Ogilvy Overload - Photo Dump

I finally played with my 3 month old Ogilvy for the first time today.

Apologies in advance for the massive photo dump accompanying this post, I got a bit snap happy in my desire to document our first foray with the Ogilvy.

I will do a proper review when I've played with it some more ;-)
Although i will say initially that I am impressed with how the OG starts out so thick and them compresses itself & moulds to your horse's shape. I know it says so on the tin - but to witness it in person is pretty cool. When i first sat it on her back I was afraid it was going to make her saddle fit way worse...and we know how sensitive Miss Kika is about her back being squished - a martyr she is not. Any whiff of a back ouchie and she will let me know about it by either rearing or threatening to.

First time sitting on it - prior to any girth tightening

As instructed i just closed the girth on the first wholes to keep the saddle in place while i got on. So that my weight in the saddle could help the pad properly mould between her back and the saddle.

I got off and straightened it under saddle after this photo was taken.

 We then walked around slowly tightening the girth as we warmed up before trotting a bit and tightening it to its usual closures.

Post spin...

Kika & I had plenty ups and downs during our spin, as per norm. We had plenty good moments, but lots of tense moments too where we had issues bending and getting choppy in our trot - although again better than yesterday...every little helps.

I need to center it better before getting on.

However at no stage did the toys get thrown out of the pram by either of us - which was great.
Maybe we are both finally maturing ;-)

Her giraffe impression due to flies bugging her
(no pun intended)

There was a moment during the spin where "old" Kika would've pitched a fit and either threatened to rear or full blown stood up.

Post workout sweaty abused pony.
A picture is worth a thousand words - that martyred face (top)

A long way from being slim-lined...
but getting better & a little less blimp-like

I don't know if she has fully matured or if the Ogilvy helped keep the pressure off her back.

Sexy Back?! Hah!
Sweaty mess more like - I shall have to ride without OG
& get comparison pix.

I shall keep playing with the pad & Kika to see how we get on with it.
Nancy got the day off to chillax in the field while I digest & mull over K's and my spin with the Ogilvy. I will say that when we started trotting I could feel a difference as the shock absorption worked between us. However as my attention more towards our work and less to cushion between my butt & her back as we got into random little discussions about choppy strides, tenseness & lack of bend - i forgot to focus on OG effect...She was far from bad - just distracted & not really concentrating on what I was asking of her, preferring to keep her gaze outside making it more difficult to soften and bend towards the inside rein - baby steps and we'll work at it, we both need to relax and roll with the punches.
Sadly we are too alike in our stubbornness and allow one to sucker the other into arguments - I am slowly getting better at letting go, changing the question to distract us both and relax again before re-trying.
One day - we might get better ;-)