Sick Ward

Seems the whole pandemic thing has finally caught up to me; I contracted coronavirus over the holiday weekend. It's a mild case. Symptoms have been . . . odd. No one told me about the moderate to severe joint pain. I'm over here thinking I've got a case of early onset rheumatoid arthritis. I'm begrudgingly working from home for this week. Thursday will be day 4.5 since symptoms appeared; fingers crossed I test negative and can still go to my lesson on Saturday.

In the meantime, Fuego still has my undying attention in the form of saddle shopping. When I shared his glamour shots, they received the exact response that I expected.

Folks, I hear you loud and clear. Two things to address:

"Why are you buying a saddle for a horse you don't own???" Because he deserves it, and I do not feel comfortable asking for more of him until he learns how and has the space to properly use his topline.

"You shouldn't buy a saddle without working with a fitter!!!" I mean, yeah, sure. I'd encourage anyone to work with a fitter. That being said, I feel confident moving forward on my own for now. There's a very limited selection of saddles that would even come close to fitting his massive withers. Buying something more appropriate and having a saddle fitter adjust felt like a better route. Plus, the budget is very limited, and searching for something on my own means more bargaining power.

I have done a ton of research over the past several months. Initially, I relied more on personal testimony as opposed to manufacturer descriptions. There's a lot of B.S. when it comes to saddles and tack in general; no, an interchangeable gullet does not make a saddle "fit every horse." I strongly preferred wool flocking so it can be adjusted as his topline changes. A cutback alone won't guarantee wither clearance, or even a proper fit. Just because a saddle is "high-end," doesn't mean it'll fit more horses.

My ideal saddle is the Passier Precision, but the flaps on
Passier's are allegedly not built for people like me

I'll be making a separate post purely on what I've learned about saddle fitting for a high wither horse. For now, I'm happy to say that I've got a Thorowgood T8 on the way that'll hopefully hold us over for the next year. The goal is to then swap to a Passier as they're more aesthetically suitable for the shows I want to pursue, but it's unclear if they'll be a good fit for my build. Time will tell.

What I also wanted to talk through in this post is other tack changes I'd like to make. The biggest is with saddle pads. I ended up purchasing my own Ogilvy to hold us over with the current saddle situation, but I will no longer need it after the new saddle arrives. I'd like to invest in an Ultra Thinline halfpad paired with a felt square pad (if this vendor actually gives me the cut I want). I like the benefits of both items, though I'm not sure if one would cancel the other out when paired together. I'm also getting rid of every regular square pad I have and swapping them out for contoured ones. There is way too much going on with his back for me to compromise on this. Straight cut square pads "bridge" on his back. I can't imagine that being comfortable at all.

I really want the GEM mesh square pad because #Florida,
but not only are these expensive, the color options kind of suck

At some point, I'd also like to get another bridle, breastplate, and girth set to better match the dark leather of the Thorowgood. The brown is so dark it basically looks black, and his current set is more of a havana brown. I'd like a crown similar to this PFIFF bridle that takes the pressure off the very top of the poll. It might make a difference for him. Otherwise, a regular hunter bridle with a flash attachment will do.

I'm excited for the saddle and happy that everything is moving in the right direction with Fuego. Fingers crossed my lungs get their act together!