Old saddle....New saddle pad!We recently got this pad to help Monte with his saddle issues. It's made by a company called Equipedic and they claim that it goes beyond just cushioning the impact of a rider on a horse's back. This saddle pad is supposed to disperse the downward force over a greater area, thus making the ride more comfortable for the animal. Sounds good to me...and so far it seems to have contributed to Monte's improved well-being. Of course, we also bought him a better fitting saddle.
I started thinking about Curly and all of his behavior problems and wondered if perhaps a poor fitting saddle could be the source of much of his naughtiness as well. We already knew that his saddle was not the best fit, but had always assumed that it was "good enough." Maybe we were wrong in this assumption.
When E saddled up today, I asked her to use the new pad. Remember, this is the first time one of us has ridden him since June - and he definitely enjoys his "retirement" status. So I was anticipating some resistance from Curly - and possibly even his head shaking/bucking routine. But E found him easy and attentive. Watching from the sidelines, he seemed to have a wonderful, full stride...and well, he just looked darn gorgeous!
R working Curly in the round pen. She's been the only person to
really work with him much this summer.
Maybe a poor fitting saddle has had more to do with his behavior issues than we previously thought. I don't really know. E will work with him a bit more, pushing him a little to see what his response is.
I'm crossing my fingers that he becomes the good boy that I so want him to be...and I know that Rachel is hoping too.
I started thinking about Curly and all of his behavior problems and wondered if perhaps a poor fitting saddle could be the source of much of his naughtiness as well. We already knew that his saddle was not the best fit, but had always assumed that it was "good enough." Maybe we were wrong in this assumption.
When E saddled up today, I asked her to use the new pad. Remember, this is the first time one of us has ridden him since June - and he definitely enjoys his "retirement" status. So I was anticipating some resistance from Curly - and possibly even his head shaking/bucking routine. But E found him easy and attentive. Watching from the sidelines, he seemed to have a wonderful, full stride...and well, he just looked darn gorgeous!
R working Curly in the round pen. She's been the only person toreally work with him much this summer.
Maybe a poor fitting saddle has had more to do with his behavior issues than we previously thought. I don't really know. E will work with him a bit more, pushing him a little to see what his response is.
I'm crossing my fingers that he becomes the good boy that I so want him to be...and I know that Rachel is hoping too.
