Recent Rides

I'm trying to be a good blogger, I swear. I've just been really, really boring. I spent my F/Sa/Sn photographing a horse trial, and came home exhausted, but motivated to ride, so I am actually getting my rides in this week.

Monday was a dressage school, and it was relatively awful as I was expecting. While I finally found my wellep key for my saddle back. it appears I had it cranked in too far because my horse ended up a little sore backed. I mean, either it was the saddle... or it was the red princess doing her best llama impression while arguing about simple things like consistent contact. She looked super cute in her new bridle, which of course made me very happy. We dressaged in her slow twist and while my half halts were *magically* reinstalled, she wasn't consistent and the ride wasn't life changing.

But this bridle is gorgeous, and so is the B, so I am happy

I rode Fox on Monday, too, in addition to starting her on the Smart Pituitary Senior pellets from Smartpak. She's looking a ton better weight wise, so I'm starting to put her top line back together. The Ikea saddle, of course, was cranked in too far for B, but fit Foxie beautifully with my thinline trifecta pad, and put in some lovely work. I don't know if it was just a change in the weather (much lower humidity than normal) or if she's finally rounding the turn to be getting truly better, but she seemed much less out of breath this ride. Last ride, as a reminder, she was puffing pretty visibly, probably even 20 minutes after our ride. This ride was much better, and she was fantastic. I have forgotten how much I love riding her. She's consistent, she's putting the perfect amount of weight into the bridle but still carrying herself, and she's collected and balanced and straight. And she does this with basically no topline muscle.

Bailey can't do that, and she's in regular work. Bleh.

Yesterday, despite being generally annoyed that my fancy horse who should be able to do very capable dressage can't dressage as well as my broken horse with 1 leg longer than the other three and is coming off of a period of huge weight and muscle loss I decided to jump my horse. Because reasons. The schoolies are out on the SJ field, so Bailey and I went out to play with the XC fences. We played in the water, we jumped some little stuff. She was fantastic going cold over the ditch, and while a little looky, went over all of the solid things on the far side of the XC course (an open hay feeder coop, barrels, a couple of medium sized logs and a roll top). She was super looky (there was a young person on a mini motorcycle thing) but I decided, what the hell, I'm wearing armor, and pointed her at the log to coop line (with a scoopy ditch in the middle) that we struggled with during the clinic with Dom. No problem. A complete "yes, ma'am" and we went dancing off down the track to the other side of the xc. I pointed her at the BN table. No problem, into the water, no problem.

We did pick up a couple of stops at the logs in the water (and I don't think there's stuff in the water til Training? anyways...) but she jumped it just fine, and jumped the log-on-the-rise question just like we did with Dom. I think she even jumped the watery logs backwards (towards the track, not away) just fine, as well. It's awkward but she gets it done. Since stops were relatively easy to work through now that I was riding and forward and remembering I had legs with spurs and a crop, we went to tackle the scary skinny trees to the big red house question we seriously struggled with during the clinic. I bit my tongue over that fence, after numerous stops and awkward jumps. Of course, I asked her the dual question first and got a stop... and then realized that the full question puts the stupid house on a weird angle and that coming at it from further towards the barn gave us a cleaner line. She jumped less awkwardly over the house each time, going both directions. I took her through the water (on another section of the course we did with Dom) and pointed her at the corner, willy nilly style. She jumped it (a bit awkwardly - I was riding for a dodge that never happened) and then better the second time.

I realized part of the way through my ride that my breeches just were not cutting it, grip wise. I was wearing my Kerrits Microcord breeches, and honestly... I need more grip. Or some saddle tight.

Question to the internet: What breeches grip similarly to Kerrits Flex Tights or Sit Tights? I felt a pair of FITS that had a leather-like seat (I think) that were glorious... but is there anything in a more reasonable budget - preferably with fabric that doesn't make me look like Jabba the Hut?

Somewhere on our XC adventures we lost one of my stupid velcro back blocks for my saddle. They've been popping off like crazy and I'm not sure why. Clearly I need a new saddle (I jest. Kind of). Either way, I could either walk out to mosquito-ville and look for it on foot... or I could do what I did and hop on the super fox in a bareback pad and go look for the fucker. I looked and looked, and Foxie was a freaking STAR. I nearly lost my wedding ring (came off my necklace, fell down my shirt and out the bottom of my sports bra and she woahed and stood while I figured out what the fuck had just happened. Either way, just as I was giving up and trying to figure out how to get the word out to the barn to be on the lookout... there it was. On the rocks by the water. BOOM. Best horse.

The best part of the drama? I still left exactly when I planned to. And got my errands done just as I intended. #WINNING.