We didn't go.
It was raining at 6 when I woke to get ready for the little local one day event I had an entry for. So I went back to sleep. I really wanted to go, just for something to do this morning more than anything. But so many things seem not right about it. The rain, of course, and not knowing what the true situation is with Jazz's breathing and not wanting to pressure him until we do know, and not having anything left of a season to train for anyway and having the whole winter ahead to get the training right. Well, whatever, I'm home writing this and my cross country time is right this minute, and it's raining again.
I rode both boys indoors. I only did a few minutes on Zip to test a wider gullet plate in his saddle. The one that was in there looks fine when it's fitted to him without the saddle. But in the saddle, you'd say it sat too high. So I have swapped it for a wider one, and I would say that there was an instant difference in his level of relaxation in the walk and around the bends. I think that he was getting a bit cramped by the other one (though nothing like as badly as he would have done in a fixed tree saddle of course). So far the Wow's have saved me at least two changes of saddle, one each for Jazz and Zip. They aren't perfect - some horses definitely feel and/or are marked by the overlap between the front and rear airbags. Tia was one and the other day I got a mark in Jazz's sweat pattern. For that reason I wouldn't use them without a geleze pad, but that's not much of a problem. I also have a friend who can't stand how far above the horse they sit you and wants to be closer, but her horse loved it and moved superbly in it.
I did a bit of walk work with Jazz. Serpentine, shoulder in, travers, half pass, faster/slower. It was all very good. About the level that my other horses have reached at seven or eight years old. It's such a joy to ride a horse so bendy and so powerful. We did some halt/trot/halt to finish with and the trot was absolutely wonderful to sit to. It's hard to describe, because it feels absolutely huge, with an enormous push from behind and another up through the shoulders and wither, but at the same time it is somehow very easy to sit to, as if he is almost "walking" me along with him. Does any of that make sense?
He isn't getting the halt right from the trot yet, but the up transition is pretty good and he's trying. Roll on Tuesday.
C
posted by cptrayes @ 11:42 AM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Good for you in not going. I think Jazz will be better off for it considering his breathing. Could be some of his jumping issues come from that too. If he doesn't think he has the strength to jump.
Have you ever looked at an Ansur saddle? Peter DeCosemo who was the president of the company is now back in Britain and makes the saddles there under a different name. http://www.totalsaddlesolutions.com/
He has made some modifications, but I ride exclusively in Ansurs and have never had any kind of fit issues. My horses all love them. The cross country saddle is very stable and has high recommendations from competitors.
You could, at the least, have a demo ride. The WOW sounds really good, but if it's not perfect.....
OK, so I admit I am an Ansur distributor here in the US, but I am honestly totally sold on the idea of treeless. It just makes so much sense.
Counting the days for Jazz's scoping.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sorry, messed up the last post. Here's the proper version:
OOh, Caroline, if I am right it looks as if Derbyshire, where Peter's saddle company is located is just west of Cheshire where you are.
It really, really would be worth a visit. Something to do while Jazz is laid up? Peter is a really great person and you could say "hi," for me. He is also a very knowledgable dressage rider trainer--maybe worth a visit to see what he has to offer on that side as well.
Yes Jean, it's impossible to know what behavioural problems might result from lactic acid build-up in muscles that are working without oxygen. Until we get that sorted I'm not happy to put him under any sort of pressure.
I have seen Ansurs. They were terribly expensive at the time and the EE saddles so much cheaper. I am convinced that you can't actually do better for the horse than a WOW when they do as much hard work as mine do (big hills, fast rides, jumping and working an average of at least an hour a day when they are competition ready). I just want to be totally open with everyone, because I know that people may be influenced to buy one by what I write. Nothing's perfect, but I do think that the carbon fibre tree and adjustable gullet and airbags are pretty much as close as you can get at the moment.
I'd love to meet Peter one day though, and you're right, I'm 3 miles from the border with Derbyshire.
C
It's east of me though, not west :-))) I hope you don't teach geopgraphy????
C :-)
Now wait a minute. OK, I had west first. Then---without the map in front of me again...I changed my mind. The map just showed the two counties without names right next to each other. It was a click on affair, so I don't remember whether I clicked on Cheshire or Derbyshire first. Guess I remembered the click backwards--yeah, right is east and left is west and no, I don't teach geography. English, actually. Good thing. *G*
You could still visit Peter and try a saddle. They are still expensive, though. I think he is teaching dressage lessons so he might be a really good asset to your training. I never acutally rode with him, but he is a really fun character and talking to him I'm sure he knows his stuff.
Where is he?
C
Don't know where Peter teaches, but the company address and contact info is:
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1246 813 432
Unit 9, Barlborough Links Network Centre,
Barlborough, Derbyshire. S43 4WW
I was going to ask about the WOW saddle. I really want to buy a dressage saddle, but can't decide which one!
I am not totally convinced about treeless, so was wondering about the WOW, but then as you mention some saddle fitters say that the junction of the airbags can cause problems.
There was one make of saddle with airbags that had an obvious lump half way along the panel, just where the rider sits, so I didn't think that was a good idea, even with a numnah underneath.
Occasionally a WOW comes up on Ebay, and there was even a Solution (the UK Ansur) sold not long ago.
Too much choice I think.
Judith
Judith I think that since they are also £600 cheaper, I would go for the new WOW with wool flocking. They still have the carbon fibre tree and the interchangeable gullet plates, so should be able to fit most horses. The airbags can be an issue on really sensitive horses, most seem fine with them. And of course they let you adjust front and back height, and that's been important for me with young horses changing so much. But if you have just the one horse and intend to keep it,that would be my choice. Treeless did not work for me, but it took 18 months for the result to show on Tetley. I've had Wows as long now, with no degradation in the horses freedom of movement, and consitent improvment in the muscling of their saddle bearing area too.
C.
I'm not riding today - too much on tenterhoooks about what the results will be of Jazz's tests tomorrow!
C.
a friend off a previous yard had a WOW she loved, and needed the adjustable nature of it due to her pony forever changing shape - dressage pone/saddle
good luck for tomorrow!
best of luck for tomorrow with the Jazz-man!
Good luck today, hope it all goes well.
Good luck today, hope it all goes well.
Thanks chaps, it went well.
C
Post a Comment
<< Home