It's been a great week at the barn. We had another lovely relaxed ride on Monday... I'm so glad Val is more comfortable since our tack upgrade. I'm checking out Thinline saddle pads now :)
Spent some time just observing my horse this week. He rewarded me with an athletic two tempi, one tempi combo during a run down the fence line... impressive! And his dapples are showing - not the dark grey ones but the ones that you need to see from just the right angle when you have a grey horse.
The farrier came yesterday and really liked how Val's bare feet are looking. He's getting good heel on the back feet and his sole is increasing and getting nice and tough. Will asked me if I had filed his feet since the last visit (no) because they were so even and unchipped. Val was so relaxed during the trim he nearly fell asleep. Our neighbor Cowboy had no desire to be caught for his trim. Will threw some horse whispering a la Monty Roberts on him. A much better outcome than the dentist and vet visits.
And today we had a breakthrough. We walked over to the other (empty) barn near the dreaded trail head. The last time we tried to do this there was a major meltdown. The pasture there is full of grass which needs some taming. I wanted to really clean and wet down Val's stall and didn't need his "help".
Although there was a saber toothed deer and death dealing baby rabbit to overcome, our mission was successful. I think Val was more worried about not being able to see anyone, and did run himself into a lather. I led him back over after the cleaning was finished and we ended the evening with a cooling rinse, some drinks from the hose and lots of love + cookies. What a good boy :)
Hoping to complete our paddock expansion this weekend - hello post hole digger!
Calm, Forward, Straight
It all sounds good. It's so nice to make progress and feel like your accomplishing something.
ReplyDeleteI spoke to my daughter and she does use some thin line pads. She likes these two:
blue's pad because it helps keep the saddle in place with extra grip and the extra protection from the saddle.
http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=7036&cm_vc=Search
grady's pad because he's got a high wither and was thin when he came in so she wanted some extra protection for his back.
http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=6925&cm_vc=Search
I hope that helps a little with your decision on which ones to get.
I feel like Val is finally trusting me and it is so gratifying. One of my fellow students, a longtime horse owner, mentioned when I got Val, that it could take quite a while for the trust and bonding to happen... she was right, and it is worth the wait :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the research. Thinline has so many products available - it's tough to choose. I appreciate your input. Have a great weekend!
i am glad the girth is working well for you. we love it and because of it i was finally able to ride donnie today, after years of being unrideable due to extreme girthiness!
ReplyDeletei use the thinline pads on horses that need some extra protection without altering the saddle fit with a bulky pad. hope that works out for you too. good luck :-)
As a first time horse owner, I am finding there is SO much to learn.
ReplyDeleteWhen Val and I started having issues it would have been easy to chalk them up to misbehavior, but my gut feeling was discomfort (due to his saddle sliding forward)... that's when I came across the post about Le Tixerant girths - serendipitous to be sure.
Thanks for the info :)
I LOVE my thinline pads and inserts/legwraps!
ReplyDeleteThey now have a pad, that is to be directly put upon the back, for a seal to the saddle.
It is shown on A FABULOUS series of videos on saddle fitting, by a German man and Equestrian team rider named Jochen Schleese.
I am rethinking my saddle quest now, because of this You tube series of professional/informative videos:
"Saddle Fit for Life" 9 steps to saddle fit-
Excellent and it has me looking back to past rpoblems and issues...saddle fit all the way!