Horses and Turbos: 10/11/09

I got brave and decided it was time for us to hit the trails alone. I could not find others to ride with this weekend, and wanted to get past depending on anyone to go ride. So even though it was only her fourth time on trails, it was time!

I think Starlette spooked - in place, only tried to circle back twice at the beginning. - at *everything*. We first walked down past campsites to Ant Hill Trail, (named for it’s very large anthills) and do you know that picnic tables, water pumps, and outhouses *may eat horses*? Silly mare!

Then we went onto Ant Hill Trail and spooked up a herd of deer, that spooked her! She was really scared, but stood in one place when they took off after one initial leap forward. Of course, they followed the trail, so we kept spooking them. I think that worked out well, as Starlette finally got used to them and just watched. By the end of the ride, she got much better at spooking - stopped the "gotta be ready to flee" dropping down of shoulders, and just stood and trembled.

So, what may eat horses at Silver Creek, not a total list:

Picnic Tables, Water Pumps, Outhouses, Mud, Deer, Downed Tree Limbs, Tree Limbs Wacking Horse Sides, Squirrels, Vehicles, Houses Beyond Treeline, Kids Playing In Houses Beyond Treelines, Shotguns Going Off, White Trail Markers, Green Trail Markers, Leaves On Ground, Leaves On Trees, Leaves Rustling In Trees, Chipmunks, Pine Trees, Ant Hills, Giant Tree Mushrooms, Sand, Horse Trailers, More Horse Trailers, Grills, The Other Outhouse....

I'm sure I forgot some....

My back aches from holding myself loose and relaxed, yet centered and balanced in case she bolted. I felt myself tense up a few times, but made my hips relax so that Starlette would not pick up on it. She was very brave for the fourth time on the trails...and alone! I only had to push her forward a few times...and one was returning to our trailer crossing the parking lot...she was *shocked* at all the trailers and horses there!

I was just glad that we did not have to pass any horses going in the opposite direction – I do not know if Starlette would insist on following them, or listen to me.

Of course, I think she wanted to stay...took me 5 minutes to load at home and 25 to load at Silver Creek! All in all, we had a nice ride, and I saw her confidence build by the end of the ride, so we are going back again tomorrow!

For fun: Picture from last week's ride at Silver Creek taken by one of the other riders:

At the Trailer

Taken Looking Back At me...Check Out Starlette's Glowing Eyes!

Sorry for taking a while to post...I've been very busy with my trailer refurbishing (blog to follow), but I just got fixated on saddle fit...not that I was not concerned before, but I suddenly became aware of how subtle changes can make a big diffenence.

When I got Starlette, she was a 6 year old, not matured or filled out yet. Heck, she was only about 15.1 hands, and now she's pretty darn close to 16! The western barrel saddle I bought to ride in fit her well...my biggest concern was her high withers, and that saddle never came near them. I then switched to my english saddle. Starlette had always been prone to buck at a canter, was hard to get into a canter (mostly my fault, bad signals), and as I became more knowledgeable, I wondered if a different saddle would help. I also felt that riding in my english saddle would make me a better rider as I had much less to depend on for balance, etc.

She became much better with my english saddle; I had bought a riser pad because it was too close to her withers. With the pad, I could get one finger in, which at the time I thought was enough. She also did not act up with it...she stopped all bucking (thankfully!) when I asked her to canter.

These last two months when I started trail riding, I again wanted to be sure she was as comfortable as possible, since we were no longer on level pasture. After my first two rides, I decided to pull out my western saddle and see how she did. She had not had it on for almost 2 years.

My first warning something was not right was that she pinned her ears and swished her tail in a complete circle (did you know a horse could do that?). I ignored her and rode her around for about 20 minutes. I liked how I felt so snug in the saddle, but wasn't sure about how Starlette felt.

The next day I again put it on..same reaction, only worse. I started having my doubts, but rode her for about 30 minutes...about 20 minutes in, she pinned her ears, and pranced in one spot, refusing to move out. I made her obey, then quit. Pulled the saddle off, and it had rubbed the skin off bloody around the girth area

I posted the saddle on Craigs List and sold it a few days later.

I freaked out when I found white hairs around her withers from the pinching of the western saddle.

So I became fixated these last few weeks on saddle fit. I learned a lot! I found out my english saddle was bridging, too wide, and that I had been sold a back riser pad, not a front! I promptly cut out the extra bumps in the back of the pad, which fixed my wither problem and the width...I now have 3 fingers without me in the saddle, and 2 with me! I also moved the saddle back barely an inch, and no more bridging!

I then moved onto pads and girths. I have two pads...a nice thin one, and a white fluffy one. I also have two girths...one that is fluffy, and one that is a synthetic material, more like a fabric than leather. I found with my fluffy pad/fluffy girth, I lost 2 fingers again. I put the thin pad and non-fluffy girth, and have my 3/2 fingers.

The final test was riding. I first rode with the thin pad/non-fluffy girth. Well, my gal sashayed all over the place! I never felt her move so freely except when I was bareback riding her, and even not then, as she was really feeling my every move! Her hips rocked, her shoulders reached out, and she moved with forward with gusto! I actually had to hold her in at a canter! I could not believe the difference!

The next day I tried the fluffy pad/fluffy girth. Again, no matter what I did, I could not get my 3/2 fingers. I decided to ride just to see what she did. Back to the same old thing. I had to work to get her to move forward. After about 10 minutes, I changed back to the thin/non-fluffy combo...and she hustled her butt all over the place! She reached forward, was underneath herself, and had big movement! I had my 2 fingers at a hand gallop with me leaning a bit forward.

I am still amazed at the difference that just a simple thing like a pad/girth change can make in the fit of a saddle. I have learned quite a bit, and will always make sure that Starlette is comfortable. I always wondered why she moved so nicely when I lunged her, and yet when I rode, she was so tight.

Starlette also got ridden bareback for about two weeks until she was healed. Pics of her jogging and posting trot - I do not recommend bareback, by the way! My husband was the photographer and did not quite know what I wanted, and did not get any bareback canter pictures. Do not laugh at my fat ass! I am on a diet, and have already lost a few pounds! How come cameras and riding make you look fatter? And why does it take such a picture to encourage you to lose some weight? I am posting two-fold..now I am committed to losing weight, and also so that people can see what a pretty girl I have!

Western Jog

Sitting to a Posting Trot
Yeah, Like I'd Post Bareback!

And finally...a contest. Name the look on Starlette's face...she's just been loaded in the trailer. For those who are wondering...I use a rope halter under her leather one to control her. She ignores the leather halter, but the rope halter demands respect! I then tie her with the leather halter as I don't want to put any pressure on her head while trailering. And yes, I know the rope halter is low...it slipped during her shenanagans!