There are some pony stuff purchases that I feel are much more “adult” than others. Rainbow neck strap? Definitely not adult. Pink plaid polos? Not very adult. Lunge line, side reins, and lunge whip? Somewhat more adult. Leather hole punch? Very adult.
Leather hole punches abound, but most of the ones I’ve ever laid my hands on are garbage. You know the standard, all-metal ones that are typically completely rusted out from being used one time in 1948 and left out in the barn aisle ever since? Nobody is surprised that those don’t work.
I was spoiled early on by having access to a couple of the black, expensive Miracle Hole Punches (not their actual name or brand). I’m honestly not even sure what the brand was, but both my trainer and another Adult Human friend who owned them were like “yeah, this was not cheap, but it’s the best leather hole punch known to man”. And they were right. Those fancy, heavy duty hole punches went through triple-stitched leather like butter.
And then, like almost all barn tools that multiple people lay their hands on, they disappeared. Maybe trainer just hid them better, maybe they got lost — hell, maybe aliens will find them totally rusted out in the middle of the barn aisle in 2052. Who knows. The point remains that I lost my access to a valuable and quality tool. Fortunately, I didn’t need them anyway.
Until last week. My stirrup leathers were too long and I’d run out of holes to put them up. (Yes, I know my leathers are overall too long, I bought them on sale and picked the wrong size by mistake. No takebacks.) No rusted out hole punch would do the job. I looked through my trainer’s trunk twice and couldn’t find the punch. I wrapped my stirrups for a week, but in the end decided it was time for me to make this acutely Adult purchase, and get my own leather hole punch. So I went on The Amazon and read a bunch of reviews for hole punches, looking to find the quality hole punch. I was totally willing to spend $70 or $80 on something that would last forever and punch holes easily. Lucky me, I found what I needed for a mere $15.
The WoneNice Leather Hole punch (pictured above) is easy to use, and does a fantastic job. The dial to change the hole size is easy to turn, but clicks firmly in to place when you have it in the right position. The punch is large and a touch ungainly (I seem to recall the Miracle Punch being a bit smaller than this, and therefore easier for someone with little hands like mine to handle), but certainly not so large that it makes them impossible to use. On a scale of one to tacking up Murray, I’d score the challenge of using this hole punch around a 2. Plus, not everyone has hands as tiny as mine.
For all 4 holes punched, this product is 10/10 would absolutely purchase again. But I hope never to need another, since my passive aggressive note and initials all over my new punch should deter accidental loss. Plus, they have a two year warranty! (Interestingly, this exact same punch appears to be available under different names and at different price points on Amazon, with varying reviews.)
So if it’s time for you to make a mf’in adult purchase and pick yourself up a quality leather hole punch, this one comes highly recommended.
Dressage is tiring, guys!!
Jump lesson this week was very good. We have a pretty technical course set up in the indoor right now, lots of rollbacks, and Murray was very honest through it. Our step was a little off, as he was just a touch behind my leg, and I ask him to hold instead of pushing him forward. We ended up getting deep spots to a lot of jumps, but they all worked out fine despite it. Thank goodness for honest ponies and a solid base of support — a few months ago, I’d have been letting my lower leg slide back and probably have been pitched over a few of those fences.
Zen and the Art of Baby Horse Management 