Saddle Fitting

I'm not sure what I've written about saddle fitting here recently, but a quick update would be that I've decided to go for the wintec wide flocked, and I'll put in the widdest possible gullet. I've got the theraflex, which is why I've decided to go for the flocked becuase the thought of air on air makes me a little uneasy. I've yet to buy any shims, simply because I haven't had time to call up the UK office and order in.

From Saddle fitting

This is a picture I took on Monday (she's all wet because she just had her first bath!). She is standing square, and although her neck is bent funny I don't think it has altered her back shape. Anyway, if you look at the lines of the wood behind her she definately isn't down hill. I also haven't ridden intensively in a loong time (probably autumn) so I can't remember what her sweat patches were like either. Anyway, this whole process of buying a new saddle has made me really interested in saddle fits, and I can't wait to play around with shimming and see what differences they will make. She is already a really comfortable ride, and from videos I've seen and pictures I haven't noticed her looking like a bad banana. Which believe me I'm very thankful for :D

Anyway, Monday was fun!! I went down and since we always play in the arena, or the next door field I decided to take Olivia to the big field with the stream running through it. She hasn't been in this spot yet, and on the other side of it in a fenced off area where some geldings she doesn't know to well so she was VERY excited and therefore VERY LBE. We played with a lot of falling leaf pattern, circles etc. Olivia even came up with a fun game where she changed direction behind me every time. Rather than get frustrated, I just thought 'how interesting!' and played the game with her! We also played with a few of the cross country jumps, and had a splash about in the stream. When we got back in she was soo sweaty I gave her a nice hose down which she seemed to really appreciate.

Undemanding Time

Since exams have started, and I've got a lot going on at the moment, undemanding time with Olivia seems so much more appealing than playing. I went down today, just wanting to work more on L3 stage 1, and Olivia was just ah-mah-zing. WOW. I did so little and she gave so much, I was so happy that after ten minutes I let her back into the field, and I just sat in there.

And, being one of those who finds it difficult to sit still and do nothing, I decided to make a daisy chain out of the MILLION daisys in the field. First I was making a bracelet, which turneed into a necklace, and THEN I thought, why don't I make a necklace for Olivia!? So after literally an hour making this chain, it was long enough to go around Olivia's neck. My plan was to take a photo and put up here to show off. Did that happen? No. Because my dam mare ATE IT!! All that effort. Pfff.

What was cool was that the whole time I was making it Olivia stayed dead close to me, following me when I moved and generally keeping guard! Nawwww!!!

Can't wait for exams to be over (only 2 weeks) and then I'll be FREE FREE FREE (except for another 3 weeks of school...). But I'll ignore that :)

Hope you all are having fun :D x

LBE on half day turn out...

NOT a good idea! She's only been on the half day turn out a few days and she acts like shes been imprisoned for years. So, shes back on full day turn out. Her hard feed is basically now pasture mix, so if the weight continues to pile on I'll just totally cut out the hard feed - since I've got exams she won't need it anyway.

Just a quick update - I can't get down much because I've got so much studying to do. But on the weekend I had a few quick sessions. But she was so full of energy and so LBE that all I did was just calm her down, and once she was chilled and standing still we played a teeny bit and then finished and relaxed. So rather than advance, we just learnt how to deal with a super LBE. I'm still saddleless, dispite driving round the ENTIRE county on Saterday trying to find a wintec wide with a 17" seat. I even had the pleasure of an old woman telling me there was no way I could fit into a 16.5" seat, before she interogated me on what breed horse I have, and that I would do fine with a normal wintec. My emotional fitness was definately testing me, that was the 3rd tack shop we'd been to that day, I was tierd and I wanted to see my pony. I just wanted to tell her to SHUT UP PLEASE!! I didn't, I smiled and said no thanks, good bye.

A friend at the yard is getting a saddler to come and take a look at her horse, so I figured he may as well look at Olivia, and hopefully fit her with the correct gullet and everything with the wide. I also won the bid on another black country bridle yesterday on ebay. The bit is 5", and the old one was 4.5" but hopefully we'll be ok. If not, at least its just a bit and not the whole bridle.

And now, for the best news! I was speaking to my mum today, and she told me she had to book the tickets for Poland (we go every year) next weekend. And I reminded her that we ought to buy the celebration tickets as well. And then, totally unprompted, she says 'oh, and I decided today that I will pay for that masterclass course you want to do'. Uh....WHAT??? Literally, i was quite shocked. I've worked out that if they run the 3rd week free thing they did last year, and if I discount Olivia's livery that £2500. But, being a good person and all I said thanks mum, but I won't feel like I deserve it. So I'll still work for the money, but it's nice to know that she'll chip in if I don't make enough in time. I love my mum!!

Anyway, one exam done today and four more to go. I guess that means I should get back to my work!

Jo x

:)

Had a couple of good sessions with Olivia! Shes just moved fields into a haven, full of long lush grass and boy does it show! So shes being a bit of a LBIII, lets go slooowww girl ! So we have been.

As well as working on the patterns, we are working through the first stage of the level 3 booklet. So speeding up the back up and sideways. I didn't focus so much on sideways today, but we definately had a speedier back up. Lots of licking and chewing!

The lack of saddle also gave me incentive to work on my bareback riding, and she offered the lovliest trot around a weave, so we left it at that and I rode her into the field, took off her halter and just played friendly game on her back while she ate. When I was poo picking the field, Olivia would not leave me alone! It was soo cool!! Usually she'll come over once (at the very most twice), but today she just kept checking out what I was doing! It sucks that I have exams at such a nice time of year, and shes in such a good mood as well!!

I CAN NOT WAIT for the July course with Lyla & Rachel!! Brriiiinng on july! x

DAM THIEVES!

Just got a call, and our tack room at the yard has been broken into :( :(

They took my wintec saddle and parelli bridle (with mecate reins, bit etc.) along with just about everyone elses stuff :(

THANK GOD they left behind my newly bought theraflex pad - clearly didn't know what that was worth!! BUT ARGGHHHHHHHH

WHYYY OH WHY must there be people like this in the world ?!! Its soo upsetting, especially because the parelli bridles are so hard to get hold of now. I'm so glad I keep all my parelli stuff in a different place, if that had gone as well that would quite possibly be £1000s down the drain...

BUT, when I got the call I was afraid that something had happened to Olivia (god forbid), and so this seems like a relatively small loss, compared to what was going through my mind...phhewwwww!!!

Rant over, Happy bank holiday weekend :) x