Horse update
Jun. 9th, 2004 11:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joflasherLast Saturday we packed Tisa up and took her over to the Pelham Saddlery. After an hour and ~30 saddles, we found one (and only one) that fit her fairly well. The saddle fitter lady said I should still get it custom flocked but Tisa doesn't seem to mind it at all. She's been ridden in it twice now with no problems...no dancing when getting girthed or soreness afterwards.
So Tisa has a new saddle and I get the joys of breaking it in. It was coated down in a thick layer of heavy wax/oil to protect it from scratches during shipping and until that wears off, its like trying to ride an oiled tephlon skillet. Butt and legs sliding everywhere. The saddle ladies told me that while I could scrub it off, its considered "better" to wear it off through use. I'm not sure I believe them.
When we got up to the barn, Carol still had the trailer hooked up to the truck from Saturday. We loaded Tisa and Sage up and trucked them over to the Groton Riding ring. Kim had taken Sage there on Sunday and wanted to go back. I don't blame her. It was gorgeous and less than 10 minutes away. Two jumping rings, a small dressage arena, a small cross country course AND a full race track around it all, all open to the public. Unfortunately, the race track is for cart racing and they dislike people just opening up their horses on it but still...one of these days I'm going to find out how fast Tisa really is.
I did find out that Tisa thinks she should be a jumper. There was about 10 jumps at various heights and combinations set up in the ring we were in. I was cantering her around the outside and all of a sudden, she jerked in and headed full force at one of the big 3+ foot jumps, fully intent on going over it. Me, I was screaming "WE ARE NOT DOING THIS!" and frantically trying to turn her. I won but it wasn't pretty, nor was it the last attempt. Every time she was on a vaguey straight line with one of the jumps, she would lunge for it. Apparently she's figured out what jumps are for and likes it. I took her over a few 6-18 inch cross rails and she had a blast. I then traded places with the Boy and put a bunch of the jumps down to about 12 inches and he yahooed over them while Tisa snorted and pranced and acted like she had just finished an olympic course. I'm going to have to work to get her to go over them calmly but that may come once its no longer new and exciting.
Work with Tequila has been going well. I've gotten him on the trailer 4 times now. Two of those times involved me showing him an apple piece, trying to walk him up the ramp and once he refused, I'd continue in and eat the apple while he watched. You'd think the world was coming to an end, the way he acted over me eating HIS apples. Eyes bulged out, head tossing, snorting, pawing, he threw an utter hissy fit at the trailer door but he didn't get any apples until he actually got all four feet inside the trailer. Now he walks right in. Of course, he also thinks there should be apples in there and he has to search every corner to make sure he didn't miss any but I can live with that.
Next step, actually take him somewhere.
So Tisa has a new saddle and I get the joys of breaking it in. It was coated down in a thick layer of heavy wax/oil to protect it from scratches during shipping and until that wears off, its like trying to ride an oiled tephlon skillet. Butt and legs sliding everywhere. The saddle ladies told me that while I could scrub it off, its considered "better" to wear it off through use. I'm not sure I believe them.
When we got up to the barn, Carol still had the trailer hooked up to the truck from Saturday. We loaded Tisa and Sage up and trucked them over to the Groton Riding ring. Kim had taken Sage there on Sunday and wanted to go back. I don't blame her. It was gorgeous and less than 10 minutes away. Two jumping rings, a small dressage arena, a small cross country course AND a full race track around it all, all open to the public. Unfortunately, the race track is for cart racing and they dislike people just opening up their horses on it but still...one of these days I'm going to find out how fast Tisa really is.
I did find out that Tisa thinks she should be a jumper. There was about 10 jumps at various heights and combinations set up in the ring we were in. I was cantering her around the outside and all of a sudden, she jerked in and headed full force at one of the big 3+ foot jumps, fully intent on going over it. Me, I was screaming "WE ARE NOT DOING THIS!" and frantically trying to turn her. I won but it wasn't pretty, nor was it the last attempt. Every time she was on a vaguey straight line with one of the jumps, she would lunge for it. Apparently she's figured out what jumps are for and likes it. I took her over a few 6-18 inch cross rails and she had a blast. I then traded places with the Boy and put a bunch of the jumps down to about 12 inches and he yahooed over them while Tisa snorted and pranced and acted like she had just finished an olympic course. I'm going to have to work to get her to go over them calmly but that may come once its no longer new and exciting.
Work with Tequila has been going well. I've gotten him on the trailer 4 times now. Two of those times involved me showing him an apple piece, trying to walk him up the ramp and once he refused, I'd continue in and eat the apple while he watched. You'd think the world was coming to an end, the way he acted over me eating HIS apples. Eyes bulged out, head tossing, snorting, pawing, he threw an utter hissy fit at the trailer door but he didn't get any apples until he actually got all four feet inside the trailer. Now he walks right in. Of course, he also thinks there should be apples in there and he has to search every corner to make sure he didn't miss any but I can live with that.
Next step, actually take him somewhere.
