Boggle- USA bound!

[tristars]

I Always use saddles that are a little wide and pad

But the horses opinion is the most important, if the horse uses itself well and is free and forwards plus happy face , can step under around arena corners....

Check for bridging, ie do the under panels contact the spine all the way front to back, a saddle needs to work with the horses confo not oppose it

You need some full side on with no numnah, ungirthed and girthed


Looks .like it's dropped on fairly well

It's a hard question when you can't ride on it

You need the horse to relax with it's neck lower than in the pics

 

[IrishMilo]

I'm of the opinion that it's better to have a saddle 1" too long that allows you to sit in the middle, than a shorter saddle where all of your weight is on the cantle. If something isn't perfect I'll pad it out/do something to make it work.

Atlas looks to be built very similar to Rocky who has the world's shortest back/loins, he's basically built like a jacket potato (he's 14.2). A 17" was too long for him and also too big for me, so I have a 16.5 now. A 16" would have been good for him but too small for me I think (I'm 5'2).

 

[splashgirl45]

I'm of the opinion that it's better to have a saddle 1" too long that allows you to sit in the middle, than a shorter saddle where all of your weight is on the cantle. If something isn't perfect I'll pad it out/do something to make it work.

Atlas looks to be built very similar to Rocky who has the world's shortest back/loins, he's basically built like a jacket potato (he's 14.2). A 17" was too long for him and also too big for me, so I have a 16.5 now. A 16" would have been good for him but too small for me I think (I'm 5'2).


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Looks like a nice type of horse Interesting clip

 

[Michen]

Thank you everyone for the saddle advice! Sorry for the lack of reply I haven’t been thinking about saddles as I’ve been in San Diego for a bit and also had some friends visiting in Tucson.

I bought Pepper out here with me as I drove (only 6hrs ish) and she’s been at the beach for the first time in over 2 years since she left the UK. VERY happy dog!

Back to Arizona today, to views very different from these.

 

[Michen]

Also the weather in Colorado this week- eek! Those temps are usually a once or twice a winter thing but still, feeling extremely happy to not be out caring for horses in them especially with constantly worsening raynauds! 37 degree fluctuation in a few days. Crazy, no wonder colic is such an issue.

 

[Michen]

I kinda accidentally got on him I didn’t really mean to but the moment felt right and he seemed to think it was great that I was up there!

His ridden career will not be properly starting yet though!

 

[SEL]

Best way to do it!

 

[meleeka]

I kinda accidentally got on him I didn’t really mean to but the moment felt right and he seemed to think it was great that I was up there!

His ridden career will not be properly starting yet though!


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Yay! How did he look from up there?

 

[Tarragon]

It is one thing to accidently get on him - but to then be able to take out your phone while up there and take a photo is really impressive!

 

[sheep]

Saw your vids on insta this morning - fabulous!!!
I love his little inquisitive face - such a happy little dude. Well done

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Doesn't his mane lay over beautifully and such lovely ears.

 

[Michen]

He basically goaded me into it haha, I was jumping around on the mounting block and leaning over him and generally messing around and he just really didn’t care so I thought meh whatever.

Clearly felt very comfortable (or stupid) to be able to get my phone out but hey you wanna remember these things and I was by myself.

I had more in front of me than I thought I would, it was nice up there!

 

[meleeka]

I had more in front of me than I thought I would, it was nice up there!

I had a feeling that would be the case

 

[Michen]

Yeah! He's such an earnest little thing, obviously he's level headed which helps but even doing some in hand lateral work and asking him to do weird things he just really tries and wants to do the right thing constantly and he thinks.

His evasion tactic if I'm in front of him asking him to do things like step up and back off a bridge for example, if he's a bit bored or tired or whatnot is to stick his muzzle right up next to my cheek because he knows I can't resist stopping and kissing it

I'm sure that's not the correct way to train a baby horse but whatever, he's cute.

 

[Michen]

He’s so damn cute. I’ve been pretty torn up about Boggle this week and Atlas really helps. His easy going nature and happy little disposition makes everything better. Not as a replacement or even close but he’s his own person and easy is what I need right now.

Bog knew what he was doing when he approved him.

 

[Peglo]

Sorry your having a tough week. It’s lovely to hear that Atlas is helping you smile though. He is such a cool dude isn’t he. It seems like he is deciding what you’ll be getting up to

 

[splashgirl45]

Am I seeing you riding Atlas or am I wrong?

 

[Red-1]

I have always thought Atlas is great, something about his eye.

I think Bog found him for you.

 

[Michen]

Am I seeing you riding Atlas or am I wrong?

Yes that’s Atlas! I’ve just hopped on him bareback a couple of times now and ridden him back to the pasture. I’m not going to properly start him under saddle yet though, although he has leveled out again quite nicely. I still have lots of in hand stuff to get through for postural strength etc.

Here he is out on the long reins yesterday for the first time. Am finding his growing belly a little alarming!

 

[Equi]

He really is perfect isn’t he. Good boy atlas! I bet it felt amazing to be up there and so much to look forward to still.

 

[Michen]

Yeah he’s a good boy. I need to figure out how to get him to respect voice aids more though. He absolutely knows them but on the long reins he thought nothing of ignoring them to go stick his nose in something he felt he needed to see or explore rather than concentrating on forwards. And I don’t want to be hauling on his mouth.

I suspect I’ll need to carry a whip for a bit to back up my voice aids, though I have a feeling the minute I’m not carrying a whip he will revert back.

There is a very big dose of cheeky in there with all the willingness!

 

[splashgirl45]

He is such a nice boy to let you do so much , the view between his ears looks great. I’m looking forward to your adventures once he is ready for them. He seems like nothing phases him so far so all looking good for your future together

 

[Michen]

He really is. I’ve tried really hard to search for a worried eye to see if there’s a gap somewhere but I’ve yet to get one. Interesting as previous owner said he was nervy of stuff behind him and needed some work with long lines etc but he couldn’t have cared less whatever I did.

Anyway I will have to make do with the occasional bareback ride to the pasture for now, hoping to properly get him going in April so that he can have a summer hacking.

Couldn’t leave pepper out so here she is having a ball on a 3 hour hike this am!

Now I’m off to ride Beau and have a jumping and dressage lesson next week. I haven’t jumped since April last year as I really lost my enthusiasm for it, I think I was just too stressed to do anything that caused more stress which jumping inevitably does.

Enjoying the good times as they come because as we all know they never last that long

 

[splashgirl45]

I can’t get over how much space there is in America compared to our tiny island, I watch a lot of the crime channels and it seems like even poorer people have huge gardens compared to our postage stamps… looking forward to April when you can get him out properly

 

[Michen]

I can’t get over how much space there is in America compared to our tiny island, I watch a lot of the crime channels and it seems like even poorer people have huge gardens compared to our postage stamps… looking forward to April when you can get him out properly

Yeah I didn’t really know the meaning of a “big sky” before either!

This place makes my soul very, very happy.

 

[teapot]

My parents still talk about the ‘big sky’ vibes and they lived in the US in the 80s.

 

[Michen]

Just ouch. I didn’t know it was possible to miss something or someone like this so much, it aches. I had a jump lesson today on Beau, my first in nearly a year. Afterwards I was buzzed and shortly after that I was sobbing all the way to Atlas and then all the way home.

How will anything ever come close to this feeling that Bog gave me, how he took care of me, how he never even bothered being a green baby xc he just loved it and went from the get go.

It feels pointless to even try

 

[Caol Ila]

Just ouch. I didn’t know it was possible to miss something or someone like this so much, it aches. I had a jump lesson today on Beau, my first in nearly a year. Afterwards I was buzzed and shortly after that I was sobbing all the way to Atlas and then all the way home.

How will anything ever come close to this feeling that Bog gave me, how he took care of me, how he never even bothered being a green baby xc he just loved it and went from the get go.

It feels pointless to even try

Never pointless. Just foraging a new relationship. I think every horse will give you a different feeling. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and you will love their strengths and deal with their weaknesses. Who knows if Atlas will be an XC machine, but one way or another, he will develop qualities which you might come to love just as much.

My two are so, so different from Gypsum. You probably saw my FB post the other day, where I was kind of whinging that I have to manage Hermosa and Fin when lorries pass, whereas Gypsum would sauter bravely past any vehicle (up to and including a gritter actively gritting... he did not turn off his thing when he passed us, so we got gritted. She just stood there). But meet a herd of a cows, and it was like you'd run into an army of Daleks. Your life was basically f*098ckin over, whereas Hermosa and Fin stroll casually past cows. That's a couple wee things, but they are all so different in every way imaginable, but I guess like people with human children (haha...not us!) you love them for who they are. With Gypsum, we were this inseparable pair, like Gypsum/Emily was one entity. I wondered if I could ever have that again, but I know I can. It's not the same, of course...the relationship feels different, but it's still just as close. Fin likes my husband more than me, but Hermosa and I have a relationship so very different from the one Gypsum and I had, but just as tight, if not tighter, because I backed her and helped her with her foal, and as I write this, no one else has ever ridden her.

 

[AandK]

Never pointless. Just foraging a new relationship. I think every horse will give you a different feeling. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and you will love their strengths and deal with their weaknesses.

This 100%.. It’s still so raw and how you are feeling is very understandable.

It’s been almost 18 months since I said goodbye to my old boy Andy, and 6yrs since I last sat on him. My current horse I got just after Andy retired, and the first few years were tough with operations, time off etc. Charlie is so different in so many ways (both good and bad!) and takes a lot of management, but I adore him and we’ve had lots of fun in the last year. However, I still catch myself pining for the ‘old days’ with Andy, and everything that he was, we were together for 21yrs.. I’m not sure that feeling will ever go away. Be kind to yourself.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I lost my heart horse 4 years ago now and I’m still not remotely over it. For the most part I just keep plodding along but some days, even now it still stings and I long for one more day with him. I miss him more than words can convey.

For me it’s amplified by having had babies since (well technically one, and one due in a few weeks) so I’m not the rider I was with him and I mourn the days when I had a core and confidence. I ended up buying his doppelgänger in XL form 6 months after having my daughter, and whilst he’ll never replace what I had with M I do get glimmers of what may come but it’s taken me years to get to a point where I could risk my heart on another (outside of my non-ridden boys). It’s such early days, try to go easy on yourself xx