65 replies to this topic

[shall]

Wow, what a coincidence! We have a new saddle here. My mare fits her new Fairfax cob AP saddle which is the same tree as the Thorowgood.  She is in a 17" XW. Finally, we have something that does not creep forward and does not require a tight girth. She has a wonderful free movement and lifts her back!  In probably too many words, it fits! I'm thinking the Thorowgood T8 Broadback/cob is in our future. Except, I ran across the Fairfax Monoflap dressage. Sigh, it is in the regular gullet and not the cob, so probably not a great idea, but it is beautiful. You have no idea how many saddles this one little mare has been through.  These Thorowgood, Kent & Masters, and Fairfax S gullet/cob/broadback models do fit short, flat backed, and low wither type horses.  My mare is like that and it works.

My gelding is a different fit altogether. He has a long, sloping shoulder, big wither and curvy (and short) back. He's going great in a Thornhill Danube, another inexpensive dressage saddle.

[sheikh rissan]

Very wet and rainy here, too.  Managed to ride in the mud anyway.  Very slippy, but nothing went amiss.  Looking forward to hearing more about your mare as soon as the weather improves

[sheikh rissan]

Fairfax!  That was the name of the other saddle my saddler recommended...  I am really pleased to have a recommendation on it from another Arab owner.  Yes, they do have the same tree and gullet system as K&M and Thorowgood..  It was Fairfax that I was trying to find second hand, but I had no idea whether to go for a cob or a full size (etc etc) and that's why I went with the other make.
That IS a co-incidence!

[VanAlma]

I love this thread. Such great info. Keep it comin'!
As for the all Collegiate All Purpose that didn't fit Bubba - it fits Nicole. I was going to ride her with my dressage saddle but figured I'd try this first and it really seems made for her. She's not as much of a sausage as Bubba is, but still has well-spring ribs, and is longer backed so can handle the length of it. Plus, she's going to be more of a pleasure/trail horse so I won't be asking for the level of collection, drive etc from her that I do from Bubba.
The best thing about it is, when I take if off, I can see the outline of the bottom of the saddle in her hair so it doesn't appear to have any gaps. It made gaps on Bubba's back.

[diane]

<sigh>  well the shoeing hasn't gone well.  Etosha didn't want all that sharp banging on her hoof thank you very much!  So much so that a sharp pull away on the 4th nail resulted in a small puncture.  Marginally lame the next morning but it appears that the goop which the farrier stuffed in the hole might be working as she's been weighting the leg ok the past few days (mud and all).  We've had nothing but rain since so keeping it clean has been an issue!  Needless to say no riding this week and perhaps next week as it's forecast for more rain.  Over 6" in the past 3 weeks (1½" this afternoon), everything is a tad muddy.

Any one have a time span on these type of issues - small nail punctures?  It did bleed but not profusely and as mentioned it was plugged virtually immediately (after cleaning).  After attending to that hoof, the farrier proceeded to do a full dummy shoeing everything but the nails on the other three hooves and she didn't move.  Her four hooves were trimmed prior to starting the shoe job.

[diane]

update - luckily there was no lingering soreness, Etosha was over the tenderness the next afternoon.  Today she was finally shod - all four hooves with CERA shoes.  Shall see how she sneaks along now.  With a sheepsking girth cover, she's moving much better under saddle <sigh>

[diane]

<sigh> the CERA shoes didn't last - after 5 days Etosha lost the first shoe (front) then the next day (day 6) she lost both hind shoes!  So today after the morning's ride she has had a conventional shoeing.  Here's hoping.

Ok... photos (my friend came to visit )
coming to terms with the camera though I like this photo.

she can jump (though her ears are back <sigh>)

end of the ride.

[sheikh rissan]

Diane, thanks for the pictures...  I had thought Etosha was a grey!  She looks a lot like my boy....  Am going back to see why she needed the shoes..

[sunsetridge]

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[diane]

sheikh rissan, on 02 January 2012 - 12:01 PM, said:

Diane, thanks for the pictures...  I had thought Etosha was a grey!  She looks a lot like my boy....  Am going back to see why she needed the shoes..

She needed to be shod for the endurance ride which the first one is the end of the month.  A delay in shoeing (was meant to be done in November and eventually done mid December!) only to loose 3 shoes 6 days later.  My regular farrier came in and put conventional steel shoes on her without any concerns at all    Mid January will be her first ride out, if all goes to plan   another reason for needing her shod.  I'm not into barefoot riding, particularly for endurance and have had so much trouble with boots that shoeing was the only option.  Was hoping the plastic CERA shoes would do the job.  Another time perhaps.  In the meantime laps of the back paddock are keeping her fit.  A lap is a little shy of a klm.

[Trish aka JMO]

Diane it's really nice to see Estosha under saddle & all the best for Mid January

[diane]

yesterday was Etosha's first outing in preparation for her first endurance ride (next week all going to plan).  She was wonderful, I am in awe... in Etosha, I trust!   What was supposed to be a fairly straight forward 20klm circuit ride (having ridden it before in 2010) utilising a couple of bush tracks turned out to be almost an adventure of a life time.

The first bush track was so overgrown with lush bush... the year of rain (2011) had promoted the growth of undergrowth including masses of rider height Lantana.  Add to this the gauging out of the track itself by the mass of water this time last year and it was almost impassable.  BUT... we got so far having navigated around a sturdy fallen tree and huge deep gauging, that I thought - nope, we ain't turning back as we had gone so far along the track.  The roughest part was surely over.  Etosha took the bit, put her head down (to avoid the bulk of the lantana) and got us through.  It was really difficult to see the depth of the gauging at times because of the density of the undergrowth.  She was just so sure about where she was going, where to step to keep herself (and me) as safe as possible.  24 riders started out, 18 turned back part way through the bush track.  Needless to say, the adventuresome 6 decided to take the road back home rather than the second bush track, because the first track was more than enough for us all in one day!  

Other than the bush track Etosha handled the variations of the scenery ie bitumen, white lines, dirt roads, rock facings, rubbish on the road, a little bit of traffic, horses galloping in their paddocks at the sight of so many horse riders, herds of cattle, etc with aplomb.

One of the 6 who completed the track with me was Isabelle and her pony Piccolo who are just starting out in endurance - a tremendous effort from her Arabian bred pony as he was barefoot.  A little gem

As it was an organised ride (even though a check of at least one bush track was forgotten!), there was a lead car and a follow-up car (with horse float if needed) for the road sections.  As I had done the ride previously, I was asked to take the lead (I'm still in awe of Etosha).  The lead car was able to clock what speed Etosha was travelling at... 5klm/3mph walk and a 18klm/11mph trot, both at her own regular, steady pace.  After the bush track it was interesting to ride her trot... on a wide, grassy road verge she gained in confidence, producing a bigger trot.

[Demelza]

Well done Diane, it must be a great thrill to ride such a horse and feel the pride that goes with having bred her! Looking forward to reading about your adventures at the Enduro next week.

[Twin Rivers]

Have any of your tried the "theraflex saddle pads"?  They come in western, endurance, and english. They help most saddles fit any horse and they also have shims to fix those saddles that may be up or down in the front or rear!  I know the Parelli site sells them and you can many times find them on ebay.  I use them with  my Arabs and they work very well!

[diane]

thanks, Demelza... the ride was a thrill!  And finally riding Etosha is something I've wanted to do for a long time, her dam was my premier performance mare winning halter, saddle and harness one year at the same show.  Her sire is a talented boy under saddle and could have done so much more if not for his life saving surgery cutting short his ridden career.  

<sigh> this weekend is not to be. I've decided to let her girth gall totally heal, she has for some reason reacted to the english girth compared to the western cinch.  She pulled up well (excellent, really) from last weekend's ride, but I don't want to take any chances.  Next ride for us will most likely be mid February.  I'm so disappointed about this decision as the Mt Binga ride is mainly through forestry and a new ride as well but I would prefer the best experience for Etosha.  The bonus is that tonight I learnt that another ride (Cooyar), held by the same club, will utilise some of the those tracks <smile>

[sheikh rissan]

Hey Diane

Only just caught up with your last post, sorry!  Sounds like a really thrilling ride.  What a shame you won't be out this weekend, but it s best to wait and take her when she's fully healed, as you said.  I am sure you will have a great time when you DO go.
I have been riding my boy a bit further away from the stables and he absolutely loves it.  I think he's ready to get boxed up and driven to somewhere even further afield soon.

[shall]

Hi, all. I want to post how great my hard to fit mare is doing in her Fairfax AP saddle. She uses the Wide-Extra Wide gullet. This is an adjustable saddle, but it is a nice one.  She hadn't been too pleased with the girth for her forward girth groove, but we solved that today with a Stubben Trevira string girth. It was amazing. She just stood there while I tightened it. No ears back and no moving around. When the right one fits, it is just wonderful. We went on to have a wonderful ride.

I also ran across a beautiful Scottish saddle, the Kay Hastilow Kintbury. It's very close contact.  I'm so tempted!

[diane]

First 40klm successfully completed last weekend... so thrilling.  We completed in 3hr 30mins and the day was hot and humid.  The ride had an afternoon 3pm start.  From base there was a few klms of quiet roads, mostly dirt, then some rather steep hill tracks plus fording a number of creeks in the valleys before looping back to the roads to return to base.  Etosha took it all in her stride was so proud of her.  Strapping went well and she regained her composure really well.  Only down side was that she wouldn't eat anything other than the little bit of grass in her temporary yard prior to ride while at base, not even her favourite hard-feed   hopefully experience will overcome this.

To ride her big trot was awesome.  Part of the way I rode with two others and when we got back to the quiet dirt roads, this pair were at a slow canter to stay with Etosha in her big trot.  And her canter is delightful smooth   The saddle (T8) was so comfortable.

[Nasheeta]

great piece Kate. I have found, after spending the usual say 10,000 euros on custom made saddles, that the UK County Competitor works best for my Arabs and Lipizzaner mare. I buy them second hand for say one hundred euros, get them repaired professionally and have done years of trail riding with them, no sore spots, nothing.

asymmetry is developed in more balance by using method in classical dressage, I took courses and instructors at home and you can develop symmetry in your horse's musclary now by riding but also by working in-hand with your horse. It is an excellent way of training. More information through the website of Marijke de Jong from Paarden Begrijpen, she also has a site in English. I'll post it later.

[Nasheeta]

diane, on 29 December 2011 - 04:09 AM, said:

<sigh> the CERA shoes didn't last - after 5 days Etosha lost the first shoe (front) then the next day (day 6) she lost both hind shoes!  So today after the morning's ride she has had a conventional shoeing.  Here's hoping.

Ok... photos (my friend came to visit )
Etosha canter.jpg coming to terms with the camera though I like this photo.

Etosha jump.jpg she can jump (though her ears are back <sigh>)

Etosha1.jpg end of the ride.

what is the pad you are using? a toklat? it looks so comfortable!