Werk Werk Werk

Both mares have been working pretty steadily since my last post. 

I've jumped once since the velcro-back-block near disaster, and honestly... I don't love my saddle as much without the back blocks. How do I keep those suckers from popping off? I'm thinking I may have them sewn into a larger, vecro-ey piece of leather, but I'm also wondering where the heck they're supposed to sit, because maybe that's the problem. Bailey jumped pretty nicely around lots of XC, and again the big questions that we struggled so hard with at Dom got easier. I just felt like a loose noodle of a rider, so I'm adding the blocks to my large list of things to think about.

The mares are enjoying their turn out time together, and I'm enjoying the fact that they seem happy and like they like eachother:

I'm still a little annoyed that they don't always seem to be getting the hay that they need, but they're both doing better than they were. Bailey is no longer getting injured, Foxie is no longer getting chased away from the food. Now, to get all barn hands (including the teenagers) on board with the 3 flakes each on both ends of the day. 6 flakes a day is mathing at the base end of their forage needs, so I need to work out if I can add something like... alf pellets? Or hang nets with additional hay that I refresh? To get their intake up a bit further. 

In other news, I'm seriously enjoying my dressage rides right now, on both mares. Bailey had some time off last week and came back on Friday with surprisingly little argument. I am still getting distracted by saddle fit problems, but got permission from my husband to finally call a freaking saddle fitter, and I'm hoping she works me into her schedule soon. Despite my legitimate concerns about the dressage saddle, Bailey's been going like a total trooper lately, and I'm really enjoying the changes from beginning of ride to end of ride. I felt some big changes in Bailey's way of going last night - we actually seemed to have a bit of collection at the canter and I felt like she was squatting and stepping wide, which was AWESOME to feel and I hope it was actually happening. 

She's been doing some super annoying interfering up front in her open front boots that is bothering me - is it because she's uncomfortable in the saddle? Or is it that she's really pretty narrow conformationally? Or are those boots just sticking out enough that they catch on each other and she doesn't actually interfere?

Who knows. 

Last night I spent some time working with my saddle fit again - I almost felt like my saddle was getting wider every time I rode in it and while I don't think the Wellep tree is stripped. I cranked it substantially in and managed to find some wither clearance back. I think the problem is that the point billet really does pull it down in front... which means I need to find a happy medium of tight girth and tree size to keep the saddle even and comfortable for the B. Cross your fingers that my saddle fitter comes soon, though, because lord knows I'm not one. 

All in all? We're doing stuff. Nothing is too exciting. But I'm hoping we can get in enough work to take some dressage lessons before the snow flies. I want to go see my trainer!