Hi all )
I recently started helping at my horse trainers barn, and next thing you know I am something of an apprentice.
Here my issue... at first, when I was just helping out, I simply wore whatever I wouldn't mind getting dirty... which is old t-shirts, stained from horse baths, ect. Then I started trying to wear my slightly newer t-shirts, but they aren't much of a step up and I am quickly breaking them in with the dirt and frequent washing (I dont have many of those).
Now, we go from cleaning stalls, getting manure/urine shavings all over me... to hopping on a horse for one of his clients (I got to be guinea pig once or twice already, LOL) ... back to cleaning more stalls getting very sweaty... then leaving in a rush to go for farm visits (at some posh places, gahh) so I can see how some business stuff like breeding arrangements is handled.
Anyway, the problem is that I am simply under-dressed! My trainer is the nicest fellow in the world, he and his wife are so sweet... and he doesent notice that stuff at all. However, I am aware that it reflects on his business and I'm getting kind of frazzled.
I plan on getting a few items next week.... but Im short on funds so I will be forced to keep it very limited. I'm trying to figure out what clothing items I can get that will stand up to the abuse, look reasonably decent, and hopefully hide manure.
The trainer does half the work himself (short-handed till he/we find a replacement hand) and he has these pant protecter things that zip up the sides... I looked them up but they are far beyind my budget and look very very hot. I am sweaty enough already, LOL.
Second, theres nothing to protect my shirt, and I'm not a guy so I cant throw a sports jacket on... haha.
If you're wondering why I have to get the poo on me... well... it's a 32 stall barn, between the two of us we need to get it done in about 4 hours so he has time for many other chores on top of training horses and seeing clients (which he wants me to observe and learn from).... so it's quite a rush to get them done. We drive the old pick-up down the aisle and have a carry sized manure tub each that we fill in the stall and then dump in the truck as we go.... well, I'm getting good at throwing the heavy loads right in there, but inevitably there is a cloud of urine shavings that comes up and gets in my hair.... and ifI do it the slow way.... that means a poo smear from the side of the tub or the truck.
I wont even tell you about getting the poop OUT of the truck in the woods... it is dependent on the wind direction.
I'm having lots of fun, but I feel like a slob. I wouldnt care about looking like a slob one iota except,
1. feeling like you look fairly decent is a good emotional defense when encountering snobs
2. I'm concerned about how I represent a business belonging to a truly kind family!
Whatever I do, poop is gonna get on me... and as we start preparing more horses from the fields.. it's going to be copious amounts of horse hair of every color sticking to me too. I have a grey horse myself already so most of my t-shirts so far have been light colored... not so good for bays or blacks....
I guess I need to forget about the poo and sweat and horse hair and my own messy hair and concentrate on the basic shape of the garments... being like they could have been professional before I began work that day... LOL!
The typical outfit seems to be polo shirts and baseball caps... but thats kind of far from my taste... which is usally pink and happy looking.. no hat. I do have my Aussie hat on standby if I get out in the sun again, but I personally cant keep a hat on while I sweat and dig out urine holes.
A polo might be okay.. but will it hold up to abuse... washing... ect.... and what about color. And what about pants... I am wearing one of my 3 pairs of decent jeans each day, just found a hole starting in one of them on the leg from all the strain.... what to do... and my couple of pretty western button downs just cant seem to accomodate my shoulders during digging and bending work.
Any advice? Thanks for reading )
I recently started helping at my horse trainers barn, and next thing you know I am something of an apprentice.
Here my issue... at first, when I was just helping out, I simply wore whatever I wouldn't mind getting dirty... which is old t-shirts, stained from horse baths, ect. Then I started trying to wear my slightly newer t-shirts, but they aren't much of a step up and I am quickly breaking them in with the dirt and frequent washing (I dont have many of those).
Now, we go from cleaning stalls, getting manure/urine shavings all over me... to hopping on a horse for one of his clients (I got to be guinea pig once or twice already, LOL) ... back to cleaning more stalls getting very sweaty... then leaving in a rush to go for farm visits (at some posh places, gahh) so I can see how some business stuff like breeding arrangements is handled.
Anyway, the problem is that I am simply under-dressed! My trainer is the nicest fellow in the world, he and his wife are so sweet... and he doesent notice that stuff at all. However, I am aware that it reflects on his business and I'm getting kind of frazzled.
I plan on getting a few items next week.... but Im short on funds so I will be forced to keep it very limited. I'm trying to figure out what clothing items I can get that will stand up to the abuse, look reasonably decent, and hopefully hide manure.
The trainer does half the work himself (short-handed till he/we find a replacement hand) and he has these pant protecter things that zip up the sides... I looked them up but they are far beyind my budget and look very very hot. I am sweaty enough already, LOL.
Second, theres nothing to protect my shirt, and I'm not a guy so I cant throw a sports jacket on... haha.
If you're wondering why I have to get the poo on me... well... it's a 32 stall barn, between the two of us we need to get it done in about 4 hours so he has time for many other chores on top of training horses and seeing clients (which he wants me to observe and learn from).... so it's quite a rush to get them done. We drive the old pick-up down the aisle and have a carry sized manure tub each that we fill in the stall and then dump in the truck as we go.... well, I'm getting good at throwing the heavy loads right in there, but inevitably there is a cloud of urine shavings that comes up and gets in my hair.... and ifI do it the slow way.... that means a poo smear from the side of the tub or the truck.
I wont even tell you about getting the poop OUT of the truck in the woods... it is dependent on the wind direction.
I'm having lots of fun, but I feel like a slob. I wouldnt care about looking like a slob one iota except,
1. feeling like you look fairly decent is a good emotional defense when encountering snobs
2. I'm concerned about how I represent a business belonging to a truly kind family!
Whatever I do, poop is gonna get on me... and as we start preparing more horses from the fields.. it's going to be copious amounts of horse hair of every color sticking to me too. I have a grey horse myself already so most of my t-shirts so far have been light colored... not so good for bays or blacks....
I guess I need to forget about the poo and sweat and horse hair and my own messy hair and concentrate on the basic shape of the garments... being like they could have been professional before I began work that day... LOL!
The typical outfit seems to be polo shirts and baseball caps... but thats kind of far from my taste... which is usally pink and happy looking.. no hat. I do have my Aussie hat on standby if I get out in the sun again, but I personally cant keep a hat on while I sweat and dig out urine holes.
A polo might be okay.. but will it hold up to abuse... washing... ect.... and what about color. And what about pants... I am wearing one of my 3 pairs of decent jeans each day, just found a hole starting in one of them on the leg from all the strain.... what to do... and my couple of pretty western button downs just cant seem to accomodate my shoulders during digging and bending work.
Any advice? Thanks for reading )