2012 End of the Year Achievements

It is almost the end of the year and now it is time to document the goals we tried to accomplish. These are also updated goals to see how they improved as well. To see our Summer 2012 Achievements click [here]. Lets see how we did!

•Leads are not a problem (Although, nothing is perfect!).

•Ava can pony another horse.

•We roped a real cow (although, she did shy away from the flash of the rope. But we still did it!).

•Can almost fully neck rein at each gait (this was my favorite goal).

•Rollbacks are good but could still use some work.

•Desensitized to pulling items off the fence as well as putting them back on (this was a big one).

•If she has been on break it takes a much shorter time to get back to where we were (another big one!).

•We successfully rode out into the big fields, far out there as well.

•Handles other misbehaving horses much better. They don't influence her as much anymore.

•Speed of gaits have much improvement. She's learning that faster is not better, no matter how scared she may be.

Overall she mainly matured into a nicely well behaved horsey.

Third Saddle Tryout Take 2

Take two for the third saddle I'm trying out. It worked out wonderfully! I lunged her in it and then of course rode around in the arena, it felt like this was our saddle. Ava was also lowering her head and seemed quite soft even with all the weather changes still happening. Surprisingly she got a pretty good workout although it didn't seem like it at the time; but she did great. I also tried a different saddle pad and it seemed to have solved all the problems, so maybe it was just the pad. I am so glad this saddle has worked out so far, we will try it once or twice more before I make a decision. Although so far it is looking very likely that I may purchase it. Finally after all these years! I also forgot to mention that this saddle had actually been sitting at the tack shop for a really long time and for some reason I never tried it! So glad I did though. They are asking $600 for it, a pretty good price for a Billy Royal but hopefully they will accept something lower, possibly $400? That would be my goal. We'll have to see!

Third Saddle Tryout & Frosty Ponies

Alright so yesterday I picked up a western saddle to tryout. It is a Billy Royal with a 15" seat. I rode in it today and actually liked it a lot. It seemed to be fairly comfortable for Ava as well because she would lower her head and soften her neck and poll much more than usual. I know that it is a little small for her but it didn't seem to bother her at all. Ava yet again did very well on her ride. You can almost completely neck rein her. Also, her gaits are getting a lot better and she responds to my 'asks' quite well. After the ride I checked to see if the saddle left anything bad. It seemed to have left some kind of slight rub all along her left side but that may have been caused by me taking off the saddle and fluffing her hair up. I am also thinking that the saddle pad I have might not be terribly comfortable on her either; it is kind of a scratchy wool type. I'm going to try one of my BO's and see if it makes a difference. I would be so excited if this saddle worked.

The lighting gives it no justice! It is a really gorgeous saddle in the right light.

Besides saddle fitting and riding the weather frosted everything the other night and left everything with white crystals. It was beautiful, I took a picture of the pasture fence below to show y'all.

Frosted pasture fence

Sleepy snow ponies

Winter at the barn

After the Holidays!

The holidays are over and it is almost time to start our new year! Christmas was nice but of course a little stressful. A few weeks before Christmas my grandfather had a stroke. He lives a ways away from us in the winter time but when we got the news my mother and aunt drove down there to make sure he was doing okay. They ended up staying around a week until they came home. They also brought them back to their other home here so we can keep a close eye on them. He seems to be doing better. We had to rush to get things ready for Christmas but we managed and ended up having a nice holiday. Below are the gifts that I got (not including my homemade gifts)

Oster Grooming Kit!!!

Fuzzy slippers and adorable kitty face pajamas.

A CamelBak backpack!!! I have wanted one of these for a long time!

Exercise ball (which I am sitting on right now)

Stocking stuff!

Some amazing clothing, I love the scarf!

In other news I am back to riding! I rode last weekend and then finally got out there today. It was literally the best feeling to be back doing what I love. Ava had lots of energy in the beginning and even tried some new ways to be a little stinker but she is becoming a lot easier to handle in situations like that. When I started riding I warmed her up while talking to Cappy, he seemed to have a nice Christmas as well. Then we kind of parted ways and ended up giving Ava a really good workout; even though it didn't feel like it to me. She was huffing and puffing at the end. 

I also went by the tack shop and found a saddle I wanted to try out. It is a Billy Royal saddle and looks amazing. I would be ecstatic if it worked out. The other little western saddle I have been using is actually rubbing on Ava's back so I am trying to find something that doesn't do that.

Freedom and the Holidays!

Wednesday was my Spanish 101 final. It made my brain hurt. After class I was in a stupor for a while until I snapped back to reality. Then finally when I came around I felt freedom all around me! What an amazing feeling to not have to worry about studying, it is so nice. A few days later I found out what all my grades were and I was very pleased with them. I got an A in Pilates, an A in English, and a high B in Spanish, pretty happy! I also picked out the other classes I want to take for next semester. Two are going to be online and the other I will go into class for. Anyways now that I am school free for a little over a month there will be much more barn time.

I went to the barn today and worked my girl. I didn't work Poco because I needed to get back home and work on holiday stuff. After the holidays I will be full on horse girl again! Ava lunged beautifully and showed little signs of having lots of energy. After I lunged her for a while I did some groundwork, she is getting really good if I may add. Then after that I saddled her up in the little english saddle I had. I didn't ride I just wanted to lunge her in it so she can start getting used to it again. She did great, a little nervous but she handled her self really well. Especially with all the snow, ice, and wind that keeps getting worse!

All the boarders at the barn were so gracious about the little gifts I gave them. They also gave me some gifts as well, one of them being this awesome Indian painted horse tile ornament. I now officially have three ornaments for my own little Christmas tree!

I was also given a very sweet thank you card and my BO gave me a $25 dollar gift card to D&B Supply! Twenty-five dollars! I thought that was really nice of him. Overall it has been a decent day. I hope every one of you is enjoying your holiday season, Christmas is almost here!

And Then There Were Two

Quick but exciting update!

So yesterday my aunt asked me something. She asked if I wanted have Poco! Although before I could respond she was interrupted by a phone call. We picked the conversation back up when we were on our way down to the barn and I said that I would take her. My aunt was really happy. She has been having a difficult time figuring out what to do with her. All the trainers have said that she is basically "dangerous and untrainable" which I feel like is a load of crap. In one way or another I believe almost any horse can be trained. I think the main problem is that the trainers don't want to adjust their "method" to certain horses. So when it wouldn't work for Poco they labeled her as "dangerous and untrainable." I have known Poco for as long as I've known Ava (almost half a decade!) and not once have I seen her display ANY signs of aggression, none! She is almost like a big puppy dog, sweetest horse I've ever met. It highly agitates me when people give up so easily even when it is their job...

Anyways! Sorry for that little rant didn't see that coming! I'm going to try different things with her it is what she needs; a customized method just for her and that is what I'm going to do. She can be stubborn at times but what horse isn't? Another great thing is that the financial situation isn't going to change which is wonderful because I am already broke as it is. I was mainly wanting another horse to work with too, so this is perfect timing. Ava, Poco, and I are going to be having an interesting journey but I can't wait to see what it holds for us.

Weekend Workout

On Saturday and Sunday I finally got myself out to the barn for a little bit. I worked Ava in the round pen and even did some other groundwork. Her first day back she was a little speedy but she wasn't bucking, rearing, or even pulling! I think she is just getting bored in her pasture and wanted something to do, don't blame her! Her second day was even better, she did so good that I felt confident enough that she could have been ridden, although I didn't. I'm going to wait to ride until school is over with, it will be a nice treat to look forward to.

Anyways, I've made a plan to slow down our work days to only four days a week for the winter; and possibly down to three depending on how the weather turns out. So, yep! I'll post some more soon and definitely after school gets out!

Almost to the End!

I don't really have an excuse for not posting. Technically I hadn't gone to the barn in a while or if I did I would only say hi and run around in the pasture with her; which is not super exciting to post about. Although once I realized how long it has been since I last posted I decided no matter how boring it would be I wanted to let you all know that we are not dead, exhausted but still alive.

School is so close to break I can almost smell my final grades! Two of my classes end next week and the last one ends the week after that; I am so ready for this break, I need some "no school" time.

I saw my sassy girl yesterday. It was raining and snowing on and off but we still made it down there; we only had enough time to say hi though. Ava was still alive! It was so nice to see her, her coat was coming in nicely and her weight looked good too, especially for the little work she has been doing. For our short time there I pet on her and then ran around and played in the pasture with her. I bet I looked like an idiot but Ava seemed amused, it was really cute. I really missed her, hopefully I can get out there again this week.

Hope everyone has been well!

I missed my sassy cakes!

Pretty pasture with snow :)

Between the Misty Mountains

Went to the barn today and actually worked Ava and even rode! When I got there I saw that some clouds were covering the mountains, it was gorgeous!!

So pretty!

This one is my favorite, the color is great!

I grabbed Ava and walked her inside. She was dirty but luckily I don't think she rolled, my job would have gotten about a thousand times worse if she did. I took her inside and brushed her off. While doing this I noticed that Ava had some swelling on her hind left leg (from her ankle to her the top of her cannon). She gets it a lot in that leg but doesn't seem to cause her any pain; she may have slipped on the mud and tweaked her leg a bit. Exercising seemed to help but at the end I put some Sore-No-More on it just in case. After I groomed her I free lunged her in the round pen until her freshness wore off. I didn't even plan to ride until I was done lunging, I thought I would give it a shot. Got her all tacked up (while she stood like a champ) and then went back into the round pen for round 2. Ava remembered everything, she only needed some minor refreshing on a couple things but otherwise she was great. I'm really happy to know we've made progress throughout this year. If this was a year earlier I would be starting from the beginning again. So she has come a long way! I have been longing for a day like this, I never thought we would get this far.

We didn't ride too long, I thought it was enough for the first day back. I finished with a nice grooming and then gave her a little bundle of grass as a treat.

Pretty girl in front of the misty mountains, I love this photo!

I also made ornaments for all of the boarders down at The Ranch. They are mini hats, I'll have to show you guys a picture of them, they are adorable and super easy to make! Maybe I'll post a tutorial for everyone to try. Anyways, today was a good day and we still don't have any snow, yay!

Ornaments for The Ranch boarders.

My 100th Post!!

I can't believe it but I've reached my 100th post marker! It's seems almost yesterday when I started this blog; not thinking anything about how far I would be now. I'm the kind of person that cannot commit to things very well (not a good trait!). You all have literally kept me going with this blog, I'm still surprised that fourteen people want to hear about my crazy little life; but it makes me happy and always keeps me going. So thank you everyone!

I finally visited Ava today. Although, when I got there it was almost dark and the indoor arena was even darker inside. We couldn't find the big lights so we had only a few small ones to keep it bright enough, it didn't help much but better than nothing. I brought in Ava and let her loose into the indoor with Poco, she didn't do much (surprisingly), just walked around with some trotting here and there. Then I went in and ran them around for a bit so they could stretch her legs for a bit. She did great, nothing too crazy. After that I took her outside and brushed her off a bit. She got nervous when Poco went out of sight which I don't like, this means I'll have to work her more by herself.. Otherwise she'll get too attached. Anyways, I finished brushing her and walked her around the barn, her head finally lowered and then I took her back to her dinner. It ended up being really nice out there. I'll be going back tomorrow but this time earlier so we can start getting back to some real work; it's about time!

I'm super excited for Christmas/Solstice. We actually don't celebrate Christmas though, we celebrate Solstice and make all of our gifts from home, so I've got a lot of work to do. On top of that we are also doing an ornament exchange with the family but I'm also going to make some for the boarders down at The Ranch too, it's going to be fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving my lovely turkeys! I hope you all have a great meal and enjoy all of your family, friends, and pets. I'm excited for tonight, we'll be going to my aunt's house for a huge feast and stuff our stomachs.

I saw over on Adventures with Shyloh that she was doing a survey that she got from Cob Jockey, so I thought I would do it as well.

Splurge or save: 

1) saddle: I would save (no matter how tempting), I want a good saddle
2) board: I try to look for the best deal
3) halter: save, sometimes depends
4) bit:  splurge!
5) bridle: already have the best bridle ever!
6) saddle pad: save!

7) trailer: no truck and trailer...

First thing that comes to mind: 
1) Haflinger: Shyloh from Adventures with Shyloh!
2) Quarter Horse: Mindy and Diez, Clinton Anderson's horse's
3) Thoroughbred: Seabiscuit
4) Warmblood: my trainer's horse
5) Welsh Cob: nothing 0.0

This or That:
1) english or western: western
2) tall or short: I like me some tall horses :)
3) trail ride or beach ride: Trail ride, never been on a beach ride
4) long mane or short mane: depends
5) hunters or jumpers: Hunters
6) XC or barrel racing: XC
7) outdoor arena or indoor arena: depends on the weather, I can be a wimp :P
8) trot or canter: canter!
9) canter or gallop: canter, galloping can be scary.
10) paddock boots, tall boots, or cowboy boots: cowboy boots
11) horse shoes or barefoot: barefoot, for the win!
12) saddle or bareback: If I had a well behaved horse I would always ride bareback.

About you: 
1) How long have you been riding? I would say about five years of true riding.
2) Do you own or lease a horse? Own
3) Breed? Age? Height? Name? (if you don’t own or lease, you could talk about your lesson horse) Paint, 6, 15.3hh, WW Miss Smoke Sarah, Ava

4) Do you have any other pets? Yes, personally I have three ferrets (Wolfie, Stella, Nala)
5) If your horse was a person, what kind of voice would they have (you can use a celebrity for an example) Most of the time Ava would be some kind of snarky and sassy teenage girl.

6) Does your horse have a “color”? If so, what is it, and what do you have in that color? Purple!!

7) Does your horse do any tricks? She prances and rears up like a circus pony...

8) Have you ever dressed your horse up for Halloween?  No

Favorites: 
1) Breed? Paints, Arabians, Quarter Horses
2) Discipline? Don't really have one, trail riding?

3) Coat color? Gray and dappled horses
4) Famous horse? Hmm, Seabiscuit, Zippo Pine Bar, Secretariat
5) Horse race/competition? Kentucky Derby!
6) Brand of tack? Circle Y
7) Thing to do with your horse?  Trail riding and treating her like a dog a times.

Gobble Gobble!!

Attacks from Something Called Panic

Wow, I'm not getting very lucky on weather here. For the past few weeks it has been raining, sleet, and even windy at some times. I haven't gone down to the barn since Sunday; and I hope the weather will clear up soon. Although, even if I go down there I am not too keen on riding. I am almost too afraid to ride now. I can't risk myself getting hurt again or if I fall again and make my head worse just as it is getting better. I don't want Ava's progress to suffer just because of me, she doesn't deserve it; but I bet she doesn't mind either. I'm really fine without riding though, I am just as happy to lunge her a bit, hang in her pasture, go on walks, and just take care of her; but the pressure from my barn, actually from my BO makes me feel guilty for not riding her. My BO just doesn't understand those kinds of things and basically just wants you to suck it up and ride the crap out of your horse... Ugh, so much on my mind...

I feel different after falling off Ava... Not myself; or at least not 100%. I have also been starting to have panic attacks too; before I fell I can't recall the last time I had one, if any. They are really nerve racking and make me not want to sleep anymore (which sucks because I already have a lot of trouble falling asleep). So, I am starting to work on getting through them; but sometimes they sneak up on you, which is really creepy.

In other news, school is almost over for the semester! I will be so glad to be done with these classes, I liked them but I really can't wait for a long break. I also registered for the Spring semester too, I'll only be taking Film & Literature and Yoga, both go for my core classes and will be fun! I'm really starting to like creative writing and just English in general; a possible major?!? We may see!

Ava Took Care of Me

Quick post!

Yesterday was almost four days since Ava has been worked. I was fully prepared for a wild bronco high on carrots kind of attitude from her. What did I get? Nothing even close to that, not even a smidge! She acted as if she hadn't even had one day off. Ava was brilliant. So brilliant that I actually rode; I only walked a little bit but still progress! Although, after I got off I started to feel dizzy and light headed, so I should still take it slow.

I lunged her with ease, she acted as if she wanted to be worked. No spooking and barely any speediness. I feel almost as if she was trying to take care of me. Weird right? She listened and stayed calm the whole time. I was really happy with her.

Pretty girl after her work.

Oh No! Winter Depression...

It snowed last night. Luckily we only got about half an inch; but it still looks like we could get more. I didn't see Ava yesterday. For some reason I just didn't have it in me to go down there. It has been super cold here lately and I really didn't want to deal with it down at the barn. I think I'm starting to get that Winter depression thing; all I want to do is sit at home watch television, read books, write stories, and draw; in the summer I'm basically outside 24/7. It's really weird but right now those are the only things I feel like doing. Ava most likely didn't mind though, being in a huge pasture and all. I bet I'll regret it the next time I work her but whatever, it's too darn cold! I don't even think I will go down today. Ugh, I feel so lazy!

I cannot wait for Summer to come back. Winter is pointless for me; skiing is too expensive, skate skiing freaks me out (permanently injured my ankle...), and ice skating gets boring after a while. So, yeah, not much for me to do.

In other news Thanksgiving is only 8 days away!! I'm really excited, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love cooking and bringing over food for everyone to feast on, it is a great time of the year.

Below are pictures from the day I fell off.

Here is the Collegiate saddle I tried out.
It sits evenly on her back but was a little small in the gullet.

Front view

Ava ready to go

I Didn't Know...

That Equestrianism was named the most difficult sport in the Olympics! Now I have actual proof to all of those other people who think horseback riding isn't a sport... They can suck it!

Check out the article [here]

A Light in a Dark Room

Thank you everyone for your kind words. This past week has been difficult. My concussion symptoms aren't letting up quite yet. I have also noticed that my eyes can't adjust to light very well. They will dilate but then try to adjust which in turn gives me headaches. It scared me when I first saw it, it was really creepy. On top of that, Ava almost hit me in the head (which could have made things much worse), school gives me a big headache and painful eyes (even while sitting there), and I wish it was Summer again... Mainly I just want my concussion to heal, I read it could take up to 4 weeks to heal! And at this point I could actually see that happening...

I went out to the barn yesterday. I don't quite trust myself driving yet so I had my mom go with me just in case. I wasn't there long. I grabbed Ava, still agitated with her and took her to the round pen (finally no one was using it). I worked her hard. Since I won't ride for a while lunging will have to be her workout. After she was all sweaty I took her into the arena and worked on some desensitization with a plastic bag. Luckily my BO wasn't there and I could do almost anything I wanted. Ava did pretty good. She is still not very relaxed but it was better today.

I also learned that some of the mare's at the barn are in heat; and I'm thinking that Ava is as well. I always forget she can get really moody when she goes into heat. So, that could be another reason she was acting horrible the other day. Although the main reason she was being horrible is that there was a rider in the outdoor arena and she couldn't see much besides the bobbing of the riders head, so I know that weirded her out. So, overall Ava did fine, I did my best to push her without pushing myself and in return I think it helped.

There may be hope for the little white mare.

And... My Heart is Broken...

All I wanted to do was take her on a walk...

I walked into the barn and set out her grooming box. I thought I could brush her off, lunge her for a minute then go on a walk. So, I caught her and brought her inside. She was good standing for grooming even though there were quite a few people around. Then I walked her out to the arena to start the lunging process. She was speedy and was being a pill for a little bit but actually calmed down nicely.

When she was all done lunging I started walking her outside and towards the big fields (I thought it would be perfect). We were only about half way there when Ava saw someone riding in the outdoor arena. Her tail flew up and she started prancing like an Arabian next to me. I thought she would calm down so I just kept walking with her. She suddenly cut in front of me and started rearing and trotting around me. I did my best to control her but I wasn't very effective because I am still kind of out of it since the fall. She was being a total psycho and almost hit me in the head from rearing (which would not be good...). So, when I could finally get some control of her I slowly started to head back. Of course I start crying and of course a new boarder saw the entire event and kept trying to talk to me but I just got myself away from there as fast as possible. I took Ava back to her pen and walked away.

The one time I needed her to be calm and just go on a little walk she turns into a fire breathing dragon. It doesn't matter if I work her five days a week for three hours, she never gets better. She has only gotten worse and I can't risk myself more injuries... We worked so hard this year, for what? Nothing, we are now starting from square one again... I officially know now that Ava does not care for me, she never has, never will. She has broken my heart too many times. I do not love her anymore. My heart is broken.

English, Never Again...

I took the western saddle back. It worked okay but the leather ended up not being great quality and it was too long for Ava's back. So, I went back to the tack store and returned it. Then I found this nice little Collegiate saddle and decided to try it out.

It looked great on Ava and actually sat even on her back. Riding in it was pretty nice too. Although, Ava is still being a little speed demon. I don't know if she is in pain or if she is just being a butt head. She does shake her head slightly when we ride and I'm still curious if something is bothering her. My BO pretty much says she is fine but I just have the feeling that something is wrong. I may need to get the vet out to check.

Well, Ava had a hard workout because of her speediness. She was really sweaty afterwards so I decided to take her outside to cool off. We went down to the big pasture, turned around then started heading to loop around the barn. Although as we were approaching a corner Ava heard something and did a 180; but as this was happening I went the other way. I tried to stay on but couldn't manage it and fell hard on the ground smacking my head against the hard ground and scraping and bruising my the back of my left hip. I then laid there. Suddenly I heard my BO ask if I was okay, I leaned up not looking at him but my head throbbed and I laid back on the ground. He asked if I was okay again and I responded with a 'yeah'. I finally leaned all the way up, my head hurting and tears filling my eyes. When I was finally standing he asked if I was okay again and I told him 'yes' in a weepy tone then grabbed Ava and started to slowly walk away. When we were finally out of sight I sat down on some stairs and cried.

I was not mad at Ava. She stood close by me after I fell and waited till I got her. I just wish that I was paying more attention. I was already tired from our workout and this just took it over the top.

It took me a bit to gather myself before returning to the barn. I really hoped no one else had arrived; I couldn't bare the embarrassment of telling somebody why my face was red from tears. Luckily no one else was there besides my aunt and BO. Surprisingly my BO was a good sport, he seemed to be trying to cheer me up and it helped, otherwise I would have started crying again.

After everything was done my aunt had me drive behind her on our way home. My head felt swollen, I was really tired (still am), I felt weak, and I just felt out of it, almost spacey. So, we went home.

I thought I felt better after I got home but ended up still feeling spacey; and my head would throb and I felt so tired. Then after I had some lunch I thought it would help but only minutes after my heart started to beat really fast, my body got all shaky, and I started crying again. I thought I was going to be sick but luckily I could keep it down. My mom took me to the clinic and she talked to a nurse. I felt really out of it, I didn't even want to answer any of the questions she asked me. I just wanted to sleep. The nurse said it was head trauma (duh!) and after Googling it, it sounds like a pretty mild concussion (maybe?). So, I'm super excited about that.............

At the moment my neck feels sore, my scrape is kind of stinging, and luckily my head doesn't hurt too bad (I bet all the Motrin is kicking in now). So, we'll just have to see what happens in the morning. Hopefully I will still remember who I am, haha!

Last things: I will not ride english any time soon and I will always be riding in a helmet. That helmet saved me from a much worse head injury. Thank you helmet!

Second Saddle Tryout Take 3

Take 3 was much better! I was kind of in a hurry so when I brought Ava in I immediately tacked her up. I usually warm her up with no tack first. After she was ready to go I lunged her for a while. She did pretty good with lunging, got a little fast when a horse in training was misbehaving but she eventually calmed down.

When I started riding I could tell she was starting to listen again. Then towards the end of the ride she was definitely doing better. A couple things I noticed: she is nervous towards the far end of the arena (there are big doors with windows on them) and gets faster going away from them, the other thing is that her mouth may not be sore anymore, so she isn't quite used to it. It kind of makes sense. Someone told me that their horse had been injured but after she healed it took her awhile to learn there was no pain anymore. So, it could be the same with Ava.

I worked Ava for a little bit then went outside. Gorgeous day by the way. I could almost wear a short sleeve! Ava spooked and was nervous about this one area so we stayed there for a bit but then we made our way out into the huge field! The cows had been taken out and the gates were left open so what the heck! It was incredible. The pasture was so big it was hard for my eyes to adjust. I didn't really know where to go, there were so many places. We just ended up staying fairly close by. It couldn't have been better though. Ava lowered her head and was starting to relax, perfect.

After we were done I checked Ava's back for any rubs. Her hair laid flat. The saddle has also broken in a little more since the first ride and the stirrups don't squeak anymore. I'm liking it a lot more than in the beginning, a lot! I'm going to keep it until the weekend before I make a decision. We'll see what happens!

Second Saddle Tryout Take 2

Just a quick update!!

I don't know if Ava was having an off day again or that the saddle was doing something to her. She was loco crazy while being ridden! Not in a bucking way but in a running "I must go faster" kind of way. I literally had to just ride with her until she had no more energy to go on... I almost felt sick afterwards and Ava was drenched in sweat. It never felt like she was trying, only trying to get away. She was also very difficult to move into a canter, which is usually not the case. Needless to say I was really frustrated (I was already agitated with her but this made me even more...).

I think I will try the saddle a couple more times to be sure; but otherwise I'm trying that Stubben one again. With the Stubben she acted the complete opposite; so smooth, calm, and relaxed... I want that horse again and I bet Ava wants to be that horse too.

Hopefully we can figure this out.

Second Saddle Tryout

I did a second saddle tryout today. This time I tried a western saddle. It is a Classic Star Pro Series saddle from Mc.Allen Texas. The leather is rough out suede and looks almost new. I wanted to try this saddle because after holding up Ava's tracings this was one of the two that fit or were slightly larger. So, I decided to give it a shot.

It was great! And you want to know something else? It fit Ava! I was really happy with that. I felt multiple times for even contact with and without the pad. It passed the tests! It was comfortable for me as well. The only downfall is that the stirrups were squeaking, it was kind of annoying but nothing a little oil couldn't help with.

Riding in it felt like floating on a cloud. It seemed fluid for Ava to move also, it didn't seem to me that her movement was resisted at all. It was different riding on the rough out rather than slick but I never felt like I was going to fall off, even when she spooked multiple times... The saddle is light weight and I don't think it is the best brand out there; but all I really want is something Ava and I can go on adventures in and of course be comfortable in as well. If it meets those requirements then I'm happy.

The gear we ride in.

I think the saddle looks great on her. Look how flat the top is!
 It is also cinched! This looks like Ava's saddle.

I will try it for the next week or so to see how we like it. I'm excited, it would be awesome if this saddle could work out!

One Floated Sleepy Pony

Ava was visited by the horsey dentist today.

I had to get up early; it was freezing! I really just wanted to stay in my nice warm bed; but I got out of bed into the freezing cold, took care of my ferrets, and headed to the barn. Ava had just finished breakfast when I got there, so I haltered her up and took her inside the barn. She was antsy, so I lunged her a bit to get her fresh off. It helped a lot; the rest of the time I groomed her until the vet arrived.

Finally when he did arrive (which was like twenty minutes late...) I got Ava and took her into the vet room (which was awesome! I never knew that the barn actually used it.) Ava was a champ, she has never been in there and it was pretty confined too. I placed her in the stocks and then the floating proceeded.

Of course I forgot to take pictures of the actual procedure...

Everything went very smoothly and couldn't believe Ava stood so well. She was sedated but still... The vet said she had some sharp edges and an ulcer on her left cheek; otherwise they looked good. I'm really glad I got them done.

My sleepy pony. She did not move one step the
whole time (unless I had to move her).

I had to wait an hour until she completely came out of her stupor, but it was worth it. I wish everyone could have seen her face. She looked happy and content with her newly floated teeth; she kept licking her lips and figuring out that they don't cause her pain anymore. It was a priceless expression and I will never forget it.

First Saddle Tryout

Our first tryout and most likely our last. The reason it is most likely our last is because I've actually found the saddle I want to buy. It wasn't the one I tried out yesterday. Although I really liked the saddle, it still looked too small on Ava... But not small enough to make her uncomfortable, she actually performed beautifully. Ava was relaxed the whole time which is usually not the case. I couldn't believe how soft she was and how calm she behaved especially for all of the events happening in the barn. Now that I think about it, maybe the saddle does fit? Maybe Ava was meant to act this way but couldn't deal with the pain from other saddles? Did I make a wrong move to take it back? Maybe I should try it out a little longer to make sure... *thinks* Yes! That is what I'll do. Can't hurt right? That is what I'll do, at least for now.

If the saddle doesn't work out I really wanted to buy a Thorowgood saddle. I've only heard good things about them and feel it would be a great decision. The only thing is, is that they are kind of out of my price range by a lot. So, we'll just have to see what happens.

This was the saddle I tried out, the lovely Stubben. Looks like a jumping style.

Time for Tryouts!

These aren't the kind of try outs you may be thinking of. These are saddle tryouts! I went on down to my local tack shop and sought out their used saddle section. Then after looking for... oh... 30 seconds I found one I wanted to try out. I asked the lady for a tape measure and found that the saddle was quite wide! It was also a freaking Stubben! I saw others that I may want to eventually try out but the Stubben will be my first. Anyways, after my short visit I took the saddle home; only to find that it most likely won't work out... I cut out Ava's gullet tracing and held it up to the saddle. Although Ava's gullet was just about right if you look farther down the tracing would protrude the saddle. Which kind of sucks. I know that the tracing is not the most accurate, it is still better than nothing before I try the saddle. So, we'll see how this goes. I'm kind of nervous, anxious, and excited! But some of that has to do with all the snow we are starting to get here... Yay...

I will get some pictures soon. I want to document every saddle I try out.

Along with that I scheduled Ava's floating appointment, which I will be dreading when I receive the bill. It will be good to get them done though. I tried looking in her mouth the last time I went out. From what I could notice (for the millisecond she would keep her mouth open, haha!) is that I possibly saw a front hook and of course her molars were becoming uneven. So, interested to see what the vet says!