The Roaming Rider

Things with H’Appy haven’t been, well… happy. In fact I broke down and told him I hated him Sunday. Not my best moment and I’m not proud, but this is reality and not some horse fairy tale. I remember hating Gem for a long time in the beginning too.

What is a shame is that the horse I brought home and rode for 3 weeks was lovable. And fun. And willing. And safe. And sane.

If that damn hoof wouldn’t have ripped off he wouldn’t have been off for six months and I wouldn’t be here now.

But it did. And I am. And I need to figure out a path forward that leads to a resolution that makes us both happy be that a workable partnership or a new home for him and a new horse for me. Right now I actually don’t care which way this story ends as long as it does soon because honestly since bringing him home all I’ve done is burn money with absolutely nothing to show for it.

A lot has been against us. His lameness to start. Then non stop rain. Now add saddle fit issues to the heap with continued non stop rain and well it hasn’t been conducive for consistency. He is fat, out of shape and mentally in a place where he is a toddler saying “I don’t wanna” while he throws down a major temper tantrum.

The thing is that it scares me and he knows it so he pulls his crap more and more with the hopes it will get him out of work. He isn’t violent and he certainly isn’t in any pain. He just plain doesn’t want to and my lady balls aren’t currently big enough after six months out of the tack myself to make him.

The last good ride I had with him was a magical night under the arena lights on November 6th – nearly a month ago. He was light, responsive to my seat and relaxed. I felt invincible on him that night. It was amazing and I fell on his neck in a heap of giggles at the end.

Then the lesson from Hades occurred on the 9th and every single ride thereafter has been a quick saddle test ride where I’m not really schooling him on anything or riding him out because that’s not what the fitter is there for.

So I’m not surprised that he has no interest in working. I don’t fully blame him. It’s why he hasn’t been listed as a project for a massive loss of money already. Someone recently said “never quit on a bad day” and it is the motto I’ve chosen to live by with him. If we have a ride like on the 6th and I’m still done? Ok fine. Sell him and move on.

Sunday it was finally done raining and while the ground is disgustingly squishy and my arena is half under water, I wanted to try the saddles and ride. He was a massive pain from the get go. I worked with him in the cross ties until he finally chilled out and then he amped back up in the arena.

He wouldn’t even stand still for me to mount and began his head shaking popping up crap at the block. That earned him time on the longe line and big boy let his energy out.

What I found impressive, and what keeps me holding out hope for us, is that even though all he wanted to do was gallop around, fart and kick up his heels as soon as I asked him to trot he did. He kept an ear on me and I could tell he was trying but could barely contain himself.

I worked him with a lot of transitions both directions until he was sweaty and that crazy glint was out of his eye and then I mounted. He still felt like a powder keg under me and the saddle was slipping all over the place so I only asked for a bit of a walk and then halted to get off. I knew if I asked for a trot he would fling around and tranter instead and there was no way I was riding that out in the County.

After I finished I debated pushing my luck in the Bates, but knowing it would have the tendency to slide forward (much like my Thorowgood which has a point billet and still does it) didn’t make it look too appealing.

Things aren’t all lost yet though. I still believe that once back in actual work he will settle to being the horse I brought home. He has so many good qualities that I love: he is brave and curious in new situations, he has yet to spook at anything, he goes alone on trail or leads in a group, he has never refused or run out of a jump even with me clinging like a monkey to his back, he does water (I never would have ridden Gem even on her best day in a flooded arena), and when in work he goes in a lovely natural rhythm that makes things easy. He just needs to get over himself a bit.

He is leaving me on December 14th for boot camp. We are starting with two weeks and will go up to a month depending. I’m hoping two weeks will be enough. Well, my pocket book is hoping two weeks will be enough. I’m not looking for him to learn anything specific. This isn’t a training camp for jumping more technical courses, or adding flying changes or the half pass. I just need him ridden through this transition back to work by someone who won’t back down or escalate it. He has the basic training that I need already in there under all that bullying attitude.

It will be an hour from me which isn’t preferable but the lady is very good, highly recommended and super nice. I like her way of teaching and training a lot. I’ll get one lesson a week while he is there too. My biggest fear with this is that he will be great for her since she won’t let him bully her but will come home and return to his ways here with me. We will see.

After his boot camp one of two things will happen. He will either be great for me, or at least good enough, and then I can join up with the local trainer I want to use and get back to three day a week rides and twice monthly lessons.

Or he will flunk out of camp/ come home and degrade back to his current behavior which will tell me that our relationship isn’t going to work and he will be listed for sale. At least then I can say that he has had a professional refresher and hope he would sell easier. This is the worst time of year to sell since everyone is, but such is life.

Of course, this depends on him having a saddle that fits so come hell or high water I’m buying a saddle before then. This boot camp must happen and it must happen before I sink too much more money into him. I look back on pictures from the summer when he was rideable and I wonder. He was so good before all this time off. Not perfect but he was fun, safe and sane. Heck, I wouldn’t be thrilled to pull Gem out right now after her 8 months of retirement and try to actually ride her and that is with a decade of history with her and a huge amount of trust banked up. Where would we be if I could have ridden all summer? I’ll never know.

Either way this plays out it is going to be an interesting December and a life lesson learned.

Time slipped away in a flurry of celebrating Wyatt’s 6th birthday last week and I completely missed my call for hours. I don’t have any for November, so if you volunteered at all please get them to me asap.

The saddle hunt has continued despite my best intention to narrow it down to the BC Wexford which is proving difficult to find without a wither gusset. I’m still searching multiple times a day, but I need to ride the hairy beast before he gets too far gone so I’ve opened the search back up. Some internet research shows that people who like the Wexford tend to also like the Albion Kontrol and County Conquest, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

First, I need to write about the Stubben visit. I nearly swore off fitters after the Custom lady tried to push an over priced demo that didn’t fit me at all and the “independent” fitter showed up with no saddles and diagnosed him with extreme back pain and ribs out of place requiring robaxin.

But I’m cheap at heart and when Michele texted me the Stubben sale I decided to burn all my money and have the Stubben rep out. I know her really well from the year I boarded with her. She was just starting back then and let me sit in all the models she had. Interestingly enough, most have been discontinued since then. Anyway, I wasn’t much of a fan but when saddles are on sale for $4,000 off, it’s hard to turn your nose up. Unfortunately, I still didn’t like any of the saddles. The good news to come from that visit was that the big orange butthead didn’t palpate painful anywhere although he did react strongly to the girth being done up. I know he isn’t a fan of the fleece girth, but I can’t buy him a leather one (why on earth does this PITA horse have to only like expensive gear?!?!?) until I know what saddle I’m going to end up with. She declared his sternum out of place which is something I’ve never heard of but I took it in stride and moved on.

It’s interesting that everyone who meets him for a few minutes diagnoses him with some new ailment completely unrelated to any previous one. Trust me. He isn’t painful, he is just being an ass.

Anyway…no matter how cheap they were I still didn’t like the fit for me at all and cried silently at another $150 down the drain. If anyone is keeping track, that’s $481 in fitter fees. That’s more than my current, albeit ill fitting, saddle cost.

That was when I said screw it, it is BC Wexford or bust. I could still hold that line but if H’Appy stays retired for another 6 months he may never come back from the brink. I need to ride my horse. The above mentioned search of Wexford like saddles showed the County Conquest and Albion Kontrol were similar in feel.

It just so happened that someone responded to my ISO ad with a 17″ W Conquest for a decent price. I took it on trial and it arrived Friday. I knew immediately it wasn’t going to work but threw it on him anyway. I was right. The width was ok but the panels were made for a very different shape and came up too high with minimal contact. It wasn’t bad enough not to sit in, but I pretty quickly dismounted as the saddle was very unstable side to side with nothing to keep it from rolling down his barrel. It was a shame since it is a nice saddle. I’m shipping it back, but if anyone is interested in the details let me know.

Having failed that one ($60 in shipping lost, will return it tomorrow after work so I’ll know the total cost then) I grew pretty frustrated. There are two great tack stores near me: Farmhouse Tack and Aiken Tack Exchange. Both handle used tack and while I’ve scoured the Aiken store online turning up nothing, I hadn’t really paid much attention to Farmhouse. Being in driving distance means saving at least one way in shipping costs, so I figured they were worth a look.

Friday afternoon I perused their site and saw that they had a 17″ Wide Albion Kontrol on consignment plus a Bates Elevation Deep Seat with massive blocks that caught my eye as well. I had sat in a new Caprilli and didn’t like it so hadn’t thought much about the Bates line, but why not give it a try if I was going up there anyway.

Saturday afternoon I dragged the kiddo up with me. I really liked the Albion. A lot. So comfy. So much security. Except the panels were really curved and he needs a flatter panel. It wouldn’t have worked for him but I was glad to find that out in person without shipping costs.

The Bates though. That was a nice saddle. Beautiful condition and super comfy. The saddle fitter who works there is one of the nicest people and spent a lot of time with me in the store. Bates is having a special where they are upgrading to their luxe leather (a stickier leather) for free. A new saddle with the upgrade would have only been $400 more than the consignment saddle.

I texted Emma for a voice of reason. New or used? Grippy or standard? She talked me off the ledge of buying new – thanks! – by reminding me that the $400 would be better off spent on his training versus sticky leather. I ended up taking the consignment home with me on trial though they only allow four days. Even if it didn’t work, I’d only have to pay shipping one way if I couldn’t drive back up there.

And…..

It’s up in the air. The saddle fits him great with the wide gullet in place. The panel shape and angle suit him well and when girthed up it had a lot of stability.

I wasn’t a fan of how it sat on his shoulders though so I called the fitter and she asked me to send a bunch of pictures. Turns out what he lacks in wither height he makes up for in length meaning I needed to move the saddle back a good bit. She liked the look of it when pushed back and it no longer sat on his shoulder only the billets were too far back and I know that trick from years trying to fit a jump saddle on Gem. Girth a saddle like that and gravity wins every time. It will end up on his shoulders.

I texted the fitter again and she recommended an anatomic girth to help hold it back. I’m leery. I wasn’t blogging back then but I’ve been through this with Gem. Anatomic girth. Cross the billets so the back is on the front buckle to change the pressure. Go wider. Go narrower. Nothing worked because the billets didn’t line up.

I couldn’t make it back to the store before they closed by the time I was finished with everything. She had two anatomic girths in his size and offered to bring them to me after work today so I can try it. The issue with an exchangeable gullet is that you can’t add a point billet since there isn’t a fixed gullet in the saddle.

I can’t say I’m keeping the saddle the way it is now so we will see. It will be a shame if it can’t work out because I really like the saddle otherwise and think it could be a good solution.

If it doesn’t work, well at least she will take it with her so the entire experience will have cost me nothing for once plus I’ll have her keep an eye out for me for any 17 wide jump saddles that may come in on consignment. They have a lot of inventory which is nice and while I don’t want to wait that long, they may see an influx once people get some new tack for Christmas.

Keep your fingers crossed we can make this work out. I have an update coming about his behavior and my plans but it all depends on getting a saddle that fits and right now I’m open to just about anything. This fitter is super nice and knowledgeable so having her over, even if the Bates goes home with her, may prove beneficial just to get some more ideas on what would work for him. They stock Pessoa and HDR as well as the Bates new but I wasn’t a fan of the Pessoa. The HDR may work in a pinch (and is cheap enough even new) but the twist was pretty narrow and I’ve found that I like a wider twist. I’ll let you know how it goes!

A friend of mine, like good friends do, helped me put things into perspective recently. It isn’t shocking to anyone that I am type A and a perfectionist. Good enough…well isn’t.

Thinking back I had a surgical attending tell me during a case in residency one day “Sara, the enemy of good is better.” A saying that I have to remind myself of constantly in life.

While my friend was out massaging the orange beast’s butt (his second favorite thing in life) I lamented about the saddle shopping experience. My issue? What if the next saddle fits better? Makes me more secure? Places me in a better position? There are so many brands and even more models within a brand – how do you choose? What if I settle for A but should have gotten B?

I’ve now had three different fitters out with four brands: Custom, Smith Worthington, Prestige and Stubben. I also sat in a Black Country Wexford that I took on trial from the local tack shop and fell in love with. Too bad it was a size too narrow for him and too big for me or I would have bought it.

Being me, I began researching Black Country and got it in my head that although the Wexford fit great and I loved it, well maybe the Quantum would be even better or the Richocet or…..

And that brings me back around to my friend. We don’t manage horses the same. She prefers barefoot, bitless and treeless and I’m more of a “if it works, do it” sort. I was talking to her about saddle shopping fully expecting her to tell me to go treeless when instead she looked at me and said “you buy the best fitting saddle your budget can afford. End of story.”

While that is a simple statement it hit me pretty hard because the truth is that good enough has to be good enough. I can’t afford a $6,000 custom made saddle nor do I really want one while his existence here remains questionable.

I found a saddle I really liked. It was so secure and comfortable and allowed me to work him through his temper tantrum without getting tense or grabby. I could ride trails and hunter paces and feel confident. So why not pull the trigger and buy it? Why fuss with other models thinking maybe the next would be even better? Perhaps the Quantum would fit a bit better. Or the Richocet may make me secure without so much saddle under me. But you know what? Maybe they won’t and I really liked the Wexford. A lot.

Sometimes good enough is good enough.

The enemy of good is better.

So that’s it. I’m done with saddle shopping in a sense. I know what I want. I want a Black Country Wexford jump saddle in 17″ Wide.

No more fitting fees. No more shipping costs. Now to find one in good condition for a good price and get back to riding my orange beast. If anyone knows of one for sale $2000 or under please let me know! The big guy needs his job back before he goes totally feral on me.

I’ve joined every facebook group I can find including the UK based Second Hand Black Country page. I emailed Trumbull Mountain to put a bug in their ear though the tend to run $500 more than elsewhere. I put out ISO ads. I’m stalking Pelham saddlery (they do have a 17″ Wide Quantum used in great condition for a good price but it isn’t the Wexford and I don’t feel like spending the $110 shipping fee to try it), Maryland Tack Exchange and the Aiken used tack store. Hopefully something pops up soon. 

Ok, folks…I can’t figure out this new editor when I write on my phone. I can’t seem to get the pictures to be anything other than billboard size. Sorry. 

Five years ago I was handed a book containing fifty waterfalls in SC and GA. This spurred a tradition that all three of us look forward to every year.

On Thanksgiving morning we pack up the car, load all three humans and whatever canines are with us and head out to find the next waterfall.

The trickiest part is finding the trail head as the book gives directions from a road intersection. So far we have stuck to the falls found in the Walhalla area due to proximity to us (just over an hour) and length of hike (under 4 miles) to ensure that we get to enjoy it and make it home for dinner.

This year I chose Yellow Branch Falls which boasted a three dimensional “Mayan city-esque ” feel. Our family had dwindled to five of us this year and I had convinced my mom that cooking for three days for five people was over kill and to go out to eat this year instead. This freed her up in the morning and she got to come hiking with us.

The trail head was easy to find having been in the area in the past and the parking lot was empty when we arrived. By the time we left there were eighteen cars! Being an early bird has advantages.

The morning dawned brisk in the upper 30s, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and I knew it would warm up with the sun. The sky was that brilliant deep blue that is only seen in the fall and I spent as much time looking up as I did at the trail.

The trail was really fun with multiple creek crossings, foot bridges and plenty of technicality to tire us all out. It ended up being closer to four miles and I was so proud of how Wyatt handled it all.

The dogs remained on leash for the majority of the hike. I was shocked Dusty let Waggy come. We are still trying to figure out what brace, if any, will work for her dead leg and I thought for sure he would leave her behind. She happily kept up though and as we neared the falls and the trail grew very narrow and steep, we let the pups off and both dogs handled the terrain without issue.

After climbing and descending, twisting and turning for nearly an hour the trail came to a dead end at Yellow Branch Falls. Wyatt was in the lead and he let out a very excited “I found it!” that echoed down the valley.

The dogs were off leash at this point and both plowed into the icy water to play and drink. Wyatt wasn’t far behind them.

We learned a long time ago to pack a towel and full change of clothes as there is no way Wyatt is going to be kept from playing in the water no matter the temperature. He ended up soaked, shivering and happy before we changed and headed back towards the truck.

I was shocked at how busy the trail was on our way back. We passed an almost constant stream of hikers headed towards the falls and I’m so glad we are early morning people. (I’m typing this on my phone at 6:15 am Saturday morning).

I think we have one fall left to see in the Walhalla area before moving to those at the SC/NC border.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This tradition has been so much fun from the planing of which one to the execution to looking back and watching Wyatt grown up.

Gem has been in my life for almost 9 years now. It has been a long ride that flew by in a blink of an eye. I’ve documented her transformation as a riding horse ad nauseum on here, which was impressive in and of itself. What I find even more impressive though is her change in character since retirement. 

Gem has always been a very aloof, independent workmanlike mare. She had her job under saddle, get us down the trail safely, and I had mine, pick the pace and don’t miss ribbons. Our partnership worked out pretty well in endurance. I learned to stop micromanaging her and she learned to listen to my directions. Riding with others in the sport was always interesting as they never failed to mention how Gem would pick her way down the trail avoiding ditches, holes and rocks all on her own while I watched for ribbons, major obstacles and slowed or quickened the pace as the trail allowed. I refused to tell Gem where to place her feet. That was her job. If I had to watch the trail for everything I’d be at risk for missing the ribbons. Gem knew this and on the occasions I forgot this rule and began nit picking our way down the trail she would put a stop to it quickly.

She also learned to pee in the pasture when she saw me coming with a halter, eat  and drink at every opportunity and be prepared for any length of adventure from a quick speedy 5 mile run to a literal all day experience. She came ready for work no matter what the job was. 

What she wasn’t was overly friendly. She tolerated my grooming regimen including a big neck hug when I switched from her left to right side. She stood still and sucked up spa days. She never ran from me in the pasture as she knew that was a line to never cross, but she also refused to meet me either. If I wanted to ride, I had to get her myself. She expected me to put in my share of the work at all times.

In fact, it was almost like a business partnership.

Then I retired her in the spring. At first she was skeptical. Was this a vacation like so many times in the past? As the months have gone by and with the addition of H’Appy as the horse the halter snags and who gets loaded in the trailer for adventures, it has sunk into her that her time for that is over. Her new job is to eat, take sunny naps and enjoy life. 

With this has come a significant change in my favorite bay mare. I can no longer describe her as aloof or workmanlike. She is now friendly nearly down right snuggly. 

She greets me with a nicker when I’m out in the yard beckoning for me to enter the pasture and give her scratches. She comes to the gate every night when I yell out “Gemmie! Dinner!” Even the promise of food in the past would not make her budge. She demands her itchy spots scratched before she will leave the stall after eating and will stand ground tied in the aisle for her grooming with eyes half closed and bottom lip drooping. 

While she still high tails it when the trailer gets hooked up, when I enter the pasture with a halter she stares at me and then walks towards me these days. Which is nice because butt head is so jealous that it brings him over. When I do slip her halter on to bring her in at non food times, typically for the farrier or when it was going to rain and be cold non stop for days on end, she shoves her head in the halter herself. Wyatt leads her in/out of the pasture and barn by himself regularly and she walks with careful steps and a slow pace never pushing ahead or spooking at even the scariest piece if wood.

Was she a miserable working horse? No. She enjoyed the trail and the adventures. But she had a contract it seemed and stuck to it. She was there for the work and put up with the rest like a day job you mostly enjoy except for that one co worker who talks non stop about their vegan diet and cross fit routine. I loved her then and I love her now. I’m glad I got the chance to retire her at home so she can relax and enjoy the next ten years eating grass, getting loved on and taking long naps in the sunshine.

Okay…anyone else having issues with the new wordpress editor??? Pictures are coming in either super big or super tiny and not where I want them. Frustrating. Sorry for any weirdness in this post as I try to figure this out. 

Well, there is $230 I’ll never see again. Plus I lost my temper which is something I try to avoid doing and in general I am pretty good at fuming silently to myself. Of course the moment I snapped was the moment Bette, who had so kindly invited me, happened to pull in and walk up. Sorry, Bette. My limit had been reached.

H’Appy hasn’t been too many places with me and I was pretty nervous about how he would behave. I warned both the fitter and the lovely woman in charge of organizing this that he can be interesting in new places and asked if I could come early. I was the first appointment of the day and was given the ok. We pulled in about 40 minutes early and I unloaded H’Appy to walk him around the facility and settle in.

Turns out I needn’t have worried. He was on his best behavior and beyond some angry grazing he never made a peep, pulled on the lead rope or acted a fool. I was really, really proud of my big orange beast. He has come a long way from the anxiety ridden mess that I brought home. 

When it was time for the fitting, I walked him over and introduced ourselves. I had had a lengthy conversation several days prior with the fitter’s wife and went over my saddle fit concerns, his size and background, my background and budget. They knew he went in a wide tree in other brands and I was looking for a close contact/jump saddle in a 17-17.5″ seat. When we walked up I told the fitter that H’Appy gets nervous around new people and asked him to take it slow before poking or prodding him. I filled him in on the history since May, the lameness eval and the fact that his current saddle is too narrow down his spine putting pressure on the spine and creating back pain. I showed him the area of concern as well. 

Well, my idea and his idea of slow were very different and before either of us knew it he was digging his fingers into the spot I told him was sore. Surprise! H’Appy about flew out of his skin and any calm he had before that was out the window. The guy turned to me and told me I needed to put him on a muscle relaxer. I blinked and stared blankly not knowing really how to respond to this.

He moved on commenting “I don’t think your horse trusts me” as H’Appy bent like a pretzel trying to keep his eye on this strange man who was determined to shove his fingers in all his sore spots. Once he poked his other side he commented again about putting him on a muscle relaxer to which I responded that my vet said no drugs were needed, had prescribed massage which I got done (of note the massage lady who took her time found soreness in his right shoulder stemming from his foot pain but barely anything in the back) and a new saddle which was why I was there. No medicines thank you.

The fitter moved on to use his super cool measuring stick and make a tracing of his back at the gullet area. He measured him as an extra, extra (yup two extras) wide in the brands he carried and then told me that he only had medium trees with him. I stared. At this point my patience was about up with this process. If he didn’t have any wide trees he should have told me that on the phone so I knew ahead of time that I wouldn’t be riding. In fact, had he told me he didn’t have anything wider than a medium I would have ridden with the potential new trainer and saved the hour trip and money. But there I was so I stomped off to hand H’Appy over to Dusty so I could look at the saddles he had.

He carries Smith Worthington and Prestige and pulled several out for me to look at and sit in on a saddle stand. Only one fit my needs. One was an AP that he was fond of but I told him I don’t want an AP saddle and the others didn’t fit me at all. The issue was that it was too narrow to go on my horse. So quite pointless really as we all know the fit in motion can be very different than on a stand. 

He tried to pressure me into buying it. He had a whole talk about how the tree can be widened and the flocking redone and while I don’t question his knowledge or ability there, why on earth would I buy a saddle I never got to try on my horse? How does that make sense?

Then he dropped the bomb that he doesn’t sell any saddles he physically has and it would be 8-10 weeks before I could get anything. What the actual heck?!? I had told him very clearly on the phone that I needed a saddle now. Why not inform me of this little fact before?

Right at this moment I was done. I knew I would need to pay for this and had gotten nothing of use from my afternoon. I explained to him very pointedly that I would not order a saddle I haven’t ridden in and that is when Bette walked up while he mentioned for the fourth time about needing to use a muscle relaxer except now he decided to inform me that “it will help his brain” and questioned the need to find a new vet because obviously my vet was terrible for not putting him on drugs. 

I lost it. Completely lost it. First, no a muscle relaxer has no effect on the brain which is not a muscle. Some can have a sedative effect but there is no mental benefit from a muscle relaxer. Second, you are not a vet. I have already told you I’m not going to drug my horse and either talk to me about a saddle or nothing at all. I was mean. I was bitchy. I was done.

I walked back to the truck seeing flames, turned around to grab my riding equipment that I didn’t get to use and Bette walked back to the trailer with me to meet H’Appy. We chatted a bit and then I went home. On the way home, while Dusty drove, I began a fevered search online of back pain symptoms, diagnoses and treatments. H’Appy had never shown so much reaction to back palpation before but if he was that painful it could account for his demeanor under saddle. I ran that rabbit hole during the hour drive home. 

Once home I palpated the crap out of his back the way I was taught by my vet. Start at the withers and using the meaty part of your fingers, slowly and firmly slide down the length of the back towards the butt looking for a reaction. I did it three times pressing down as hard as I could. Nothing. No flinch. No ear flick in my direction. No reaction whatsoever.  Let me repeat that. NO REACTION WHATSOEVER. 

Here is a hint. Any horse no matter how good they feel can react to finger tips and nails dug into a single spot without warning.

Sigh.

All is not lost though! Last Tuesday I ran into the local tack shop to get a new blanket for Gem. Hers is nearing 7 years and has never been waterproofed since purchase and the heavy rain (we ended up with just over 5″ Monday-Thursday last week) made me worry it wouldn’t be good enough. Anyway. There sat a gorgeous Black Country Wexford saddle on consignment in my budget. It looked a bit narrow but I took it out on trial because why not?. I rode in it Friday and my butt sang the songs of the heavens. Well, mostly. It was a bit big for me and a size narrow for him (it was a medium wide) but I did like it. The thigh rolls kept me so secure I felt like he could have bucked to the moon and I would have stayed on.

The Wexford is a deep seated close contact built to feel extra secure and is very close to an all purpose. I’ve scoured the internet looking for reviews and read everything from “too bulky, no feel of the horse” to “I ride to the 1* level in it on xc and stadium and love it”. I was a bit worried about how much saddle there is. It is billed as perfect for the novice jumper, fox hunter or any one who wants a arm chair feel. Hmmm…not sure I want an arm chair feel in my saddle. I did find out that they make a Ricochet model that uses the Wexford tree and a traditional jump seat that is more low profile and I’d like to try that as well before deciding. There is a Black Country dealer in Aiken, but she charges $200 + travel fees for a fitting and I am already $300 in the whole with useless fittings now. I’m going to contact Trumbull Mountain and see if they can offer suggestions over the phone/internet and try out a few models through them for minimal shipping costs since I already have a good feel for what I need – 17″ (hurray for half sizes!)for me and wide for lard ass. If I was ordering custom made, I’d go the dealer route but I can’t afford that so will need to be looking for a close enough fit in a used saddle.

 

I spent all weekend thinking about this, texted both Emma and Michelle, and annoyed the hubby to no end. Friday was not good. The lesson started off bad and got worse until finally I called it quits much to the relief of all three of us. In fact, by the end I felt like I owed H’Appy an apology for the preceding 45 minutes of agony and that is never a good way to feel.

I probably shouldn’t have even had the lesson. It was 45F and had rained all day which meant that the horses were kept inside. The  rain stopped right before the lesson and I could tell even in the cross ties that H’Appy was feeling good in a very “I have no intentions of behaving” sort of way. He flung his head in the aisle, tried to eat the cross ties and was a bear to hold still long enough to bridle. The exact opposite of the horse I had on Tuesday. I commented to Trainer that this was going to be interesting and laughed. She looked very skeptical about the whole thing.

And the lesson proceeded to be exactly as I thought it would. He was up. He was nervous over nothing in particular except the fact that he was finally outside again and was feeling excess energy. I could almost feel the energy radiating off of him. He pranced, he jigged, he tried to canter instead of trot, he called out for his friends (who completely ignored him per usual) and when things didn’t go his way he threw down a temper tantrum that would have made my 5 year old son proud. You know what though? I wasn’t scared and I wasn’t caving. I rode out his head shaking and when that didn’t work he curled his chin to his chest and I lost all neck in front of me. I rode that out as well. When he refused to bend, I asked again. Was I completely in control of all 4 feet at all times? Heck, no, but I also never felt in danger or careening out of control. He has very, very good brakes and we were fine.

All this behavior was a combination of excess energy and a deep desire on his part to avoid all work at all times. It was predictable in a way. Trotting in a nicely balanced rhythm is hard. Shaking your head and evading the bit is not. Calmly transitioning is hard. Hurling yourself upward and scooting off is not. And when that all fails, pull out the head dragging on the ground maneuver and western pleasure shuffle. When I ask for a trot, try flailing. When I collect with a half halt, screech to a full halt.

All basic green, rusty, lazy, ex lesson horse behaviors.

And I was fine with it. Not happy, ecstatic this is the best ride ever, fine with it. But honestly, I accepted his challenge and was game to work with him to find what would help and oddly excited for my future with him as I know there is an amazing, fun horse locked inside six months of lameness induced time off and a sour attitude about returning to the life of an ammy horse.

Except Trainer did not agree and was very decidedly not on board with working through this. She put us on a 20 m circle of death which worked about as good as you would think. He wasn’t capable of giving me a balanced rhythmic 20 m circle and certainly not 100 of them. Maybe he should have been, but he wasn’t. Not with me in the irons on that day. With every passing circuit all three of us grew more and more frustrated yet nothing else was offered up in its place. Had I been riding alone I would have used the entire arena, let him canter to burn excess energy, practiced a ton of transitions and probably used ground poles to keep his busy bee brain active.

When it was obvious to all of use that this lesson was not going anywhere useful, we had a talk. She recommended looking into depo to calm him down or selling him, neither of which I’m going to do. I talked at length with her regarding pro rides and boot camps and how much they could benefit a horse like him who isn’t intrinsically mean, just lazy and would rather be a little wicked than work. She doesn’t offer either of those things.

As she pulled away I had a bit of a sinking feeling. I love Trainer. I love all she has to offer regarding rider position, effective use of the aides and horse management. I love all she has given me and taught me. I love how supportive she is, how she knows when to push me versus give me room and how she helped me cross over from endurance to whatever it is I am playing at now. I hope to ride with her again in the future, but for now both of us agree that this is not going to work.

I have reached out to a local trainer who came highly recommended by several people I know. I actually did a xc school there with H’Appy the second week I had him and drooled over the facility. It even has a covered arena so I can ride in the rain! I had initially set up an evaluation ride for this Sunday but it felt funny and I realized that it was the exact same time as the saddle fitting, so I had to reschedule. We are planning on the weekend of Thanksgiving to do an initial meet, ride and discussion to see what her plan would be. I’m hopeful this will work out, but am being guarded. Certain teaching styles do not sit well with me, so I’m having an open mind going in but not putting all my eggs in this basket. There are other trainers out there that could work as well if this one doesn’t work out.

I did some internet stalking to see what she has out there. I mean, it would be fantastic to ride with a 4* eventer but I’m doing single 2′ fences at the trot with the big guy. I don’t need to be the remedial student of the bunch that they think is a waste of time. I was super happy to see that she put out a very excited post about a student of hers tackling their first amoeba level event and laying down good rounds. It gives me hope.

A lot of changes to come for Team H’Appy Pants!

So much happened this weekend that I want to write about. I’m conniving some exciting plans for the near future  and I need to really need to write about the lesson that went very awry on Friday, but have to put more thought into how I want to do that. Instead I am jumping forward to the saddle fitting experience I had on Sunday.

I had the Custom Saddlery rep out. She is local to me which is a plus and was easy to talk to/schedule with. I’m trying to go about this saddle shopping ordeal with the least amount of money waste as possible. With Gem I did the whole trial and error method which seemed like a good idea at the time, but ended up costing me thousands in trial fees and shipping costs. This time around I am trying out the saddle fitter route.

After the debacle that was Friday, I wanted to hop on him and warm him up a bit before she came. The last thing I needed was a bronc under me while trying to evaluate if the saddle fit him or not. He came out fairly well only melting down one time when he noticed Gem and Pete grazing just outside the arena fence. I got his head back in the game quickly though I was curious how he would handle getting tacked back up and working again and again and again.

What surprised me the most was that she didn’t take a single measurement of him or me. She looked at him, palpated his back and then went to the van and pulled out six saddles. I had told her I rode in a 17.5″, but she didn’t know if that was the right size for me or not. In fact, we didn’t even really talk about my goals, level of experience or his training. I told her I wanted a jump saddle and that he currently went in a wide Kieffer AP.

To her credit, I think some of this was because the trees in her saddles can be adjusted with her special machine to fit any size, so it really didn’t matter what his size was as she could easily modify any of her saddles to fit him. Still, it was a little odd to see a fitter just throw saddles on him and say “yep, looks good!”.

Anyway, I ended up trying six saddles: two Jeffries, an AP and an event, and four Custom, all jump. It was nice to sit in a variety of flap configurations, seat styles and leather types to get a feel for what I like.

H’Appy for his part was holding his crap together as best as he could given the fact that we kept tacking him back up and heading off to w/t/c and tackle a cross rail. I made the nearly fatal mistake of using the Wintec Chafeless girth which is 2″ longer and fit a bit better with the shorter billets on her saddles. I very quickly remembered why I no longer use this on him. He hates it. Deep in his soul hates it. I hopped off and changed out the girth to his fuzzy fleece one which appeased him some. Of note, when I tried the event saddle with long billets I borrowed her short leather girth and that made him very happy. I’m telling you this pain in the butt beast has expensive ass taste.

Of the six saddles I tried, two I ruled out before even asking him to move on. I sat weird in them and just plain hated them. One he ruled out without question even with the happy girth. That left three remaining, one I didn’t like the super flat seat on and two I gave a second go around in to compare.

The Jeffries event saddle was a nice fit for him, he moved out really well in it and I sat pretty ok. I liked the single flap design (different than a monoflap apparently although right now I can’t recall all the details on how it is different) and the large knee roll. The flap was a bit too forward for what I need and I found the calf block to be restricting on the flat. Not surprising since it is built to go cross country in a more forward seat position. Lovely saddle, just not what I need.

That left the Custom Monte Carlo close contact. I rode in it twice and it was my favorite of the bunch. If you look closely you can see pretty blue piping. I was a bit worried the +2 forward flap would be too forward and I am still iffy on that, but my leg hung effortlessly and when he decided to buck a little because someone had to pee but refused to do so in the arena, I felt secure enough. The seat felt a bit roomier than I would like and kind of slippery, but she assured me it would break in.

I was waffling quite a lot. It fit him well, but honestly he is a really easy horse to fit. He has plenty of real estate, a standard shaped back with well defined shoulders that keeps the saddle back plus he has lower withers. Seriously, I think most saddles as long as they are wide enough will fit him which is such a difference from my extremely hard to fit Gemmie.

The saddle I tried was a well used two year old demo and while it was reduced in price it was still a bit of a shock when she told me the price. For that much money (think double my planned budget) my butt better be singing and I better never come out of it. I was about to tell her no thanks when she mentioned the 10 day free trial. Since she lives close by it wouldn’t even cost me shipping to return. I figured taking it on and riding in it for a while wouldn’t be terrible. If I did decide I loved it I could start a search for a used version or if I still wasn’t in love I’d know for sure to move on.

When she left I had a not bad but not wonderful fuzzy feeling either. Like, all she did was slap a bunch of saddles on his back and have me ride in them. No real input otherwise unless I dragged it out of her and honestly who knows if a smaller seat size would have been better, she never even mentioned it and went off the 17.5″ I told her I typically ride in. I’m honestly not even sure it was worth the $95 it cost to have her out, but I will say that she was very patient with his shenanigans and my own wimpy refusal to canter or jump until I had his focus at least somewhat on me instead of firmly up his own butt.

I have another fitting this Sunday with Bette, thanks for the invite!!!!, with a totally different line of saddles that I am excited to try. I will need to apologize profusely in advance for his behavior. I have zero idea how he will be off property surrounded by other horses and  rain is in the forecast today through Thursday so no riding will be happening. Which sucks. But oh well. As long as he stays in the arena and I can test some things out I’ll be happy. Well, mostly happy. Happier if I end up with a saddle I love and can move forward with my diabolical plan to make him a better behaved steed.

Yeah…this is a bit late. Sorry! Life is ramping up here towards the end of the year. Deductible season is upon us and as a surgeon that means cramming in so many surgeries that my head blurs together. In the last two weeks I have scheduled 12 surgeries all needing done by the end of the year. As of right now, I’m full. No more available time. Of course, that now means I have to get creative in added cases before and/or after office hours. Folks, be nice to your surgeons and if you know you have a procedure you would like done before your deductible restarts, contact them early!

Anyway…my saddle fit/lesson for today got rescheduled due to nasty, nasty rainy weather. Honestly, I was still game but something about getting all those pretty new saddles soaked during a fitting with someone who may not even purchase one was a bit off putting to the fitter. Go figure. She is coming to my house on Sunday instead. Unfortunately Trainer won’t be available but such is life. This fitting is a now or in two months sort of thing so now it is.

Farrier came out on Wednesday while I was at work and did the ponies. He was very impressed with how much hoof Doofus was able to grow with shoes on and is hopeful that he can graduate out of the pads in another cycle or two. My pocket book is too. Going form $60 trims every 8 weeks for the Dynamic Duo to $245 trim +shoes every 5 weeks for the Tiresome Trio is a bit of a sticker shock. Anything for the Big Orange Beast though.

I didn’t get to ride last night due to rain, but it looks to be tailing off around dinner time today so I hope to hop on still tonight. While my arena footing is awful, it remains firm even under water so I can ride in all weather on it so big guy won’t get out of work that easy. He will get tomorrow off and then have the fitting on Sunday. Hopefully I can get back in for a lesson sometime next week.

On to other things. You all stepped up to the plate again in October with 65 hours volunteered. Thank you to everyone!

October was a random drawing month and those involved include:

Using my handy dandy online random name picker, the winner is:

Sarah (from Three Chestnuts) please send me your mailing address at agemofahore at gemail dot com and I will get your prize out to you.

What did you win?

As daylight savings time has ended and it is now dark at lunch time, I figured you may want a head lamp to light your steps as you take care of your ponies at home. I found it on clearance at Riding Warehouse, so my color selection is limited to red, orange and green. Unless you feel very strongly against my favorite color, red, that is what you will be getting. (Honestly though, if you want orange or green instead let me know).

November is the final random drawing so even you you work for one single hour, you have an equal shot at winning before the year is out.

I haven’t forgotten about October’s winner. It will get done on Friday morning. I’m running a bit behind.

Last night was gorgeous. It had poured all morning and early afternoon but the temperatures stayed in the mid 60s. By the time I left work the sun was out and it was almost humid. The great thing about our red clay soil is how well it drains. It has rained for two straight days with many days preceding that and the ground was perfect for riding.

Not even 12 hours after posting my plan, I got home, changed into riding clothes, made myself ok with being a mom who feeds nuggets to her child so I can go ride instead of cook, and headed out to bring everyone in for dinner.

That is when I saw this:

In five weeks he has not lost a single bell boot. And now, two days after his last ride he magically loses both of them. I was at my wits end.

Of course it was getting dark at that point as I headed to the 15 acre pasture hoping to find his tan colored bell boots so I could still ride. I didn’t want to risk riding without and him either ripping half his foot off or getting a nasty heel grab that would mean canceling Friday.

I texted the hubby who was inside with Wyatt (warning: strong language that I typically leave off the blog)

I then texted Michelle because misery loves company and she always makes me laugh.

A half hour later I knew this was a losing battle. I went inside the barn and Dusty hopped on the mower to see if the headlight would help but the grass is tall and it was pitch black. No such luck.

Fortunately I remembered that I had bought two pairs of bell boots and H’Appy’s latest attempt at being retired was foiled.

The big guy was oddly quiet in the cross ties and even cocked a back leg up while being brushed instead of trying to eat me. He didn’t even do his typical pawing while being saddled and gave his front right for his hoof boot without me having to fight for it.

I won’t bore you all with the details of a 20 minute flat ride but wow. It was AMAZING. Right from the start he was light, bendy and listening. I didn’t walk for long instead going straight to trot once I had him connecting to my outside rein in square turns at the walk. He made the transition without a temper tantrum, trying to canter or ignoring me. He was light to my leg but not in an overreactive way.

We floated around at the trot, popped over a cross rail a few times and then I sat and asked for the canter. Not atypical for most but he has been such a tool lately that I haven’t asked for it in months. He came up to the canter so smoothly without falling on his forehead or plowing forward and it felt so good to cruise around.

A few circuits at the canter and I hugged him while falling on his neck in a huge giggling heap. This was the horse I test rode. This was the horse I brought home. This guy. Not a kick ride but not overly reactive. Light but not avoiding the bit. Fun. Fun fun fun.

I know some day I’ll need to push for more. I know some day we will ah e to both get in better shape. But not yesterday. Yesterday was a celebration. Today he is getting his shoes reset and then it is onward with The Plan.