Caved...kinda.

Friday evening I went out to visit Moon after work. I found him at the very back of the pasture, and was a little sad to see that his leg didn't look any better. It almost looked a *little* bit bigger. : (

Thought I'd have a 'feel' for how he was and at the same time, spare myself having to walk all the way back to the barn...so I clambered onto his back (yes, clambered. Even at 15.1hh, it's hard to make it a beautiful fluid motion with no saddle).

I only had his halter and one lead rope. Which I didn't tie to the other side of his halter, meaning technically, I could only steer him in one direction.

...I also realized, the next DAY, that I did this without a helmet. Shame, shame on me. I can't believe that. Unacceptable of me, though it really speaks to my trust of this pony.

So we weaved our way back to the barn at a walk, Moon actually neck reining really nicely, and me using my legs where I could to re-direct him. He's such a sweet pony.

At the barn I had installed the wide gullet on my saddle and tried to figure out where Moon's shoulder was. I should say, unlike in the videos I posted the other day, Moon has too much fat to really feel much. It's sad but true.

I guess to my best, and set the saddle on him. In that spot, the wide gullet seemed good. 3 fingers at the top of the gullet, 2 fingers on the sides. Seemed better then in the medium actually. Girthed him up and he still glared.

Hopped on and rode him around the little from paddock for a bit. His trot was rushed as he didn't really want to settle. I should say, that in about 10 seconds of riding, the saddle had slid forward and now not only was it on his shoulder, it was about 1 finger from his wither. And twisting/sliding off to one side or the other...the fact I had no saddle pad on him didn't help. Nor did the fact that my tight girth became VERY loose when it slids forward...

Knowing it was in the wrong spot again, I gave up. Took it off and left it on the ground right there. SOO frustrating.

Took him to the round pen to check for lameness instead. Honest, he seemed fine. But I'm bad at judging anyway. He didn't want to trot much, but let's face facts. He's pretty lazy on the good days : P

So I hopped on (bareback again) and tried trotting him around to feel for lameness. It's easier for me this way. Trying to see it is much tougher then just feeling for it.

Honest, didn't feel it either.

I DID get a good lesson on riding the trot bareback though!!! I have a TERRIBLE tendancy to lean forward, and in order to maintain the trot and not bounce right off Moon, I had to shift my weight back, relax my legs and thighs and breathe. I always feel like I'm leaning back, but I know in fact I'm just finally upright.

We did okay, and after a couple of laps I heard a honk out at the road...which meant my friend from work had passed by on her way home. Which to me, means that it was 5 pm, and I had to get going to my parent's for dinner!

Hopped off, hosed down Moon's legs. The lump actually seemed a bit smaller...hmmm...excercise reducing?

His right hind ankle was cool. The 'warmth' I feel I'm pretty sure is the heat from the sun shining on the brown hair. His other ankle is white! When I turn him or keep him in the shade for a bit, the heat goes away!

Slapped on some poultice (unwrapped) on the lump since I knew I wouldn't be back this weekend. Couldn't blanket him either since it was going to *finally* rain.

Couple of cookies, a handful of multivitamin (mmm...love the way it makes my hands smell like ponies after I leave), and back out to the pasture. Still, no lameness that I could detect.

One more cookie, and I thought "I'll just tap him in the bum with my lead rope to see how he goes as he trots away!"

'tap'

ZOOM! Moon TAKES off at a gallop, jumps CLEAR over two logs laying by the gate, hugs the corner and flies down the length of the pasture.

...yeah. If he was lame before, I'm probably exacerbated it now! Then again, at a gallop he looked just fine! : P


So WHAT did I cave on?

Not the saddle. There's a nice one in Calgary, 14 hours away. My mother-in-law is there right now, but I want to actually have a look at the saddle if I'm paying that much. So I'm going to see if that one is still for sale come Thanksgiving and maybe we'll go out there to visit the family. The saddle HAS been for sale since June...

I caved and bought an anatomical girth.

I KNOW I need something to prevent the saddle slip while I await a new saddle. The cost to remedy this problem is less expensive by comparisson. I've got a sheepskin pad in the mail, that I'm hoping if paired with the offset girth, changed gullet and MAYBE I'll break and buy the stick saddle stuff too, will let me get through the next 5 months or so.

It's a nice girth. Doesn't match my black saddle, but they only had brown in stock. W/e, my leathers are brown, and so was my other girth.

It's a Wintec CAIR Jumping Girth. These are the ones with the elastic in the middle. I've seen mixed reviews, but for the price I thought I'd give it a go. After this, I'd be looking at $250 girths, and I'm not going there. I'd get a new saddle first.

I'll do a bit of a review once I get it. I suspect it's just an anatomic with CAIR version of my cheapy griffith synthetic girth anyway! Shouldn't be a problem.

So now what am I waiting for? CAIR girth, shipping boots, fleece 1/2 pad, cavallo horse boots.

Yup. I WAY overspent this month. Again.

Oye.

25 days till move??

Oh, last question...
Do you blanket an outdoor boarded horse that's being worked regularly in an indoor arena (say 4 times/week at a walk/trot/canter) in weather that's 10 f or below? I'm concerned that I need to get him some winter blankets otherwise he'll have too much winter fuzz and NEVER dry after a ride...or freeze because of it...