OK, fine. First visit the fitter didn't bring anything for us to try. I'm already slightly annoyed because I did tell him on the phone that: one, my horse is very short, two, my horse is very wide and three, I've already tried a sommer 17,5 which turned out to be too small for me.
First visite comes and goes. No saddle for us. Today the fitter will be back. Guess what, no saddle for me to try AGAIN! He said something about breaking the one he tried to change for me. Yeah, well whatever. I know these things happen but seriously, at this point I just don't really care anymore!
It's been a month already again since I first called this particular saddle fitter and it probably will be weeks if not a whole month (remember christmas is on its way) before I can even TRY a saddle (who knows if it'll even work out for Crispin and I). This just sucks!
(Sorry, vent over) ;-)
*edited to add*
The fitter was there this morning, mainly to fit the other boarders horse and I have to say it: No matter how annoyed I am about the cirumstances the guy is really, really nice, sweet and good at what he's doing. If I'm lucky (for once) he'll be back with a saddle in a 10 days to two weeks.
Freitag, 25. November 2011
Sonntag, 20. November 2011
...and yet again another saddle fitter...
I'm really having trouble keeping this blog up to date.
I've had another fitter out last saturday. He was there for Crispin and another boarders horse. The guy was really good. Probably the best fitter I've seen so far, very knowledgeable and very devoted to his favourite brand of saddles: Sommer saddles (he only sells Sommer).
He was there for almost 4 hours mostly fitting the other horse and showing us every detail (it seems) of Sommer saddles (tree, panels, stuffing, you name it).
Unfortunately, he didn't have a single saddle with him that I could try on Crispin! Bummer. He had some saddles that had the right tree/iron (sommer calls it the WKE tree, the extra wide iron, it's like a hoop tree) and othes that had the right size for my butt and others again that had the righ panels for Crispins short, short back (the "Espitkissen"). But there was no saddle that combined all three: tree, panel, size. He has to put one together for us an will be back again.
Needless to say that I was very disappointed that day! After the saddle fitter was gone I was moping around at the barn and decided that I needed to do something nice with Crispin to lighten the mood. The weather was brilliant and so I started looking for a suitable horse and rider to acompany Crispin and I on our first trail ride at the new barn. Victoria and Flint were the lucky winners. They went with us on a very short but wonderful trail ride that saved my day. Thanks again!
(this is just a random picture I took that day. I think it's going to be one of my favourits)
I've had another fitter out last saturday. He was there for Crispin and another boarders horse. The guy was really good. Probably the best fitter I've seen so far, very knowledgeable and very devoted to his favourite brand of saddles: Sommer saddles (he only sells Sommer).
He was there for almost 4 hours mostly fitting the other horse and showing us every detail (it seems) of Sommer saddles (tree, panels, stuffing, you name it).
Unfortunately, he didn't have a single saddle with him that I could try on Crispin! Bummer. He had some saddles that had the right tree/iron (sommer calls it the WKE tree, the extra wide iron, it's like a hoop tree) and othes that had the right size for my butt and others again that had the righ panels for Crispins short, short back (the "Espitkissen"). But there was no saddle that combined all three: tree, panel, size. He has to put one together for us an will be back again.
Needless to say that I was very disappointed that day! After the saddle fitter was gone I was moping around at the barn and decided that I needed to do something nice with Crispin to lighten the mood. The weather was brilliant and so I started looking for a suitable horse and rider to acompany Crispin and I on our first trail ride at the new barn. Victoria and Flint were the lucky winners. They went with us on a very short but wonderful trail ride that saved my day. Thanks again!
(this is just a random picture I took that day. I think it's going to be one of my favourits)
Sonntag, 23. Oktober 2011
The late second year summary
Like everything else right now, the second year summary is a little late. I should have written it in september, like last year.
This is a copy of the first year summary:
Second year's training:
Whenever I did ride Crispin he has been very good, but even though I was always being very cautious. I just don't feel like I know him yet. I'm always staying way inside our comfort zone. I know this will have to change eventually but I'm not quite ready for that yet.
This is a copy of the first year summary:
- Crispin now knows that haltering is a fun thing and is very easy to catch no matter if he's out on pasture or just in the paddock. (Something I couldn't dream of doing before he came to Münster.)
- He leads like a true gentleman (walk or trot, halt, over poles, little jumps, tarp, bridges, in the ring or on the trails). He stops and leg yields in hand too and will do a TOF and TOH.
- He loads (well, Christina achived that but I haven't undone the training ;-) )
- He lunges (walk and trot, canter on the lunge doesn't work as well yet).
- He knows bit and bridle, saddle pad and surcingle and blanketing.
- He ties well and stands very well when tied.
- He stands for farrier and vet and for grooming (of course).
Second year's training:
- I backed Crispin
- He knows how to walk, trot, halt under saddle
- His brakes are pretty solid
- Steering is pretty solid at the walk but needs work at the trot
- We did a short trail ride (the plan is to do a lot more of those in the future)
- We did canter a couple of times (on the track at the old barn)
- Lunging has become much better. Canter is still his biggest issue, he always offers but still can't hold it up on a circle. But I'm sure he'll come around to it once he's ballanced enough to canter under saddle.
- He knows the horse walker at the new barn.
Whenever I did ride Crispin he has been very good, but even though I was always being very cautious. I just don't feel like I know him yet. I'm always staying way inside our comfort zone. I know this will have to change eventually but I'm not quite ready for that yet.
Donnerstag, 20. Oktober 2011
October pictures
They are a week early. He's actually turning 4 and 1/2 next week. But since I forgot the to take pictures in july and had the camera out at the barn I took them today.
Crispin at 4.5 y/o. I think he's gorgeous!
I was surprised to see that he's butt high again. He must have grown again just recently, because he wasn't a few weeks back, when I last checked.
He is a little rounder than I would like him to be, but I'm sure he'll loose the extra weight soon. Pasture season is almost over and we also got cleared for riding again by the osteopath last saturday.
Just for comparison: this is what he looked like last year (with that awful bandage)
Crispin at 4.5 y/o. I think he's gorgeous!
I was surprised to see that he's butt high again. He must have grown again just recently, because he wasn't a few weeks back, when I last checked.
He is a little rounder than I would like him to be, but I'm sure he'll loose the extra weight soon. Pasture season is almost over and we also got cleared for riding again by the osteopath last saturday.
Just for comparison: this is what he looked like last year (with that awful bandage)
Samstag, 24. September 2011
Various little things (plus pictures of the seemingly unfittable back)
Finally!!! No, no new saddle yet, but I finally finished my Master Thesis! *yay* Of course there are two more oral exams to come before graduating, but the thesis was the biggest piece of work.
That is basically why I haven't written anything on here for a while.
Nothing too exciting has been going on. I finally had a chiro out for Cripin and am (for now) forbidden to ride him (now that I have the time and a substitute saddle). *sigh*
I actually wanted to get the chiro out once I had a saddle (sort of like a second oppinion) but since finding one is taking so long (and also because Crispin slipped and fell in the turnout a few weeks back) I decided to let him be checked.
Turns out he's been very tense in the back especially in the loin area. The only visible symptom I've ever noticed was a tendency of his to rest his one of his hind legs as soon as he's got the chance. He's always done that.
Well, he got treated and it really made a difference. After the treatment the muscle in the area came up for about a centimeter and he's stopped resting his legs so much ever since. The chiro told me not to ride him until his back got better and instead try to work him long and low on the longe. She'll be back in two weeks to treat him again (four weeks between the treatments).
To me it looks like the change has been pretty much permanent. I really hope he's good enough to be ridden again after the second treatment, because I'd really like to ride him a little more plus he really needs more work and more stuff to keep his mind busy too. He tends to get bored and that results in him pestering his pasture buddies a lot!
Since I have a little more time now to dive into the saddle search once again, I took some new pictures of his back.
Whenever I do that I really don't see why it is so difficult to find him a saddle. Yes, he's short (and I have a big butt). Yes, he's wide and yes he's got a round barrel. But all things considered, he is not that short, my butt is not that big and he's not that wide and round!
It was a little difficult to get decent shots. Most of them looked like this:
He's been at the new barn for three months now an I think he's settled in nicely. I did make a few modifications to his stall. The haynet had to be moved a little and I added a second stallmat too.
(Of course an Offenstall would still be better, but it's good for now. We'll see what the future brings)
That is basically why I haven't written anything on here for a while.
Nothing too exciting has been going on. I finally had a chiro out for Cripin and am (for now) forbidden to ride him (now that I have the time and a substitute saddle). *sigh*
I actually wanted to get the chiro out once I had a saddle (sort of like a second oppinion) but since finding one is taking so long (and also because Crispin slipped and fell in the turnout a few weeks back) I decided to let him be checked.
Turns out he's been very tense in the back especially in the loin area. The only visible symptom I've ever noticed was a tendency of his to rest his one of his hind legs as soon as he's got the chance. He's always done that.
Well, he got treated and it really made a difference. After the treatment the muscle in the area came up for about a centimeter and he's stopped resting his legs so much ever since. The chiro told me not to ride him until his back got better and instead try to work him long and low on the longe. She'll be back in two weeks to treat him again (four weeks between the treatments).
To me it looks like the change has been pretty much permanent. I really hope he's good enough to be ridden again after the second treatment, because I'd really like to ride him a little more plus he really needs more work and more stuff to keep his mind busy too. He tends to get bored and that results in him pestering his pasture buddies a lot!
Since I have a little more time now to dive into the saddle search once again, I took some new pictures of his back.
Whenever I do that I really don't see why it is so difficult to find him a saddle. Yes, he's short (and I have a big butt). Yes, he's wide and yes he's got a round barrel. But all things considered, he is not that short, my butt is not that big and he's not that wide and round!
It was a little difficult to get decent shots. Most of them looked like this:
He's been at the new barn for three months now an I think he's settled in nicely. I did make a few modifications to his stall. The haynet had to be moved a little and I added a second stallmat too.
(Of course an Offenstall would still be better, but it's good for now. We'll see what the future brings)
Sonntag, 28. August 2011
Less might not always be more, but at least it's something...
Don't laugh, but in my exasperation I got Crispin this:
Any idea what it is?! Is it a saddle?! No, not really. Is it a treeless saddle?! No, not really either. It's a bareback pad!!! One that not only made it through high school but also earned it's degree at university. But still, it is just a bareback pad.
It is called a "Sheepskin Saddle" (this one is a "Iberica Plus", hence the spanish look). Sheepskin on the bottom, sheepskin on the top, two seperate foam pannels in between (to allow for some spine clearence) rings to put on stirrups and two foam rolls to give the rider some support.
It seems to be all the hype right now and I decided to give it a try. Of course I'm still looking for a "real" saddle, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. Even if I would find one today it would most likely take another 8-12 weeks to be made. I decided that Crispin needs to be ridden, not all that much or often, but on a regular basis, and that is where this pad comes in.
I already sat in it twice, rode Crispin walk/trot and so far so good. I don't plan on using it more than 2-3 times a week, depending how well it works out for both of us.
Few more pictures of the thing:
Any idea what it is?! Is it a saddle?! No, not really. Is it a treeless saddle?! No, not really either. It's a bareback pad!!! One that not only made it through high school but also earned it's degree at university. But still, it is just a bareback pad.
It is called a "Sheepskin Saddle" (this one is a "Iberica Plus", hence the spanish look). Sheepskin on the bottom, sheepskin on the top, two seperate foam pannels in between (to allow for some spine clearence) rings to put on stirrups and two foam rolls to give the rider some support.
It seems to be all the hype right now and I decided to give it a try. Of course I'm still looking for a "real" saddle, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. Even if I would find one today it would most likely take another 8-12 weeks to be made. I decided that Crispin needs to be ridden, not all that much or often, but on a regular basis, and that is where this pad comes in.
I already sat in it twice, rode Crispin walk/trot and so far so good. I don't plan on using it more than 2-3 times a week, depending how well it works out for both of us.
Few more pictures of the thing:
Donnerstag, 4. August 2011
Another Saddle, another Saddlefitter
Even though I tried not to get my hopes up it happend anyway and of course I ended up being a little disappointed.
The saddlefitter was a very nice girl. She seemed knowledgeable enough but somehow they all seem to be trained to not commit to a saddle too much.
She brought a fair number of saddles and put on a few. Mostly saddles I've tried before but also a few I always wanted to try (like a Passier Grand Gilbert, which was way too long for Crispin). The saddle I was most curious about was the "Sommer Passion" (stupid name). I've read a lot of good stuff about Sommer saddles. Good quality, nice to sit, very good to change (gullet and flocking) decent price (by no means cheap).
Sommer "Passion" 17,5 seat, 31,5 gullet;
We put the Sommer on an it didn't look too bad. I rode and it felt really nice. Only problem: the rear pannels seem to come up a little when there is no weight in the saddle (i.e. when I posted the trot) or when Crispin was streching (with me on the ground).
The fitter said that this wasn't too bad, not ideal of course but she also said that Chrispin had no muscles there yet and where the saddle could rest on. I'm so not sure about that (not about the lack of muscles, he has none) but the rest of it.
She left the saddle and I can try it out for a few days. Check it on the lunge and maybe find someone to video me. I definitely need to think about it a litttel longer. *sigh*
Abonnieren
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