Good Things

The weather is so stinky. On the radio this morning, they mentioned on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst , our air quality is rated '10 plus'. Makes sense because my lungs are like 'Is this even air anymore?' So, due to not being able to breathe, I cancelled my Audrey lesson tonite. Sad face. It's now been 8 days since I rode last and 2 weeks since a lesson. Even sadder face.

Cute sad face courtesy of Ginger. Random (and usually unrelated to the blog content ) media, brought to you by me, as always.

To turn this post positive, I thought this might be an excellent time to delve into why I am am so sad to miss my lessons. Not to dwell on the negative of missing them, but to focus on why I love my weekly lessons so much. You know I love Audrey and I know you're probably sick of hearing how wonderful she is, so we won't go there. Rest assured she's still Best Pony Ever.

Sophie = Future Best Pony Ever. Sophie also = Pony who is so golden and shiny my cell phone camera can't cope. She's the fuzzy glowing thing in my photos that makes Bridget disappear :)

It's been quite a while though since I mentioned the other part of the equation - the coaching itself. So, let's do a good old top ten list of the things I most appreciate about my coach (and good coaches in general!)

1. Has my back. She's running her own business, and no, that business does not revolve around my riding goals or needs/wants. But she's excellent at listening to my (often rambling/incoherent) thoughts and suggesting real world goals and milestones I might want to work towards. No matter how unrealistic my goals or how poorly I ride, she's always able to find a positive way to move forward. I put in the work, she's going to 110% match my effort and help me get where I want to be.

2. Professional. Does not tolerate negative barn gossip, riders who bully or mistreat their horses (or other riders). Ditto for other trainers - no negativity is welcome! I appreciate that the rare time something needs to be addressed, it's done so in a quiet and effective way. Is normally punctual for lessons, and even things like bills are timely and easily understandable.

3. Honest. Doesn't sugar coat anything, but doesn't beat you (or your horse) up over it either. If feedback is negative, always follows up by suggesting a positive action you can take to make steps towards improving.

4. Rides and Competes. This is not a deal breaker for me, but I do appreciate someone who can get on my horse and problem solve if need be. I also like that she's competing and riding with her own coach and bringing back fresh ideas and experiences to share. Bonus points for being active in more than one discipline.

 5. Assertive/Confident. OK, I need to fess up here that I REALLY don't like being told what to do, and this quality can rub me the wrong way with some people. In a riding coach though, it works super well for me because I have someone pushing my boundaries and challenging me to meet their expectations of me. I find people who are confident in themselves also generally don't feel the need to play some of the power games other coaches might.

My two enjoying their vacation last week.

6. Qualified. This matters to me - I always look for someone who has not just the riding and training credentials, but someone who has put in the time to get an education in coaching or is certified through our national organization. Riding instruction doesn't come cheap, so I might as well pay for someone with a professional qualification in coaching AND riding.

7. Positive. This ties into a lot of my points, but I think it deserves it's own. Riding is HARD, so I really, really appreciate someone who approaches it from a positive, hard working mindset. Someone that can encourage me a little and find ways to keep me positive and motivated.

8. Good Communication. Happy to stop mid lesson to explain a concept, and able to break it down into tiny steps if need be. Equally good at explaining the how and the why of what she's asking and presenting alternate explanations or options if need be. On the same general topic - I appreciate coaches who take the time to send out emails or texts about goings on at the barn - everything from schedule updates to links to useful online articles to reminders for show entries, etc.

9. Flexible. Look at me -  middle aged rider on a not dressage pony living a ferry ride away from anything, who has dreams of upper level dressage. And yet, she's provided me with plenty of ideas and options to help me get there.

10. Open Minded. I like having a coach who encourages me to learn outside of her teaching - whether it's reading books or taking clinics with other people. Discussion of the whys and hows of riding and training is always welcome and I always feel like I am free to ask questions or use her as a sounding board for ideas or decisions.

And, my particular coach gets a bonus thing I really appreciate, because I'd never expect this of anyone:

11. Gives Me Lessons On Her (Very Nice) Horse.  You knew I couldn't make a list without including Audrey! In all seriousness though, I don't know too many people who are so generous with ride time on their upper level horse, especially one who is still learning and moving up the levels.

Bridget, the other Best Pony, has a new field to mow while we wait out the weather. She's happy (and shiny!)

What's your favorite thing about your coach or trainer?

Smokey

Current weather: Smoke :(

I've chosen not to ride this week because the air quality has been so bad due to all the wildfires. I'm definitely not complaining, because we're pretty lucky to only have to limit our outdoor time and not worry about evacuations or losing property.

Daytime, not filtered cell phone pic from the last time this happened. This weekend's conditions are nearly identical - it's very yellow outside and visibility is low.

This weekend was the Campbell Valley three day event I've loved riding in the past two years. I was very sad to miss it this year, but looking at the weather, there's no way I would have risked Bridget out there, given her history of off and on COPD. Fingers crossed hard, it's been under control with a change of hay supplier and a new living situation this past year. I haven't needed meds for her in two years now, which is great! But, I'm still very cautious with her -  she's my once in a lifetime pony who I want to live a very long and happy life!

The leaves are falling off the trees, it's been so dry, Bridget views that as an opportunity tho. She vacuums them right up!

Cross your fingers for some rain for everyone who needs it. This is the second summer in a row with exceptionally hot and dry weather and very little measurable rain. The town I work in is actually in danger of running out of water in their lakes/reservoir, which is crazy given this is normally the "Wet Coast".

Talk Horse Boots To Me

As mentioned previously, my little wild child of a two year old is...athletic. And yet, kind of not. She's a lovely mover, but she's also not shy about flinging those legs in all sorts of directions they probably shouldn't go in.

Baby giraffe

I've mentioned her energy levels and love of play time a lot here. What I haven't mentioned is that it's not unusual for her to come back with nicks and dings on her legs. It doesn't seem to be confined to one leg, it seems like basically anything from the knee or hock down is fair game from her other hooves. We're on tiny cut number 3 in the last month, which shouldn't be a big deal, but it's summer, and there is dust and flies and they take a bit to heal. I am tired of hosing and using multiple containers of fly repellents and magic healing potions. I don't want any teensy scars on my perfect pony that I spent too much on :).

So help me, because I'm new to this. My other horses have been nice enough, and athletic enough, but nowhere near motivated or bendy enough to injure themselves so creatively.

I'm actually embarrassed to admit this, but I've never bought any kind of boots or wraps for my horses before. Bridget is the first one I've used them on and she's actually won two full sets of jumping boots for herself as prizes from shows, so I don't over think it and just use those when my coach says to :) (Bridget's boots are obviously too big for Sophie)

Cute pic of Bridget, just because

What sort of boots do you prefer? As far as I'm concerned, she's going to have to be naked in turnout, but I wouldn't mind something to stick on her when we're out and about or for the first hour or so when I swap her field around (which is usually when she feels the need to show off her extra....special...moves anyway!)

Bonus points if it's something we can continue to use once she's under saddle, because I'm poor. Extra special bonus points if it doesn't involve wrapping or special care. What do the cool dressage kids use? Is there a version of that for ponies?

Google is presenting me with way too many options and I'm over thinking it. Basically I need something that comes in 14hh sporty pony size, and will protect her legs from the effects of potentially interfering with the other 3 legs. I'm not so much worried about support or anything like that, just something to effectively bubble wrap her and keep those legs pretty :)

Sophie Monster

There can be much drama where I board. Some of it is not relevant to me at all, and I do my best to just ignore it. Some of it does directly affect me, and I do my best to handle it like a grown up, even though I want to basically throw stuff around, load up the horses, and hit the road..

However, being annoyed by the barn drama feels a little hypocritical, because much drama at the barn also originates from a blonde pony. More specifically, an adorable blonde pony I happen to own.

Doesn't stand still for photos very often. on the plus side, she gets Bridget moving too every once in a while/

She's generally very sweet and respectful of people, but oh my, does she play hard and have an excess of energy. She's hard enough on things that I've been budgeting an hour once a week to repair/replace things she breaks. First victim: fence boards (and yes, there is electric wire up too, but her kicks as she's running and bucking are deadly accurate). Also, at this point she's smashed numerous water buckets. I've ordered some tub trugs from the UK so hopefully that solves that problem.

 More recently, she bent two tie rings in the grooming area.  Barn owner is not impressed. I'm not impressed. Pony ties, until she decides she's done. She's never escaped on my watch, but I suspect she must have at some point in her life, because it's not panicky jumping around/scared of pressure, it's pretty deliberate "OK I am bored now, pay attention to me" sitting on her bum and setting back against the halter/tie. A smack on the bottom gets her to step back up, but yep, I foresee a lot of standing tied all by herself and being patient in her future. Also, I foresee some new tie rings in my budget. I feel like I need to put out to the universe that I'm grateful that the barn owner continues to tolerate my little monster of a 2 year old pony!

Zoom

Yesterday, G volunteered to walk the sassy pony to the ring while I rode Bridget. He's super with Sophie, so I never say no if he wants to take her for a walk. Yesterday, although she was trying to keep a lid on her excess energy, there was the perfect storm in that the metal recycler guy was using his forklift and dropped a big pallet of used propane bottles on the road, one of which started hissing. (Have I mentioned this guy before? He's super nice, but clueless about horses. He randomly has this little area right on the side of the road, on farmland, where people take scrap metal to him. He loads it in a truck parked on the road and I think drives it to the city to recycle. This operation involves a big rattley truck, an ancient forklift, and metal shipping containers that he's usually inside rummaging around as we ride by. Often he's using the forklift to dump stuff in the shipping containers as we ride by. It's loud! He's the best at bombproofing my horses. He also owns a field elsewhere he lets me ride in, so I never complain!)

On the plus side, you'll notice she pretty much ALWAYS has at least an ear or an eye tipped towards me, and is super people oriented in general, so I have a lot of hope this energy will be funneled towards good things in the future.

Anyway, back to to dropped load of hissing propane bottles lying in the road. At that point I turned around and Sophie was past the recycling place but rearing and jumping up and down beside G. Not in his space or anything, but still not cool, so I traded G for Bridget and Sophie and I had a little chat about manners being a thing no matter how much energy you're itching to burn off, or how "scary" the world is (she's actually very brave and curious, and been by the recycling guys place a million times,  so the 'scary' was just an excuse to be silly). She was a little angel for him after that, go figure.

So sorry, please don't hate me.

I've been taking her to the arena once a week or so while I ride Bridget, and sticking her in the round pen to wait for us and learn patience (G calls it the penalty box, which is oddly appropriate, lol). Its really hard for her, because she is all about being the center of our attention. There's consistently about 5-10 minutes of rodeo, screaming, and pony losing her mind and having a temper tantrum, because no one is paying any attention to her. That's immediately followed by standing at the gate and making super sad submissive baby pony faces when she sees you. So, so sorry she is, please let's be friends again. It's a sad, sad, life. Fingers crossed the tantrums disappear as time goes on. I have a feeling they will. I just ignore her, and Bridget isn't one to call back or react to her in any way, so basically she's not getting any reward.

Banana colored at the moment, her coat is already coming in lighter for the winter. I was at a dressage clinic years ago and there was a nice little palomino pony who had the typical beige-y off white winter palomino coat. I don't know exactly why, but when the kid told Steffen Peters her pony was named Mayo, I got the giggles and just couldn't even. I want my own off  white pony called Mayo. No one else thinks it's as hilarious as me, so Sophie she remains. 

It's all just silly baby stuff, and honestly she is a super baby to deal with, and not actually a monster at all. She's just lacking the mental maturity of a grown up pony, and makes bad choices sometimes, lol. The joy of owning youngsters!  I don't think she's ever going to be quiet or easy in the traditional sense, but she's very kind and wants to please, so we'll be fine. I'm really looking forward to riding her and having her in a proper program...I think she's going to thrive once she's physically mature enough to have a proper job to funnel that energy towards.

Jump To It

This is such first world problems, but I haven't been riding as much as I'd like because:

-It's been really hot (for here)

-Bridget hates the heat and goes into angry tar pit dinosaur mode.

-Two horses really do create twice the barn chores, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! (Or maybe it's just my extra hyperactive baby pony making a ton of work for me? No clue. She legit eats and poops twice as much as Bridget and loves to smash stuff and play hard like a colt would. She's lucky she's cute!) 

Anyway, let's get to the point. After 6 weeks, it finally rained and Bridget was happy again. So, we jumped for the first time since winter, because why not?

Someone built a little course in the club arena. Bridget perked right up when she saw it, so I couldnt say no. I'm grateful to whoever took the time to set it up.

My eye for distance was mostly lost in the past, but the jumps were teeny and Bridget was happy to pack me around and suggest striding in the lines. I forgot how good she can be, she really does have the jumping thing down pat.

Whee!

Lesson Recap

You're probably all sick of me saying I had another fantastic lesson, but there it is. I did. Again.

Don't worry, it's not all perfect - my life/luck is ridiculous sometimes! Someone, somewhere, stole some personal info of mine and this week made a bunch of very large charges to my credit card, all in a 24 hour span. Very annoying thing to happen in normal circumstances, but you will recall we are currently shopping around for the best mortgage rate for the dream farm, and so having my account frozen for a fraud investigation for the next two weeks isn't exactly making me feel warm and fuzzy. So, let's just say these fun weekly lessons are extra appreciated right now.

I haven't watched this movie, but when I got a call confirming the super expensive vacation tour I had apparently booked for someone, my coworkers suggested we try to intercept and meet the person a la this movie. I might actually find this funny...sometime later.

Moving onwards... to a happy lesson recap :)

Audrey had a bit more pep than normal since it's summer camp week and EC's been busy. Her new saddle is also helping - I would have said she was fantastic before, but now there is a whole extra level of softness and roundness on offer right off the bat.

We did all the normal things we do: Walk/trot/canter, collect and extend in each gait. Shoulder in, haunches in on the quarterline and on a 15m circle. 

The big breakthrough for me was that I'm really starting to be able to sit and collect the canter by degrees where before, the forward and back was a bit too dramatic and often I'd lose the quality of the canter (or even lose the canter altogether). Still a work in progress, but I'm starting to get a feel.

 Also, in general I'm getting much quicker about getting back to where I was before I made a mistake, and far better about correcting myself before the mistake actually happens. Haunches in on the circle was cause for me to ask for yet more inadvertent flying changes (I think I may never learn to fully contain that outside shoulder on the left lead), but I'm getting better about just adding a walk or trot step and getting back on track immediately.

Audrey is totally happy toodling along with me on board right now, and came walking up to meet me in the field, looking for a job to do. No visible anger when I brushed her too, which is somewhat new - she is a princess and doesn't have time for such things.  I'm also not sure there is a brush in existence she doesn't find either too hard or too soft. A happy, content Audrey feels nice since A has many opinions about a lot things. Most of the time I think her opinions regarding me are probably not flattering!

Well Worth It

I don't kid myself, private lessons with a great coach on a talented horse are probably never going to come cheap. My lessons on Audrey come in fairly reasonably priced (I think) at $75 for about 30-45 min of riding.

That $75 a week for "extra" horse expenses is a stretch for me, so there's been a bit of budget shuffling to make it happen. G and I keep our own finances and don't share a bank account, but I do still struggle with a bit of guilt over choosing to spend $300 a month on something solely for myself with nothing visibly concrete to show for it.

Sorry honey, can't afford my own new car, so I'm borrowing your truck again....my budget is dedicated to horses of a different sort ;) G and I joke that our bank accounts are called "For Horses" and "Not For Horses", no prizes for guessing whose is whose, lol

I had another super lesson this week on the ever amazing Audrey. I was thinking about my life choices on my drive home tonight and yeah, $75 a week is so worth it, I have no regrets. Not only am I learning things I'll carry forward with me far into the future, but the amount of confidence I'm gaining in myself and my riding is invaluable too. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows all the time, but the tough stuff is what's motivated me to get back to running, eating better, hitting the gym, and generally looking after myself. All very good things that will make me a happier, healthier, and better person.

We're using the term "running" loosely right now...better look out, my 30 min 3k game is strong ;)

I hate to admit this too, but it's been a very long time (actually, I'm not sure it's EVER happened) since I've really, wholeheartedly been excited to ride, especially in a lesson. I do enjoy riding, and I certainly enjoy learning. I like feeling like I'm making progress. I always get a lot out of lessons. But there's always been that feeling in the back of my mind that maybe I can't do this. What if this this is clinician who finally levels with me that I'm wasting my time? 

Can't even.

Bridget is fantastic in a million ways, but I feel like she can be super unforgiving. If you don't get it perfectly right, she won't waste any time trying. Actually, even if you get it perfectly right, she might not bother :) Not always ideal for someone whose default is to think they are not a good enough rider. Prior to life with Bridget, I had big struggles off and on with feeling overhorsed, so riding was at best anxiety inducing, at worst, dangerous. Still, I love it, go figure. 

I owe Bridget the world though, for getting my confidence back enough to gallop and jump again. I might feel like a completely inadequate rider and trainer with her sometimes, but we've certainly made a dent in my horsey bucket list!

This is the first time in my life all that baggage is pretty much left at the door. Riding Audrey is just straight up fun. I love her. I am 0% nervous on her, I have no agenda. I have no shows or goals  on the horizon to stress over, and coach I feel very comfortable with. I can make mistakes and neither Audrey nor EC really care. So long as I'm trying, Audrey will do her best to figure out what I want and while she certainly lets me know when I'm not up to standard, she forgets about it just moments later, no grudges held.

Sophie also holds zero grudges. And yes, that's B still sulking in the background because I put fly spray on them (gasp!). She hilarious, I just love her curmudgeonly self. Once I start brushing or otherwise giving Sophie attention, you'd better believe B is suddenly my best friend and Sophie is not allowed to share, lol

 So,  all that's left is to feel super excited, like small child excited, to just get in the saddle and see what Audrey and I can do today. Yes, I will make a million mistakes, no it won't be perfect. But you can be certain it will be fun! 

Scariest Garden Hose

Perhaps unexpectedly, this is a post about me being scared of the new hose at the barn, not my horses hating hoses or water. Or maybe if you've read this blog a while, you're not surprised by the random neuroses of yours truly.

Exhibit A: New hose left out to drain by the barn:

Exhibit B: Example of a garter snake:

Both inhabit the area around the barn, both move around, but seem to prefer hanging out in the long grass near the water taps.

It's freaking ridiculous, but every.single.time I trip over that hose or catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, I'm like "EEK!"

I don't even mind snakes per say, just not a fan of their habit of appearing unexpectedly in odd places and then slithering around unpredictably. Just pick a spot and stay there so I know where you are! 

New rule: Same goes for you, New Barn Hose!:D

(AND SERIOUSLY, WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO MANUFACTURE A HOSE IN THESE COLORS?! AND WHY DID THE BARN OWNER BUY IT INSTEAD OF ONE OF THE MANY OTHER COLORS BASIC GARDEN HOSES COME IN? Does no one else see the similarity? I have so many questions :) )

Magic Tack, Part 2

First, the magic saddle. Then, in my perusing of all things horse on the internet, I saw what looked like a good bit to try on Midge and saw it was dressage legal, too. I started researching it and other Myler bits. Would one help the extra fussy Midge?

Reading about them on the Myler website, I was definitely getting an infomercial, too-good-to-be-true vibe.

ShamWOW!

Also, IMO they're not overly cheap for what I perceive the quality to be. Kind of an expensive experiment should B hate it, as she has many other bits I've tried.

Although I was skeptical, it really did look and sound like a bit that would suit B, so I took the plunge and ordered one through the Home Shopping Channel Riding Warehouse. It arrived in record time, and I've ridden in it twice now.

Myler MB33WL. Paying in 3 easy installments of $29.95 and I get a free Ziploc bag to keep it in because I ordered it before the time ran out. Just kidding, it was $89 USD (including a free Ziploc bag and a very large box)

Initial thoughts? Yep, for Bridget at least, it's magical. She's not hiding from the contact, and she's flexing easily side to side when I ask, rather than her previous go to of bracing. Ditto in the transitions - she's more easily forward into the contact and not wanting to brace or hollow as much.

Obviously, our every day basic training issues remain. (It's been hot, so again we struggle with a lack of energy and plenty of reminders are required to keep her up in front of my leg. Also, she's quite heavy and on the forehand in the canter if I'm not really on the ball)  It's not THAT magical of a piece of equipment. But, she likes it, and that alone is worth it and makes my job simpler.

Bridget's level of enthusiasm is never dramatic, but so far this bit seems to meet her standards

Long term, who knows? I'm glad I bought it for where we're at now, though! Plus, a magic bit is still far cheaper than that magic saddle I covet :)

Changes (Of The Fun, Flying Variety)

This might have been my favorite lesson ever.

I know I've mentioned a few times how good Audrey has been for reminding me to stay centered and to keep my upper body strong but not resistant. If I shift my weight or tense any part of my body, you'd better believe she's going to offer up SOMETHING because she is a good girl and gives me a lot more credit than she should.

Bridget prefers sleep to offering solutions to my requests, but I love her for it.

You've probably also gathered by now that often, in the canter, her SOMETHING offered in reaction to my above rider challenges often involves inadvertant flying changes :)

I'd like to think I'm improving, because it's been a few rides since I've had rider issues resulting in pony drama and the surprise changes have been minimal of late. Full disclaimer: It could be the magic saddle, though, too.

Today, as I was cantering  and shortening through the center of the arena, I could feel her really thinking and hoping I'd ask for a change. I laughed and mentioned it to EC, who suggested I just go ahead and surprise her and ask.

Random pics of my girls, sorry once again for the lack of Audrey lesson pictures. Especially in summer,the barn is empty of barn rats when I have my lessons in the evenings.

That's when I had to fess up. I've never really had a horse with solid changes, so I could probably count the times I've ridden them in a dressage context (intentionally at least, lol)  on one hand. My question: do I ask the same as on a western horse? Or jumping? Answer: Don't over think it! Get your good canter, keep her straight, feel where her legs are at like you would as you ask for a good walk to canter transition. Simply weight your new inside stirrup slightly and slide your new outside leg back a little. Catch her with your new outside rein. Ask her to stay round and stepping up. Do not pull on her nose....she needs to be straight! Basically, most of the things I'm doing when I inadvertently get a change on her when I'm just trying to change the bend :)

Sophie is still really bum high. Grow pony, grow! Become a mini Audrey, please :)

EC remained convinced changes are no big thing and we didn't need to discuss it to death. I just needed to go play around and ask for them. And so I did. It took a couple of tries to get the feel (after all my talk about Audrey being uber sensitive, I still wanted to override them the first couple of times and ended up with some very crooked and...expressive! changes and cross cantering, even a couple of inadvertent one tempi changes down the long side as I over-corrected my body, lol, it's incredible that she puts up with my shenanigans :), and then after a couple of tries each way it was like the light bulb went on and it really was no big thing. She's fairly tricky to keep straight enough on her tougher side, and almost too easy (anticipating) on the other, but we did it! On purpose! Nicely! Easily!

And, oh my goodness, was that fun. I know for a lot of you changes are no big deal. For me, it's pretty exciting to start to get the feel and timing nailed down and have that tool available to me. One day I want to do tempis (on purpose), after all!

G has about a million pics of my ponies on his phone! Who knew?!

I'm very lucky that EC will let me ride her up and coming "big" horse and play around with new to me things and never worry I'll set her training back. I'm also aware of how lucky I am that Audrey is that perfect mix of very expressive and opinionated without being dangerous if you mess it all up. She's giving me a lot of confidence in using my rider toolkit and problem solving when it doesn't go to plan.  Quite often I have been far too passive because I lack confidence in myself to do the right thing, but that's changing a little because she is so responsive to what I ask...I'm communicating a lot more clearly and confidently. I'm very hopeful that what I'm learning now will translate over to Sophie and even Bridget.

Trying for a nice picture of us, 20 pictures taken and not one has all of us looking "normal" lol. Just keeping it real over here :)

Although, to keep me humble...Audrey did pull a very dirty move and nipped me hard on the arm as I was leading her into the barn prior to the lesson. Very, very quick and stealthy about it too, then the whole instant "OMG I DIDN"T ACTUALLY MEAN TO TOUCH YOU! PLEASE DON"T HURT ME" shocked face and so much sadness when I got after her a little for it. All the mare feelings, lol. So, yeah, don't worry. she's not a complete perfect angel! (But pretty close, IMO ;)

Champagne Taste

You're all familiar by now with the long, long saga that has been finding appropriate tack for round sized Bridget ponies. Spoiler alert: It's not easy. I've pretty much just decided to settle for "good enough" since B and I arent hitting any big goals anymore.

 I'll save up for something prettier down the road when Sophie is ready for her own saddle.

In the meantime inbetweentime, I've fallen in love with a saddle that's well beyond my current beer budget:

County Epiphany

I ride in this on my lesson nights, and it's just perfect. This is the first dressage saddle I've used that I don't feel like I'm fighting against in one way or another. It's soft and confortable without being a couch, and it puts me on such a good place I don't even need to think about my position. No more sore lower back or hips. The twist is narrow enough that even my short legs hang nicely, and yet it still feels close contact. Audrey loves it too, and goes noticeably better in it than her previous saddle. Also, it's now super easy for me to sit her gaits.  I want, want, want one of my own. Fingers crossed when the time comes for Sophie to have a saddle, an Epiphany works for her. Time to start hoarding pennies, just in case!

Anyway, if you're shopping, I highly recommend trying this saddle. Apparently everyone at the barn who's used it loves it, so I'm not alone in wishing for one. We're all fairly different shapes and sizes too, so it's interesting to me that we all loved it.

And, yes, I had the most fantastic lesson this week. Recap coming!