♣Ambitious♣

Fergus didn't get the memo.

Favorite Show Picture Favorite Non Show Picture Favorite Thing You Bought Boots! Even though they put me through hell! Favorite Moment on Horseback Favorite Moment out of the Saddle I don't have any pictures, but . . . the drunken walk from brunch to the Longines Arena . . . 10/10 would recommend. Favorite "Between The Ears" Picture Y'all know the drill. Favorite Horse Book or Article Identifying and Understanding Saddle Panel Options from Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop. This article was a game changer for me in understanding saddle fit and helped me get back on course to find the right fit. It's older and better viewed on mobile. Favorite horse ridden (or groomed/cared for) aside from your own I've ridden a lot more horses this year than I've posted about. Someday, I'll share those updates. Favorite funny picture of your horse Why the long face? Favorite fence that you successfully jumped or movement that you conquered First and second favorite. That ju...

So . . . I bought the wrong saddle. But it's not my fault! I specifically asked the seller if it was the high wither version of the T8 saddle. She said yes, and the panels did have a drop to them. Like, I literally went back and forth between her pictures and Thorowgoods, and they looked identical. So I pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, it was the medium wither, boo! It nearly went back on the market immediately until I started to compare it to the Circuit saddle my trainer originally had me in on Fuego. Y'all, just putting these things on my flat saddle rack . . . there was a huge difference in how they sat. The Thorowgood sat much higher and had significantly more clearance than the Circuit. That's not to say that the Thorowgood is better than the Circuit (tbh it was quite the opposite), but these are both "average" saddles in that they're medium tree, medium wither, average back, and yet they fit completely different. This echoes what I was saying in my la...

I was a little hesitant going into my lesson last weekend only because I wasn't sure where my endurance would be. The fatigue was a bit on and off. I was happy to share the lesson. It meant more breaks for me. Fuego had a lesson earlier in the morning, so my warmup was a quick WTC. He was a bit spicy with the kid, which made sense since Trainer T was trying a new gut supplement. Good chance that his tummy was a little upset. Hopefully, this supplement makes a difference. When I got on him, I took a long walk break. The tension was palpable. He was weirdly reactive to things happening outside of the ring. My legs also meant pretty much nothing, and he generally didn't want to bend his body at all. I can manage tension as long as he remains generally workmanlike. When he's nervous but still dialed into what I'm asking, that's all I can hope for. At that point, it's on me to create a positive experience. I'm hoping this continued process will help us out when h...

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!!!...

 

The only media I have is of one singular round, so we're milking it I forget how much of a time commitment horse shows can be. Would y'all believe me if I said I almost scratched after the first day simply because I wanted to sleep? My initial plan was to get to the showgrounds early and spend most of the day hand grazing Fuego. He grazed decently the night before and became more comfortable over time. During schooling, he was definitely spooked by people sitting at the edge of the ring. While our ring at home can get hectic, we don't really have lots of people standing at the fence. I figured if I could get him to graze around the commotion, it would help him remain relaxed once we were in the ring. It helped, for sure. He was definitely still more comfortable in his stall and tried to walk back multiple times. While his comfort was a top priority, the horse usually gets 12 hours of turnout daily. No way in hell I was going to cave on this. "Why does my back hurt so m...