Pippity
Well-Known Member
Blue's been out of work for six months or so, due to one niggling lameness issue after another (either hers or mine!) and then lockdown happening. I'm not at all happy with her saddle fit at the moment, so last week I strapped on my big girl pants and my squishy sheepskin bareback pad and hopped on board.
I was shaking with fear at various points, because the last time I rode her beyond a few minutes in the school, she bucked me off and I was expecting her to throw in some airs above the ground that I had no chance of sitting without stirrups! However, she was good as gold, despite being grumpy that she hasn't actually retired.
I've now had two lessons in my bareback pad, and we're really making progress. I'm back to being able to halt her with just my seat, and we actually had a few minutes of her working nicely on the bit tonight!
She'd been a monkey to dismount the last few times I rode her despite her saddle fitter assuring me her saddle was fine. However, her behaviour with the bareback pad has made it very clear that, no, her saddle wasn't fine. The first few times I leaned forward, without even making any other move to dismount, she tensed and readied herself to jump to the side. But she soon picked up that it doesn't hurt any more, and tonight she was back to her old self and standing rock-steady for both mounting and dismounting.
She's getting shoes back on next week, and then I'm going to pop some stirrups on her bareback pad (I know, I know, but I'm a coward) and start doing some little ten-minute walk hacks.
I was genuinely starting to think I'd never have the courage to get back on board, despite the fact she's a bloody walking armchair, so I'm thrilled with both of us! And in future, I'll listen to her when she's telling me her saddle doesn't fit, no matter what the saddle fitter says.
I was shaking with fear at various points, because the last time I rode her beyond a few minutes in the school, she bucked me off and I was expecting her to throw in some airs above the ground that I had no chance of sitting without stirrups! However, she was good as gold, despite being grumpy that she hasn't actually retired.
I've now had two lessons in my bareback pad, and we're really making progress. I'm back to being able to halt her with just my seat, and we actually had a few minutes of her working nicely on the bit tonight!
She'd been a monkey to dismount the last few times I rode her despite her saddle fitter assuring me her saddle was fine. However, her behaviour with the bareback pad has made it very clear that, no, her saddle wasn't fine. The first few times I leaned forward, without even making any other move to dismount, she tensed and readied herself to jump to the side. But she soon picked up that it doesn't hurt any more, and tonight she was back to her old self and standing rock-steady for both mounting and dismounting.
She's getting shoes back on next week, and then I'm going to pop some stirrups on her bareback pad (I know, I know, but I'm a coward) and start doing some little ten-minute walk hacks.
I was genuinely starting to think I'd never have the courage to get back on board, despite the fact she's a bloody walking armchair, so I'm thrilled with both of us! And in future, I'll listen to her when she's telling me her saddle doesn't fit, no matter what the saddle fitter says.
