Friday, August 30, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Unavoidable holiday
I am going for an operation next week which will keep me out of action on the horse front for a while. I am not yet sure how long a break from the saddle I will have to take, but I expect it to be around a month.
Rainbow will be enjoying a little holiday in this time, too, as I intend to turn her out in the field until I get back in mid-September. I probably won't be able to do much stable stuff, like mucking out for a while, either, so have put her on full livery until I am allowed to lift heavy wheelbarrows again.
I have a congenital heart condition and a pacemaker. It's the pacemaker that needs changing due to a low battery. So once I've 'recharged' we'll be back in action with a vengeance!
Rainbow will be enjoying a little holiday in this time, too, as I intend to turn her out in the field until I get back in mid-September. I probably won't be able to do much stable stuff, like mucking out for a while, either, so have put her on full livery until I am allowed to lift heavy wheelbarrows again.
I have a congenital heart condition and a pacemaker. It's the pacemaker that needs changing due to a low battery. So once I've 'recharged' we'll be back in action with a vengeance!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Boring text on saddles
So we had the saddler come and have a look at us. I know saddlers will more often than not say that there's something wrong with one's tack and try to sell you another one.
We stood next to Rainbow while she was munching on hay and had her saddle on her. It was very high from the front and low from the cantle side. The saddler didn't need to wait for my answer to his question: what would happen if he held a spirit-level across the saddle. So what we have at the moment is a lot of clearance in the front but it's laying very low at the back and potentially pressing on the lower back (and wobbling around). Our osteopath had found some lower back tightness in Rainbow – not sure if the two are linked. She did also found tightness around her left shoulder – the saddler noticed some knotting in the muscle right by her withers on that side too.
I said to the saddler that I realise he primarily sells Albion but could he tell me if there was benefit in me looking at other brands, as I am prepared to do that. His response was he's 'freelance' so can sell me any saddle he likes, but the 'problem' is with the trees that go in the saddles: the trees are manufactured by a few manufacturers (in the UK) and they go to most of the saddles across different brands and makes, who basically add their own designs and padding on those trees and then call it Saddle X. So in the shop you are essentially looking at saddle in a certain size in the same tree shapes; if your horse differs from the 'standard' sizes and shapes then things might be pressing.
The saddler has made a buck or two in our yard, I am aware of that, as I think at least 5–6 people have bought from him. But even someone who hasn't bought from him recently, said that he can definitely measure horses well. Everyone who already has a saddle from him, say their horses seem happier and have a new attitude to work, and move better. I will wait to see – I really want to believe them but I will wait and see. Ideally, I would like to have a horse that doesn't insist on moving around in the stable when I try to put the saddle on her or turn away from me. With another saddle, time will tell if that's R's character (and she just detests me on her back!) or it's the saddle.
Another thing I want from a saddler is an ongoing relationship, so when the horse changes shape and/or something needs fixing, I can go back to the same person and ask for help, and they know our history and requirements. This saddler has now so many clients at our yard that he visits regularly and doesn't charge for those visits, so I am hopeful I can have him regularly check on our saddle.
It still doesn't take away from the fact that I have just spent a lot more on a saddle I ever dreamt I would. I am still getting slight palpitations when I count my pennies in my savings account... And I told mother that the money my kind family gave for a sewing machine for my 30th birthday present will (temporarily!) be invested in a saddle... Well maybe the saddle is so nice Rainbow and I just want to use it all the time, so I wouldn't have any time to sew anyway!
We stood next to Rainbow while she was munching on hay and had her saddle on her. It was very high from the front and low from the cantle side. The saddler didn't need to wait for my answer to his question: what would happen if he held a spirit-level across the saddle. So what we have at the moment is a lot of clearance in the front but it's laying very low at the back and potentially pressing on the lower back (and wobbling around). Our osteopath had found some lower back tightness in Rainbow – not sure if the two are linked. She did also found tightness around her left shoulder – the saddler noticed some knotting in the muscle right by her withers on that side too.
I said to the saddler that I realise he primarily sells Albion but could he tell me if there was benefit in me looking at other brands, as I am prepared to do that. His response was he's 'freelance' so can sell me any saddle he likes, but the 'problem' is with the trees that go in the saddles: the trees are manufactured by a few manufacturers (in the UK) and they go to most of the saddles across different brands and makes, who basically add their own designs and padding on those trees and then call it Saddle X. So in the shop you are essentially looking at saddle in a certain size in the same tree shapes; if your horse differs from the 'standard' sizes and shapes then things might be pressing.
The saddler has made a buck or two in our yard, I am aware of that, as I think at least 5–6 people have bought from him. But even someone who hasn't bought from him recently, said that he can definitely measure horses well. Everyone who already has a saddle from him, say their horses seem happier and have a new attitude to work, and move better. I will wait to see – I really want to believe them but I will wait and see. Ideally, I would like to have a horse that doesn't insist on moving around in the stable when I try to put the saddle on her or turn away from me. With another saddle, time will tell if that's R's character (and she just detests me on her back!) or it's the saddle.
Another thing I want from a saddler is an ongoing relationship, so when the horse changes shape and/or something needs fixing, I can go back to the same person and ask for help, and they know our history and requirements. This saddler has now so many clients at our yard that he visits regularly and doesn't charge for those visits, so I am hopeful I can have him regularly check on our saddle.
It still doesn't take away from the fact that I have just spent a lot more on a saddle I ever dreamt I would. I am still getting slight palpitations when I count my pennies in my savings account... And I told mother that the money my kind family gave for a sewing machine for my 30th birthday present will (temporarily!) be invested in a saddle... Well maybe the saddle is so nice Rainbow and I just want to use it all the time, so I wouldn't have any time to sew anyway!
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| Owner less successful in this selfie, whereas horse looks pretty. |
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
New saddle ordered
Monday, August 19, 2013
It could be the saddle...
Hoof trimmer came to check on Rainbow's hooves. He thought they looked great and tested them with pinchers for sensitivity (not a flinch), as well as took the temperature. Nothing wrong with them. He said it's easy to start getting paranoid about the feet when they are the 'new thing', but should always remember to look at the whole horse. The fact that Rainbow has recently seemed a bit stiff when she's been ridden (read: wearing the saddle) but not particularly sore or bothered about anything when not being ridden.
Rainbow again galloped off to the field when I turned her out at the weekend. She was happy when I went to see her on Saturday.... Until I whipped the tack out. Her look went 'blank' and she just stood in her stable, whereas only minutes before she'd been munching on hay and looking quite content/sociable.
The hoof trimmer is not a saddler, of course, but he was asking about our saddle and I said it had been checked and improved in April, so only about 3 months ago. I explained to him that Rainbow had changed shape in the autumn, a couple months from when we'd started using the saddle and that her withers had become more pronounced (although I did wait a while before getting the saddler to come and see R as I wasn't sure if she was going 'gain' the lost weight around her shoulders back – so, granted, I could have addressed the issue sooner). The saddle was improved to accommodate her changed shape, and I thought the withers becoming more pronounced was sign of becoming into maturity. In the hoof trimmer's opinion their withers shouldn't become more pronounced, as if they do, it means they're losing muscle mass which creates the hollowing out. I don't remember the technical term he used, but basically implied that something has to be pressing on the shoulder muscle/around withers to make the muscle diminish.
Rainbow didn't come with her own tack when I bought her and I was in a reasonable hurry to buy her the tack, so I didn't have to use the very ill-fitting riding school saddles on her very long... Someone recommended a girl at the yard who worked for a local saddler and could source me a saddle and get it made to measure. I trusted this girl's abilities to template and measure the horse. I also thought that when the saddler himself came to see us in April and fixed the saddle that all would be well. When I bought the saddle, I didn't try lots of saddles, I just took the first one that was shown to me, the only prerequisite for the saddle was to be a GP saddle. How naive this all seems when I have typed it down here!
So I didn't really use a saddler for getting the right saddle, I just used a friend who worked for a saddler and claimed was able to do all the measuring. And I am not even saying that her measuring wasn't right, but how could I have known if this type of saddle is ideal for Rainbow, full stop, even if it's correctly measured and made? How would I know if I didn't try any others? Or at least didn't have the saddler him/herself there to look at Rainbow and make recommendations.
The hoof trimmer is not a saddler, of course, but he was asking about our saddle and I said it had been checked and improved in April, so only about 3 months ago. I explained to him that Rainbow had changed shape in the autumn, a couple months from when we'd started using the saddle and that her withers had become more pronounced (although I did wait a while before getting the saddler to come and see R as I wasn't sure if she was going 'gain' the lost weight around her shoulders back – so, granted, I could have addressed the issue sooner). The saddle was improved to accommodate her changed shape, and I thought the withers becoming more pronounced was sign of becoming into maturity. In the hoof trimmer's opinion their withers shouldn't become more pronounced, as if they do, it means they're losing muscle mass which creates the hollowing out. I don't remember the technical term he used, but basically implied that something has to be pressing on the shoulder muscle/around withers to make the muscle diminish.
Rainbow didn't come with her own tack when I bought her and I was in a reasonable hurry to buy her the tack, so I didn't have to use the very ill-fitting riding school saddles on her very long... Someone recommended a girl at the yard who worked for a local saddler and could source me a saddle and get it made to measure. I trusted this girl's abilities to template and measure the horse. I also thought that when the saddler himself came to see us in April and fixed the saddle that all would be well. When I bought the saddle, I didn't try lots of saddles, I just took the first one that was shown to me, the only prerequisite for the saddle was to be a GP saddle. How naive this all seems when I have typed it down here!
So I didn't really use a saddler for getting the right saddle, I just used a friend who worked for a saddler and claimed was able to do all the measuring. And I am not even saying that her measuring wasn't right, but how could I have known if this type of saddle is ideal for Rainbow, full stop, even if it's correctly measured and made? How would I know if I didn't try any others? Or at least didn't have the saddler him/herself there to look at Rainbow and make recommendations.
The trimmer said that, to start with, given the hooves seemed fine, I should try and ride without the saddle as it seemed odd that R is fine on hard surfaces and gallops around hard fields, but goes a little 'lame' when on a soft surface in the school, when tacked up.
So, on Saturday I rode her, first with a saddle – I added a little pad under the saddle to alter the saddle position to see if that makes any difference. Rainbow seemed reluctant – as described above – but seemed OK in walk. In trot she didn't want to really go at all. I asked A to ride her a little and give me her opinion, as well as give me a chance to see her from the ground. In A's opinion Rainbow wasn't lame but had a shorter stride than normal. Exactly what I've been saying – and A agreed it could be saddle-related.
Then I rode her bareback! Well that was an experience, I hadn't ridden her bareback since last year, and I haven't really done any bareback riding since my childhood sheltie days in Finland :) ... So it was fun to try it out anyway. Rainbow was a little surprised but played ball. I had a friend helping me out and walking by R's side as I wasn't sure how much control I'd have in trot. Not that I could tell much from bouncing around on her back, but she seemed happier and 'rollier' in her strides without the saddle.
We have a saddler – someone who has been recommended to me by many people at the yard – coming to see us on Wed. So I am really hoping that, in someways, this is saddle-related. I know it's likely to cost me, but I much rather see myself as the idiot who bought an unsuitable saddle for her horse than having to do more investigations on why R hasn't been 100% in the last few weeks (I mean her gaits) and potentially worry about her health. I know that a new saddle might not fix it all instantly, but at least it would be a more clear-cut problem which to overcome.
Owning a horse is an eternal puzzle.
--
In the other news, we had a dressage day yesterday at our yard. "Ins and Outs of Dressage". It was a great day, even though I couldn't participate with Rainbow. But we all got to judge each other and had a lady come to demonstrate dressage to music on her horse. Then people got another chance to get mounted, in two groups, and poodle around the arena to different types of music while trying out different gaits. The day was topped off with a lovely Italian buffet, by the organising lady (who is Italian) and a glass of Bellini :)
I was absolutely shattered after about 8 hours at the yard and having got up really early to muck out, etc. But a thoroughly enjoyable day. Here some pics.
So, on Saturday I rode her, first with a saddle – I added a little pad under the saddle to alter the saddle position to see if that makes any difference. Rainbow seemed reluctant – as described above – but seemed OK in walk. In trot she didn't want to really go at all. I asked A to ride her a little and give me her opinion, as well as give me a chance to see her from the ground. In A's opinion Rainbow wasn't lame but had a shorter stride than normal. Exactly what I've been saying – and A agreed it could be saddle-related.
Then I rode her bareback! Well that was an experience, I hadn't ridden her bareback since last year, and I haven't really done any bareback riding since my childhood sheltie days in Finland :) ... So it was fun to try it out anyway. Rainbow was a little surprised but played ball. I had a friend helping me out and walking by R's side as I wasn't sure how much control I'd have in trot. Not that I could tell much from bouncing around on her back, but she seemed happier and 'rollier' in her strides without the saddle.
We have a saddler – someone who has been recommended to me by many people at the yard – coming to see us on Wed. So I am really hoping that, in someways, this is saddle-related. I know it's likely to cost me, but I much rather see myself as the idiot who bought an unsuitable saddle for her horse than having to do more investigations on why R hasn't been 100% in the last few weeks (I mean her gaits) and potentially worry about her health. I know that a new saddle might not fix it all instantly, but at least it would be a more clear-cut problem which to overcome.
Owning a horse is an eternal puzzle.
--
In the other news, we had a dressage day yesterday at our yard. "Ins and Outs of Dressage". It was a great day, even though I couldn't participate with Rainbow. But we all got to judge each other and had a lady come to demonstrate dressage to music on her horse. Then people got another chance to get mounted, in two groups, and poodle around the arena to different types of music while trying out different gaits. The day was topped off with a lovely Italian buffet, by the organising lady (who is Italian) and a glass of Bellini :)
I was absolutely shattered after about 8 hours at the yard and having got up really early to muck out, etc. But a thoroughly enjoyable day. Here some pics.
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| A little talk and demonstration about horse's anatomy and senses, and how to be sympathetic to their instincts |
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| Some rode to music while others watched and ate Italian cake. |
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| It's not a lifestyle blog per se, but I quite like this photo I took of apples at home. |
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| My cat Percy was as tired on Sunday night as I was... We snoozed on the sofa together all evening. |
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