Because wow it's
cold out now, guys. I knew we had been living a charmed life these last couple weeks, enjoying sunny 60 degree days (sometimes even 70!) with minimal precipitation.... But those days are OVER. So over. Le sigh.
It had to happen eventually tho, and at least I was more or less prepared for the drop. I wrote last February about
my typical winter wardrobe, featuring technical running- or yoga-style long sleeve tops (with the ever important thumb holes) and
fleece Mopas leggings (literally my favorite thing EVAR). Seriously, these leggings are incredible and I live in them all winter long, and you really can't go wrong for $5... so yea.
There are some additions this year tho. First up, my sister gave me these Volyer fingerless gloves for Christmas, and I've been wearing them constantly ever since.
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| remind me never to quit my day job for a career in hand modeling... |
They tuck up neatly under my sleeves (even shirts with thumb holes!), but go farther up my hand to protect my knuckles. So my hand gets way more coverage, but the fingers are still free to do whatever they gotta do. Plus they fit nicely under my regular riding gloves.
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| so i might be complaining about highs of 24*... whatever tho. that's COLD in my book! |
I couldn't find the same exact pair online, but
these from Amazon are pretty close. The gloves are advertised as a cashmere blend and are surprisingly cozy for such a thin knit - exactly what I look for in base layers.
I also wrote last spring about the
Mountain Horse Forest Highlander boots I picked up on sale from Tack of the Day. By the time they arrived, we were mostly past the coldest season, so I never got to take full advantage of them. And then after breaking my leg, it became questionable whether I'd regain the flexibility needed to point my toe enough to actually pull these suckers on.
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| yay for matching shoes! |
But FINALLY, this weekend I got the boot on the leg in question!!! Guys. This might sound stupid, but that was maybe the highlight of this weekend (especially after canceling all my lessons with Isabel bc poor mareface bruised her sole...). And now I'm even happier than ever to have these boots. They are comfortable, sturdy, and WARM. Highly recommend.
Of course, tho, when things get REALLY cold out, there's no substitute for staying active and moving around. As demonstrated by Bali, Calypso, and Bali's Teeth. lol
Have you tried anything new recently to stay warm?
I have a pair of Dublin waterproof boots, I call them my 4 wheel drive cuz I can go thru anything in them hehe. Bali looks as if he was checking you out to make sure you got the shot. Hoping Izzy heals up promptly :)
ReplyDeleteha oooooh yea i got the shot, plus a couple other funny ones that i'll have to get editted asap lol. and thanks - izzy should be all good in a couple days :)
DeleteMe too! I got those suckers in November and have worn them EVERY DAY since. Unfortunately, I've heard the waterproofing wears out on them (and am actually starting to experience some weakness in the seams when I go through big puddles and flex the boots just so), so I'm going to DIY a new waterproofing solution for them.
Deleteya know, i just picked up a weather-proofing balm as part of my year end prize, maybe i'll have to check that out and let you know what i think?
DeleteBahahahaha. Oh god. Those teeth never get old.
ReplyDeleteI love my Dublin Pinnacle boots for winter. The sole is thick enough that the cold of frozen ground/concrete doesn't seep into the boot, and they are slightly insulated. If it's REALLY cold (Talking single digits here, kids) I'll ride in them just to avoid taking them off to switch to my regular boots.
Those gloves are a revelation. I might need to look into those. Right now I tend to layer 1 pair of gloves (with good smartphone tips) under the pulled down thumbhole/sleeve of a shirt, then covering that with another pair of gloves. It totally works. My other secret weapon against subzero temps? (No, really, subzero.) A puffy down vest with furry hood. I have two. One for running/barn. One for everything else. Pretty sure I could wear just those (not even pants) and be totally toasty and fine.
i'm trying to avoid riding in my river boots too often, bc they're so much grippier than my regular boots. but ya do what ya gotta do i guess! yes tho, definitely check out these gloves, so far i'm *really* happy with them. and i, too, essentially live in a puffy down vest too - that nice shapeless black gap number that has been a dedicated barn vest since 2003 and is still going strong lol
DeleteOooh those fingerless gloves look so cozy!! I'm trying to think...I actually don't have any new winter items I don't think...I tried a kerrits headband that fits under a helmet, but I didn't end up liking the way it sat over my ear, so returning :(
ReplyDeleteaw that's a bummer. i wear a fleece headband too, tho it doesn't fit under my helmet. brita has one of those huge fleece helmet cover things that goes over her ears and all the way down her neck and she adores it.... kinda hard to hear in it tho!
DeleteNothing beats Carhartt coveralls for barn chores in the winter! I slip into those bad boys with yoga pants and an under armour shirt underneath, and I'm toasty for hours!
ReplyDeletei don't doubt it! i tend to like layers that are both inexpensive (helllllooooo equally as good knock-offs!) and still saddle-friendly, but the few carhartt products i have are def appreciated!
DeleteAnything below 32 causes a panic here...
ReplyDeleteBut those teeth OMG hehehe
lol he uses those teeth like little hooks, or pincers haha... the other horses aren't quite sure what to do about it!
DeleteYes, I'm trying something new. It's called staying inside. It would work better if our upstairs thermostat wasn't currently broken. Blows warm air for anywhere from 5-30 mins before switching to cold for no real reason. I actually am considering a winter show shirt from Penelope Leprevost's store because IHSA is trying to kill me.
ReplyDeleteughhhh my ihsa days were in north western ny and while a couple barns had heated indoors (shout out to st lawrence!), most did not. those were very VERY painful shirts - it's definitely worth investing in weather-appropriate show gear!
DeleteWell, the last few days here we had a -40 Celsius windchill. That is painful to say the least. My hands always are the hardest to keep warm for doing chores so I tried putting one pair of mitts into the other and it works great!
ReplyDeletenoooooo oh man that sounds awful... we had a -10* windchill here yesterday, but the actual temps were a more respectable 20*... yes tho, layering gloves is definitely key, tho i'm liking these fingerless ones bc sometimes i just need my actual finger tips but don't want to expose the whole hand...
DeleteI bought a pair of cheap ski pants from Dicks yesterday because the pair of overalls I've had since the dawn of time finally fell apart :( I'm too cheap to pay for Carhartts!
ReplyDeleteThen, I desperately ordered a blanket liner and a heavyweight blanket from Amazon because holy shit, winter is here! Note, precious pony is not currently naked, but his OCD mommy wants him nice and warm!
ha i'm with ya on getting my gear on the cheap lol. and all our horses are officially into their heavyweights too bc... yup it's time. le sigh.
DeleteWe hit 31 today, and you would think the whole world had frozen over. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteha i mean, 31 is pretty chilly!
DeleteIt's gotten really cold up here too. Personally I'd like to just hibernate through the winter. I can't take the cold. But a heated arena and little hotties (https://www.littlehottieswarmers.com/product/handwarmers) help.
ReplyDeletei like those little hand/foot warmer things too but have trouble applying them in any truly useful manner. they don't fit inside the toes of my boots, and my hands are always out and about doing things, so leaving them in my pockets doesn't help much either.... (also i'm CRAZY jealous of your heated arena haha)
DeleteI like layering with sweater tights, but I really haven't had to layer much so far this winter, which has been really nice. I think the high today is like 69 and that's super awesome. This is winter winter in Texas is supposed to be like!
ReplyDeleteha yea 69 aint too shabby!! layering tights is definitely a good idea, but i find that on the days where i'm wanting to layer, just tights alone is insufficient for my needs (esp bc i end up outside for many many hours ugh)
DeleteNothing I do works. I'm either too hot or too cold and Ive read countless blog and comments re winter wear haha. I will forever just hate winter.
ReplyDeletehonestly i'm pretty much right there with ya.... being cold is just so freakin unpleasant...
DeleteI'm embarrassed to say what feels cold out here, you guys are hardcore. Those gloves look so comfy and warm though... I have Dublin river boots, mostly for all the mud, and I love them. Glad you made it into your boots!
ReplyDeleteeh we're all conditioned to our own environments... all the same tho i wouldn't mind some cali weather every now and then ;)
DeleteOmg that picture set at the end is amazing
ReplyDeleteha boys will be boys, right?
DeleteUm, on really cold days I lay on the couch wrapped in blankets and with a heating pad on my knees ;)
ReplyDeletethat sounds pretty awesome, honestly, and isn't hugely different from what i'm doing at this precise minute (tho i have cats instead of heating pads lol)
DeleteHaha so what is cold to your area? It is minus -15*c here with a wind chill of -29*c, Cold enough?
ReplyDeleteLol love the 'matching' shoes!
FYI thank you for sharing the fleece pants, I went out and bought two!
ReplyDeleteha yay i hope you love them! and yea i'm pumped about the matching shoes too....
DeleteIt's not that cold here though I've lost my ability to handle winter weather so I think it's cold. I do like fleece lined riding tights. I also really like carrying a heating blanket/pad around the house with em.
ReplyDeleteif you're not used to it, it's definitely COLD. that's part of the problem here. the temps actually aren't that unseasonable, and come february/march i'll probably be totally inured to this temp, bc it'll be getting so much colder. but it happened so suddenly this year, brrr!!!
DeleteCurrently doing my best to keep cool as it's summer here in Australia. Really cold weather isn't something I have to deal with. Feel your pain as regards the cold though as I don't imagine that it's fun.
ReplyDeletethe really cold weather isn't my favorite, really... we can grow accustomed to the weather itself usually without too much problem - but it drives me crazy when it starts limiting our actual riding bc of frozen ground and footing, or poor road conditions etc... oh well!
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