Happiness, Finally!

It was kind of a secret.

I was trying out a saddle in hopes not to jinx it and it looked like it worked! Because I just bought myself a saddle!!! I got an amazing price for it as well. They were asking only $300 but the tack store owner helped me get it down to $225!! It is a nice saddle too, custom made by someone I know that lives in my town. It is also light weight yet durable, nice supple leather, and so much more. I am so glad I found it and I finally don't have to worry about not having a saddle anymore!

Sweet girl <3

Sleepy pony

Strike a pose!

The field

Squared

Another Heartbreak...

Before getting out to the barn yesterday I returned the saddle... The more I looked at it it looked like it had a twisted tree... (boo) Which made me really sad/agitated/depressed because I would've bought that saddle if it didn't...

It was quite windy at The Ranch yesterday, windy and cold! I wanted to take Ava to the outdoor arena so we could have our privacy but instead I took her inside and worked with her in there. I worked on all the games with her and couldn't believe how well she behaved while lunging. I did not move from my spot and asked her to trot, she trotted until I brought her in. Very happy, even more so because the barn and wind was making her nervous. That was all I did with her, I didn't want her to get sweaty with all that wind outside!

In other news, I have another depressing thing to tell you all... I have to move barns (I only found out last night!)... I guess the lease is about to run out and my BO will not be renewing it (I feel bad for him because I know that he loves that place), so in turn all the boarders have to leave, like within two months at the most, more like that end of the month... Although I may complain a lot about being down there that has literally been my favorite place I've ever boarded, Ava would never be at the stage she is at if we didn't move down there. So, I am heartbroken (again...) and now I have to find a place pretty quickly. Just thought I'd update you all and thank you for all the wonderful comments you have sent me, they always lift my spirits.

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!

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!

Stand for Tracing Please

I took some advice yesterday; from Val at Memoirs of a Horse Girl. She suggested to send in some tracings to this saddle site and have them recommend a saddle for me. Genius idea!

So, I followed the little video and got her back all traced up. I'll send them out at soon as possible, I can't wait to see what they say.

"Hey mom, look at my weird back!"

Ava's tracings. #1 is for gullet width, #2 is the lowest part of her back, and
T18 is the slope of her back.

This is helpful too. Ava only measured barely 6"! That is quite strange...
I found this picture from this site [here]

Ugh I Need a Wintec!

Haha, I have just realized that 95% of the time I post on here is of me complaining about something. I can't help it, I love to complain!

After riding today I noticed that the saddle Ava's using was rubbing her pretty bad. It's rubbing on both sides of her withers and where the cinch is. After seeing this it made me think if this is why she hasn't been performing as well. She has started to canter really fast and she won't soften as well either. I'm getting FED UP with this saddle business. The only saddle that came even close to fitting her is now sold, so now I need to find something else. I'm thinking to get a Wintec with a changeable gullet. The other saddle that fit her was also a Wintec. So, maybe that is the way to go for a saddle. I'm going to search around; eBay, the local paper, and local tack shop, hopefully I'll find something. Although, since Ava is so wide I don't know if I'll be able to find anything with a fixed tree. Oh boy, we'll just see how this goes.

Until then, I don't know what I'm going to do about riding. I will feel horrible putting either of those saddles on her. Hopefully something comes up soon.

Something like this with a changeable gullet and a size 16" would be amazing

!

I Love Wet Saddle Pads

Today was quite eventful and long. I stayed down at the barn for around four hours. I did a lot though and if Ava behaved better I would have stayed even longer. I also tried out my Wintec Pro Endurance saddle that I own (I've had it for a few years) on Ava and. . . It fits her!!! I took a picture just to show the even sweat marks all over the pad (it already started to dry when I took this). Oh, happy day! Now I can use all that hard earned money for something else. The reason I hadn't tried that saddle earlier is because it is quite uncomfortable for me, especially on my bum. Right now I'm sitting on two bruised tush cheeks. But as long as the saddle fits my girl then I am happy. I can just buy a seat saver or something. 

In other news, I rode Ava. We started inside to get warmed up and hopefully a little worn out and then we went out in the outdoor arena with the BO's two sons. They are practicing for their 4H fair next week for trail and had an obstacle course set up so I thought I would tag along. But while I waited for them to get ready I walked Ava around outside the barn. We even found a new spot to explore, it was a nice little loop and Babe did good for her first time. When the boys were ready I was already trying out the course. Then Ava started being a little pill ever since they arrived. I got her to do things but it wasn't willing or "nice" like. It was more like she was giving me the bird every time she would respond to something I asked. Nice right? . . . Then to top it off the youngest son started to try and scare Ava by like running his horse up next to her and stopping, stuff like that. . . He was being a little turd but I guess in a way it was good Ava was experiencing some of that, I want her to know that she doesn't need to freak out when a horse does stuff like that. But it was still rude for him to do that. . . Oh then after I did the course a little longer we then went over to a barrel that had a red saddle bag filled with cans in it. I thought, "Ava can so do this, she's done it a million times before" oh but what happens? She totally freaks out and I almost fall off... Luckily I stayed on and was able to gain control of her. Of course I started to get quite agitated with her but I also realized I had been riding her for over three hours and we were doing lots of new things too. I think her mind just couldn't take much more, I felt kind of bad. To end the ride I desensitized her to the noisy red saddle bag (she was great!) and then I hand-walked her back into the barn with the older son riding next to me (he was much nicer, didn't try to scare my girl. He does like to tease/make fun of me though.) After things were all done I gave Babe her "after ride" rinse then put her away. Those baths are definitely growing on her, she almost falls asleep every time! And that is so unlike her!

Bad Boy Riser Pad

I got more feedback from some people and someone said that I should get a back riser pad. It makes sense, if I look at Ava's saddled up photos you can see that the saddle isn't completely level, it dips in the back slightly. They said she is quite wide and has somewhat high withers and the riser should help. I mean it can't hurt right? Although if this doesn't fix her little saddle fit problem then I'm (eventually) getting a new saddle. A Wintec that has the easy-change gullet system, unless I miraculously find a saddle that fits her with a fixed tree then great! but for now I'm pretty set on one of the gullet changer saddles. End of story. In the meantime I'm gonna get one of these bad boys [click here]. It's a back riser pad and hopefully it will do the trick. Wintec always has the most useful things, haha!

Time to Start Saving

Well, I have come to a conclusion. With all of this saddle debacle muddling around in my mind I finally know what I am going to do. I asked on a horse forum I frequently go to about what they thought of Ava's body shape for a saddle and they thought she was pretty wide. My saddle (the old Stubben one) is pretty wide but may not be wide enough, it is wider than almost any other saddle I've seen but Ava's back will not have an even sweat mark on her back, so I'm thinking it is still pinched a little. So, what I've decided to do is right now I'm going to buy a half pad, it could help with the unevenness on her back, and then after I've saved up enough money I'm going to buy either a Bates, Wintec, or Collegiate saddle with the easy-change gullet system, most likely a Wintec. English saddles have always fit her better than western ones have and since I've decided not to show her in riding it doesn't matter if the saddle is super fancy or not, comfort is the main factor!

Nothing Will Fit!

It's true! I absolutely cannot find a saddle that fits Ava. My BO lets me use their western saddles and none will leave an even sweat mark on her back. My english saddle may be the closest one to fit but if she spooks I don't want to go flying off. The western saddles always leave dry spots on each side of her withers - this horse has it almost in the exact same spots that Ava has [click here] but since she is white I can't tell if they are actually making sores, all I know is that they are making dry spots... Maybe western saddles just don't fit her as well??? Stupid question but it could be true. Ugh, I feel like she could be much calmer if I just found something that would fit, any suggestions?