my beauty essentials: ordinary stuff that can work wonders :)

L'OCCITANE Creme Mains - I buy these hand creams that come in small tubes. They're small so you can stick than in your bag, and they smell great and come in scents like lavender and rose. They leave your hands soft and not greasy.

Vaseline - in my opinion, this is the best chapstick. It's a waste of money to buy fancy and expensive lip balms and butters that claim to heal better than regular stuff. Vaseline has no added colors, it stays on, and it immediately heals. It's my secret weapon for dry, cracked lips.

St. Ives fresh skin apricot scrub - this stuff has natural exfoliants to bring out your softest, most radiant skin, and it's oil free. It also has a mild apricot scent so it doesn't smell strong like most face scrubs.

Cerave Lotion - I have sensitive skin, and this lotion can be used as either body or face lotion. It's super gentle and won't irritate skin at all. There are no dyes or scents. This stuff is great to lather on, especially during these harsh winter months that can really take a toll on your skin.

Maybelline Mineral Powder (translucent)- I use this as a finishing veil. It's easy to brush on to even out your skin and it's translucent so it works for every skin tone. It doesn't give off a color, so your skin won't be tinged orange.

Victoria's Secret Pink with a splash all-over body mist - this stuff comes in a lot of different fruity&flirty scents. It's very light, so you don't end up smelling too strong, and you can spritz it everywhere.

Pantene - I've tried so many different shampoos&conditioners, but this stuff makes my hair the softest&shiniest. Also there's a kind for every type of hair: from curly to straight, or colored treated to relaxed.

VICHY eau thermale thermal spa water - this comes in a hairspray-like canister. It's luxurious spa water that soothes&fortifies. It also reinforces the skin's barrier function, so your skin is healthier.

Dove Soap - I think it's the most gentle soap, and it smells fresh, and always leaves you with a soft, clean feeling.

-DancingPrincess

Emergency Dismounts

When you horseback ride, you run the risk of getting injured. Horses have their own minds, and can sometimes get a little crazy. Because of this, I believe that every rider should know how to do an emergency dismount. An emergency dismount is a way to safely get off a horse while in motion. For example, if your pony is crazily galloping around the ring, your chances for not getting hurt are much better if you dismount rather than staying on and hoping that you dont get thrown against a wall. Here are the steps to an emergency dismount:
1. Drop both stirrups and your reins.
2. Lean forward and grab the horses neck in a 'hug'.
3. Slide off the horse to whichever side you're off balance (if you're leaning left, slide left). Use the neck to help you maintain some control as you dismount. As you're sliding off, push away from the horse. You don't want to get knocked over by him as he goes past you. If possible, try to land a little bit away from him.
4. When you hit the ground, if you're standing up, back away a few steps, if you're on the ground and are to sore to get up, roll away from your pony.

I wanted to blog about emergency dismounts today because yesterday I was riding, and my horse got a little spooked. At first I thought that I could stay on, but then I decided to do a dismount. However, as I was dismounting, I didn't push my horse away from me, so I landed on my butt. Then before I could roll away, she accidently stepped on my ankle. I was pretty lucky because it's not broken, but if I had pushed her away from me, it wouldn't be sore at all.
Hope you don't have to use this-just nice to know it , though:)
-HeadOverHeelsForHorses