I had stopped in last month while I was at a training course in Alabama...I took three days of leave and drove up to Lexington to see Sig, try saddles, and just enjoy KY for a short bit before heading back to Okinawa for the final few weeks of my tour. I was so happy to be driving my big diesel truck on the one-lane country backroads, I couldn't contain my excitement and I couldn't even turn the truck into my friend on time. I had to turn around and drive another hour.
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| How do you not keep driving around in country this beautiful? |
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| My kind of traffic jam! |
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| I. Love. This. Truck. |
Now that I'm back for real, that happiness and sheer excitement for this area is almost overwhelming. I am so thankful to have Sig settled at a beautiful farm with all the amenities, surrounded by people who know and love him. I have had two excellent rides on him already since I got back. I've kept things extremely simple, partly because I am SO FREAKING UNFIT, and also because I'm working on getting Sig working more over his back and being more forward from behind, and softer in the bridle. It's a good time for us both to work on our fitness together.
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| So happy to be home with this dude!!! |
Quick flashback to my short vist in May: I rode twice, once to try some new Voltaire saddles, and again in my friend's Voltaire, which Sig has been going in all year. Probably because I was out of the saddle so long and lacking the touch, Sig and I actually fought pretty hard on the flat. He felt dead mouthed, heavy, stiff necked, and overall just did not resemble the horse I had a year ago. He has been going so well for Ashley this last year. I was feeling a little defeated and confused, but I tried to chalk it up to me being out of the saddle for so long and tried not to worry about it (but I still worried about it).
Now that I'm home, my goal is to start installing the dressage buttons on him. He jumps around a course like a champ, with a great metronome canter and an athletic, easy jump. But I also want my horses (whether hunter or jumper types) to be solid dressage horses. So this is the start. Yesterday we mostly just walked, worked on lateral and longitudinal flexion, stretching, softening into the outside rein off the inside leg pressure, leg yields, etc. I did some quick trot loops in each direction, but only long enough to see that he was willing to stay down and forward in the trot, being soft in the bridle and not fighting me at all. Sig was very soft in the bridle, forward in the walk, was starting to lift his back and swing, and overall felt like that horse I had bought (but obviously way more educated and stronger thanks to my trainer friend's wonderful help). He was lovely and I was so happy with how he felt compared to the month prior.
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| Looking good, can't wait to develop his topline this year |
Today, we rode outside in the jump field (he was definitely feeling fresh today so that was WHEEE TIME to start off!) and worked more on the walk. I love the walk - I can spend weeks and weeks just walking if necessary. You can install so many buttons and do so much good work in the walk (and get pretty damn fit) before you ever have to screw with the trot or canter. I'm of the philosophy that if a horse isn't balanced in one gait, you don't work in the next gait up. So for the time behing while I'm working on my fitness, we'll spend a LOT of time in the walk to install some of these concepts, and strengthen his back, hind end, and start building that topline.
We trotted more today too, and while there was some inverted moments dealing with other horse traffic in the jump field and the busy road next door (confirmed by trainer he is not a huge fan of cars), he actually had a lot of nice moments in the trot and certainly felt more steady in the contact and willing to come over his back and onto the bit (and for the most part, stay there). It was like riding a completely different horse than our rides back in May. I hope to spend a lot of time in that jump field, as there is a gentle incline (no real hills around the farm so no straight hill work days for us) and it will be good for training/conditioning. It's also straight up gorgeous.
Overall I'm just totally chuffed. I know with time and consistency, he will come along with the dressage stuff and the jumping is going to be even more fun as a result. We'll spent a lot of time walking the next several weeks, with some trotting and the odd canter/jump school, but right now my focus is taking it slow, re-establishing our relationship (can you say rope halter time?), laying the foundation of the topline, and getting myself fitter. I'm hoping by August we'll be ready for more "fun" stuff, but lucky for me (not so much Sig) I love the slow work.
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| Wondering how he is the ONLY HORSE in the barn with an owner that also owns a dressage whip |
We've had a bit of a saddle saga as well. My beloved CWD does not fit him (as I saw in May), so I had been on the lookout for a Voltaire saddle instead. I sat in two new ones back in May, but honestly didn't love either one (half deep and deep seat saddles). I thought it was only because I was out of the saddle for so long. But honestly, I just don't like new saddles. I felt a mile away from the horse with a lot of leather between us. That said, I ended up putting a deposit down on a new one only to cancel as I found a used Voltaire online with all the right specs. I bought it while I was back in Okinawa and had it shipped to the farm.
Sig brewed and abscess at the same time the saddle arrived, so was unable to be ridden in it. However, it fit him well and I decided to keep the saddle. Unfortunately, once Sig was sound after the abscess, there was concern from my trainer whether the saddle truly fit him when in work and whether the tree could potentially be broken. It was certified sound by the seller (reputable vendor of used, high-end saddles who had it examined by a saddler prior to selling), but the Voltaire rep said it might be broken based on stress test. Sig was apparently backsore after using the saddle.
When I finally arrived in KY, I tested it myself and didn't get much flex on the tree, not anymore than the slight give you get off most trees. I rode Sig in it, and he was stretching nicely in it and willing to use his back. He was not backsore after the first or second ride in the saddle. Both days, as stated above, were very soft, productive rides. He also has a scrape on his back from probably roughhousing with his turnout mate, and was off for awhile due to the abscess (and probably favoring a side, potentially making his back sore). All those things plus being off work for several days could add up to the back soreness. It's hard to tell as the observations I have made on the saddle and his reaction to it are contradicting what my trainer and the local Voltaire rep are saying. I am looking to have the saddle examined this week by an independent saddler to confirm one way or another. If it's sound, I'm keeping the saddle as it fits us both well, is very broken in and extremely comfortable, and gives Sig what he needs without breaking my bank account. Fingers crossed...
Also, I cannot wait for all my household goods to show up later this week! All my riding clothes, helmets, boots, accessories are all in storage and I had to make a fast trip to the local tack shop to get myself outfitted in the meantime.
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| Went to the tack shop, bought stuff, felt right at home again. |
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| When away from your children for a long period of time, BUY THEIR LOVE |
I can't wait for what's next!
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