so. trialling an innova atm.
also rode in the new spangled Isabel yesterday & noticed DISTINCTLY how far set back the stirrup bars are. i felt i was pelvic thrusting all over the place.
beejay had a lot to say about it tho. UGH. the whole point is to make him happy. Lou fitted it to him exactly. she started off with it in a medium-wide (blue) gullet, which is what he has in all his other saddles. then took out some of the front shims (it has CAIR) and put the gullet back to a medium (black).
i then rode him again in the afternoon & he was significantly more sedate, and not at all fussed, which is great. i got my friend kelly to come around & take some pics just in case i had to give the saddle back early, before Carly got a chance to give some feedback on it (but have managed to score the saddle for a week & a have a lesson this arvo at 2.30, so that's all good).
anyways.
i'm still sorta pitched forward here. idk if that's cos i'm getting used to the saddle still & that's my natural way of going (it is) and will be a hard habit to break, OR if it's the saddle.
you can see i'm slung back right over the cantle here cos he was trolloping around the place. i felt pretty secure tho.
pitched forward & heels up. he is horrific to ride on the right rein at this particular point in the circle & will suck back/drop shoulder/bulge/shy/bolt. idk what the issue is & he tries it on with everyone who rides him.
i'm pretty aware that i'm fairly squashed into it. it's a 17.5inch - all my other saddles are 18". the massive knee blocs (and this saddle has the SMALL ones) fairly lock you in as well. Lou was pretty adamant that i do not need to go up into a bigger sized saddle. i guess she's looking at length of thigh as opposed to fat content, haha. that said, i'm pretty squashed into anything i ride in - that's standard for me.
it'll be interesting to see what carly thinks. i felt pretty good in it. not awesome, not a prize winner, but pretty good. pretty secure.
it can be tweaked pretty well, so that's promising. PLUS bates has 24months interest free terms until christmas eve, so i'm hoping to make a decision by then. i really would not be thinking about a $3k saddle if there wasn't a perk like that involved. i just don't have the finances to go spending straight up on a new saddle. i'd LOVE to play with a KN or a schumacher, but i'm in NO position to go spending $6k on anything, let alone a fucking saddle. KN's are slightly cheaper & i could get on interest free - but still, 6 months vs 24 months? it's a no brainer. hopefully i'm approved for finance if i DO go for the innova, otherwise this whole adventure is for nothing.
both ponies got chiro on friday. beej was out in his hips & pretty sore all over. poor guy. the chiro came & did them by himself as i was at work. too bad, as i like to see what's happening, but he's a pretty good practitioner.
also have laser therapy & equissage tomorrow ($77) and my wonderful bowen lady is coming out on the 4th January to treat both beej and taz. her prices have gone up TWENTY FIVE FRICKING DOLLARS so that's goint to be an expensive jaunt/treatment for the pair of them ($190).
andddd my friend Kelly having a ride too:
he's happy to share the love, that's for sure.
and can work pretty fucking awesomely once he gets the bugs out.
she's got a hot ass tho cos the second she got on, he was all over the place.
she doesn't normally ride in shorts, but she came over to take some photos and i offered one up. so excuse her attire. besides, it gets hot here (tho you can't tell it by today's weather - it's RAINING & fucking cold as).