Saturday, February 28, 2015

Pony Love

 This was when I first bought her.  I discovered she LOVES head hugs.  She will bury her head in your arms.

I bought a dressage saddle for Mochs!  I had been looking for an Isabell because I have ridden her in one before and it was comfortable for both of us.  Also she will change shape with work so the Isabell will be able to change with her.  Ideally I wanted one that was flocked instead of CAIR, but they are a pretty rare find, plus you can have a fitter easily remove the CAIR and flock it.  

I found a really nice, lightly used, Isabell in beautiful condition with CAIR and bid on it.  Of course, after I commit to one, I stumble upon a flocked, newer model Isabell.  I had put up an ISO ad on a FB group and someone randomly commented on it saying they had one for sale they just posted.  There was a day left on the auction for the CAIR Isabell and I was the only bidder.  I REALLY wanted a flocked Isabell, plus this one was newer, came with the full gullet set and full set of knee blocks, which the other one did not have.  You can retract a bid on eBay but it's kind of a process and you look like a dbag.  I decided I was just going to buy them both and sell the CAIR model immediately.  

Luckily with four hours to go, somebody else came in on the CAIR Isabell and outbid me.  YES.  THANK YOU!  So I ended up only having to buy the flocked Isabell.  I had already paid for it by that point anyway.  There was no way I was going to let that slip away.  I jumped on it immediately and paid the minute the seller sent me the PayPal invoice.  It shipped and will be here sometime next week.

Mochs has been doing great lately.  Her work has been a mixture of hacks, lunge line work, and flat work.  Yesterday evening I rode her and we worked on halts, leg yielding at the walk and halt, and turn on the forehand.

 
 Stretching down all by her little pony self during her warm up before a lunge line work out.  I'm looking forward to watching that hay belly slowly disappear with more work.

 I'm pretty excited for Mochi right now.  I'm looking forward to really getting her going for once.  In this excitement I've been buying her stuff left and right...see this bridle below:


I ordered one for her today.  I'm boot shopping right now for her...  She needs her own things, because, well...nothing Klein has will fit her.  They can use the same lead rope but uhhh, that's about it.

A friend has also convinced me to ride with her in a 25 mile distance ride in April on Mochs.  We are not riding to be competitive.  We are looking at it like a long, slow, fun trail ride with our ponies.  Why not?  That's not what I want to get into with Mochs, but it will be a fun time with a friend and it gives us our first goal to reach together.  We are also going the night before so we'll stay a night.  That will be a good bonding experience for Mochs and I.  I have taken her to a lot of different places but never taken her overnight.  It will be a good confidence builder for her and some bonding time for us.

 One of our adventures together, chaperoning a Wounded Warriors trail ride at a local facility.  I know, I had my helmet on, I can't do anything about the facility we were at not enforcing a helmet rule.

 Once I brought her home for the day to hang out with us.  That was The Other Half's idea actually.  And at one point, I brought her in the house.  I'm telling you, when I say she'll go anywhere, I'm serious.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Weekend at Carlo Graziani's Barn


Last weekend I took Klein down to Orlando to spend the weekend at Grand Prix rider/trainer Carlo Graziani's barn.

Carlo competing:


We had a lesson with him last December at a farm in Tallahassee and I felt like we could learn A LOT from him.  I got in contact with him and he said come on down.

 Klein and I were on our way by 6am Saturday.

 Stopped at the Ag station.

First, this is a guy that is not only actively competing himself, but has a group of his students actively competing.  They have been at HITS Ocala this year and they go back to HITS Ocala next week for two more weeks of competition in the big money classes.  After that they will go to WEF in Wellington to competed.  His barn is something upward of $1,000 a month for boarding and training/lessons.

 


 

 

 

 

So, what incentive is there for him to have someone come in for just a weekend that is not going to board at his barn and be in his regular program?  He is just a genuinely nice guy.  His group of boarders/students are just as nice.  Everyone there was SO friendly!  In a barn full of imported warmbloods, Klein was treated or looked at no different.  Everyone thought she was such a cool horse.  One girl was completely heart broken to learn that Klein was only there for two days.  Everyone treated us like we were one of them and they all checked on us and made sure I was finding anything I needed around the barn.  Carlo made sure that I knew I had full roam of the place.  He also made sure I knew that I could hang around and watch lessons and rides for as long as I wanted that weekend and to just tell him if I needed anything at all.  What an all around first class barn.

 Klein had her own paddock too.

 
 View of the ring and barn from the paddock.

 Schooling one of his sale horses.  I am not sure what exact height that was but it was over 4'.

The first day I had him do a training ride on Klein.  This is a first.  I have had Klein since she was two years old.  I started her and I have done all her training.  I am the ONLY person that has ever ridden her.  She will be 11 this year.  I have finally come to the realization, after watching Carlo ride in December, that there is a point when you have to be able to recognize a potentially beneficial ride when you see one.

 



It was actually really cool to see.  I am so glad I had him do a training ride on her.  Plus, it gives him a feel for any habits she might have and better insight on how to help me with her.  He was really glad he rode her because of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was really impressed with her.  He said that she has good balance and rideability.  She goes when you ask and she comes back when you ask.  Their warm up at first was getting a feel for eachother and she backed off a little bit, which is what I was feeling at our last show.  He said as soon as I feel that, I better get her MOVING to the next fence and not allow it again.  Well, ding ding ding ding ding, there it is.  Nothing was wrong at that show that she stopped in warm up.  I LET her do it.  I know for a fact that I don't keep enough leg on her sometimes, and that is starting to limit our ability.  I have been actively working to fix it because it was an issue in dressage to.  I have definitely improved on it in the past month or so.

Warm up course:


Carlo said that Klein definitely works better at a faster pace where I can feel her kind of grab the bit and take you to the fences.  I know exactly the feeling he is talking about so I know where he wants me to be.  He said that is when she was feeling the best during that ride and he could tell she is excited to be out there.  I think we started to go down the wrong path when I jumped her a couple times in the Pelham with a double rein.  It works for dressage but it is a little much for her to jump in.  She needs to be able to have a little freedom to GO.  Carlo really liked the low port Kimberwicke on her.  He said that is the perfect bit for her.  He had asked me why I use it in our December lesson and I said she has always seemed to like it and be responsive in it.  He said he could completely see what I meant.

Some 3'3"-3'6":


3'3"-3'6" course:

 

I took the stance I always take of placing all the blame on myself for anything Klein does wrong.  I told him I knew it was something I was doing that had her stop recently and that I owed it to her to bring her to his barn and learn how to be a better rider.  He was not completely on board with that idea.  He said that maybe that is part of it, but part of her duty as a horse in her discipline is to be out on that course and get over those jumps.  Obviously unless there is a medical condition, but we know there wasn't.

 I mean check her out over this 3'9".  It might have been 4', we didn't have a stick, I just put it up and he asked if I thought she would be comfortable with that.  I told him sure, I've jumped her 3'9" a couple times, and she was always great:

 3'9" nbd.

3'9" oxer with room to spare.

Klein and Carlo:


Klein baby is meticulously maintained and has seen the vet and chiro recently in the past month for routine things.  Which leads me to my next observation...mentality.

She was tired of standing around, can you tell?

The next day I rode Klein for a lesson.  We were having a bit of trouble with that backing off and getting an extra step in to a couple of the fences.  She also stopped on me.  Carlo immediately said "Now, what did I just tell you yesterday???  I told you have have to keep her MOVING.  COMMIT.  You didn't listen."  Shit, where did I lose my way and develop this habit of letting her back off.  I am not being an active rider.  Carlo pretty much told me nicely to stop being a pansy.  I have no reason for beginning to develop this habit either.  I'm not intimidated by the jumps.  It's just some creeping thing that has snuck up on me.

Anyway, yep, he sure did tell me that I need to keep her GOING, and I sure didn't listen, obviously.  At one point he said "You are probably feeling a little defeated up there.  But you know what?  Take a big breath and get going.  I can tell you are thinking too much."  Ha.  Yeah.  I have a REALLY bad habit of letting my mind run wildly out of control.  Just like with the stop in the warm up at the show a week ago.  One stop and I go into OMG IS MY POOR BABY OK?!  WTF JUST HAPPENED?!  WHAT DO I DO?!?  IF SHE IS TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING I DON'T HEAR I AM GOING TO FEEL LIKE THE BIGGEST A-HOLE ON THE PLANET.  MY POOR LITTLE KLEIN BABY mode.  When in reality I should have taken a breath and kicked on and got her moving and in FRONT of my leg.  There would have been no problem after that.

I also have a really bad habit of being incredibly hard on myself in everything I do.  From work to riding to CrossFit, etc...  I am a perfectionist and if I can't get something correctly I will feel like an instant failure.  I am all or nothing.  Do it right or stop even trying to do it at all.  Half assing is not an option.  I can't even junk food because I will feel like a complete failure at taking care of myself and be disgusted with myself.  I can't even eat cake on my own birthday.

I told Carlo in the December lesson that I feel like sometimes Klein deserves a better rider and he was not EVEN about to hear that kind of negative bs.  So um, Carlo really woke me up this weekend to the fact that I have to chill out with that shit.  It's good not to half ass things, but you can't feel like a complete failure at everything in your life if something doesn't go right.  If something doesn't go right in a ride I don't get after the horse, because they are only doing what you tell them to.  I get after myself and start basically berating myself for not being able to ride better that day.  The Other Half has witnessed this several times, poor guy.  

I remember one time in particular that I was out on XC at a recognized horse trials at Novice level in Arizona and Klein and I were just hauling ass and having a great time.  I was just letting her fly.  We came through the finish flags and I was pumped on having such a great XC run on the championship course, until I heard my watch go off.  Then it occurred to me, I hadn't even checked it.  I thought FOR SURE we had gotten speed faults for being too fast.  Of course it took a while for them to post the scores and the whole time I was in the trailer with my friend talking about what a dumb ass I was for not paying attention to my watch.  I just kept saying what a stupid, stupid mistake it was and that I didn't deserve to even be out there if I couldn't accomplish something as simple as looking at a watch.  How I let Klein down, etc, etc...  Well, the scores were posted.  We did not get speed faults.  We were about five seconds from getting any, close but safe.  Ok, maybe I wasn't that much of an idiot, but I am sure I sounded like one after having such a fit for no reason.

 Anyway, I know negative thinking is not a good habit to have on any subject.  What didn't really occur to me until this weekend is that being that hard on myself still qualifies as negative thinking and it needs to stop.

The next problem we identified is my lack of counting.  I put six strides in a five stride line and he was like "You aren't even counting are you."  Nope.  Sure wasn't.  I can count three to five strides from fences but rarely will I count through lines.  Fail.  Sometimes I like to try to blame these loopholes on being self taught.  I have taken lessons here and there but I have never been in any regular lesson program.  But, I couldn't teach myself to be consistent with counting?  Yeahhhh, there is no excuse, there is no reason I can't do that.  Counting will now be a part of at least every jump school.  What a coincidence that EN just posted an article Doug Payne (aka my FAVORITE event rider) wrote on the subject just YESTERDAY:

http://eventingnation.com/home/finally-an-end-to-the-distance-debate/

He had already told me that one thing I need to be aware of with Klein is that her habit is to actually close her stride and it's her instinct to close her stride.  So, when I let her get six in the five he said "What did I tell you yesterday?  You have to keep her stride OPEN and GOING.  Her instinct is to close it and that is what just happened there."  He actually said that Klein requires an accurate ride because of that tendency, she's not the easiest ride because you have to have balance yet be GOING.  If she gets too going then basically she will just start flailing around with this giant open stride.  But, if you bring her back too much too soon that stride is going to start closing up.  Which is fine if you need that but I didn't need it.  Bottom line, Carlo validated the canter Klein NEEDS to have on course and even with that canter, we still need to be counting.

P.S. the TFS Jumping girth broke in to use with the half pad no problem.  I am still going to the next appt the fitter has here in the local area.  I also had a CWD rep that happened to stop by take a look at Klein and I think she may stop by our barn on her next trip up to our area with some saddles for us to try out.

Toward the end of our lesson I got Klein moving and into the canter she should be in, and we had a great round.  We were right where we should be.  I'm excited to apply everything I learned both for Klein and myself mentally from here on out.  I am definitely going to go back to that barn for another weekend.  I didn't get any video of our ride.  Carlo was too busy for that.  He gives you 110% of his attention every minute of the lesson and there is NO time for small talk.  You are WORKING every minute of that lesson.  He is a really nice guy, but in his ring there is only room for work.  He definitely makes the most he can of the lesson.

One last thing to note...The Other Half sent me pictures, that I should have posted, of Wes and Mochi's dinner that he fixed while Klein and I were gone.  He hooked them both up on a little more grain and put granola bars in there for them.  Best horse dad ever, I'm telling you.  He was right there when I pulled into the barn too waiting with a grease gun full of moly grease for my trailer jack.  I have meant to bring it to the barn like three times in a row now and forgotten it every time.  I'm serious when I say THE BEST.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Mochi Pony in Full Effect

My Little Mochi Pony.

Anyone that reads this blog regularly knows the emotional roller coaster that Mochs has taken me on.  Well, here we go again.  This time I'm holding my breath but I'd be lying if I didn't say that deep down, I am genuinely excited.

Quick background for anyone that doesn't know the Moch saga:

I bought Mochs two years ago after falling head over heels for her personality.  She's a brave, athletic little POA mare.  I didn't go looking for a pony, but just like how you never buy a horse for their color, she may be only 14 hands but she is just one cool little horse. 

I started riding her shortly after I moved here because she needed a job and had been a pasture ornament for years.  She is a 2003 model, but a very, very low mileage 2003 model.  She has never really been in any consistent training and she's green.  I did hear at one point in her young life some one attempted to make a western pleasure horse out of her.  That's pretty hilarious.  I can see from ten miles away why that never worked.  She is THE energizer pony. 

Anyway, my goal for her was for her to be a lower level event pony.  But we never found our groove.  I bought her very shortly after I started working with her.  Different bits, different saddles, chiro adjustments, massages, teeth floated, a great DAEP doing her feet.  Different approaches, patience, miles of relaxed trail rides, lunge line work, etc...  We never really fell into place together.  She just seemed to always have some pent up anxiety.  That is the problem with buying a nine year old.  I have no idea what all has happened to her in life, and I consistently appreciate that fact.  It's not like wakes up every day and decides you know what?  I just feel like resisting the shit out of contact and just acting like I have full on ADHD.

I had already resigned to the fact that if she just ends up being a pet, well, at least she is a pretty, friendly, affectionate pet.  And on the ground she's the quietest, most respectful horse you'll meet.  You wouldn't even know she's there, she would stand tied for hours like a little statue.

I'd give her months off then we'd have some good rides then it'd be back to resistance.  I gave her four months off from August to December, and before that she wasn't in any real work aside from hacks.  I rode her in December and she was a different horse.  I'm am 110% convinced she is here to teach me something and to make a better rider out of me.

Fast forward to moving barns.  I figured new barn, new friend to ride with, miles of beautiful trails, why not?  Let me just take Mochs for some hacks.  I actually sold her last jumping saddle because it didn't fit her perfect and hadn't bought another one because I was unsure what I would end up doing with her. So we just hack around bareback.  She would do her usual Mochi things, power walk like a mofo, resist any kind of contact.  So I just let her power walk and look around.  We would have some gallops and long trots.  I can take her anywhere too.  She is such an easy pony to deal with on so many levels accept contact.


 
 She's always up for hacking adventures.

 

The other day we were out hacking around and I decided to try something different.  I took up some rein, gave her a super supportive outside rein and gently pushed her into the support.  When I squeezed the inside rein to ask for some flexion she fell in line.  I felt her lift her back.  At the walk.  Which was the worst gait to ask for anything.  I didn't believe it. I asked again, she responded perfectly again.  What the hell was happening?  It had to be a fluke.  There's no way.  Did I finally stumble upon another piece to my puzzle pony?

The next day I tried the same thing.  I had the Other Half take some pictures as proof.

 
 YESSS!

She did great.  I know that the supportive outside rein sounds extremely elementary but I ride two completely different horses.  Klein is so different than Mochs.  I know every horse is different, but I am so used to riding in my default Klein setting and it just doesn't work for Mochs.

This is exciting!  I have been saddle shopping all week for her and just put a bid in on a dressage saddle today.  I'll be babysitting that like a hawk.  I still want to event her.  I decided to go with a dressage saddle first for obvious reasons.  She has a lot of flat work to learn.  She has a lot of balance and muscle to gain.  I will casually be on the lookout for a jumping saddle for her. 

Here is a few pics from this evening with a borrowed Isabell.

 

  

Oh Mochs.  I love this little pony for so many reasons.  Even though it's taken a while, what's the hurry?  Next step:  Buy saddle and begin putting a real fitness base on her and get her into some legit work.

P.S.  Klein is in heat today...soooooo I'm inclined to believe that was most likely a contributing factor to my last two posts.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Relief.

Klein with the electric blanket on her neck, aka getting ready for her neck to be massaged and adjusted.

Klein was adjusted/massaged today and nothing out of the ordinary presented itself.  She was pretty out of whack on her left side.  I would guess that is due to more of the shoulder-in/haunches-in work we have been doing to try to work on some left side stiffness.  The chiro said most likely that was the culprit of her left side being so tight, but to continue the work we are doing because eventually it's going to strengthen that side and supple it up.  Just think when you add some weight at the gym, or learn a new lift, of course you will be sore, until you build up some more strength.

Part of her massage.  She had a good roll in wet sand before I brought her in.

Other than her left side being noticeably tighter than her right there was nothing indicating she is having any back soreness issues or saddle fit issues.  I'm still having the saddle fitter look at her saddles the next time she is out and re-flock where/if needed.

The chiro also said that some of her tight spots could also partly be due to all of the running around like a wild draft horse at the new barn.  This is the first time she has seen them at the new place.  They have been tearing around the new place much more than the previous barn.  Klein's in good shape right now, so it shouldn't tax her too much.  Actually the first day they were there Mochi and Wes were sweaty after a good gallop and Klein was just starting to get warm.  But, maybe she slipped during one of their frolicks?  I have seen it before.  I hate it when I see it but the two times I did see her slip and fall she bounced right back up like she hoped no one saw it.

Once was when she was four, in Hawaii, and right after a chiro adjustment (offff course)!!  She was squealing and bucking and just being a baby playing in her paddock when she lost her footing and fell smack on her right side.  It took a minute for my heart to restart again but she bounced back up like it never happened.  The other time the Other Half and I were watching the mares get stirred up over something at our previous barn here.  They all took off tearing around their pasture and Klein slipped and went down.

I have seen slide marks in the pasture at the current barn, but nothing to lead me to believe a horse fell there as well.  But, their pasture covers about 30 acres, so who knows.

The chiro promised she would tell me if there was something she found that I really should be concerned about, have the vet check out, give her time off, etc... etc...  She found nothing that warranted any concern and nothing that indicated any soreness beyond just a horse in regular work.

So what was up with her Saturday?  Maybe it was the missing half pad?  Maybe she just wasn't feeling it that day?  Maybe the left side stiffness was really beginning to bother her?

I am super relieved, and I am still giving her the rest of the week off, as I had originally planned to do last week.  Our big weekend plans are still on, and we'll be on our way to Orlando early Saturday morning.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Combined Training & Dressage Show: 14 Feb 15

 
 
Last Saturday we competed in a combined training and dressage show.  We did the Training level CT (USEA dressage & 3'3" stadium jumping) and rode USDF First Level Test 2.


It was definitely not our best show.  It started off early and cold.  All week it was beautiful here, mid to high 60's and lows in the upper 40's.  Then we had a couple super cold days.  One of them was Friday.  It only got to 50 and the low was like 30.  Ridiculous.  So, Saturday morning when we got to the barn at 6am, it was 31 degrees and the sun wasn't up yet.  Only the Other Half would be up on a Saturday morning at 5am and out in a dark pasture by 6am filling a hay net while I got Klein.  The ponies were looking at us like what in the HELL are you doing out here right now?!?!

 
31 degrees and no sunlight.  Fml.

We got to the show and there was a wind.  Even better.  EVERYONE there was complaining about how cold it was and how much they hated it.  Come on people, this is Florida, no one lives in Florida because they like real winter weather.  This cold snap was a bunch of bs.  Though it did get to 64 late in the afternoon, but by then we were all wind burnt and still thawing out from the morning.

The dressage got behind schedule and we ended up waiting around for a while.  The wind was kicking our ass and I just could not get Klein to connect.  She wasn't tense from the wind.  She actually isn't really bothered with things blowing in the wind.  A lot of horses were freaking out because the decorative bushes around the dressage ring were blowing in the wind, then everything on the judge's table was rustling around and occasionally flying off.  Klein will walk right by that stuff and not think twice, thankfully.  Every now and then something will catch her eye, but not often.

Still, I just could not get a good connection going on.  She would not relax over her top line.  We did what we could with what we had that morning.  I knew the tests wouldn't be our best but what can you do?  Everyone is allowed to have a bad day, I guess this show landed on one of Klein's.  She wasn't acting out of character, just a little resistant I guess?  I would get a few strides of connection then it would be gone, then it would be back, then it would go away again.

 This is from a show last November.  This is the Klein that usually goes to shows, but she wasn't there on Saturday.

Surprisingly, we came out somewhat unscathed from our tests.  She scored a 33.81 on USEA Training A and a 62.66% on First Level Test 2.  First place was 65.94% on First Level, Test 2, we placed third.  That was the first time we had ridden First Level at a show.  I only have ridden a real USDF test one other time at a show in New Mexico.  It was a training level test and I don't remember what we got on it but we were 1st and 2nd.

I did get more than a few comments from the judge to the effect of "needs to relax over back."  But we knew that was coming.   BUT, we DID manage 6.5's on our lengthenings.  I know, 6.5 still isn't good but it's better than usual!  The judge said she could see the difference but there needed to be more difference.  We're working on that.  We just finally got a real lengthening a couple weeks ago, so the strength isn't quite there for Klein yet but I am so happy that we actually were validated by the judge for showing a difference.  FINALLY.  So I'm taking that and running, that was our small victory for the day.

While we had a crap warm up, Klein had her moments of brilliance in her tests.

 
 Canter lengthening.

 
 Free walk.

 
 Trot lengthening.

 
  Stretchy 20m circle that kicks our ass in every test.

 
 All done.

After dressage Klein was still acting like she normally does.  Taking naps in the sun, begging for whatever food you have in your hand, munching quietly on her hay.  Nothing seemed really amiss with her.  When I tacked her up she didn't flinch at anything, didn't move away from any tack being put on, etc...  I walked right up to her to bring her in that morning too.  Nothing out of the ordinary for her, at all.

 Begging for a bite of sammich from The Other Half, which he gave her.  She actually ate one bite of it!!  Weirdo.


 The time came to warm up for stadium and that's when I knew my regular Klein wasn't at the show that day.  In all the shows we've been too she has never stopped in warm up.  She's not a stopper.  But she stopped on me in the warm up.  She was moving out fine, had a nice canter going on and then, there was some hesitation in front of the fences.  I walked to the outside of the warm up area and just sat there on her.  I didn't know what to think.  I didn't know what to do.  She doesn't stop.  The Other Half came over and I told him I had no idea what was going on and he basically told me I needed to man up and make a decision on what I was going to do. Sometimes he has to make decisions for me because I can't do it myself for whatever reason.  

We got a nice canter going on and I got her over a couple fences.  I know she could feel my worry and I know that created a loophole for her.  I didn't keep my leg on the "go button" right behind the girth.  She stopped again.  Everything Denny Emerson says about being a heat-seeking missile to a fence completely went right out of my head and I was consumed with wondering if, for the first time ever at a show, we should scratch.  I would have scratched if she wasn't moving out so well.  She had a great canter, she was responsive.  Wtf was I missing?  What was she trying to tell me that I couldn't hear?

The Other Half suggested I just try to clear my head and ride.  He even walked away from us at one point to try to force me to make a decision because he knows how I work.  A friend/instructor that I have ridden with before was there and he suggested I go ask her.  Then she yelled my name and asked what I was going to do because I was almost up.  She suggested I give it a try and I said ok, but if Klein stopped on course we were scratching on the spot because that would be the last straw and I'd know something was not right.  In we went, and we went clear.  She was sticky but no rails, no stops.  Cue complete confusion.


A little stick to this one, but clear.


 She was moving out fine, ears pricked, etc...



Later that night it dawned on me because you know I couldn't stop thinking about it.  You know my new Total Saddle Fit Jumping Girth? 


 New girth.

Old girth.

Did you spot the difference?  *face palm*  So the new girth has to break in.  It is the same size as the old girth, but I've had the old girth for about five years.  The elastic on the new girth needs to break in and give a little.  It was about an inch to short to girth up with my half pad.  So, until it breaks in I was just going without the half pad.  The reason I ride with it is because Klein has changed shape just a little over the years and I believe her saddle may be a tiny bit too wide in the pommel right now but the half pad cures that.  It sits on her fine, it's my weight that makes the clearance just a little close.  See where this is going? 

Did I make some pressure point by riding without it??  I did the test run with it and she was fine, you guys saw the video in the last post.  The new girth did already stretch a bit though because I was able to girth it up one more hole after riding around with it warming up.  Maybe that one extra hole created pressure?  Was that what she was trying to say?  Was I some completely deaf a-hole Saturday?  Klein usually is not the Princess and the Pea, but that doesn't mean it's not possible.  If I would have realized that I would have ran back to the trailer to switch out girths really quick. 

If that was the problem that still doesn't explain her dressage warm up.  See why I can't make a decision for myself sometimes?  Something goes wrong and the flood gates of my mind open.  I still believe the TSF is the right size for her.  The 58 would be just a bit too big when it breaks in.  I can get an extender so that I can girth up with the half pad until it breaks in more, actually it might be fine now after having to girth it up another hole on Saturday after riding around for 10 mins.

There is a great saddle fitter that comes to our area and you better believe I already have contacted my friend that schedules her visits to see when she is coming next.  I missed her last visit by just a couple days, or I would have been there.  She will reflock your saddle on the spot.  I will have her look at both of Klein's saddles, if she can refit the Presto then that is great, if not, I'll order a new one because I do love that saddle.  That saddle is five years old, it is probably past due for some love from a fitter.  But Klein has always been fine in it, the only time I have wondered about fit is after this past Saturday.  Or maybe I'm imagining things and the clearance isn't as close as I think.  That's why we will get an appt with the fitter. 

Klein also has an appt for a massage and chiro adjustment tomorrow just to be sure there is nothing going on with her.  I touched and pinched and prodded all over her back with no response.  She just saw the vet two weeks ago for a coggins and health certificate and the vet actually said she looks like she has put on a little muscle and is looking fabulous.  She just had her feet done last week too.  We have a big weekend coming up, but if the chiro finds ANYTHING tomorrow, I'll cancel it.  I'll post about our big weekend after the chiro visits tomorrow and I know if we are still going or not.

I was also planning to give her this week off anyway.  Both times I've gotten Moch out the past two days Klein comes looking at me like "Are we not doing anything?" 

Horses, why can't they just speak english?!