Riding In Style & Comfort!

I've finally done it. I spent this past weekend, thanks to a friend, at an amazing expo in Alberta where I saw and sat in several saddles of wonderful quality. I'm talking the kind of saddles I've only drooled over online for EVER. I've been driving everyone crazy with my 'saddle dilema' for years and finally gave myself permission to explore a purchase, now that my horse has supposedly stopped growing and changing. Well, now I'm driving everyone within hearing distance crazy with "ohmigawdiluvit". I want to bring it in the house to sit in and admire when I'm not riding in it, I'm so excited about it.

The specs on this work of art are as follows: 15.5" roughed-out barrel saddle, built on FQHB Bowden Tree (of Alberta), completely hand-made tree-to-trim. Real sheepskin underlay, soft pliable fenders, deep seat with 5" cantle. I love the oak and floral tooling, which was done by hand by an older lady of the mom & pop duo that tag-team these saddles.

Riding in it is like a breath of fresh air. My dressage beater has always been comfortable but I never realised how much I didn't relax in it. Borrowing the hubby's big roper hurt Max's shoulders and my seat but it did save my hide during a rowdy ride this spring. Now I can ride WITH the hubby in total comfort and security.

In this past week, Max and I have scaled impossibly vertical sand dunes, done some good working trot and conquered fears of vehicles and unfamiliar territory. I'm a much bolder rider in this rig and he's becoming more bold under me. The one canter we could try before the footing became too wet was brilliant! Instead of moving quick and uncertain, in two strides he slowed right down and rose up underneath me. I wonder if perhaps the dressage beater doesn't fit him as well as I originally thought!

My plan is to ride primarily in this new saddle for the month, @ 3xs a week, to really break it in and see how both he and I feel about it. Well, I already know how I feel about it (lmao!). He's already standing more still for saddling and mounting - from the ground! Something I haven't been able to do with the english outfit. I even dismounted to do some trail maintenance today and successfully did our first trail mount while he patiently stood stock-still, munching his pilfered mouth of spring grass.

This was only our second trail ride of our new schedule this month and already his difference in confidence and willingness was impressive. On Wednesday, he was quite jittery about impolite vehicles, freshly mowed bush and being in the vast sand pits. Today, it was old hat - very boring but also relaxing. Lots of blowing and sighing. I think he likes getting out of the arena. I wonder what his response to the wide-open mud roads is going to be. Fingers crossed that the weather cooperates and we're able to hit them next week!

Last mission to complete this outfit: pick the right saddle pad. I'm thinking chocolate or maroon. Would be nice to have something different than my typical black. Borrowing the hubby's in the mean time, to determine the thickness we might need. I do know it's too long for my short-backed beastie. It measures in at 31.5", whereas I need something around 26", if such a creature exists.

Does the fun never end? I'm so ecstatic to begin this riding season with honest intent and a hearty system to base it on! Nothing to hold us back.

Happy Trails

It's been 5 months since my last...

TRAIL RIDE!! To the DAY. How funny is that? As you may be able to tell from the grin on my face, I had a blast.

My riding companion, gal-pal and boarder Jasmine, on Hubby's gelding, Bill (her boy is a 2 year-old shire gelding!).

Yup, that's her. Heading out onto the trail on a semi-hot TBX in a bareback pad. She rides as nicely as she sits.

We set the horses through all their paces, starting with some walking through sweat-inducing field sludge. Nothing to slick, but enough to work some muscles. That was followed with some sedate trotting in a cut-but-not-yet-tilled corn field, right up to the flapping flag monument and a pair of curious equine neighbors who escorted us down the length of their pasture. On we went to the bush trails that wind through a hydro right-of-way and some old bush trails. Then came the real challange for Max's brain muscles... ditch riding on a hwy! Well, not a real hwy. The speed limit is 70kms and the traffic was light at 3 pm. He did quite well, and so did I.

I'm always tensing up when I expect him to tense up. He never lets me down, either, escalating to more and more dramatics each time. Rather, when I breathe and tell him there's nothin' doin', he mellows out.

After that successful navigation... about 1/4 of a mile until our circuit took us back down a gravel road, we meandered with peaceful trotting down the side of the gravel, back to the corn field. This is the site of our only canter work. Was a good stretch and at that speed, they had to work through some soft ground. Max was full of beans during this one, not wanting to do it in the first place and then bucking like a tool when we went through a damp swell. I will tell you right here, had I not been in the Hubby's western saddle, I would have EATEN DIRT. As it was, I had to make a decision to stay on and once I did, employ leg muscles in my one retained stirrup that will remind me of our adventure for days to come, I'm sure. I growled at Max, corrected his veer to the left at my right-side-heavy seat position, and he did come back to me. Thank goodness for the medium-shank, medium-port bit and that bulky western saddle! May not have been as comfortable as my sleek dressage no-name beater, but I was saved!

We rounded up our adventure with a quad encounter, thankfully by a polite man and a good 200 feet of distance into a soupy field.

Half of Max's sweat is from his brain. He was dripping on the mile-long cool-down walk and both boys immediately took advantage of our offered sandy reward as soon as we pulled the saddles off.

On a side note, I noticed that the saddle I used did pinch his withers... 3 inch matching DRY spots, either side. I will have to pay particular attention to fit when I order my new saddle. *gasp!* It's outta the bag. I'm determined, especially after today's ride, to get one sooner rather than later. Hubby's saddle doesn't fit me one bit and clearly doesn't do my horse any favours.

Check out the Cascade Wade Model on this site: http://www.trailridingsaddles.com

Snow Days

I'm thinking the beast is already starting to show some weight changes since our regular riding schedule has begun.

Last lesson we worked on transitions - yay! - which Max had an opinion about. Once Peter saw his buck he laughed and told me I'd be okay on this horse. I had to quit giggling, myself, to properly scold him. We also touched on walking nose-out, or shoulder-thru, which he caught onto very quickly. Lastly, we introduced the idea of breaking at the poll with bit massage. Peter doesn't call it that, but influence from my Chris Irwin days shines through in this. I've been good about practicing at home, 2 or 3 times a week. Today I got to do it in daylight so I snapped a photo! He's standing on a slight hill, hence the tilt of my saddle. I just ADORE his barogue look!



We spent some family time outside, trying out my son's new saddle and teaching all three horses what riding together looks and feels like. Bill wasn't too keen on ponying, but Max acted like an old pro. Scout sure is a trick to keep bringing along. He wants to plug his nose in someone's bum and follow along, just like a good little baby. He didn't even bat an eye at the saddle going on, it being the second time ever and hardly registered Kaleb's assisted mount-up. He toddled our toddler around like a superb old show horse. I just love that little pony! It won't be long before we can all hit the trail.

I Have Homework & I'm Happy!!

Monday dawned the first day of my new lesson program with Mostus (That'd be Max With the Most-ust). My new favourite coach: 78 year-old Calvaryman horse trainer, Peter. Don't recall his last name but I ADORE the man. He did not even bother to ask what I was looking to get out of my lessons - he already knew. First step, get the beast MOVING. Without forward motion we cannot work on anything else. I should, in fact, not be the part of our duo doing all the work. Huh. Some consistent and loud cues with a crop and heck, I almost remember what it feels like to be carried by a horse! AND he's retaining his learning.

A juicy tangerine moon lit the arena for us tonight. The temps were pleasant, the tiniest breeze tickling my nose now and then. Our lesson was short. As soon as he showed consistent understanding of what I was looking for, I called it. With no sun to keep him warm during cool-down, I can't afford to sweat him up. He's an emo sweater, too... work his brain up a little much and he'll be drenched with next to no physical exertion.

Our exercises tonight consisted of brisk walking, followed by lots of transitions from stop to walk. As in, walk off NOW. No more dawdling for us. He was starting to lose his stop after a few repetitions, anticipating the departure so we went back to backing after stop, deep breath at the halt and then DEPART.

I'm really excited to show Peter our progress. If it's this good after only 30 mins of homework, giddy up! I can actually see us being a cohiesive, communicating, giving & taking riding unit! So much so, I'm considering our little bumpkin horse show this summer - eeek! I've never competed in my LIFE!! Fun fun!!

I took the boy's nap time yesterday to try out his new saddle on his young pony. Scout will be two this June. He's already been carrying around our 25-lb toddler, bareback on the lead. A wonderful friend was very generous this Christmas, gifting Kaleb with the saddle her girls first learned on.

I had little doubt this brilliant little pony would have an issue with the saddle itself. I've put some pretty outrageous things on his back with barely an ear twitch in response. The cinch I was not so sure about and I did not do it up very tight at all. I want to keep this experience a happy one. He chewed on the latigoes a tad, tasted the stirrup covers and asked me what was next. We walked around, even remembering what trotting on lead was all about. Blink. Blink.

He does not yet know how to lunge (don't much believe in it for young, developing joints), but we began that lesson with the saddle on. He was slightly confused that the whumping carrot stick suddenly meant "move" rather than "ignore". I was careful to make my lead line cue, "point" very obvious. Once he gave me a few steps moving off, I stopped and rubbed him all over. He loves that. We almost had a full circle each way when I called it quits. I love how I work in tiny spurts with this boy and he just soaks it all up, leap-frogging forward every time!

I have no concerns tossing Kaleb up on that saddle. We'll leave the bit and bridle for much later, especially in the toddler's hands, though I'm slightly eager to do some ground driving. Think I'll wait until the air warms up enough that I don't have to warm the bit myself!! Yikes.

Yes, He Really Is This Great...

Our typical pasture tom-foolery...

Back in the Saddle Again... and Out.

Nope. No falling off. Just some bareback puttering around in the yard. Ecstatic to hop on both my dunderhead and the hubby's push-button gelding. SO much easier to ride that horse!!

Maximus has been treated to two tune-up rides by the hubby. He's so fantastic about riding outside the box, challenging the psyche of the horse as well as the physical... and not necessarily because he's looking to push bottons or train. Just because he enjoys going for a RIDE. This entire effort on the cowboy's behalf was triggered by Maximost taking a friend for a couple of un-called-for rowdy rides. I'll tell you, that boy follows the hubby around like a puppy dog once the ride is over! He LOVES it just as much, the brat.

I'm ready to finally start some good riding, myself. Did quite a bit of sitting trot today without a hitch or twitch. Dismounting is still interesting... did I mention that I've since broken three toes in my left foot? Giddy up. Finally start feeling well enough to tussle with the boys a little and wind up taking out my foot.

The (tentative) plan is to ride Cadilac Bill for a few rides then get back into the groove with Max once I get my core strength back. But I just may huck that out the window and load Max on the trailer. Bill for the trail and Max for the arena. I plan to take things back a notch with Max, working on transitions up, down, up, down, up, down until we're both speaking the same language. Patrick (hubby) describes Max's efforts like driving a standard without a clutch. Very apt description. I'm also going to finally nail down neck reining. There is NO reason for us to have NOT mastered that yet.

Don't know how much riding I can fit into my current schedule, but I'm game to get as much as I can in.

Also discovered Zumba. Shake it, ladies!!!

Down and OUT

Had a slight whoopsie on the 23rd... I think the bloody cat barreled INTO Maximus' front legs, without him or myself catching a glimpse of it. Other riders in our group did see a long-tailed black blur and every horse jumped a mile. Only Max pulled the ol' Whirl n' Buck before I could even process that we were off our intended path. He deposited my stunned self directly onto the cement-like gravel road we'd only just a blink before been walking beside and continued his bucking antics around the then snoozing group, of course coming to settle back in the very grassy ditch we left to munch. I'd much rather have been left behind in said bed o' grasses, bristles and thistles, thank you very much.

The meeting of rock against rock (that'd be me against the road) resulted in a very minor concussion (where was that helmet I'd only just pledged to wear every ride??), a brutally tenderised hip and thigh, a very broken rib and some surface and sub-surface road rash. Oddly enough, with exception to being taken out of commission for everything fun and interesting, it's the chafing scabs and bruising that is irritating me the most, lol. So typical. Other than snapping in frustration at every little thing (sorry, Hubby), I'm quite relieved to sustain injury to a solid bone rather than a joint. Two months til I can climb back on. Bummer.

Now, if only I could stop laughing at the toddler's antics...