I had our saddle fitter out recently, she came for a couple of other riders but I needed her services too as it turned out. Charmer went fro being a mild mannered easy going fellow to one that told me to ##$#@!$ off, refused to trot, dropped his back, flipped his head up and swished his tail. All of which told me that there was a problem, checked everything that I could.
Turns out that while the last couple of months off were good for him mentally, it wasn't so good for him physically. He dropped some muscle tone in his back, which caused my saddle to drop down onto the muscles below his withers. That hurts.
Saddle fitter helped me to get it fixed, just need to add a little bit of cushion there for a few weeks/month, just until the muscles build back up. Thank goodness it was an easy fix. But I did talk to her about looking for another saddle, as a traditionalist, I would prefer a leather saddle. I like the Wintec Isabelle but it doesn't fit me very well and I hope that he isn't going to be spreading out in the back too much more.
Saddle fitter suggested a couple of brands, and I went looking. And boy did I find one that I liked. Black Country Eloquence is the name of it. Built for those widebacked warmbloods, which I don't have but I do have widebacked paint. My only problem is the saddle sells for $3000, which given how nice the saddle is, is not such a bad price. Now to figure out if I really like it enough to buy one. Need to find one to sit in and get my hands on so that I can see if I like it as much in person as I do in the photos.
Buggs is doing really well, we had to put him on his winter rations. Had lost a little too much weight over the last month or so, added rice bran to his senior smush. He might be 29 but he looks great, good warm fuzzy coat and bright eyes. Bossy as usual too. His left hock is so swollen though, not sure what else I can do about. Vet said that there really wasn't much to do, just to keep him comfy. The bute helps with the pain but hasn't done much to bring the swelling out of it. Was thinking about maybe getting some IcyHot, and rubbing that on it to see if it would help. Maybe will call the vet before I start slathering stuff on it. I was using DMSO but it is frozen and will stay that way until spring, it freezes at 65 degrees.
School is almost over for the semester, got 2 classes left. Finals are the week after next, got to get to studying. Or should I say studying more. Spring semester should be about the same as this one, one hard class, 1 sort of hard and then 1 not so much. With the end of this semester I have 2 left before I graduate with my BA in Anthropology. Then on to grad school for another 2 years. Oh joy, but if I want to be able to get into the field that I want then I need that upper degree. It should be fun and hard at the same time.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
5 November 2010
Going to a clinic tomorrow with friends from the barn, am so excited about it too. We are going to be spending the day listening to a dressage God, Walter Zettl. He is so wonderfully talented and quiet with the horses, it is going to be an amazing experience. Hopefully we will get some photos.
Charmer lunged really well on Wednesday, my lesson canceled on me so I put that time to good use. We have been working on the canter up transition. I want to make it more comfortble for him to pick up the canter. He did so well, the transitions were so smooth and fluid. I am very proud of my young man, I hope to get back into riding him next week. The weather is supposed to be really nice and I really need to get back in the saddle. The butterflies are still made of iron but they don't seem to be quite as fluttery. They are still there but I hope that I can manage them better and learn to ride Charmer's canter. It is so nice and uphill and the few times that I was able to get him cantering was very easy to ride.
Buggs is going to give me the guilt trip tomorrow for sure. I didn't realize it was going to be quite as cold as it is supposed to get tonight so all he has on his sheet. Mom called a little bit ago and said that it was lightly snowing at home. I am so going to get it tomorrow when I see Buggs. I will see if I can't make it better by getting him an apple or a bag of carrots. Yes, I know it is bribery but if it works then I am for it.
Charmer lunged really well on Wednesday, my lesson canceled on me so I put that time to good use. We have been working on the canter up transition. I want to make it more comfortble for him to pick up the canter. He did so well, the transitions were so smooth and fluid. I am very proud of my young man, I hope to get back into riding him next week. The weather is supposed to be really nice and I really need to get back in the saddle. The butterflies are still made of iron but they don't seem to be quite as fluttery. They are still there but I hope that I can manage them better and learn to ride Charmer's canter. It is so nice and uphill and the few times that I was able to get him cantering was very easy to ride.
Buggs is going to give me the guilt trip tomorrow for sure. I didn't realize it was going to be quite as cold as it is supposed to get tonight so all he has on his sheet. Mom called a little bit ago and said that it was lightly snowing at home. I am so going to get it tomorrow when I see Buggs. I will see if I can't make it better by getting him an apple or a bag of carrots. Yes, I know it is bribery but if it works then I am for it.
Friday, October 29, 2010
I had to sneak up on these two for these shots, it was just too perfect. They were napping in the warm sunshine, it was chilly this am but quite nice in the sun.
I have spent the day moving Cinder to her home. Hope she has settled in with her nanny, Slipper.
I have been having some serious thinking to do about what and how I want to get on my career path. What do I need to do and what sort of education and experience do I need? So I talked with a friend last night, Deb is a anthropology professor and also works for the state. I wanted her opinion about this, she suggested that I get out of the anthro department and go ahead and get into the masters program for public history. I envision myself working in a living history museum as an interpretor/demonstator. I love being a riding instructor, but it isn't going be a long term fulltime career. I hope to be able to keep teaching for as long as possible but I want to do something that will allow me to have a place of my own and to be comfortable, get all my bills paid and such.
I am going to talk to the director of the public history program week after next, to get her take on what I should be planning. I am so close to getting my anthro BA that I am not going to stop that, I am within 2 or 3 semesters from graduating. 2012 will be soon enough to get started in grad school, this way I am in the groove of school and am not trying to figure out what I am doing by trial and error.
I am very excited about being in school, learning new things, and meeting interesting people.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Buddy, my other best barn buddy. He is keeping a watch out for the horses. He is my guard where ever I go.
Charmer and his new friend Cinder. She is a 5 month old TB/QH filly that we had at the barn for weaning. We were hoping that he would play with her but e got bored with that.
Nick and I, he is checking to be sure that I really don't have any treats.
Jack, my barn buddy. He showed up November last year and never left. He truly believes that he is a teacup poodle and doesn't understand why folks cry and groan when he sits on them.
26 October 2010
Nothing much happening at the barn, things are just rolling along so nicely. Buggs is a wooly one, looks like he is a plush toy with his winter coat. It is so black and shiny, he is round and bright eyed. I had to start him back on the bute with the cool weather and I am glad that I did. He has trotted into eat a couple of times, I watch him and just get teary eyed that he feels good. I am so happy to have this horse in my life. I am thankful for everyday that we have had and all the days to come. Having him in my life has made me the person that I am, thank you Buggs.
Charmer has been good to ride, although he has gotten a little spookier lately. I think the cool weather is getting to his little boy brain. I am not complaining exactly, just a sort of awareness of it. He looks at stuff that has been there for months now, and all of a sudden it is going to eat him. Good grief, but I can't get mad or upset with him cause he is just being a horse. I just ride a little more defensively while we are out cause even though he is a big guy he can turn on a dime when the mood or the monster strikes.
We have been having some issues with the leg yield and the shoulder fore, he gets stuck and then gets mad. I don't think it is a pain issue but more of a I don't wannnnnna do this. I am going to break it down into tinier steps for him and also get Teresa to watch us this weekend or early next week to see what I am doing wrong. I don't want him to be a brat about it and get out of working, once I get the movements from him his trot improves so much. I am working him in the round pen a couple of times a week to practice cantering. His transitions have improved to the right but the left is still a little scary. He is a lefty, which is funny since most horses and riders are righties. We balance each other fairly well, good thing too. I am going to really try to canter him next week in the warm up arena. Bigger than the dressage arena and no jumps like in the big arena. I get steel butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it, but if Rebecca can canter her little Tucker than I can canter my big guy. I am going to have to just suck it up and get out there and canter. I am holding him back from moving onto first level. Once I get over my canter issues, we are going to start schooling first level and show training. The new tests make it easier, posting the trot is now an option in first level. Yipppeeee, but we will be working on the sitting trot so that by the end of the season next year I will be sitting so that we can move to second.
School is going pretty good, only a few more weeks left. Got my schedule for next semester ready, going to have to be on campus every day but a couple of those days only for an hour or so. I will still be able to be at the barn to teach and to ride. Although one of my classes next sememster is very hard, it is going to take lots of work to get through it. I am going to manage though, there isn't any other option.
Charmer has been good to ride, although he has gotten a little spookier lately. I think the cool weather is getting to his little boy brain. I am not complaining exactly, just a sort of awareness of it. He looks at stuff that has been there for months now, and all of a sudden it is going to eat him. Good grief, but I can't get mad or upset with him cause he is just being a horse. I just ride a little more defensively while we are out cause even though he is a big guy he can turn on a dime when the mood or the monster strikes.
We have been having some issues with the leg yield and the shoulder fore, he gets stuck and then gets mad. I don't think it is a pain issue but more of a I don't wannnnnna do this. I am going to break it down into tinier steps for him and also get Teresa to watch us this weekend or early next week to see what I am doing wrong. I don't want him to be a brat about it and get out of working, once I get the movements from him his trot improves so much. I am working him in the round pen a couple of times a week to practice cantering. His transitions have improved to the right but the left is still a little scary. He is a lefty, which is funny since most horses and riders are righties. We balance each other fairly well, good thing too. I am going to really try to canter him next week in the warm up arena. Bigger than the dressage arena and no jumps like in the big arena. I get steel butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it, but if Rebecca can canter her little Tucker than I can canter my big guy. I am going to have to just suck it up and get out there and canter. I am holding him back from moving onto first level. Once I get over my canter issues, we are going to start schooling first level and show training. The new tests make it easier, posting the trot is now an option in first level. Yipppeeee, but we will be working on the sitting trot so that by the end of the season next year I will be sitting so that we can move to second.
School is going pretty good, only a few more weeks left. Got my schedule for next semester ready, going to have to be on campus every day but a couple of those days only for an hour or so. I will still be able to be at the barn to teach and to ride. Although one of my classes next sememster is very hard, it is going to take lots of work to get through it. I am going to manage though, there isn't any other option.
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