HeresHoping
Well-Known Member
...and yes, I should know better! 
Heaven forbid, if anyone asked me these questions I'd freely give my opinion but now I'm all of a dither about the simplest things. Feel free to skip to the last two paragraphs for the short version.
Larry Longlegs arrived on Saturday afternoon and has settled fairly well. Had a bimble later that evening which was lovely. Sunday morning I tacked him up - which involved much bribery but obviously he's in a new place with a new human. Bit of background - he has been beaten around the head very badly and can be a bit bridle shy, backing away into a corner and trembling, flapping his lips, sticking his head up in the rafters. This has been checked by the vet, it is just that he is genuinely petrified that he's going to get beaten but once you reassure him, he submits and is fine.
Anyway, toddled off to the school. Could I find the right buttons? Could I heck. Then he told me he was really unhappy on the left rein. Ears back, back all tense and bunched. If he was any less polite he would have bucked me off, I think. I just couldn't bring him together. Was it the saddle? I have a T8 dressage saddle; I had checked the gullet width on him before using, discussed the results with the saddler and concluded a good fit - he's coming out Monday to fine tune anyway. Believe me, I am the first to tell someone their saddle doesn't fit (I upset a fair few people when I went to try horses as a result), so felt pretty confident that it was ok and I would certainly not use it if I didn't think it did fit. But, I noticed that with his mahoosive withers and shoulders, the saddle was quite far back and had settled a bit, reducing clearance of the withers. I called the saddler to get himself over here faster than arranged and to bring a narrower gullet - but he has gone on holiday for a week. So instead asked his advice and got a prolite pad as an interim measure. It was a much happier Larry on our hack that evening. Although the prolite and sheepskin-lined pad did give us quite a lift!
On Monday, I found the buttons! Hurrah. Well, temporarily. I 'manned up' a bit, and told him enough of the pratting around, shortened my reins and put my bum in the saddle and he said 'oh, you want contact, do you, well here, have a few strides.' But I quickly came to the conclusion I can't ride my horse for toffee. I look a complete amateur and he looks like a piece of spaghetti. Yesterday, buttons had completely disappeared. Gah. I have been riding all my life (well, I took a bit of a break but have been back in the saddle a while). I have competed elementary dressage. I have evented at Intermediate level before CIC and CCI were invented. I used to get 100s of rides. And now my own horse makes me look and feel completely inadequate.
Have you survived this far? Coffee and cake for those who'd like. Gin for those who are banging their foreheads in despair.
Anyway - questions. I have a stressage clinic this afternoon - which I won't do if the instructor thinks his saddle is causing him an issue so will make that clear up front. BUT...
Firstly, bitting. When I went to try him, he was in a full cheek with lozenge without keepers. Owner said he was happy. So he's in one now. Would it be silly to put the keepers on for the clinic? I cannot see any benefit to riding in this without the keepers, really, he would be better off in a more ordinary snaffle.
Secondly, the saddle, his long withers, massive scapula and set back girth groove. My girth (prestige anatomical job) is currently on the two back straps. Should I move the middle strap to the front loop so it's on front and back? My logical side is saying that the saddle will sit where it's supposed to be, but as his topline still needs building quite significantly, I'm not quite sure this is applicable.
Gah. Please help.
Heaven forbid, if anyone asked me these questions I'd freely give my opinion but now I'm all of a dither about the simplest things. Feel free to skip to the last two paragraphs for the short version.Larry Longlegs arrived on Saturday afternoon and has settled fairly well. Had a bimble later that evening which was lovely. Sunday morning I tacked him up - which involved much bribery but obviously he's in a new place with a new human. Bit of background - he has been beaten around the head very badly and can be a bit bridle shy, backing away into a corner and trembling, flapping his lips, sticking his head up in the rafters. This has been checked by the vet, it is just that he is genuinely petrified that he's going to get beaten but once you reassure him, he submits and is fine.
Anyway, toddled off to the school. Could I find the right buttons? Could I heck. Then he told me he was really unhappy on the left rein. Ears back, back all tense and bunched. If he was any less polite he would have bucked me off, I think. I just couldn't bring him together. Was it the saddle? I have a T8 dressage saddle; I had checked the gullet width on him before using, discussed the results with the saddler and concluded a good fit - he's coming out Monday to fine tune anyway. Believe me, I am the first to tell someone their saddle doesn't fit (I upset a fair few people when I went to try horses as a result), so felt pretty confident that it was ok and I would certainly not use it if I didn't think it did fit. But, I noticed that with his mahoosive withers and shoulders, the saddle was quite far back and had settled a bit, reducing clearance of the withers. I called the saddler to get himself over here faster than arranged and to bring a narrower gullet - but he has gone on holiday for a week. So instead asked his advice and got a prolite pad as an interim measure. It was a much happier Larry on our hack that evening. Although the prolite and sheepskin-lined pad did give us quite a lift!
On Monday, I found the buttons! Hurrah. Well, temporarily. I 'manned up' a bit, and told him enough of the pratting around, shortened my reins and put my bum in the saddle and he said 'oh, you want contact, do you, well here, have a few strides.' But I quickly came to the conclusion I can't ride my horse for toffee. I look a complete amateur and he looks like a piece of spaghetti. Yesterday, buttons had completely disappeared. Gah. I have been riding all my life (well, I took a bit of a break but have been back in the saddle a while). I have competed elementary dressage. I have evented at Intermediate level before CIC and CCI were invented. I used to get 100s of rides. And now my own horse makes me look and feel completely inadequate.
Have you survived this far? Coffee and cake for those who'd like. Gin for those who are banging their foreheads in despair.
Anyway - questions. I have a stressage clinic this afternoon - which I won't do if the instructor thinks his saddle is causing him an issue so will make that clear up front. BUT...
Firstly, bitting. When I went to try him, he was in a full cheek with lozenge without keepers. Owner said he was happy. So he's in one now. Would it be silly to put the keepers on for the clinic? I cannot see any benefit to riding in this without the keepers, really, he would be better off in a more ordinary snaffle.
Secondly, the saddle, his long withers, massive scapula and set back girth groove. My girth (prestige anatomical job) is currently on the two back straps. Should I move the middle strap to the front loop so it's on front and back? My logical side is saying that the saddle will sit where it's supposed to be, but as his topline still needs building quite significantly, I'm not quite sure this is applicable.
Gah. Please help.
