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Post by cyndi on Aug 8, 2014 15:06:32 GMT -5
This morning when I got up I decided that I would take my saddle to the barn and see about getting on her. I saddled her while she was loose in the barn, and she just stood there. Outside, she didn't move an inch while I was mounting, and didn't move until I asked her to. I was only on her for a couple of minutes, but the point is that I wasn't afraid at all. The little courtyard in front of the barn is no more than 40' by 40', so I feel safe in it. I haven't even felt safe in there in the past, but something felt different today. Her buddies were right across the fence from us, so she felt secure. J, his wife, and the neighbor who does J's hay were walking around and talking, so Fanny wasn't totally focused on me, but we'll work on that. She was still good as gold. I practiced the one-rein halt as well as the turns. I got off her and walked her around a bit in the courtyard and then got back on again, and she stood nicely once again Short, but sweet.
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Post by horsespoiler on Aug 8, 2014 20:01:36 GMT -5
Very , very good Cyndi. Although others were around they weren't "watching" you so you could relax. Fanny felt secure and knew you were relaxed so she was relaxed. It all adds up to a successful ride. You quit before either of you could get tense so things ended on a good note. Each time can increase by a minute or two. There is no need to ride 'til you drop. Besides, tomorrow your muscles might tell you you rode plenty long enough. How did your saddle do? Any slipping? DH led me around on Winnie bareback the other day. He had been riding her on the road with just a halter and lead rope but I am a weenie when it comes to bareback. Winnie is really good about just walking, especially if it's hot.
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Post by luvmymorgan on Aug 8, 2014 20:25:38 GMT -5
Good job Cyndi! Even short rides help boost your confidence and I believe in ending on a good note so it was a good ride no matter how long it lasted.
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Post by cyndi on Aug 8, 2014 20:50:53 GMT -5
Thanks ladies I felt really good. I asked Fanny to bend a few times, but the one time she was rather distracted and just kept circling rather than giving me her head. That would normally make me tense, but today I was okay with it and didn't tense up. Much. Stuff does go through your head, but I didn't freeze up or anything. I stayed calm and asked her to whoa, and then praised her when she did bend. HS, I decided to put the thin felt blanket on and the saddle did slip. I was tempted to try just the saddle, since the 'gums' are suede, so there is nothing pressing on her. I wasn't sure if the suede would pull her hair or not, so that's why I put the felt pad on. I don't like the way the neoprene pad fits under the saddle, because it's an English pad and it barely fits under the Gaucho saddle. I like riding bareback, but I fall off way too easily if Fanny decides to spook I'm glad you got to ride for a while, even on a lead line. There is no shame in that.
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Post by ghostrider on Aug 14, 2014 10:49:36 GMT -5
They carry an aerosol spray that keeps ace wraps in place for BB players etc.. I wonder if you could spray the area the blanket sits upon with it to keep it from sliding?
Buddy acted up in WY when we got there. He was hyper to say the least and not listening to me. Hard to lead etc.. Spent the night and headed out to the mountains in the a.m and when we unloaded there he was just as bad. I really didn't know what to expect on the first morning we rode, I had to circle him and back him up to get his attention which was still only 1/2 as good as it should have been.
The mare rubbed and winked at him the whole trip up, the shot they gave her didn't kick in till she got to WY. I guess even an old saged horse can have off days?
On the ride he was rearing to go and got behind the first three ladies who were riding quick paced TWH's. After a few miles he was himself again although he was energetic the whole time we were gone. Buddy is usually meandering back to the barn behind all the other horses not giving a hoot if they get there an hour before him, but this trip he kept up with the first group of horses. He did walk out last during a part of the trip but then passed all but the first three and would have passed them if allowed.
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Post by cyndi on Aug 14, 2014 12:48:57 GMT -5
Sounds like Buddy was energized by the trip! Now he can go back into relax mode at home. I did some groundwork with Fanny today, and she did so well that I thought I'd take a chance getting on her bareback in the little courtyard. She even came to me when I was standing on the mounting block and called her over!! She didn't get into place, but at least she came. Once I got her into position she didn't move. I just practiced mounting and dismounting, and bending in the half-halt. At one point I grabbed onto a fistful of mane, and I'm glad I did because suddenly something startled her and she walked off in a rush. Just that rushed motion might have been enough to cause me to lose my balance, but because I had her mane I stayed on. Once I realized that I wasn't going anywhere, I was able to draw her head over in that practiced half-halt and all was well. I got off, walked her over to the mounting block, and I mounted and dismounted a few more times. Even after I got off her, and took her halter and reins off, she walked over to the mounting block and just stood there. I haltered her up again, got on a off a few times, then took her halter and reins off again. She continued to just stand there, so I stood on the mounting block and praised her while rubbing her back. Later on, in the barn, I stood on the mounting block and called her over and she came again! Wow. Fanny didn't even want to go back into the paddock with her friends. She just wanted to hang out in the barn with me, snatching hay through the bars of the stall that J is storing some bales in. I had to drape the lead rope over her neck and lead her back out to the paddock.
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Post by ghostrider on Aug 14, 2014 23:03:43 GMT -5
Sounds like she wanted to take a ride and check out the neighborhood.
Buddy was energized by the fact that he is proud cut and the mare next to him was rubbing all over him and making him hot and bothered. Does not make for a settled and calm gelding. Funny thing was I had just told the girls before we left that I was glad his days of prancing to look good for the mares was behind us and when I unloaded him he went right into prancing and showing off. C and M said they couldn't believe it was BUDDY! He's usually so laid back when we ride at the landing.
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Post by cyndi on Aug 28, 2014 12:44:06 GMT -5
Yesterday I took my bareback pad to my saddle repair lady and had her put three extra holes in all the billet straps. It's not very often that something is too big for Fanny, but I have been unable to use her bareback pad because I couldn't tighten it enough. Nice problem to have I still had to pretty much tighten both sides as tight as I could with the new holes! I figured having three holes punched would give me an extra one, and it's barely an extra hole. I probably could've tightened it further, but I figured I'd see how this worked, first. I had absolutely no problem getting Fanny to stand next to the mounting block. Actually, when I let her into the little courtyard she was loose, and she went over to the mounting block right away. I had some other things to grab, but I was happy that she walked over to it on her own. I mounted and dismounted a few times. Miracle of miracles, she was more willing to go forward than she was with my Gaucho saddle! There is something funky with her shoulders and withers, so I am more and more convinced that I need a professional saddle fitter to come out and help me find the right saddle for both of us. John was helping me and he saw the same issues I see with saddle fit. She has lots of freedom to move her shoulders when she's wearing the bareback pad, but I think the 'gums' (panels) of the Gaucho saddle are too long and they inhibit her shoulder movement. Even saddle placement is an issue because has no distinguishable withers to put the saddle on. If you move the saddle forward to where it looks like it's sitting on some form of withers, it's sitting on her shoulders. We did some turns and I let her wander wherever she wanted to go. She was quite relaxed and wasn't balking at all. I didn't ride her long, but just being up there was good enough. It's these small training sessions that help us both. I feel no fear and she doesn't feel overworked, so she is more willing to do it again in the future.
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Post by horsespoiler on Aug 28, 2014 19:22:04 GMT -5
What a good ride. I wish saddling was as easy as a bareback pad. By the time I'm done I'm too pooped to ride. Whitey hasn't quite grasped the concept of the mounting block, or maybe she has . She isn't real keen to stand next to it for me to mount. It is still so hot here we haven't been able to do much of anything. There is a young girl nearby that is going to be entering her first show next month and her instructor wants her to enter everything including English classes. Her mom wasn't sure there was a saddle for her to practice in so I offered to let them use mine if they need it. She said they would probably have one to use for the show. I think it is just a fun show, not a real serious one so she should have fun.
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Post by cyndi on Aug 28, 2014 21:44:35 GMT -5
Fanny never used to stand next to the mounting block until this year. I don't know what changed...or who Even if I stood on the mounting block she'd swing her butt away from me, but not anymore. The only problem with the ride today is that when I got on her I felt pain in my right hip -- on the 'inside'. It feels almost like I pulled a muscle. Hopefully it feels better tomorrow. It's not like I had to stretch far to get on, because the mounting block is three steps, so I was nice and high. I more or less put my leg straight out to get on...but maybe that's what the problem was. Oh well.
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Post by horsespoiler on Aug 29, 2014 19:02:08 GMT -5
We got up early enough this morning to go for a short ride before it got too hot. Both Winnie and Whitey were reluctant to go. They just drug along the road. We think they are too fat The ride was short but a good one. Winnie kept reaching back towards her cinch on both sides. I don't know if there was something there or if it was pinching. She was wringing her tail the whole way. At one point Winnie got ahead of us and went around a corner out of sight. Whitey started to get panicked and hurried ahead. I held her back some and talked to her until Winnie was back in sight. The next time she lost sight of Winnie she didn't panic so much. When we got home she walked past the driveway but still turned around before I asked her to so we had to go round and round until it was my idea and not hers where we turned back. My saddle weighs too much. My back hurts now after picking it up.
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Post by cyndi on Aug 29, 2014 19:26:17 GMT -5
Yay! I'm glad you got a nice ride in. How nice to have someone to ride with I know what you mean about heavy saddles. If I was to get a western saddle, I'd probably get a synthetic one, just to keep it a bit lighter.
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Post by Kirk Martin on Aug 29, 2014 20:50:54 GMT -5
Horsespoiler, Do you lift and extend the horse's two front legs forward so that the radius bone is parallel to the ground before riding? That way if something is pinching or caught, it pulls the skin from under the girth. They are much more comfortable.
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Post by ghostrider on Aug 30, 2014 17:03:23 GMT -5
I read that the number one mistake riders make is putting the (western) saddle too far forward and limiting the horses shoulder movement. You know a gaited saddle may be more to Fanny's liking, it gives the horse more movement in the shoulders. What kind of bareback pad do you have?
It's HOT here too. UGH I'm only WISHING I had the energy to get up early enough to ride before the heat hits. The humidity is bad too though.
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Post by cyndi on Aug 30, 2014 18:04:59 GMT -5
I have a Barefoot bareback pad. I posted a link to it in the coop. John and I were just talking today about trying a Friesian or gaited saddle on Fanny
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