Junior's 11th Birthday

Look what the handsome Birthday Boy got for his special day!!!!

It even looks nice without the party hat. :)

It's a touch darker than my saddle since the saddle I was comparing it to in the store was a little older, but it still looks very nice and now that I've seen it on him I'm convinced it was a good choice. And it was on sale. Woot! Plus, they'll make me a 2nd ear piece if I decide I can't live without one. :)

And to say thank you for the pretty headstall (and probably not for posting pictures of him wearing a stupid party hat) he gave me this:

THAT, if you are unfamiliar, is the foot pattern of a darn near perfectly executed pivot on the hindquarters to the right, complete with deep center circle where is inside hind hoof did not budge and the front feet moved in a circle around it. We did a few really good ones today and one darn near good one the other direction. Progress.

Happy Birthday Junebug!

It's HERE!!!!!

Look what the saddle fairies brought me!!!! Squeeeee!!!!!

Yes, it's the light color. And I don't hate it! In fact, I like it more and more! I went back and forth and considered many factors and bits of advice. I think I made the right decision. It took just over 6 weeks to arrive so not bad!

Junior doesn't really care, but it seems to fit him really well. You can see how much shorter it is front to back than the original model. In so many ways I think it fits me better than any saddle I've ever had. I think we as women (and by we I mean ME) gravitate to bigger saddles because we feel smaller. Like when you're sitting in a committee meeting and you look over at the really large lady who's rear barely fits in the chair and then you become conscious of how much room YOU have between the chair arms and you feel slimmer. Same concept. However, the saddle should fit you. So I had been looking for 16" saddles when a 15" fits just fine and feels more useable.

The seat pocket is deeper than I thought it would be but I found it very comfortable. My lower back was very appreciative of the support as it has been forced into that English saddle for months. I did find posting a little uncomfortable which will help make me use my English saddle more, which is a good thing.

I was terrified when I first saw the "Youth" fenders they put on. I gave them my inseam measurement and I had to trust they knew what they were doing since they obviously know more about fitting their saddles than I do, but they looked more like "Toddler" fenders when I pulled the saddle out of the box. A little adjustment to the length and to the way they were hanging and we had a winner! They're not properly adjusted in the first photo but they're lower than when they came out of the box! Once I got them adjusted they looked a lot more normal and they felt nice and free moving and I felt good contact with Junior's sides. I think having the longer fenders put the wide part of the fender right where I would want to make contact with the horse, not to mention a whole bunch of extra leather wrapped up in the stirrup rigging.

I also noticed that for possibly the first time, I can hold my rein hand where it's supposed to go! With my last 2 saddles it was so difficult to get my hand in front of the horn without either leaning forward or having my arm straight out of the socket. But now it feels right.

Now it's time for a show headstall! I can't decide if I should get a simple headstall amore like the saddle, or a fancier one since the saddle is so understated.

What do you think?

I've only seen C and D in person.

A. is a two-ear with barrels which I don't trust. They always feel flimsy to me.

B. and F. are semi-custom from an Ebay seller. I think she just replaces the hardware on them. F is a two-ear. This one just seems like a lot of silver.

C is in stock at Rod's and looks very nice with the saddle. I do like it, but I wish it were a two-ear, and there's something about the shape of the cheek I'm not sure about. The ear slider is cool and it seems like good quality.

D would have to have the hardware changed out so I don't really want that one after seeing it in person.

E is by far my favorite. It's simple but unique and quite pretty.... but of course isn't in stock yet at Rod's. It's on their website so I saw it an began drooling and squealing, but called and found out it won't be in for 3-5 weeks or who knows how long. I'd have to do at least my first show with a different headstall. And what if I wait and then I don't like it when it comes in?!? I really like it and it reminds me of THIS ONE that I cannot afford from Hobby Horse's new tack line.

Here's a better shot of E and C. Don't assume they're to scale.

The saddle is at my house waiting some conditioning and fender bending. I'm doing some research on that but I'm also going to call the store and check to make sure I have the right plan. I've never had a brand new western saddle before. :)

Please don't judge my scruffy horse. He's FINALLY started the last phase of his shedding and I didn't have much time to get him out into the remaining daylight. And yes, as per usual; I'm riding Wenglish. :)

Happy Birthday to the Old Grey Mare.

My old girl, Banee, is 32 years old today. Hard to believe she's still doing so well, but I am thankful for that. I first met her when we were both 14 or 15. Each year I rue my own birthday, but I cherish hers. I'll get as old as you want, Girl, just so long as you keep getting older with me. She became my primary riding and show horse off and on in 4-H. She ran me through the barrels the first time I pointed her at them, she could do tempi changes and a piaffe. She had no tail and the roundest belly I'd ever seen, not to mention a bit of a sway back. She was a fireball. She was tough to ride but I loved the challenge. She was the first horse I fell off of, and she was my worst fall to date when she tripped at the canter and we went sliding across the arena floor in a tangle. That Piaffe I mentioned? Yeah, she did that when you wanted her to walk, doesn't exactly gain points in pleasure classes full of dead-broke QH's. But I thought she was perfect. She still is.

Happy Birthday, Banee-nay.

Momma's Special Boy

After a second day with the bit I think it's actually a no-go. I was able to see his shadow today so I could see that he was gaping more than I initially thought. I also took some video and didn't like what I saw. He tossed his head up several times. I also don't like the look of the long shanks. The bit itself is pretty, but it's not a pretty picture on his head. The cosmetics are the last of my concerns, but I do show so the overall picture needs to be considered.

So I'm back to shopping. Big thanks to Nicole and eventer79 for telling me about the Myler bit trials. I have already found a few sources so I'll be considering that service in my search.

After watching the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition at Equine Affaire on Friday, we started to get itching for obstacles. We have a ton of stuff at the barn but dragging it all out and putting it all away by yourself sucks, So today, along with a barn mate and another friend, we set up a bunch of obstacle stuff to play around with. He is soooo not afraid of things. He doesn't always understand what I'm asking for and sometimes doesn't want to do things exactly how I want him to, but he pretty much "does" everything. Not always pretty, but done. He's getting a lot better at moving one foot at a time to get closer to something or to maneuver around something like the rope gate.

Our one real goal for today (other than giving the bit a second go) was side passing over a barrel. He doesn't love side passing over objects, and large objects are the hardest, so it took a good while and many attempts to get him to do it. Then it wasn't a big deal. I cannot wait for the first Cowboy Challenge!!!

From our bath yesterday, taken by Max's Chloe: I call it "Momma's Special Boy..."