# From fat to fit



## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

I already love this. Following!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

which of the above horses is which in your explanation?


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Tinyliny I think they are in order...

Nice beginning! Can't wait to hear more :smile:


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## ChasingDreams (Nov 14, 2017)

Following


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Lovely horses, can't wait to hear more.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Happy to follow along!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Love this!  Beautiful horses, can't wait to hear more!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@tinyliny, yes @AnitaAnne is right, they are in order  

This week has been a bit of a bust. Weather has not been bad, but having to deal with moving hay and then going to the city for work ate in to any horse time I would have had. 

I buy round bales and I tried a different way of storing them as we do not have a covered shed. Well, turns out my 'great idea' was not so great. I hate dealing with tarps and I spent nearly all my time after work on Wednesday sorting out the tarps - which were frozen to the ground. Let's just say many choice words were said.....

As some of you may already know from some of the other threads, I am having a saddle fit issue with my fat mare. I have tried a number of options and have not been really happy with any of them. I do have a very well respected equine body worker who is also very knowledgable about treeless saddles coming out next week to let me demo a few brands. I will also get her to check the fit of the IMUS saddle I am currently trialing. 

Below are some pictures of some of the saddles I have tried. Starting with her current one - which definitely does NOT fit her anymore (not to worry, I have not been riding her in this saddle at all) I am planning on driving to the store I bought this saddle from and putting it on consignment. It is basically still brand new - I will be sad to see it go, but it just does not fit her and I don't really need a saddle like this at the moment. 

The second is a saddle from the States I trialed (a Pawnee I think?), but it just looks ridiculous on her. The last is the Imus I am trialing. I actually really like this saddle, but also don't think it is a good fit for her. It does allow more clearance in her shoulder, but still bridges. Ironically I put Tiger's back templates against the Imus and it actually seems like it would be a good fit for him!!

Anytime I see saddles on her, I always think of Chris Farley in Tommy Boy - Big Guy in a Little Coat!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Awww, she's so pretty! :loveshower: LOL that's funny, it really does looks small on her LOL! The 2nd picture looks like she has a little kids saddle on her! :rofl: She is probably a comfy ride! I hope you can find a saddle that fits her. I know the pain of saddle shopping, it can be super stressful. Everything is trial & error. Ugh! Fingers crossed you find the perfect one! Bridging can be a pain, although some people work with padding to fix that, but you want the saddle to fit well, so definitely keep looking! Oh, good 'ole tarps...


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I think the third saddle I had placed too far back; it is tricky with some of these saddles to see where the saddle should actually fit to ensure proper shoulder movement. 

We are getting a bit of a blizzard here at the moment, but I am still hoping to take fat-Amber out for a walk after work. 
@PoptartShop, Yes, a few people have suggested certain saddle pads to help prevent bridging, but I would ideally like to find a good fitting saddle since I do plan on doing so many miles with her. So far she hasn't shown any signs of pain, but i figure it is only a matter of time. 

I know you ride in a treeless - is it a barefoot? I bought the Barefoot Lexington but think I will sell it. I don't care for the leg placement, but I think it could just be that specific model b/c it is more dressage styled.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Frozen tarps and buried hay :frown_color: Not Fun! 

None of those saddles fit. She has a VERY forward girth groove! Worse than my Chivas and I didn't think that was possible... 

I am certainly no expert, but seems like if you can find a treed saddle to fit, it would need a cut back to fit around the neck. 

Treeless may be your only answer. The BF Lexington is fine for arena work, but I didn't like it for trails. The Cheyenne was the best for trails. 

Have you considered some sort of bareback pad over a treeless pad? 

Hope your saddle fitter can find something...


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@AnitaAnne, I am no expert so learning as much as I can. But yes, I am finding where her girth wants to sit is causing issues b/c it hikes the saddle up onto her shoulder. Ugh, the frustration never ends!! 

At least with treeless, if it pops up onto her shoulder it shouldn't cause her any discomfort? 

I think my saddle fitter has another Barefoot model, as well as a Sensation and an EZ Fit. She seems to think I will like the EZ Fit the best. Time will tell I guess. 

I did work with Amber a bit after work today. She has become increasingly hard to bridle. Her teeth have been done so I'm thinking I must have hit her teeth with the bit at some point to cause her to become so difficult. I am usually very gentle when I bridle, but she can be a sensitive mare so wouldn't take much for her to decide to not like something. 

So I spent some time with bridling, and she was so much better. Just took it nice and slow and worked on getting her head down, then just standing there with the bridle over her head (not put on), then slowly progress to putting the bit in. I'm seeing some huge improvements and she is so much better than she was. I hate using food as a reward as she can be quite nippy so didn't want to use the method of bridling then rewarding with food. 

We also did some ground work - working on her bending and maintaining true bend from the ground, then some haunches-in work. I decided to also take her for a short walk down the road so the dogs could come too. It was snowing the entire time, but temps were not bad. I will have to post pics later.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yes! My treeless is a Barefoot, I have the Tahoe English one. It's really comfortable. 

I use this pad with it as well for extra support (it comes w/ shims, but you can change them out however you like):

HAF Enduro 8300 trail saddle pad.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@PoptartShop, that is a nice pad and looks like it would breathe pretty easily too. Where did you order it from?? 

This past weekend I managed to get quite a bit of horse time. 

We got more snow, so on Saturday morning I took Amber for a hand walk with the dogs into one of the nearby fields. Poor girl had to work hard, and we didn't go very far before I turned around. It still ended up being a 45 minute walk.

Afterward, I trailered Tiger to a friend's property for another group trail ride. I wanted to take him for a decent ride to try out the IMUS saddle - I had no complaints from him and although it seems to fit him well I wasn't sure what the sweat marks were telling me. He was very tired by the end of the ride - going through all the deep snow and up & down hills was hard on the old guy. 

Sunday I took Amber to riding lesson; and since I still do not have a saddle for her I rode her bareback. She did pretty good (and I did not fall off!!) but I sure was sore afterward. My instructor asked if I wanted to try riding her bitless (which I have never done) and I said OK. It took a couple circles for her to figure it out, but she is also very good about moving from my seat/legs. I may attempt to ride her bareback today when we do our trail ride - although I told the girls "no judgies if I fall off!"

Holiday Monday the weather took a turn and it ended up cooling off again, so horses got a break from me. I focused instead on baking - since my stress fracture is back in my tibia and I can't run a whole bunch, I have really cut back on the baking. But I figured with the cool weather it was a baking day. So I had made homemade sourdough buns, banana loaf and some cookies. Also tested out a new broccoli soup recipe in my Instant Pot. YUM! 

I have booked this afternoon off as I have a couple friends trailering their horses here. Our plan is to go for a short trail ride before the saddle fitter/treeless demo person shows up. I'm very curious how I will like some of these treeless. 

I plan to take some pictures of them so will share here.

Below are some photos from the weekend - my walk with Amber as well as trail ride with Tiger.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Looks so fun! Our snow was "ruined" by an inch+ thick layer of ice a few weeks ago, so it's really not been fair to ask the horses to traipse through that. I actually had one who ended up cutting up her foot around her coronary band and bleeding everywhere just from plowing through it in her paddock without a rider :sad: We got about 6-8inches of fluffy new snow yesterday but the ice is still under it. So, we wait...and handwalk...and wait some more.


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

egrogan said:


> Looks so fun! Our snow was "ruined" by an inch+ thick layer of ice a few weeks ago, so it's really not been fair to ask the horses to traipse through that. I actually had one who ended up cutting up her foot around her coronary band and bleeding everywhere just from plowing through it in her paddock without a rider :sad: We got about 6-8inches of fluffy new snow yesterday but the ice is still under it. So, we wait...and handwalk...and wait some more.


Haven't be able to ride for 3 weeks now because of ice. Everywhere is an ice skating rink. Snow has a crust on it that could very well cut legs. Maybe this weekend, if it gets as warm as weather man says. 
@cbar lovely pictures looks like fun.😊


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

@cbar The snow looks lovely  I am sure the horses were tired after the ride! Walking through deep snow is hard work!

@egrogan ice under the snow sucks!

Here we don't have to worry about ice, but our rides are careful, slow walks at the moment  
Almost took a bath last time, as Raya missed a deep hole and we went from knee-deep on her to knee-deep on me


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

An old friend actually gave it to me, but I'm not sure where she got it. I did a google search & it looks like this site sells them!
https://store.treelesssaddle.com/HAF_8300_Enduro_Trail_Saddle_Pad_p/8300-end.htm 

It's amazing. & super easy to clean. It definitely is very breathable too!! 

Such pretty snow! Walking through that is a total workout! :lol: Bareback sounds fun, & bitless is actually really good too. It makes you really focus on your seat/legs like you said. Glad you had a nice trail too!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@egrogan, that sucks about the ice. The nice dusting of snow we got made all the fields look so pristine. But definitely a work out; I was sweating like a pig!! And I felt bad for my dog - the dog in the picture is my 10+yo german shepherd Cisco. He is always game to come walking, but I worry about tiring him out too much. It's a great workout for the horses though, and the deep snow can be a great conditioning tool. 

It is supposed to be +5 (celsius) here tomorrow, so I'm sure in no time our yard will be a skating rink. I hate the ice 
@SwissMiss, must be a bit boggy where you go riding then with holes that big!! I always worry about bog as we get a lot of areas like that out West. It can be very easy to mis-judge and be belly deep in mud and water. 

I will have to check out that website @PoptartShop. I am hoping after today I will have a plan for a new saddle!!!


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Wow, that's beautiful.

You get 100% sympathy from me about riding a round horse bareback. I will say, having been forced to ride Pony bareback for a month, I feel like I'm actually getting pretty decent at it, and it's improving my seat and balance. I'm still sore afterwards, but not quite as much. Plus, as you probably found out, riding bareback is nice when it's cold, because your horse keeps your butt nice and warm! And at least the round horse doesn't make your lady parts hurt for days on end afterwards...


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@ACinATX, yes, I do feel your pain as you & I are both in the same boat! I will update here later today or tomorrow on my treeless demo. You might find some of the information interesting? 

Haha, Amber has the perfect back for bareback, but she is SO wide I felt like my crotch was going to break in half. Walking isn't bad, but we did a LOT of trotting. And I do not ride bareback, so it was a learning experience for me. I should do it more often (even when I do find a saddle) as you are absolutely right - it totally works on balance and seat. 

Sadly, my bareback lesson was on Sunday and I am STILL sore a bit today. And I am not an un-fit person as I run and do weights, but boy oh boy....hahaha.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I think I was sore for three or four days the first time I did extensive trotting bareback on fat Pony.


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## Hondo (Sep 29, 2014)

RE: I hate using food as a reward as she can be quite nippy so didn't want to use the method of bridling then rewarding with food. 



Comment: Had an urge to comment on this. A food reward can be used to train a horse not to be grabby or nippy at the food. Hondo learned amazingly fast. Best done with clicker training which I haven't really gotten into yet. I just refused to give him a treat until he turned his head away even if ever so slightly and then gave him a handful with abundant praise.


Hondo would fight the bit being placed but then go fine in it. When I switched to a bitless, he actually helped me put it on and still went fine.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Well, if we're commenting, I guess I would comment that I also thought that Pony was too mouthy (he's not really nippy, usually, just mouthy) to use food rewards. But I tried again when he hurt his back and I needed to get him to allow people to poke and prod him. Like @Hondo said, I started with teaching him that he wasn't going to get a reward until he turned his head away, then we progressed to him having to stand completely still. You may have seen this, but it's a video I like:

https://www.crktrainingblog.com/horse-training/teaching-your-horse-good-food-manners/

I think for myself, some things I had to do was to switch to low-value treats (alfalfa pellets rather than cookies) and do the training only in one area at first. I don't use a clicker (although I bought one), though. I wanted to use my voice "Good Boy" so it would be something I could do while riding.

He's a super smart pony and it didn't take him too long to catch on. We had been having bitting problems. Now when I just show him the bridle, he stops what he's doing, walks right up to me, puts the bit in his mouth himself, and takes it up all the way to where it's supposed to sit.

@cbar your horse and my Pony are so similar it's a little scary!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@Hondo & @ACinATX, very interesting with the treat training. Definitely something for me to look into. Amber isn't bad at times, but if she gets bored or frustrated, her go-to thing is to chew on things. It gets annoying when it is my hands or my clothing - I was hoping she would grow out of it as it seems kind of a baby-horse thing to do, but she is 6 and still hasn't. 

I did have a couple friends over yesterday - we went for a quick trail ride on my neighbor's trails (I rode bareback again). We were all waiting for the saddle fitter/treeless demo. 

I'm not surprised, but the IMUS saddle does not fit Amber at all. It was massively bridging on her back. It is however, not a bad fit for Tiger. 

I also tried out a Barefoot Cheyenne, an EZ Fit and a Sensation treeless. They actually all felt fairly comfortable, but I honestly think I am more drawn to the EZ Fit. That saddle can just be so customized for both horse and rider that i feel like it is well worth the $1400 CAD to buy one brand new. This saddle has the ability to have the seat size changed, as well as how it fits the horse. Stirrup position and rigging can also all be changed. 

The saddle fitter mentioned that out of all of them, this one would also be less of an issue with stirrup bar pressure for the distance rides. And it is the only one I tried with centre fire rigging. It felt VERY secure on my mare...it seems any other treed saddle I tried would just roll off her back. In fact, all of these treeless stayed on her back. 

Attached are some photos of the saddles. In order (Barefoot, EZ Fit & Sensation). As well as a pic of us on the trails.


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

Center fire rigging is the bomb! It made a huge difference with my pony in terms of the saddle staying put and we got rid of galling :biggrin: I only hate fiddling with 2 long latigos, so I switched to 2 long billets and a dressage girth - I fully admit, I am lazy 

I just want to cuddle up with Amber  She looks perfect to warm you hands on a cold day!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@SwissMiss, hahaha she is pretty cuddly!! Definitely nice and warm riding her bareback, that's for sure! 

I have never dealt with centre fire rigging, but the IMUS saddle I am trialing also has it. It is kind of a pain to initially set up, but I really like it too. 

The cool thing with the EZ Fit, is that when I order it i can request either english or western rigging. I think I will stick with western as I already have a plethora of western cinches. But it is super cool they give you that option at least.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Well, I put my order in for my EZ Fit saddle!! Woot-woot, now just have to wait a couple months before i actually get it. Haha. 

I am not sure if the Imus saddle I have been trialing is even for sale, but I am debating whether it is worth it to buy it for Tiger or not. I guess I could ask how much she would sell it for, but buying two saddles would hurt the bank account. But on the other hand it would be nice knowing I have saddles that fit both my horses. 

I did take Tiger for a ride down the road after work yesterday. The footing didn't seem too bad when I walked the dogs earlier. I always get so nervous riding on the snow covered roads as my biggest fear is the horse slipping and us both going down. Tiger was actually pretty forward for the ride, and was even acting a bit spooky. He is very laid back most of the time, so he must have been feeling good. 

It is supposed to be another warmer day today, but I am uncertain if I will do much with the horses after work. Maybe take Amber for a short hand walk. I have to be up early tomorrow to meet a friend - we are going on a "Southern Alberta Road Trip". Haha....the plan is to take my Rico saddle to a tack store and put it on consignment. Figured since i had to drive so far to get there we might as well detour into Calgary and go to a large used tack store there and see what they have. 

I really like this saddle and it will be sad to see it go, but I could really use the money to put towards a new saddle (or building my hay shed). I have 5 saddles I would like to sell and so far no luck. I might call and see if they will take my Circle Y saddle too.


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

Sweet looking EzFit.

I know a couple of people who ride Haflingers in one. Might kick around the idea of someday replacing my endurance western with something like an EzFit so I can stick with the centerfire rigging and still have a way to fit my trail bags on the saddle (still haven’t figured out with the Freeform because the billets are so low and I only have the one set of d-rings for the breastcollar, but he moves sooooo nice in it). But money, eh. I want to get panels for the Freeform first, and then think about what’s next and the western endurance does fit him well with a nice diamond wool pad.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> Sweet looking EzFit.
> 
> I know a couple of people who ride Haflingers in one. Might kick around the idea of someday replacing my endurance western with something like an EzFit so I can stick with the centerfire rigging and still have a way to fit my trail bags on the saddle (still haven’t figured out with the Freeform because the billets are so low and I only have the one set of d-rings for the breastcollar, but he moves sooooo nice in it). But money, eh. I want to get panels for the Freeform first, and then think about what’s next and the western endurance does fit him well with a nice diamond wool pad.


I honestly think the EZ Fit saddles are kind of ugly, but this one was also WAY too big for us so there was so much extra material bunching up. I ordered a smaller one so hopefully it won't look so bulky. But to be honest, I would have saved myself thousands if I'd just gone this route to begin with. I was so turned off by treeless that at the time I couldn't even consider it. Now look where I am. LOL

I have a friend who rides in a freeform and absolutely loves it. Although, the cost of a new EZ Fit is not that much in the grand scheme of saddles I guess. (at least that is what I"ve been telling myself).


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

cbar said:


> I honestly think the EZ Fit saddles are kind of ugly, but this one was also WAY too big for us so there was so much extra material bunching up. I ordered a smaller one so hopefully it won't look so bulky. But to be honest, I would have saved myself thousands if I'd just gone this route to begin with. I was so turned off by treeless that at the time I couldn't even consider it. Now look where I am. LOL
> 
> I have a friend who rides in a freeform and absolutely loves it. Although, the cost of a new EZ Fit is not that much in the grand scheme of saddles I guess. (at least that is what I"ve been telling myself).


The big buckles on the back were always kind of a turn off for me when I remember looking at them the first time, and since the Haffie was so overweight he just needed any treeless, Barefoot was cheaper so I went with that. And the. On our second round of saddle shopping, I much preferred the Sensation western, no matter what it cost (how I miss that saddle 😩)

Freeform’s nice though, with my sheepskin seat saver. Comfy and I’m getting good movement from it. We’ve had the Freeform for a week now and every ride, he feels stronger on the coolout than the warmup (strutting around like a little bantam rooster) In a dream world, if I ever won the lottery, I’d probably get a Sensation western with the living bar, but since Mitch lost weight and fits treed saddles again (and besides, when he wears his western, we’re usually on a trail ride moving at the incredible speed of “walking” so he’s fine with it) I don’t see much of a need to spend money beyond fixing up the Freeform the way I want it for schooling. It’s more like an AP saddle than a dressage, so in this fashion, I have my three saddles (western endurance, Freeform and Bates dressage) to pick and choose from, and having at least one treeless allows me to be flexible when he’s working the “winter bod”.

Hopefully the same goes for you.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I did a whole lot of nothing with the horses this past weekend. Weather has stayed pretty decent, but just didn't have the time or energy. Saturday my entire day was spent driving around Southern Alberta - I took my Rico western saddle into a tack store for consignment. A friend came with me and we hit up a few other tack stores in the city before heading back home. I met her at 9am and I think it was close to 8pm when I pulled in the driveway. 

I did manage to score some decent deals - a cooler, fly sheet, riding pants, lunge cavesson as well as stocked up on some horse feed. 

Today I had good intentions, but ended up going through my horse tack and taking pictures of all the stuff I want to sell. If it doesn't go in a few weeks I will probably end up donating it or something. The money would be nice, but I just want this stuff out of here. 

I was supposed to have a lesson, but the headache I've been rockin' was pretty bad, however I did end up going with b/f to help him get a truck load of firewood. After finishing that and moving hay bales around I feel pretty spent. 

Hopefully will have a chance to work with the horses a bit this week. I hate that the weekends just seem to go by so fast!!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

The EZ fit looks good, & it will be well worth the money. Comfort is important, as well as making sure it'll be good for long-term, I think it will last you forever. Glad you made your decision & that is so exciting. Waiting is the hardest part! :lol: I too was a bit skeptical of treeless saddles at first, but you just have to do your research (which you did!).

It is hard to get rid of saddles. I was sad when I had to sell my Stubben, it became too narrow for my horse but it was SO comfortable. It's hard to let them go! Ooh, it's always fun to go to tack shops, glad you got some good deals. Amber looks so cute & she's so fluffy!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I have been trying to sell some of my old tack and had someone that wanted to buy two of my old western saddles. Shipping is turning into a headache, but I think we have finally come to an agreement. I can't believe how much shipping costs are!! 
I thought maybe I could fed ex the package since the size may be too large for Canada Post, but the extra price was ridiculous. 

So today I will have to box these saddles up and go to the post office at some point. I am still hoping to get Tiger out for a ride but I won't beat myself up if I don't have the time. 

Yesterday I did some groundwork with Amber. I had bought a lunging cavesson from the used tack store and wanted to try it out. Those things are so chunky and look like torture devices, but it works so much better than using a rope halter. We worked on keeping her bend on a circle, as well as some haunches-in work from the ground. Then I took the young lady for walk down the road with the dogs.

I also spontaneously bought a Specialized Saddle from someone off of a FB forum. I think I got a pretty good deal and I'm super excited to try it out when it gets here. It won't work for Amber as i still think it will bridge on her back, but will be a great saddle for Tiger. And it comes with all the shims, so it should be easy to adjust for other horses. 

I have been rockin' a massive headache for the last few days - not sure if it is the weather or just all this saddle nonsense. I'll just be glad when it is all done and I can stop obsessively searching tack forums. LOL, although I don't think that ever ends for a horse person. 

Question: Do you just keep the tack you use, or are you a tack hoarder?? I think I am a bit of both. I am trying to clear out a lot of stuff I don't use - even if I don't get a lot of money for it, I would rather it be put to use somewhere. BUT, I also keep a lot of stuff that I think I *might* use one day.

Below is Amber giving me some serious side-eye before our walk yesterday. Also wanted to show you the sweet saddle stand my Papa built for me. Overall my parents aren't super.....supportive of my horse hobby. So I was super enthused when they brought this over!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Shipping is definitely expensive! I had to ship mine at the post office because UPS/FedEx was just too expensive. :lol: Amber is so cute, even when she's giving the side-eye. :lol: Groundwork is great! 
Wow, that saddle stand is beautiful. So nice of him. It looks nice & sturdy! I love seeing horsey things people built like that. 

I am in the process of selling one of my other saddles that I never use. I could use the money, & it's just been sitting for almost a year now. I know I'm not going to ride in it. It's a jumping saddle. I don't jump, & I also only sat in it once. I got a good deal on it along with my dressage saddle (got it from the same person) but I don't need it after all. 

I try to get rid of things I don't use. I just did a big cleanout in my trailer tack room. I plan on posting some things within the next few weeks, just haven't gotten around to cleaning them up. That saddle needs to be cleaned up!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

It is almost like the time it takes to clean up the tack and take pictures and post is just such a headache, hey? 

I finally got those two western saddles off and shipped yesterday. I ended up having to ship in two separate boxes and shipping was almost $100. 

My Specialized Saddle was around $90 to get shipped from the next province over - not sure how that compares to shipping in the States. I had priced out how much I thought it might cost to get a saddle shipped from Michigan up to Canada through USPS, and I thought it was around $100 US. Not cheap. 

I am also meeting a lady on my lunch break today - she is buying a couple cinches and some bandages off me. And Sunday I am making a detour to let another person try my Circle Y saddle on their horse. If that saddle doesn't work for her I may just end up keeping it. 

I am kind of silly and get 'emotionally' attached to inanimate objects. It doesn't make sense and I"m trying to be better about letting things go. 

But for eg: if I sell my Circle Y I will not have a western saddle anymore. I have 2 Five Star pads...and I should sell them as well b/c I know i could get money for them. But part of me was so proud when I managed to get them that I don't want to let them go. LOL. We'll see how badly I need the money b/c I think they would sell like hot cakes. 
@PoptartShop, so you have 3 saddles and one horse (jumping, dressage and treeless?) That sounds about right! At one point there, I had 6 saddles for 2 horses. Granted, 3 of them didn't fit any of them and none of them fit Amber. 

It is a beautiful day out there today - so I'm really hoping to jump on Tiger after work.


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

cbar said:


> ... so you have 3 saddles and one horse? That sounds about right! At one point there, I had 6 saddles for 2 horses. Granted, 3 of them didn't fit any of them and none of them fit Amber.


:rofl: sounds about right! I have an old Circle Y and a Peruvian saddle that both don't fit pony anymore... But I am oddly attached to both of them, so they get conditioned on regular basis before going back into storage


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

LOL yes, that's correct! :rofl: 3 saddles, 1 horse. :lol: Soon it'll just be two saddles, so not too bad right?! :lol: I definitely need to clean that one up & just sell it, hopefully I'll have it posted within the next few weeks haha. I've just been lazy.

At least we have some options, right?! LOL. Sounds like you are getting rid of things pretty quickly though, that is awesome. It can be hard to part with these things, especially if you've had them for awhile. 

I hope you get some saddle time on Tiger today!


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I won't confess how many saddles I have, but I will blame my RMHA gelding for the collection, as hardly any saddles fit him, plus there is no where near here to try on any, so basically I have to buy to try, then try to sell the ones that don't work. 

Even in treeless, some did not work :frown_color:


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

AnitaAnne said:


> I won't confess how many saddles I have, but I will blame my RMHA gelding for the collection, as hardly any saddles fit him, plus there is no where near here to try on any, so basically I have to buy to try, then try to sell the ones that don't work.
> 
> Even in treeless, some did not work :frown_color:



Ahh yes, I know you do have a lot of saddles!! I recall seeing pictures of them lined up on a fence, but I also remember you mentioned you had managed to sell a few of them too. 

I know it is difficult though - you never know what you will have or what you will do in the future, right? And buying tack can be such a headache. 

Switching disciplines has proven to be a huge cost though. Last year was the first year I tried CTR/Endurance. And they say "ride in any tack" but after a season you soon realize that you want more appropriate tack. So yah, HUGE cost whenever anyone switches disciplines! 
@SwissMiss, at least you condition your stuff. I confess to being HORRIBLE at cleaning/conditioning some of my tack! leather bridles & halters I usually do once a year, but saddles do not get done often enough. Although I did spend some time cleaning and conditioning my Circle Y. And before I sell my Barefoot saddle I will give it a good cleaning as well.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

The fence line up was only some of my saddles, I took them to a friend's to try out. He has 16H+ Friesian TWH crosses, so I only brought the ones I thought would fit...still had more at home. Yes, a few have sold, but need to sell the rest!


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

PoptartShop said:


> LOL yes, that's correct! :rofl: 3 saddles, 1 horse. :lol: Soon it'll just be two saddles, so not too bad right?! :lol: I definitely need to clean that one up & just sell it, hopefully I'll have it posted within the next few weeks haha. I've just been lazy.


Heeeeeeey, nothing wrong with having 3 for 1. That’s what I have for Mitch. Treeless, dressage and western endurance (even had doubles on the endurance and dressage for a while there, but it felt good to move them along to people who like them and use that money for the treeless acquisition). I’ve technically still got 4, since the western in my shed won’t fit the flufflinger and while it _might_ fit my old mare, she’s permanently retired. 

But it’s good to have options depending on what I need a saddle for on any given ride.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Yea, lovely photos of your beautiful horses.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Friday I did get Tiger out after work for a ride. It was a nice ride on my neighbor's trails - he has been acting a little spooky when we go out on trails, so I hope it is just him trying to adjust at being back at it. I don't know if the wind was damp or something, but I was absolutely frozen when we got back. 

Saturday we had some pretty bad weather, but I still took Amber to riding lesson. We did mostly ground work. I did try to get some pics of some of the things we are working on - the one I attached is not great, but this is working on her haunches-in. She is starting to get it, but I can see that it is mentally hard for her to figure it out. 

I also inquired about some more local people who do dressage and host clinics, etc. In a couple weeks I hope to sit in at one of their clinics and see what they are all about. It sounds like my current instructor might be selling her place as they finally had an offer come in. I will be so sad to see her go, but trying to put some feelers out there so I have an idea of who to go to once my instructor is gone. 

Although I am focusing more on CTR/endurance, I still want to continue our dressage training as I think it is super beneficial. 

I also think the Specialized saddle I bought is at the post office so I am hoping to get there to pick it up. I am hoping to get it fitted to Tiger tomorrow so I can give it a go!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Awww, so nice that you took Tiger on a trail! :smile: It just LOOKS cold out there! LOL. Promise gets that way sometimes when it's been awhile (& she's my 'trail' horse!). Very looky and then eventually relaxes. I think all the snow can make everything look different to them too. :lol: The wind may have also played a part. He looks so fluffy!! 

I'm glad you had a good lesson with Amber too. Focusing on groundwork is great. Sorry to hear that about your instructor though, I hope you can find another instructor that is just as good.  I agree, no matter the discipline you solely focus on, I feel like everyone can benefit from some dressage.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Well, I found out that the dressage instructor I was inquiring about might not be a very good fit for me. My current instructor did some inquiring on my behalf. She knew someone who had attended one of his clinics. Apparently this lady would never go to him again as he is downright rude to the students. He swears a ton and I guess he even called some of his students stupid. I am Ok with people being blunt and I swear like a sailor myself sometimes. But to be rude to people who have paid good money to learn from you is unacceptable. 

My instructor also mentioned that she has seen him ride and his horses just don't look very happy and apparently there was an alleged animal abuse case brought against him years ago from another province. 

So yah...probably not a good fit for us. I will just have to keep looking. 

Yesterday my Specialized Saddle arrived at the post office, but unfortunately all my broker meetings took too long and I wasn't able to get there in time to pick it up. I am hoping to go on my lunch break today. EEeeee....It's like Christmas!! haha 

It is unbelievably windy here right now, so unless this wind disappears I won't be able to try out the saddle tonight though  

I also got to thinking about sending Amber to 'boot camp' a bit earlier than I originally thought. I will talk to the girl who is putting the miles on her and see what she thinks. I was going to send her in May, but I'm now thinking of maybe sending her at the end of this month instead. The first endurance ride is the first weekend of May - I don't think we would be ready for it, but the rest of the rides follow shortly after. 

I will hopefully be able to take some pics of the new saddle when I am finally able to get it on the horse. I don't mind being out in the cold, but I dislike being in the wind.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Oh NO, huge red flag there. I'm glad your current instructor looked into him! I had a trainer like that before - just condescending, rude, nope...never again. Wouldn't give them another dime. You can get your point across & teach your students without putting them down/belittling them. :icon_rolleyes: I agree, that's just unacceptable. Bad business too, nobody is going to want to take lessons from them!

Keep looking, I hope you find something. It may take some time, but the right instructor is out there.  

I hope the saddle works out too, that is so exciting!   I hope the wind dies down. Ugh! I'd be so anxious to try it! I think that's a good idea about sending Amber a little early too - it definitely wouldn't hurt! Sounds like a good plan.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@PoptartShop, I do recall some of the issues you were having when you were riding Redz back in the day....it is a shame that people have to act that way. 

I am honestly feeling a little frustrated this week. I did get to the post office to pick up my Specialized Saddle - and it is in great shape so I'm very happy with it. 

But our weather is just really being a downer. I am finding that mother nature is being a bit of a cow and it is very difficult to get out there to ride much. Yesterday the winds were atrocious all day long - it was very challenging even feeding the horses their dinner. 

And it looks like today will be much the same with the winds picking up. 

With the first endurance rides slotted for 2 months away I really feel like I should be getting started on conditioning my horses. But with the winds plus all the ICE everywhere it is very disheartening. I messaged the girl who might take Amber for a month of conditioning and she suggested getting a good base on her where I walk her 4-6 miles 3-4 times a week. But even that is tough to do right now. 

Tomorrow we get more snow and the forecast over the weekend is absolutely gross with highs of -12 celsius and more snow. 

How do you all deal with adverse weather? Guess I could toughen up, but the ice is still a major concern. 

I am also on the hunt for a new farrier, but seems these guys don't like to return messages. I was not super pleased with the shoeing job my farrier did last year, and I always feel like he just trims every horse the same - with no regard to their individual conformation. I am not versed well enough to critique his job, but I just know that I am not super happy as I feel like all my horses have run down heels.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I totally understand about the weather. I haven't been riding as much as I'd like to, we have a paperchase trail coming up next month & I feel like I really need to get back to the trails. I've only been riding on the weekends because it's too dark after work & we don't have much light (at least this weekend, daylight savings begins). Lately it's just been too windy, or the footing is eh, so I haven't hit the trails either. I feel like we need to work on other things, so I've been riding in the pasture instead of hitting the woods. But I need to hit the woods too!  It sucks!

I do ride when it's windy/cold, but I feel like I don't really get the best ride. I bundle up & suck it up, but I feel like it's hard to get a good ride in because well, the WIND! :lol: It's frustrating. :icon_rolleyes: I totally get it. This time of year sucks.

As for the ice, that is tricky. Walking she may be okay, but still, you don't want yourself OR her to slip either! Not much you can do about that. It sucks, like we didn't get any snow here (for once), but last month it rained for 2 weeks straight. It was muddy as heck, I couldn't ride, couldn't do ANYTHING! It's horrible. I really feel your pain. :sad: I hope the ice melts & things improve weather-wise, Amber will bounce back, it's out of your control right now.  You still have time though!!

Looking for a good farrier is also hard. Communication is a problem with a lot of them I've found. I agree - he shouldn't trim every horse the same. That is not good farrier work. Each horse is different. I hope you find a good farrier, one that actually responds!!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

cbar said:


> But our weather is just really being a downer. I am finding that mother nature is being a bit of a cow and it is very difficult to get out there to ride much. Yesterday the winds were atrocious all day long - it was very challenging even feeding the horses their dinner.
> 
> And it looks like today will be much the same with the winds picking up.
> 
> ...


I don't have any great strategies because what you wrote is exactly what we have here too. Yesterday I put hay out for the horses for dinner, and it was so sad it was comical- my poor mare had a bite of hay in her mouth as the 40mph wind literally blew the whole flake out from under her nose.

The ice, I get it. Last weekend I was ready for a 2 mile handwalk but the ice in the shady parts of the road was so treacherous that my horse's hind end kept slipping out from under her, just walking not even riding. No way I'd try riding in those conditions. We're also starting to get into mud season here (not sure if you live on dirt roads). It's hard to explain mud season to people who haven't experienced it, but while the footing is not terrible to ride in, the problem is that the roads get so rutted that when you're driving, you don't necessarily have control of your vehicle and just have to ride the ruts where they throw you. You could be on one side of the road and get pulled clear across the road by the ruts in the time it takes to sneeze without even trying. So it's nearly as dangerous to ride on the roads then as snow, because drivers just don't really always have control. And I have about 2 miles of dirt roads between me and trails.

The first ride around here is actually at the end of this month, which is nuts to me. Personally, I'm not planning on a ride until the first weekend of June. Maybbbeeeee Memorial Day, but we'll just have to see.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

It is nice to know we all have the same struggles. @PoptartShop, you are way tougher than I am as I refuse to ride when it is windy (unless I am already riding or at the trail head when the winds pick up). I absolutely detest doing anything in the wind. 
@egrogan, I had to laugh as it has happened more times than I care to count, where I put hay piles out for the horses and they blow away like tumble weeds. It is kind of funny watching the horses walk after their hay being blown across the paddock. 

I can't believe your first ride is this month!! That is so early! Don't they worry about trail conditions at all?? I know what you mean about the ruts - we got some warmer temps last week which melted a lot of snow (hence all the ice), but the roads melted a lot. So in some places they are turning to mud with ruts and other parts slush, others sheer ice and some are still snow covered. It's super annoying. 

Although, I think in all honesty I would prefer snow to rain any day. The constant mud would drive me crazy - plus I think it would be super painful keeping hay in a rainy climate too. 

I may get away with hand walking down the road if we are slow & careful, but I don't think I would try to actually ride on the roads right now. And our yard is a skating rink. 

I did manage to get in touch with one farrier that is coming out next week. We'll see how his trim job is and if I am happy I will continue to use him. His rates are a bit cheaper, but with the mileage he charges I think it works out to about the same. 

It is windy out there, but I am determined to at least try the new saddle on Tiger and see if I can get it shimmed properly. I don't know if I will actually ride though. I also want to continue picking up dog turds....try to get as much picked up before it snows again. 

This time of year really sucks. The time change will be nice though! This whole post makes me sound like a whiny baby. lol


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

egrogan said:


> I don't have any great strategies because what you wrote is exactly what we have here too. Yesterday I put hay out for the horses for dinner, and it was so sad it was comical- my poor mare had a bite of hay in her mouth as the 40mph wind literally blew the whole flake out from under her nose.


I am soooo bad, but the visual of this made me laugh  I was just trying to imagine how Raya would react to this...

When I was still living in Switzerland, riding on ice made me nervous, despite the horses being shod with studs...

Here we don't have snow, but the relentless rain is taking it's toll. I tried to ride Raya at least on the weekends, but I think we haven't gaited more than 5 minutes all year 

This is a pic of our "dry" ground - the pasture where I ride is worse and more than once I came back with water sloshing in my boots (pony is 14.3 and my legs are not that long)…















I think we can all agree that we can't wait for spring!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@SwissMiss, that is horrible!! I am glad we do not have the mud that you do! That would be an absolute nightmare! I think we all have our struggles no matter where we live. 

After my incessant whining, I did go out after work. It was a bit windy, but the temps were actually half decent. I tried my best to fit the new saddle on Tiger - it fits him pretty good but I may have to make a few minor adjustments. The seat is a bit big for me (I knew it would be), but I did order a seat saver and I'm hoping that will help a bit. Overall I was VERY happy with the saddle and couldn't be happier with my purchase (for once!) 

I decided to go for a ride on my neighbor's trails and I'd say we got a decent 4 mile ride in. It ended up being a pretty good night. I also got most of the dog turds in the yard picked up as it is going to snow again today. 

Temps outside this morning when I fed horses weren't too bad, but the wind definitely has a bite to it. 

I got a call from our bank last night - as our mortgage renews in a few months they wanted to start talking about terms, etc. they had asked if we had plans to borrow against the mortgage. I said no, but now that I've thought about, it might not be a bad idea. Our gas stove is on the fritz and God only knows how old it is. Our house is quite a bit older and I suspect that some of the appliances may be on their last legs. So might not be a bad idea to borrow some money on the house to upgrade? We have never borrowed against the house, but I think that would be the easiest/smartest way to do it?


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

cbar said:


> I can't believe your first ride is this month!! That is so early! Don't they worry about trail conditions at all??


 They have been struggling a bit to fill the ride, mostly because most of us local people had the same ice issue interrupting potentially riding in the snow. It does help they are offering intro distances, I think a lot of people who go will end up doing that. I actually think the trails could be ok (muddy, but not dangerous) by the end of the month if the past week is a good indicator of how spring is going to roll in. With this particular ride parking is already very challenging and with the mud a lot of people don't want to chance getting stuck. 

I might actually be able to get in the saddle this weekend though, I'm really excited at the prospect! Hope you get some ride time too


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I hope the new farrier works out. Fingers crossed! 

Me too, I'd much rather have snow than rain (even though I don't really like snow much either), but at least it doesn't cause as much mud! :lol: 
@egrogan omg! :lol: I had to laugh at the hay too. 

So glad the new saddle worked out!  The seat saver should help too if it's a little big. Better to be too big than too small. I am so glad you got to ride on some trails! Yay!! 
Totally OK to be whining about the weather, that's all I've been doing for the past few months. I HATE this time of year. :lol:


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

This weekend's weather was a bit of a downer - we got dumped on with snow and the temps were much colder. The horses got a break from me as the only time I saw them was when I ventured outside to feed them. 

Things are supposed to warm up today, so i will head out there shortly to take off their winter blankets and I'm hoping to get Ms. Amber out for a hand walk after work. 

I did use the bad weather as an excuse to get a ton of house cleaning/organizing down. I guess I got hit with the spring clean bug....I tackled a few closets and cupboards and scrubbed baseboards, ceilings and walls. I feel good about the amount of work I got done. I really want to clean out my garage, but that will be an all day project. I did find myself a couple painting projects so I hope to pick up some paint when I'm in town later this week. 

I am hoping going forward to get Amber out for more consistent walks. If I can get her hand walked a few times a week, then when she goes to boot camp next month she should have a fairly good base to build off of. I am a bit of a momma bear and it makes me nervous thinking of sending her away. But I think it will be good for her. And the place she is going is also a bison ranch, so having exposure to those beasts will be great.

Our first ride of the season is May 2. At first I wasn't even going to consider going, however one of my girlfriends wants to go and do the intro distance. She offered to let me stay in their heated camper, so I am now considering it. If things go as planned, Amber might be back from boot camp by then....I'd have to decide whether that would be a good first ride for her or if I should take Tiger. I guess it also depends on whether her saddle has come in from the States yet. The good thing about this ride is that the trails are very sandy, so at least I don't have to worry about having the horses shod so soon. 

But knowing that the first ride is less than 2 months away kind of has me in panic mode - and all the snow & ice we have right now is not helping. The snow is actually not bad, but the copious amounts of ice are what make things so difficult. 

At least with DST there will be more time in the evenings to exercise horses - still not sure I would have time to get both of them done in one night, but I can certainly try!!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

The last thing you needed was more snow! Ugh. But it is good you got some cleaning/organizing done. Doesn't that make you feel good?! I love that! So productive. 

Walking Amber will be good for her. Even if it's only a few times a week! Awww, I know, it will definitely be hard 'sending her away', but it will help you both. Aaaaand she will get desensitized to bison? Even better! :lol: I totally get it. I have a paperchase next month & I really need to use the extra daylight during the week to get us back to the trails so she's not like 'uh, what's going on?' when we get out there. :lol:

The ice definitely doesn't help ANYTHING! So frustrating, especially when you want to work them!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Once again this week has been super unproductive with the horses. I had two days when I was on the road for broker visits; those visits eat up so much time just with driving that by the time I get home I either don't have time to work horses or I am far too tired. 

Tuesday it was nice getting home from Calgary in the daylight though! I had more than enough time to flip another round bale and do chores before it got dark. 

Yesterday I got home from broker visits and my farrier showed up right behind me! He is a bit of an odd guy, but seemed to do an OK job. He was showing me what he was doing to help build up heel and help their angles. I also asked about Tiger's contracted heels, so he was addressing that as well. I will keep using him and see how he does going forward. The winds were so BAD yesterday that after he was done I had no desire to stay outside. 

I was hoping to either walk Amber or ride Tiger today after work, but once again mother nature is being a cow. The winds have picked up again and they are quite cool. And it is supposed to start snowing later today. South of us they have a winter storm warning so at least we shouldn't get as much snow as them, but our weather is still supposed to suck. Super depressing  
@PoptartShop, what is a paper chase? Do you have to condition your mare for it?


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I am loving the daylight too! Leaving work & not driving home in the darkness is lovely. Aww, it sounds like the farrier knows his stuff, at least he explains about the pressure points & angles. Hopefully he continues to do a good job. Some just trim & don't even explain anything (not a fan of that). I always ask my farrier questions & he knows his stuff, even though sometimes I have no idea what he means! :lol: 

Ugh, stupid wind! It can really be unbearable. I hate it. :icon_rolleyes: It's like mother nature never wants to behave. This nasty weather needs to stop!

So, the paperchase varies on how many miles it is, some are only 6mi, some are 10 or more. I think this one is 8-10mi. You have little checkpoints during the trail, last time we picked up colored blocks (silly, right?). Last time it was candy, which was more fun. LOL. But you're supposed to beat the desired ride time. I take my time, I don't really care about 'winning', although one year I got 3rd place! 

It was really cold the last one I did, so not many people rode. It was back in November though. I do try to take her out on the trails as much as I can before we go, so she's used to it. It's always at Fair Hill, where they have a lot of nice trails. They usually add new paths to the _original _trails for the paperchase though, which is cool.

It's fun, my mare is really good on trails, but I feel like she may be rusty since we've mostly been working in the pasture! So I need to really get her back in the woods & stuff soon! :lol:

So I totally feel your pain about the weather - this is the first time in months where I've been able to work my horse more than 2x a week. Fingers crossed mother nature takes a chill pill so you can work at least one of them!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

PoptartShop said:


> So, the paperchase varies on how many miles it is, some are only 6mi, some are 10 or more. I think this one is 8-10mi. You have little checkpoints during the trail, last time we picked up colored blocks (silly, right?). Last time it was candy, which was more fun. LOL. But you're supposed to beat the desired ride time. I take my time, I don't really care about 'winning', although one year I got 3rd place!
> (



So is this a timed event?? Or is it based on how many items you pick up on the trail? Sounds like a lot of fun! I hope the event isn't cancelled - it seems so much is being cancelled these days and it's super disheartening. Do you normally ride this alone or with friends? 

Well, I did get both horses hand walked yesterday. I took Amber into the field so she was forced to walk through the deep snow. I gave up about halfway though as it was SO difficult to walk through. It is the crusty snow, so you step on the top and then you break through and sink. And my poor elderly dog was having a hard time, so I thought it best to turn back . Amber didn't work up a sweat, but I did!!! I think she is actually in better shape than I think she might be. And she wasn't blowing or anything. She didn't like it, but I don't think it was super hard on her.

Next I grabbed Tiger and just took him down the road. I thought of riding, but I was way too lazy to brush and saddle, plus I wanted to get some exercise too. 

Our weather turned overnight, so I likely won't be doing anything with them at all this weekend  

Another thread on here got me thinking. This year is the first year I hope to use Amber for endurance/CTR. It's hard to know the heart/drive a horse has when they've never been put to the test. I am curious if Amber has that drive. I have heard that Mares can give you more than geldings. Tiger has come through for me on numerous occasions....and I have yet to really test Amber. I guess my concern is when the going gets tough, what will she do? 

I don't know if I've ever had a horse completely shut down on me before. 

I guess I just keep wondering if she will like or be any good at endurance. I mean, she is definitely not built for it, however Canadians are known for having good stamina and work ethic. I don't need to win ribbons or anything, but if she absolutely detests it or really struggles even with proper conditioning. I guess I wonder what then? I suppose I would have to think if she should be sold as I know this is a sport I would like to continue doing. 

I know someone who occasionally uses their 26 year old horse; Tiger is 22 and I can't help but think at that age his body may be limited as to how much I can use him. I know every horse is different - I know some horses who are retired at 20, where as I just started him in endurance last year!! 

Just some random thoughts rolling around in my head. And on that note, the horses probably want some lunch, so out into the arctic I must go.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

@cbar - does Tiger by any chance have Albatross in his pedigree? Something about his face. I've got two Albatross grandsons and one of them has the typical Albatross face, like your horse...


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

SueC said:


> @cbar - does Tiger by any chance have Albatross in his pedigree? Something about his face. I've got two Albatross grandsons and one of them has the typical Albatross face, like your horse...


Tiger is an Alberta-bred Standardbred. His sire was Royal Arms...I haven't looked back in his pedigree, so not really sure what he's got in there. When I look up his tattoo number on USTA it doesn't come up? But I have his registration papers here somewhere.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Bingo! Tiger too is an Albatross grandson:

https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/royal+arms

As are the two dark horses in this photo:



Compare Tiger's face to Sunsmart's...












Same shape ears, wide forehead, eyes, nose etc; nice wide chest, solid barrel, good length of rein. Classical Albatross look! Here's Albatross:



















https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_(horse)

https://standardbredcanada.ca/trot/june-2014/albatross-racings-wonder-horse.html






No wonder Tiger does well in endurance!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

@SueC, that is so awesome!! What a good eye you have!! I had no idea as I never bothered to look back in his pedigree  

Your boys are so handsome  Tiger is a pretty laid back guy, but is not the most personable horse. Meaning, he prefers to be left alone most of the time and isn't too keen on snuggles and attention. 

But he does try hard for me; so does quite well in endurance.

It is so interesting the traits which are passed on to the various offspring.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

cbar said:


> Tiger is a pretty laid back guy, but is not the most personable horse. Meaning, he prefers to be left alone most of the time and isn't too keen on snuggles and attention.
> 
> But he does try hard for me; so does quite well in endurance.


Yep, that's also typical - neither Sunsmart not Julian nor their sire The Sunbird Hanover (whom I knew well) were particularly snuggly - they were like, "Feed me, work me, and then leave me alone, and if you're a stranger, stay at least 10 metres back or I will eat you!" but as they got to know me better, they struck up good relationships with me. I still wouldn't call what they morphed into with me particularly snuggly - but all of them are/were affectionate in their own way - though only if you do things with them! Very playful and very independent horses - and the most superb work ethic! 

I've found a better comparison photo. Please ignore the rider (my husband at Halloween years ago):

Tiger:










Sunsmart:


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

oh yah, @SueC, the similarities are uncanny! They look nearly identical. 

Funny thing is that when Tiger was a 3 year old on the track, he was the most laid back guy. He was my favorite to harness, groom and turn out as I knew I would get no funny business from him. I was told his sire was like that. And I also met Tiger's 2 year old full brother who was much the same way. They were nearly identical as well, except his brother had two back socks. 

I'm not sure how many Royal Arms' babies are around anymore, and I am fairly certain my next horse will be another standy - they are just so awesome.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

What bothers me is that Tiger, Sunsmart and Julian are examples of the "old" style STB, which may be dying out. In the last 10-15 years I've seen the type in Australia change to a less multipurpose horse - lighter frames, very short necks. A friend rescued an OTSTB from the local dogfood place ten years ago and though he's a nice horse on the ground and to work with, riding him felt like I was riding downhill and had no horse in front of me - his neck was so short. The Albatross type horses, and also the Romeo Hanover type horses, and other classic types like that, plus a lot of the European trotter breeds were fabulous to ride as well as drive, and I fear it's going to be difficult for me to find horses like that once mine get to old-age retirement. I hope you still have more choice in the USA and Canada...

I have absolutely no desire to replace my horse - I wish he could just age backwards for the next 15 years and then forwards again, and then I'd have another 30 years of riding him, which would just about see me out!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I know what you mean; I can't believe that Tiger is almost 22 and I wish we could just start going backwards as I enjoy my time with him so much! 

I have another standy here who is not sound and he also has a wonderful personality (horrible conformation though). I have not been around the track at all so I am not entirely sure what kinds of horses are available. There is a friend of mine who will occasionally get a mare off the track, but I have not met any of her new projects. 

What i love about Tiger is that he was a pacer, but has never actually paced under saddle. He has a lovely trot and when he really gets going it would knock your fillings out...LOL. But he can and will canter. I'll have to try to get a video next time I feed as he is the oldest of my little herd and is also the one that will go running when I put the hay piles out. 

We had a debate going whether using an endurance horse that paces a lot was hard on their bodies - especially the lateral movement going up & down hills. I think they were finding that horses that paced under saddle were more prone to soreness over the long/varying terrain.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Sunsmart is 23, and his great-grandmother was a French Trotter, my first riding horse (fabulous horse, died too young at only 15). He never learnt to pace properly (always had a skip after being forced to try for years and years in hopples :evil because the trotting strain really came through in him. I finally got to adopt him when he was 11 and they'd stopped trying, but the reason they persisted with this horse is that he has the most endurance of any horse they'd ever trained and could do lap after lap after lap of a deep sand track at a fast trot or strong canter and just keep going. His under-saddle trot is fabulous; occasionally when he's unbalanced he will return from a canter to an offbeat pace (because of past training) and then change back to his trot. His canter is lovely too, by the way.

I rode an "ambidextrous" metro pacer for years whom you could ask for any gait. He never wanted to pace in deep sand, around twisty-turny trails or when there was much uphill-downhill - there he trotted or cantered. He thought it was OK to pace on solid, long, straight limestone roads that were like a racetrack! Both by association, and because that's the only type of terrain where the pace wasn't a disadvantage to him biomechanically, especially under load from a rider - and if you said to him, "Trot please" on those roads, he would do that and then stride out with equal panache. He was excellent at endurance too - I trained him that way and got to do one ride on him (time constraints on my side plus the horse was engaged to race once a fortnight and doing well on city tracks).

I think your thoughts and observations about pacing under saddle are spot on. When you think about it, the animals that pace naturally tend not to live in very varied terrain - camels in deserts etc, and I suspect Iceland is comparatively flat too...


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yes! You get a number & they time you, and count how many items you got along the way. It's really a fun time. It probably will get cancelled though, a lot of events are already. :sad: Ugh. I will still go to hit the trails that day (I took off work for it) but it won't be AS fun!

I always go alone. I've had people say they would go, then they back out. I'm used to just riding alone anyway. Hard to find people to ride with, but I think it's good for Promise as well because she can be alone on trails with no issues.

I am glad you got both horses exercised. Ugh, snow like that is hard to walk on. I'd be out of breath too! :lol: I think it'll be good for Amber, you'll see what she's made of, she may surprise you! I am so excited for you! It'll be a fun time.  Tiger sounds like he is in good spirits & is a sweetheart! <3


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Updates!! 

I know i have been terrible at updating this, but work has been incredibly busy and stressful ever since all the COVID 19 stuff went off the rails. I am thankful I still have a job though! In addition, just some personal issues that I was dealing with, but hopefully everything will work itself out. 

Up until last week, we were still in the throes of winter. We had a copious amount of snow and below zero temps. And wind. So riding wasn't really happening and I was trying to get Amber out for a few hand walks a week. We FINALLY have spring weather and within the span of 2-3 days most of the snow has now melted. 

I am now more motivated to ride, so have been starting to log some riding miles with Tiger. I am very happy with the Specialized Saddle i bought for him; I think it still needs some minor adjustments but I am hopeful this will be a long term saddle for us. 

Amber's saddle I'd ordered arrived last week. I had made multiple posts regarding saddle fit and the frustrations I was dealing with. I had opted to just order an EZ Fit treeless saddle - and had it made brand new. The maker made a few adjustments to his model to account for her extra-wide shoulder. I had the saddle delivered last week and also had a chiro adjustment done on Amber. 

I will post pictures of her saddle tomorrow when I'm on my other computer....

So aside from all the events being cancelled, things are looking up. I am hoping to start hauling off property to hit up some local trails soon - the conditions should be improving and the tentative plan is to haul out next weekend. 

Amber will begin her 'diet' program soon. Now that there are some fresh sprigs of grass growing, the poor girl will be limited as to how much she gets. I bought extra travel panels as my plan is to set them up around the yard so the horses have more controlled grazing areas. I need to do this so I can keep them off my paddocks and let them rest and grow properly. 

Last week I got Tiger out for 3 rides. Our distance has been pretty moderate at around 6-7km, but I have started implementing a bit more trotting into our rides. I am hoping this coming week to increase distance a little bit more. 

Amber got out for a few hand walks last week - last night I walked her about 5km and incorporated a lot of up & down hill climbs into our walk. My plan with her is to mix it up a bit - so incorporate a bit of school work, hand walking, as well as trail work.

I am hoping to get the farrier out in the next week or so; the horses need a trim and I will probably get shoes put on Tiger since we will be doing so much more road riding. Amber is OK barefoot - and unless we head out West or to the mountains she can stay that way for now. I will also get the chiro out to work on Tiger in the next week or so.

So I am hoping I can keep this thread updated with how we are doing - now that things are actually progressing!


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

A few recent pics. We have a small river that borders one of the fields by our house. Most times of the year it would be a stretch to call it a river as it is fairly small. However, it was the highest I'd ever seen it - the water is normally about 4-5 feet below the foot bridge in the picture. The water came down as fast as it went up - we still have run-off from the mountains to worry about, but that will happen later in the spring. 

Rose (one of my dogs) is lucky she doesn't get kicked. My horses are far too kind - she was hanging out directly behind Chevy's hind legs while I was hand grazing him. The horses are very tolerant of her; I have given her trouble, but she just isn't too bright. 

And finally, Amber's new saddle. She still reminds me of Chris Farley when I put any tack on her though! I'm hoping she will slim down a bit, but she will always be a bigger mare. She is still overweight, but I can finally feel some ribs (this is something I've never been able to do), so I'm optimistic all the hand walking I've been doing is paying off.

Sunday I had planned to get her out, but sadly the winds were far too strong and I despise doing much out in the winds. So instead b/f & I made a planter box in the shop. I also switched out my winter tires on my CRV and got a bunch of painting done. So overall it wasn't a complete waste of a day. I hope tonight after work to get out and work the mare, but we do have T-storms and more wind in the forecast.


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