- Feb 21, 2023
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I certainly don’t mind, but I do hope you post some pictures!
Embers very pretty!
Horses!
- Thread starter ShrekDawg
- Start date
OnlySympathy
Crowing
I rode Chuck today. He is a 26 year old thoroughbred and an absolute idiot… like every thoroughbred
at least he is very happy to trot
at least he is very happy to trot
- Thread starter
- #2,903
AwwwwwwwwwI rode Chuck today. He is a 26 year old thoroughbred and an absolute idiot… like every thoroughbred
at least he is very happy to trot
Aw, he's cute! Why is me making a crabby face, though? Does he not like getting his picture taken?
OnlySympathy
Crowing
He’s mad I stopped riding him. He never wants to stop. I think there has only been one time that he has said he was ready to be done with me riding himAw, he's cute! Why is me making a crabby face, though? Does he not like getting his picture taken?
Had a setback with my new girl a couple weeks ago - I fell off due to my own stupidity. She did nothing wrong whatsoever, it was absolutely my fault for being an idiot and forgetting to check my girth!
Which was part of the very first lesson I ever had, 57 years ago, before I ever even got on a pony for the first time. I could kick myself for being so stupid.
We were cantering small and big circles, she was going really beautifully, I got starry-eyed and lost focus, and all of a sudden the saddle slipped to the outside and I was catapulted on to the ground. Also my fault for bad riding, I should have had more weight on the inside stirrup and obviously I didn't.
My poor horse ended up with the saddle hanging under her stomach, so of course she panicked and galloped several times around the huge arena until my friend was able to stop her and take the saddle off (I was still gathering my various body parts and picking myself up, LOL) then I was able to walk my poor scared, sweating, sweet mare around until her breathing returned to normal.
Poor girl got some scrapes on her rear legs, not bad at all thankfully. I just cold-hosed her legs and put some ointment on the scrapes. My saddle got a bit battered, but no major damage. So fortunate it wasn't worse.
When I was young, an average fall was usually not that big of a deal. I would get back on and have a few bruises the next day. At my age though, I was REALLY sore for a week! Ribs, hips, bruising, road rash, ouch. But my horse and I, and my tack, were really lucky. It could have turned out so much worse.
My main worry was that my new mare would lose trust in me for letting that happen! I felt horrible that I'd let such a scary thing happen to her, through no fault of her own. Fortunately she had forgiven me by the next day. A nice grooming with treats, meeting another friend's sweet mare and hand grazing together helped. Then for the next week we stuck to groundwork and longeing, until I quit limping and could cough and sneeze without pain, then we were riding again and picked up right where we left off. She's a true angel!
Lessons learned:
1. CHECK MY GIRTH!!!! I did get a new girth that's a more anatomical shape. I prefer fleecy ones because my mare has thin, sensitive skin, but the fleecies are definitely more slippery. This new one is shaped around her elbows so it stays put better, but I still need to MAKE SURE IT'S TIGHT ENOUGH! Lay back your ears all you want, chestnut mare, but a tight girth will be more comfortable for you than a slipping saddle under your belly.
2. Pay attention to the basics every moment I'm riding! It's too easy to get all starry-eyed when we make a new improvement, and lose focus on maintaining the basics, eg. weight on the inside seat and stirrup on a circle.
3. It's nice to know I can still fall off without breaking every bone in my body! I'm really lucky, because lots of women my age have osteoporosis and might have broken a hip and ended up disabled or at least hospitalized, after getting flung off like that. I need to remember to appreciate my health more, be thankful and not take it for granted, and to be more careful about maintaining it. For example:
4. I have a body protector, I should be using it! Yeah, it's only *required* for cross-country, but why not wear it whenever we plan to do some new exercise, not just for CC jumping. It's just sitting on a hanger in my tack shed, I need to make a habit of putting it on, same as my helmet. I might have bought it in the first place because the rules say I can't go Eventing without it, but it's true purpose is to keep me from getting injured from any fall in general. So I should be putting it on!
Which was part of the very first lesson I ever had, 57 years ago, before I ever even got on a pony for the first time. I could kick myself for being so stupid.
We were cantering small and big circles, she was going really beautifully, I got starry-eyed and lost focus, and all of a sudden the saddle slipped to the outside and I was catapulted on to the ground. Also my fault for bad riding, I should have had more weight on the inside stirrup and obviously I didn't.
My poor horse ended up with the saddle hanging under her stomach, so of course she panicked and galloped several times around the huge arena until my friend was able to stop her and take the saddle off (I was still gathering my various body parts and picking myself up, LOL) then I was able to walk my poor scared, sweating, sweet mare around until her breathing returned to normal.
Poor girl got some scrapes on her rear legs, not bad at all thankfully. I just cold-hosed her legs and put some ointment on the scrapes. My saddle got a bit battered, but no major damage. So fortunate it wasn't worse.
When I was young, an average fall was usually not that big of a deal. I would get back on and have a few bruises the next day. At my age though, I was REALLY sore for a week! Ribs, hips, bruising, road rash, ouch. But my horse and I, and my tack, were really lucky. It could have turned out so much worse.
My main worry was that my new mare would lose trust in me for letting that happen! I felt horrible that I'd let such a scary thing happen to her, through no fault of her own. Fortunately she had forgiven me by the next day. A nice grooming with treats, meeting another friend's sweet mare and hand grazing together helped. Then for the next week we stuck to groundwork and longeing, until I quit limping and could cough and sneeze without pain, then we were riding again and picked up right where we left off. She's a true angel!
Lessons learned:
1. CHECK MY GIRTH!!!! I did get a new girth that's a more anatomical shape. I prefer fleecy ones because my mare has thin, sensitive skin, but the fleecies are definitely more slippery. This new one is shaped around her elbows so it stays put better, but I still need to MAKE SURE IT'S TIGHT ENOUGH! Lay back your ears all you want, chestnut mare, but a tight girth will be more comfortable for you than a slipping saddle under your belly.
2. Pay attention to the basics every moment I'm riding! It's too easy to get all starry-eyed when we make a new improvement, and lose focus on maintaining the basics, eg. weight on the inside seat and stirrup on a circle.
3. It's nice to know I can still fall off without breaking every bone in my body! I'm really lucky, because lots of women my age have osteoporosis and might have broken a hip and ended up disabled or at least hospitalized, after getting flung off like that. I need to remember to appreciate my health more, be thankful and not take it for granted, and to be more careful about maintaining it. For example:
4. I have a body protector, I should be using it! Yeah, it's only *required* for cross-country, but why not wear it whenever we plan to do some new exercise, not just for CC jumping. It's just sitting on a hanger in my tack shed, I need to make a habit of putting it on, same as my helmet. I might have bought it in the first place because the rules say I can't go Eventing without it, but it's true purpose is to keep me from getting injured from any fall in general. So I should be putting it on!
- Feb 21, 2023
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- 8,382
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I’m glad you and your girl are ok!! She sounds wonderful and it seems like you two are a good pair! If you’d don’t mind me asking, what girth did you get her? I’ve been looking for one for my lease mare. She also has super sensitive skin.
I'll take a look at it tomorrow, I don't remember the model. I bought it used from one of my fellow boarders who had some tack for sale.
- Feb 21, 2023
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Thanks
Here you go, the girth is an Ovation "Europa" dressage girth. For now, I'm using it with a girth extender on both sides - we're still working on my mare's "baby belly" and just another 50 lbs or so and I'll be able to use the girth by itself, but for now I use two extenders so I can keep it even on both sides. It's great for horses like mine who have high withers that make the girth want to slip back. One nice thing is you can separate the leather part from the fleecy "casing" and wash it in the washer.
Yikes, I got curious about what these cost new and I had no idea - I got it used but in practically new shape for WAY less $$.
Yikes, I got curious about what these cost new and I had no idea - I got it used but in practically new shape for WAY less $$.
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