Tuesday Ride

I went on a ride tonight, had a lot of fun! Arabee was handling like a sports car, winding in and out of trees, moving nice and smooth underneath me, over logs, hills, ditches, grass clods, you name it.

I rode a solid 30 minutes up and down hills, walking and BIG trotting, before I noticed the saddle had slipped forward significantly (2 or so inches!!) Looks like I'll be needing that crupper after all...

I had been hoping to not need the crupper with this new saddle, but I'm going to have to use it. I found someone I think who can put a D-ring on the back of this saddle for me, they usually work on Western saddles, but a D-ring is a D-ring, right? I think a real D-ring will be more secure than the "T" adapter I bought for my other saddle - it came out from under the panels too easily!

At one point she gave me one of those big whole body shakes, the kind they do after a good roll in the dirt, though I am not sure if that is what moved the saddle, or if she was trying to move it back by herself. I wish I'd have paid closer attention.

I had noticed she was wanting to break into a trot from a walk, and even broke into a canter from the trot a few times, and it felt "off" riding her. Finally I had to stop and look, and that's when I noticed how loose the breastcollar had gotten........or how far forward the saddle was. I didn't want to get off and re-position the saddle, because I figured she'd have thought she was finished, and she had been very good so I figured we'd stop on a good note tonight.

She drank from the creek again, and crossed through it very nicely. She had a lot of energy and really wanted to GO, but was under control and wasn't spooky. It was a fun time. :-)