanks for all your well wishes for Moe! Rest assured, he appreciated them. I’m definitely looking forward to moving both horses this weekend to a barn where I feel confident about their care.

Onto a more fun topic: sales! Well, a sale. My first task at my new job is to update all of the clearance apparel on the tack store’s website. There’s a ton of it, most of it last year’s winter lines from various brands. The price on most of these items is at or just above wholesale cost. The catch? A lot of it is uncommon sizes and extremely limited quantities.

I’m only about halfway through this massive project, but thought I’d give y’all a heads up about some of the sweet deals that are available. (Disclaimer: I don’t get a commission if you buy things online. But maybe I’ll get a raise one day?)

Anky sleeveless top, $10. Super soft and lightweight polyester polo tank. It’s very flattering and stylish- it’s hard to see in the picture, but it’s a wrap-style top. There’s one left, size medium in a cream color. (That’s my coworker Jasmine modeling.)
Gersemi stretch cotton tee, $10. This is an extremely soft and luxurious t-shirt. Gersemi is a Swedish high-fashion equine line that makes all kinds of clothing. There are two of these tees in size small in the amethyst color pictured. 
Truitt Jane Polo, $10. These polos are very, very cute in person. They’re a nice pique fabric with an embroidered zebra on the left breast. I like that they only have two buttons on the placket- I hate polos with tons of buttons. They’re available in lime green, neon orange, mauve, and black. They’re most available in small and extra small, but there are a few mediums there too.
Irideon Chinchillaaah Half Zip Fleece, $29.97. This thing is seriously soft, y’all. It’s so cozy and warm- it’d be perfect for brisk fall days or worn as a layer under a heavier jacket in the winter. There are a few sizes in each color (sugarplum and saddle)- you’ll have to check the website to see if what you want is available.
Irideon tall boot tee, $16.17. I love these long sleeve t-shirts! They have a modest v-neck and are a nice, slightly stretchy cotton. The graphic on the front is a small circular Irideon logo on the left breast and you can see the graphic on the back- a tall boot composed of horse related words like “half chaps” “jump” and “ride”. 
Anyway, over the next week for so, more inventory will pop up on the website as I get through it. There are some heavy insulated winter breeches and more long sleeve shirts on super sale (50% off MSRP). 
If any more crazy cheap stuff comes up, y’all will be the first to know! 

Equestrian At Hart Blog Hop: Equestrian wardrobe

L. Williams’ graphics are the best.
Hillary of Equestrian At Hart has taken up the blog hop mantle, and I am thrilled. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know fellow horse bloggers through these things. Plus, it never hurts to have a topic to write about (or an excuse to put a tacked up dinosaur logo on the blog). 

Hillary asks: I want to know about what you ride in and why? 


My winter equestrian wardrobe is a good deal more stylish and interesting than my summer one. In the summer, my primary objective is to not have a heat stroke while I’m at the barn.

Ariat field boots, Falcon Northwest hat, Dublin breeches,
Adidas Climalite socks, AriatTek polo
Ariat field boots, Polo hat, OnCourse breeches, AriatTek
polo
Ariat field boots, Polo hat, OnCourse breeches, Oil Capital
of the World tee from Boomtown Tees
Ariat field boots, Safeguard hat, Dublin breeches, Old Navy
tee

As you can see, I always wear field boots and breeches when I ride, even when it’s painfully hot out. Why? Years ago, I begged my parents for a pair of half chaps because I was young and thought they were super cool. I received a beautiful pair of Ariat half chaps for Christmas and spent many enjoyable hours riding my horses in them. Then I went to the first show of the spring, and my lower leg slid all over the place because my boots didn’t have the wonderfully grippy suede that my half chaps did. I was terribly uncomfortable, and from that day forward I swore I’d school in the same things I’d show in.

I’m also really into hats. The disgusting, faded Polo cap is my favorite by far; I have at least two dozen others that I wear sparingly. I try to match my hat to the rest of my outfit. Wearing a hat catches a lot of sweat and keeps the sun out of my face. I wear a helmet when I ride, but you’ll find me in a hat if I’m not on a horse.

As for shirts, I like technical fabrics, so I’ll frequently borrow Nike DriFit shirts from my running gear. The AriatTek polos are fantastic– lightweight, flattering, and comfortable. I snagged these two from Tack of the Day about a year ago.

The Adidas Climalite socks are excellent; they’re on the thick side, but keep your feet dry and cool through even the longest, hottest days at the barn. I also like the Tredstep Pure UltraCool socks, which are thinner than the Adidas.

And, of course, I can’t write about what I wear to the barn without mentioning my faithful sunglasses and Croakies.

These are a cheap pair of aviators from Buckle. I’ve managed to keep up with them for a whole year thanks to the Croakies. I never lose them, because they’re around my neck. I never sit on them. I never put them somewhere a horse can step on them. Plus, I always look super freaking cool. And that’s what’s really important, right?!

Fashion Friday

For those of you who were curious about that amazing glitter-horse-roses-America orgy tank top, here’s a larger picture of it.

And if you would also like to be super-stylish and amazing, you can find this tank top online at Walmart. (Or possibly at your own Walmart.) For the low price of $9.88, I think we can all afford to be “wild & free”. Who’s ready to wear them to Rolex next year?!

Serious fashion question, though: let’s talk about breeches (again). Now that Oklahoma has finally gotten up to 100 degree days, I am suffering in my breeches, y’all.

I would LOVE any recommendations on lightweight (yet durable) breeches (preferably under $100, because I’m on a limited budget).

Viva Carlos Blog Hop: Your equestrian fashion

While I’m of course sad to see the end of L. Williams’ (and Thad the Unicorn’s) magical blog hop, she has a great topic for us: I want a pictorial tour of your closet. Not your riding clothes, but your equivalent of the crazy cat lady ugly cat sweater.

I was putting away some clean laundry today and thought I’d go ahead and take pictures for this post. When I was thinking of the horse-themed clothing I have, I thought of a handful of t-shirts and a couple of old equestrian team jackets.

Top row, left to right:
  1. Team Awesome sweatshirt. Team Awesome was the name my best friend Amy and I gave ourselves in college when we stopped seeing the other members of our horse cadre at the barn. One year for Christmas, I sent Amy a hat emblazoned with “Team Awesome”, a graphic of a horse jumping, and “Do you want the hat?” printed on the back. (It’s a long story.) The next year, she sent me this hoodie. To this day, even though we live states apart, we still refer to ourselves as Team Awesome. 
  2. Cedar Hills Pony Club sweatshirt. This sweatshirt is a little too short and a little too small, but I love it too much to ever get rid of it. It’s a relic of my Pony Club days.
  3. Skyhawk Equestrian Team jacket. From my second year on the team. This jacket had a pair of matching track pants, and we wore these traveling to, and at shows (over our breeches). 
  4. Skyhawk Equestrian Team pullover. This is from my first year on the team. It has holes in one sleeve from where I burned it pulling barbecue out of the oven while working the team’s concession stand.
Second row, left to right:
  1. Adventure Horse Camp shirt. While I worked at the therapeutic riding center, I developed and coordinated equestrian summer camps for able-bodied kids. This shirt was from the first year of camp. I love the bright colors!
  2. Rolex Kentucky shirt. Confession: my friend Laura gave this shirt to me when we were college roommates. She found it at Goodwill. The one time I attended Rolex, I neglected to come home with a shirt, so this volunteer shirt from 2003 has to suffice.
  3. Keep Calm And Canter On shirt. Johnny’s aunt sent me this shirt last Christmas. It’s huge, so it’s a designed sleeping shirt.
  4. National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame shirt. My aunt and uncle visited Saratoga, NY and stopped by the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. They sent me this shirt years and years ago- I think while I was still in high school. It has some nasty pit stains and I hardly wear it, but I doubt I’ll ever get rid of it.
Third row, left to right:
  1. Midsouth Pony Club Rally 2003 shirt. It seemed like every Rally had an official t-shirt. This 2003 edition is a sage green and prominently features the three phases of eventing, though the week also included the show jumping, dressage, and tetrathalon rallies. (Quiz wasn’t included at this event, but is inexplicably featured on the shirt.)
  2. Midsouth Pony Club Rally 1998 shirt. This is the first Rally I ever attended. Of course I bought the t-shirt. It’s gray with a very cool sketch graphic of the three phases of eventing. You can bury me in this shirt.
  3. Amazing Glitter America Horse tank. Johnny and I were at Wal-Mart around the Fourth of July hunting for an air mattress for our impeding guests. I saw this gem and demanded Johnny buy it for me. Because he is overly indulgent of hilarious clothing, he did. (He bought himself three Fourth of July themed shirts that day, one of which featured a Bichon dog wearing an Uncle Sam-style tophat, rearing on its hind legs, and waving a sparkler. ‘MERICA!). Anyway, the shirt features a white horse, galloping to freedom below a banner that proclaims “WILD & FREE”. There’s an American flag motif in the background, roses at the bottom, and the whole thing is coated in glitter. I have never worn this in public, but I wear it around the house constantly.
  4. Unicorn shirt. A birthday gift from Johnny a couple years ago. This lavender colored shirt has a majestic unicorn, a castle, and a fucking rainbow. IT IS THE BEST SHIRT IN THE WORLD. (The few times I work it to work at the therapeutic riding center, all of the kids loved it.) If you’re totally jelz and want your own, buy it from The Mountain.
Fourth row, left to right:
  1. Cedar Hills Pony Club polo. This served as my cross-country polo shirt for many years. It’s a nice shirt, so I’ve kept it for the times I need to look presentable while still doing something with horses. 
  2. Great Plains Equestrian Sports Training Foundation shirt. I got this while taking polo lessons in Wichita, Kansas. Johnny says it looks like something you’d find at a thrift store. I love it.
  3. Eventful Life shirt. I bought this a few years ago from Dana’s Doodles. It’s a cute shirt with text that reads “Lead an eventful life!”; I wore it to work constantly at the therapeutic riding center until a kid asked me if that was blood coming out of the horse’s leg in the graphic. 
  4. Team NALS shirt. In college, I boarded my horses with three other girls: Natalie, Amy, and Laura. I had these shirts made for us one year because apparently I loved spending money or something. It has my name on the back.
Lest you think that’s all the equine-themed apparel I own, just wait. There’s more.
  • Top row: Varsity Equestrian National Championship 2007 shirt. My first (and only) year going to VENC. This shirt is covered with weird spots, so it’s relegated to ‘barn only’ status.
  • Middle row: Midsouth Pony Club rally 2002 shirt. I remember Rally 2002 as a year without an official logo/shirt. I got to choose the shirt design, and the nice people pressed it onto a tee for me. It hasn’t aged well, but like most of my Pony Club relics, I can’t let go.
  • Bottom row: Eventing enthusiast shirt. I got this from a vendor at Rally one year. The front is fairly benign, while the back details the Top 10 Reasons to continue Eventing. They are:
    • Snazzy new names of governing organizations.
    • Sport saves you from having tons of left over money.
    • In a masochistic way, it is fun.
    • In a sadistic sort of way, your horse thinks it is fun.
    • It scares the fool out of your significant other.
    • Extreme sports are the rage.
    • Annual meeting usually in exotic places.
    • Sooner or later they will do away with the stadium phase.
    • Sooner or later they will do away with the dressage phase.
    • There will ALWAYS be the galloping, jumping, splashing, adrenaline-producing CROSS COUNTRY PHASE!!!!!!!!
You can go ahead and bury that shirt with me too. 

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Summer barn essentials

Summer Barn Essentials

Summer Barn Essentials by stejpeck featuring aviator sunglasses

With temperatures already in the 90s and the heat index pushing 100+ degrees, I’ve got my barn tote bag jammed with summer stuff.
  • Dri-FIT hat: Y’all know I have a serious hat collection, and throughout the fall, winter, and spring, I wear hats that coordinate with my outfit. In the summertime, though, I switch between my two Nike Dri-FIT hats regardless of what I’m wearing. They’re cool and absorb lots of sweat. Plus, you can just throw them in the washing machine when they get extra nasty!
  • Moisture-wicking shirts: These things make summer in Oklahoma bearable. Ariat makes nice-looking polos in their AriatTek fabric (I scored some on Tack of the Day once), but inexpensive tees can be had via Eastbay- their EVAPOR brand is affordable and works well. Of course, Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour also have a variety of shirts to meet your sweat-soaking needs.
  • Sunglasses: Cannot live without them. I like aviators because they make me look cool and fit under my helmet.
  • Croakies: I’m not sure how I coped with sunglasses before I unearthed an old pair of Johnny’s from a shoebox destined for Goodwill. I keep the Croakies on the sunglasses all the time. They’re awesome, because they prevent my sunglasses from falling off my face or my head while I’m doing anything. I just put the glasses around my neck like the most stylish necklace you have ever seen. Johnny makes fun of me when I’m wearing them at the mall, but who cares what he thinks? I NEVER LOSE MY SUNGLASSES.
  • Neutrogena Clear Face sunscreen: A few months ago, I developed this roscea-like rash thing on my face. I haven’t been to a doctor, because doctors are expensive and I am unemployed. This lightweight SPF 50 sunscreen is amazing; it goes on smoothly and doesn’t further irritate my skin.
  • Coppertone Sport spray sunscreen: I use this on remaining exposed areas of my body. I like it because there’s no rubbing, it’s quick, and while it leaves me feeling kind of sticky at first, I’m usually so gross with sweat by the end of my ride that it doesn’t matter.
  • Aveeno Ultra-Calming face wipes: Sometimes I run errands after I ride, and I like to clean some of the dirt/gunk/sweat from my body. These wipes are gentle and unscented and work well on my face, neck, and arms. (Fun story: my best friend in high school- who’s also an equestrian- and I used to joke about attending Purdue and growing marijuana in the shower of a dorm room to pay for school; we planned to bathe with baby wipes instead of showering. This particular plan did not materialize, but I’m living the dream of bathing with wipes!)
  • Nalgene bottle: It’s important to stay hydrated in the heat, and there’s no better way to do than a Nalgene bottle. These things are indestructible. I once lost one in a parking lot, only to find it six months later. (It’d rolled under my horse trailer.) It was a little scuffed, but otherwise fine. They hold 32 oz of liquid; on a long, hot day I’ll drink 6 or 7 bottles’ worth.
  • Tredstep Aircool socks: I hate it when my feet are hot. It makes me feel like I can’t cool down. No one knows the hot feet problem better than equestrians- we encase our whole lower leg in leather! These socks do a good job of wicking moisture away and keep my feet feeling good.
What summer stuff do you use?