Product Review: Noble Outfitters Miley Polo Shirt

Each time I went to my dresser to pull out my riding outfit for the day I found myself looking at the stack of polo shirts and opting for a lighter, cooler shirt. And with all of the new styles of riding shirts that are taking over, I have found that my drawers were a little lacking in the polo department. Enter, the Noble Outfitters Miley Polo.Continue reading “Product Review: Noble Outfitters Miley Polo Shirt”

Product Review: Noble Outfitters Gwen Performance Top

It is no secret that sun shirts are filling up equestrian’s closets, but lets not forget about our old summer favorite; short sleeves. So what do you get when you cross a polo shirt with a sun shirt? The Noble Outfitters Gwen Short Sleeve Performance Mock. With the style of a collared polo shirt and the functionality of a sun shirt, you get the best of both worlds.Continue reading “Product Review: Noble Outfitters Gwen Performance Top”

The Man Behind the Camera

Hello there! You may be wondering who this “man behind the camera” is and why he’s relevant to anything on this blog. Well, the truth is, I am the man behind the camera. A city boy venturing into the equestrian world, camera in-hand.

Backtrack a little over a year ago and ask me how to pick a horse’s feet, tack up a horse, or set up a jump course and you would probably get a blank stare. Immediately followed by a prolonged “uhh…what?” If you asked me what a halter was my response would most likely be “an article of clothing.” Clearly I was very knowledgeable in the category.

Somewhere along my journey I met a wonderful girl who completely flipped my world upside-down. She just happened to be…an equestrian. *dramatic music* Normally when a guy starts dating a girl he must pass the best friend test. My test was a little different, her best friend had four legs, weighed about 1,500 pounds and could easily kill me if he didn’t like me. No pressure, right? Armed with a pocket full of peppermints, a few carrots, and an apple or two I think the meeting went well.

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Growing up with a sibling who was allergic to everything under the sun meant that we never had any pets/animals. Needless to say I was a little nervous around Ax. Who am I kidding? I was terrified of him. It was like learning to run before I could walk. I guess when you’re thrown into the deep end of the pool you have no choice but to swim.

One day I was asked to take some pictures of Ax galloping through the snow in his paddock and to my surprise they came out pretty good. It was the first thing I was good at while at the barn. The only thing I could do right without having to worry about messing up. From that moment on, the camera traveled with us to the barn.

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Of course only the good pictures make it to B&BS but there are easily thousands of pictures that didn’t make the cut (each ride produces hundreds of photos). My philosophy for getting the perfect shot is to take as many pictures as possible. One of them is bound to be decent! At first it was just a way to keep busy while at the barn but now I genuinely enjoy using the camera. I have no problem walking miles through a state park, running through an open field to get optimal lighting, or standing in a freezing show ring for hours just to watch her ride for five minutes. Her smile is my reward and it makes it all worth it.

As long as she’s around in her breeches and boat shoes, I’ll be right behind her with my camera.

-The man behind the camera, JGL

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July #HeelsDownChallenge: Riding Dreams

New month, new challenge! Heels Down Magazine introduced the #HeelsDownChallenge to go along with the monthly digital magazine. The challenge consists of a new topic each month that readers can write or make a video about, post on social media with the hashtag “#heelsdownchallenge”, and tag their friends to do the same.

This month’s issue of Heels Down Magazine is centered around the North American Junior and Young Rider Champions in honor of the competition next week! That sparked the theme for this months challenge; “What is your biggest riding dream or goal?”

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My biggest riding goal is a small one that will eventually grow; I want to show competitively in the 3’+ amateur classes. For me this is a huge feat as the large fences scare the crud out of me (see May #HDC).

I have been working on this goal very slowly but surely and some progress has been made. There is a small Martha’s Vineyard show tomorrow that I have decided to enter to step up to the 2’9″. Be sure to check out the HDM snapchat (heelsdownmag) for updates as I snap throughout the day! Here goes nothing!

-TC