Friday 20 May 2011

Good Spins and more saddle issues

This will hopefully be a quick update before i peg it out of work for the train then airport as I'm off to Ireland for the weekend for a friends wedding!
Kika is going to spend the weekend lounging in the field - much to her pleasure as she is now in season and annoying the poor gelding (one of them anyway - the other one doesn't get a look in) she shares the field with the whole time! She's so mopey and "love-me" it's sickening to watch! The poor lad'll be all confused when she's off again next week and won't let him look at her sideways!
Anyways, I did get my spin on monday evening and she was good as gold. Horses were coming in and out of the arena as we were working, which in recent months had been distracting her and giving her opportunity to mess/an excuse to try something ... but Monday she was amazing and ignored everything but me and what I was asking of her!
As she had been so good monday, and i knew a saddle fitter was coming to the yard on wedensday i thought I'd be bold and sneak another quick spin on Tuesday - just cos i had a feeling i'd be grounded after the saddle fitter had a look at my saddle as i knew in my heart of hearts that it wasn't fitting her properly - hence why i was getting it checked! Once again she was a star, working properly and paying attention. I finally feel like the months of work are yielding results and we are getting back on track! I am now no longer windy at the thought of getting up on her and in fact look forward to it again! *blush*
We even tried our hand at cantering a couple times, our first attempt at that in about 3 weeks, as the last time we cantered she staretd bouncing with her front legs like she was half rearing - but having then watched her lungeing in canter i figured she was after catching something in her back - which was confirmed by the osteo when she saw her last week. So seeing as that was sorted out i braved a bit of cantering on tuesday, she was good, calm and responsive but her "bad" side is going to need some work now again as she just isn't as comfortable on it so will endeavour to work on that side while lungeing to build her up some more!

Typically this quick update is getting long again! *blush*

Wednesday the saddle fitter came and confirmed my suspicions that the saddle was not fitting, I wouldn't be suprised if it never fit her correctly as our issues can be pinpointed to the new saddle's appearance on the scene! Started off with bucking and plunging and culminated in teh rearing, which thankfully we have stopped by building up her back muscles but now the guilt has returned at my having ill-adviseably (although by anotehr saddle fitter) bought an ill-fitting saddle!
I am actually really annoyed at that saddle fitter, as i knew the saddle was not fitting properly and when I had him check it, fully prepared to exchange the saddle with him or have him fix it forme he swore the saddle fit fine and that it was the horse that was causing the issue not the saddle! Now I am the first to admit that she is no angel, but she still had never been as bad as she was from November - February!
Anyway, needless to say I won't be going back to him again for advice or purchasing needs.
The saddle fitter from wednesday was lovely and thankfullys poke english so no translator needed on my end, I'd love to have the monies to get one fo her saddles as she works as part of the Saddle 4 Life gang, wherbey they more or less customise the saddles to you are your horse's needs and tehn do follow ups on the pair of you adjusting as necessary. They use an adjustable tree or something so that you have the saddle for life no matter what horse(s) you use it on or how they develop it can be adjusted. Unfortunately they cost more than i currently earn a month, so that'll have to be a pipe dream for the moment!
My friend L, who has been so good to me the last few months was telling that the tack shop i usually use, teh guy who owns it also fits saddles and in fact sold her hers which fits her mare like a glove (this is a fact as 3 seperate saddle fitters have since told her so, ;) ), I will drop in to him probably next weekend and see if he might be able to do me a deal and either sell my "new" saddle for me or if he might take it in part or total exchange against another one.

Right well afraid i gotta run!
Thanks for reading and sorry I have no pics in this one!
PS: Please excuse any spelling mistakes!

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