I've been spending time lately with Freebee, Scott's legendary retiree. This horse is freakin cool.
Freebee is a Sally Cousins dropout, turned fox hunting staff horse, turned prelim eventer, turned 3rd / 4th level dressage horse, turned haughty retiree.
riding the neighborhood, me with freebee, scott with the black horse
He's a class act, and he fricken knows it.
more neighborhood, this time with scott on the red horse
Unfortunately, Freebee had some pretty terrifying struggles with both cellulitis AND cankers in recent years. For a hot minute there, it almost looked like he wouldn't make it.
neighborhood again, still me with freebee and scott with red horse
BUT. He's a tough sonuvagun, and make it he did. And finally, he's getting back under saddle again. With yours truly absolutely privileged to do the honors.
pictured: freebee hiding his teeth from the camera
There's something else about Freebee, tho. He's..... Well. Freebee is very secure in knowing his place in this world. He has opinions and shares them, ahem, freely.
Considering Freebee is 17hh, his opinions.... carry weight haha.
SHARK ATTAAAAACK!!! i swear there are teeth involved haha
Including with his teeth. And actually, hind legs too haha. Grooming this animal is like some sort of epic dance form --- trying to find that sweet safe spot between his teeth and hooves LOL.
finally, tho: PROOF
It's funny tho --- bc all this time I've been trying to capture exactly how terrifying Freebee can appear lol, but he's carefully put his teeth away whenever the camera comes out. That is, until now. Gotcha, you cantankerous SOB!! <3
it's all a show tho, this horse is sweet <3
Lol for real tho, don't let those mean faces fool you. Freebee is a gentleman. He's a good sweet and personal boy <3 <3 <3
he's a playful sort, ya know?
I like to think that he and I have come to a sort of agreement during these recent weeks. Sure, he threatens me with teeth and hooves literally any time I show him a brush. But.... He also never uses them.
And actually, I think he secretly really enjoys our grooming sessions. There's an awful lot of blinking, sniffing, and yawning haha.
guys freebee is something special -- honestly wish i could ride him for serious tho
The riding tho, well. It's hard to say how excited Freebee is to be under saddle again. He's happy to go places and do things, but maybe a little peeved when I ask him to trot a 20m circle LOL. He does it tho <3
omg emma canters a horse!
Awww and he cantered for me too!! My first canter on a horse in WEEKS ((this ride preceded the awesomesauce pony ride from my last post)).
serious riding involves observing the barn cat shenanigans haha
So ya know. We're having a good time. It's strange times right now, but we do our best.
What I really want right now is access to my own goofy awkward OTTB. But... something tells me that years down the line, I'll be grateful for this unexpected opportunity to hang out with a horse like Freebee.
In a small little town, there was a small little farm, where a small little white pony named Twister lived. And this little pony was.... very cool. And very cute, too.
skeptical pony is skeptical. and also cute
Twister is a children's pony, and has done just about every single thing under the sun. From the pony classes at horse shows to countryside fox hunting, and everything in between.
omg he's so fucking short hahahahahaha
Then came one special weekend, when Twister's normal kid happened to be out of town -- and so his people let poor old Emma take him out for a little spin <3 <3 <3
And oh my goodness, you guys. This pony. Omg. He is so extremely cute haha.
fuzzy pony ears directly up my nose <3
But also.... Like, I knew it was going to be a pony but.... I admit to being a little taken aback by his, erm, slightly diminutive stature. He is TINY, yo. And I also fully believe this little dude was HIGHLY SKEPTICAL of me when I started getting him all ready. I'm probably the largest jockey he's had in.... a while lol. Bc yea. Kid's pony, through and through.
omg
Actually, tho, my Bates saddle fit him pretty reasonably with a 42" girth. And sure, my leg hung well below his belly... but actually he felt nicely substantial to sit on. He seemed like a cob-y sorta pony with gigantic (proportionally, at least) feet and good bone in his legs.
omg omg omg
So like. Sure, we can all agree that my fatass self is probably a little too big for this pony. But let's be real, I'm not taking him to horse shows, I'm not riding him hard. I literally just spun around a few times over like 1' jumps.
omfg
And holy shit balls, it was amazing. Dear god, that horse pony, wow. So so so SO FUN!!
omg the actual most fun ever
Like, this pony has been around the block and knows his shit. You put your hands forward and heel down, and aim him in the general vicinity of a jump. And voila! You have achieved pony jomping!!
omg his neck his tail his little ears, omg so fucking cute tho
It's actually hilarious bc I was circling him around a little to warm up, and after aiming him at the first little ground pole, he just immediately started locking onto all the little jumps. So cute.
wheeeeee i'm on a horse pony!!!!
And actually it was extra cool getting to ride him in this setting bc even tho obviously this was not a serious ride or lesson, the trainer there still zeroed in immediately on my forever-habits.
LOCKED AND LOADED ahaha. also -- incidentally, this is the type canter balance i'd love to see in my own bronto....
Like wanting to carry my hands too low and far back, with reins too long. She also poked and prodded at my release a little bit. Which ya know. Is the EXACT benefit of riding a surefire schoolie: you can basically just set the horse in motion then focus on fixing yourself as a rider.
lol holy shit i love ponies
The trainer also wanted me to improve my lower leg a little bit... but frankly I'm going to cut myself a little slack there and take the easy way out by blaming it on this saddle haha. Sure, I spent years riding in the Bates without much issue. But.... ya know, it's a cheap saddle that doesn't do me many favors.
teeny oxers for tiny ponies!
Also, obviously I'm out of shape haha. Considering I haven't jumped since.... hm. Mid March? And actually, now that I think about it, haven't jumped anything other than Charlie since the Velvet Days in 2017 LOL.
It was fun tho. Silly and a little ridiculous. But so so so so much fun. There are so many special horses and ponies out there -- especially these school masters who have been there and done that and seen the world.
the fucking cutest holy shit
I really wish it was easier to find higher level (and, ahem, horse-sized) school masters in my area available for lessons. Bc frankly part of my issue with trying to move Charlie up a level is that.... I've already taught him everything I know, and now he's starting to figure out everything I DON'T know haha.
So it would be nice to get a little experience with something that has that training and can help me fix my mistakes, rather than sorta always going in cold with Charlie.
thanks Twister, i needed that <3 <3 <3
Maybe one day, tho. For now -- this fun little romp around with this tiny little pony with a heart of gold was EXACTLY what I needed haha.
What do y'all think? If you had shown up at this random farm and found tiny cute little Twister in the stall waiting for you... would you have gone for it too?? Anyone else out there have a soft spot for these little guys??
Bartville Harness & Tack is a locally famous supplies shop in the heart of Pennsylvania's Amish country. Bartville services the farming community (livestock like cows, harness horses, plow horses, etc), thoroughbred racing outfits, and -- most relevant to us -- horse sport enthusiasts like fox hunters and eventers.
The shop is well-known throughout the MD / DE / PA region (probably VA too), but somehow I'd never visited before. Mostly bc.... it's well off the beaten path haha.
It's a beautiful drive, tho. Especially this time of year. Tho the roads are old with blind hills and turns, around any of which might be a horse buggy trit-trotting along. So, ya know, stay attentive and don't speed.
Bartville is most famous for their leather work. Halters, bridles, harnesses, dog collars, stirrup leathers, breast plates..... All manner of strap goods are made to a high standard of quality in house.
Not just leather - they also work with biothane and other materials suitable for the rigors of farming and driving.
Considering the clientele, the shop also has tons of specialized equipment you won't find in a typical tack shop haha -- like this ginormous draft sized headstall for pulling.
Personally, I loved all the little details and hardware too. Like that shiny pretty breastplate on this horse!!
Beyond the driving and farming sections, tho, Bartville's just like any big shop like Dover etc. The brand selection wasn't as varied, but everything is high quality and well stocked.
Oooh. And one of Bartville's compelling distinctions: the prices. Sure, some stuff costs the same here as elsewhere (and it's worth keeping your phone handy for price checks). But some is priced ~15-25% below what I've normally seen.
Does Charlie need a new Himalayan salt block? No. Did I buy one anyway bc it was the best price I'd seen? Yes. Yes I did, lol. And a wall hanger too haha, obvi.
I was especially tempted by the tinctures and tonics section. Like, I have no immediate need for a box of Ulcergaurd tubes right now haha, and certainly no need to spend that kind of $$$$. Except.... Wow I almost did anyway bc it was priced so well haha.
Instead I grabbed MTG, Keratex, and a digital thermometer that's basically sold out everywhere else right now.
Really, tho, my favorite sections were the walls upon walls of strap goods. Bridles of all types, every sort of noseband imaginable.
Racing bridles, hunt bridles, dressage bridles, event bridles.... All with different options for padding or stitching. The racing sections in particular, with the multicolored nylon options, really drew me in haha.
It's worth mentioning Bartville's other dirty little secret. Maybe you already knew, maybe you didn't.... But this is where basically all of Nunn Finer's strap goods are manufactured.
Reins, bridles, breastplates, stirrup leathers, etc. It's all made here. And available for like 20% off Nunn Finer sticker prices. Just FYI haha.
Virtually all of it is customizable too and can be ordered exactly to spec. Colors, hardware, lengths, sizes, all of it. Every single last bit. Even their selection of dog collars and leashes!
I also enjoyed browsing the aisles with Scott and his wife. They've kept horses healthy and happy at home under meticulous fastidious care for years - with that key distinction of exemplary horse people: their horses age well.
So when they say a certain product is hands down the best, I take note lol. Like the above Sole Pack. I didn't buy any bc I currently have a full tub of Magic Cushion. But I'll probably try it next time I stock up.
I also loved strolling the grooming and supplies section. Where obviously I grabbed another old school hard plastic curry since mine is ancient and losing teeth haha.
Also check out those fun goggles! One day I'm gonna reprise my pair from our Hunter Pace Jockey Adventure a few years back lol...
Really, tho, Bartville has everything. For just $125 this beautiful specimen could be yours!
My next leather halter (complete with engraving) will 100% come from Bartville, once Charlie finally kills his SmartPak halter haha.
Scott also clued me in on his favorite halter hardware configurations: namely, avoid adjustable chin straps. Which makes sense to me, since that's the strap Charlie always breaks.
Honestly, it was hard not to buy something from literally every aisle. Does Charlie need a new feed tub? No. Did I almost buy one? Yes. Why?!? Who knows!! Tho I did get new hardware to hang his water buckets LOLOL...
I also lingered among the saddle pad racks trying to rationalize a purchase here too. They had a TON of various padding materials and configurations, including stuff you can cut to size yourself for shims and whatnot. Probably mostly for the racing clients, but still very cool.
Lol and obviously when one owns a Charlie, one spends some time in the bandage section.
The bit wall was extensive too - tho mostly fairly standard stuff. Also in this section was a whole wall of replacement hardware pieces and little odds and ends. From which I grabbed a few spare leather keepers since I keep losing them off one of Charlie's crank nosebands.
Lol and even the Amish sell CBD oil these days. It's a whole new world, y'all.
So yea. It was an awesome trip and I almost bought just about everything. But contented myself with a fairly practical haul:
A brown buckle end pair of flexible rubber reins I've ogled at literally every tack shop for years, and finally bought! Boring stuff like a salt block and hanger, hardware to hang buckets, a thermometer, leather keepers... Another elastic trailer tie since I keep shredding them (whoops), plus necessities like MTG, Keratex, and a new curry.
Aaand...... Then I went home and kept the party going online haha, bc once ya pop, ya can't stop, amirite?
Online purchases included finally FINALLY finding a fuzzy elastic BROWN monoflap girth. Charlie has very specific girth preferences: "zero edges and maximum flexibility plz!" Brown short girths fitting that description are rare, but this HDR looks promising. And, turns out, Charlie's girth tastes are pretttty cheap, bonus! Oh and I got a decidedly not-cheap pair of Passier nylon-lined leathers. Bc it's time, yo. I've been running cheap ass stirrup leathers for so so SO long. I love the fancy nice ones, but could never justify the cost. But eh, with what I saved on all those other goodies, it sorta works out, right??
So there ya have it. My first (and hopefully not last) trip to Bartville Harness & Tack, complete with all manner of impulse purchases.
Have you been to Bartville? Interested in learning more? They don't have a website, but their catalogs are excellent - you can order standard OR fully customized stuff of all sorts. Phone number is 717-529-6992, Ext. 0, for anyone interested haha. This little shopping spree was a fun escape from quarantine related doldrums. And a fun way to spend $$ I'd otherwise be using on lessons and shows. Retail therapy, right? It's not the same, but I guess it's good enough for now. Anyone else finally springing for a purchase you'd resisted for years?
