Winter?

So it’s been a really nice unseasonably warm weekend for November in Michigan. I ended up working too late Wednesday night so I didn’t get to take a lesson and there was a clinic at the barn this weekend, so it was a lesson free week. I got my butet back from Beval on thursday and rode in it on friday. It now fits Stampede well, although I wish the seat was a bit smaller for me. I rode in a 17″ while mine was gone, and now the 18″ feels even worse. For some reason I have a hard time keeping my hips from moving left and right in the 18″. Anyways, I will continue to dream of the perfect saddle and use what I have til I win the lottery or something. At least I now have two horses with two fitting saddles. Here are some pictures I took when I tried the saddle on Stampy Thursday night. I also included a shot of the panel itself. I was really annoyed because the saddle came back with stained panels, see the third picture below. They told me to oil it with neatsfoot, which I just did a second time. It did look somewhat better after the first oiling, so we’ll see. Either way I was a bit annoyed for the price.

Plenty of space for Stampede’s beastly wither

Side view of saddle with new panels

Saturday I rode Phoenix and he was very good. We are back to full work now, and he seems fine on his bare feet for the most part. Occasionally we will hit a rock walking outside and he will take an ouchy step, which seems fine for only three weeks barefoot. Today I rode Stampede outside since the clinic was going on. I was worried he was going to be obnoxious and distracted, but he was lazy more than anything else. I finally got him woken up by doing some bending at the trot. For the canter, I decided to mix things up a bit. I cantered one full time around on the correct lead, then across the diagonal so it turned into counter canter, went around the short side that way, then back across the diagonal so it was the right lead again. After that I then went across the diagonal and asked for the flying change instead. We did that both directions and he was very good so we quit with that. Took a short trail ride since Stampede started out worrying about the nearby dirt bikes going, then got scared of a huge bird flying in the woods. He kept his wits about him but when I would ask him to stop and wait for his friend Mikey he was shaking. He is such a baby for a big horse. Here are some pictures of the boys enjoying the warmer weather with some grazing outside.

Handsome Mr. P

Stampy finally looking more filled out and with a few dapples

I’m looking forward to a three day work week. A tack shop that’s about an hour from me is having a black friday sale, so I will be heading to that with my friend Christie. Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving.