Tuesdays riding lesson lasted about 10 minutes when my horse stumbled and started limping. I really felt bad trotting him so my trainer could see that he was in pain. Fortunately for me, Laurie MacDonald, dressage enthusiast and saddle fitter extraordairie was at the barn. She came to fit some saddles on horses. My old Crosby, my precious saddle that I have loved on for over 20 years has been pronounced by Laurie as well as my trainer Kelsey Magid and Di Hopkins as being too small for me. As in, I should have never purchased it, it never actually fit.
The saddle I bought when I purchased Silver is an Equitation saddle and the fit was a little snug for mommy body. So I went on ebay and purchased a saddle, the morning I make a bid on a black Courbette Lemetex Husar, Kelsey tells me about a Crosby for sale in a Facebook Tack Trading page. So I bought the Crosby off Facebook and I won the ebay auction for the Courbette. Now I have 4 saddles, which one fits? Hence, Laurie's visit to the barn. The equitation saddle fits Silver, but doesn't position me so well on him and it makes his back sore. Get rid of that saddle! No one needs a sore back. I think it makes my back sore, too!
The new 18 Crosby fits really nicely and my hips really open up at the walk, which means he opens up. Kelsey said when my hips start to swing in the saddle, he lifts his tail, expels gas - does this mean he is a gas powered pony- and rounds his back. I noticed in the Equitation saddle it was harder to loosen up my hips when walking. The Crosby is more open and a flatter type saddle so my legs and hips swing easier.
The Courbette is too narrow for Silver. What a bummer! I've always wanted a Courbette. I was disappointed to find out Courbette had been purchased by Stuebben a couple of years ago. Which explains the lack of Courbette's on the market. So I'll condition the leather on the Courbette and resell it on ebay. I'm sure someone will like it for their narrow thoroughbred. Apparently, Silver is built more like a warmblood than the OTTB that he is.
On Thursday, I got to test ride my newly fitted Crosby on Silver. He seems to like it. It fits better over his shoulders and I can use my hips on the flatter/looser frame. Once I loosen my hips, he loosens up. What a concept!
I wore new riding breeches to my lesson, well that was a mistake, because they were way too big on me and caused rubbing in wrong places. Ugh!
It had rained early in the morning, so the arena was wet, which concerned me. I was worried that Silver would slip in the mud, even though Kelsey assured me it would not. She has been working on me not "forcing" my heels down. To put my weight on the ball of my foot and not put the weight on my heels - this is the exact opposite of what I have heard for most of my riding life - This new way of riding is called "balanced riding" - and you thought you were already balanced, right? It totally befuddles me. Actually, it wouldn't be so hard to do, if I wasn't constantly trying to point my toes into the horse. I pronate, which means I ride in ballet's first position, my heels are digging into the horse. Actually, my back of my leg is on the horse, instead of the side of my calf. I know I accomplished the side of my calf during Thursday's lesson because I have an ugly bruise on the side of my calf. And when I squeezed my legs, I could really feel it through my calves and thighs. I haven't been saddle sore in a couple of months, since I started riding "balanced"
I kept having problems on Thursday, I'm still not entirely sure what my deal was, if it was the wet arena, the wind that seemed to be freaking out my horse, that I wasn't on my a game because of allergies, the new saddle, the too big pants...my trainer has to be part psychologist to get me over my blocks. I kept losing my right stirrup and felt like I was unbalanced, I felt like I was all over the place and worried that I couldn't stop the horse. He never ran away with me, I was always in control.
She told me, "it's not him, it's you." Well, that hurts to hear, I'd rather it be him, than me. But I can accept responsibility of my actions...I might not have understood why I was doing certain things with him, but I was always in control. I finally told her, I can either point my toes inward or I can balance on the balls of my feet, but I can not do both at the same time. It's too much today. So I am working on pointing my toes inward and keeping my heels off the horse.
We did some canter work where I bent his head in just a little, he would give and then I would release and push him forward. I am constantly taking up my reins when I do this at the trot. I couldn't figure out why we were doing this at the canter. Part of it was to stay in control and the other part to create/maintain suppleness of the horse. I should probably give myself a break, I've cantered three or four times since I had my flying dismount in July - that could be freaking me out, too.
I'm hoping to go to a rated horse show next Sunday. I'm overly ambitious! So next week, we will start working on jumping. That fall really started me on a different training direction. I need to build more self confidence in the saddle. And maybe get a pair of breeches that fit!
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