Post by fimacg on Apr 18, 2010 14:33:11 GMT
I can't believe the difference a saddle can make.
As you know I bought Brave a new saddle on Friday and what a difference, it is the same type and make as Chompys but slightly smaller than Chompy's.
I had a lesson on it on Friday evening and my instructor has thought we had been practicing jumping all week (which we hadn't) she told me she couldn't believe the difference in my position in a week, a lot of the problems we were trying to iron out seem to have disappeared with the new saddle.
We had one hairy moment when Brave got a bit confused in the grid we were jumping and instead of trotting into the 1st fence he picked up canter jumped the placing pole and the jump in one go got his feet tangled up on the 2nd placing pole, scrambled over the secong jump and ran out at the third. Last week this would have put me on the floor but all that happened we I lost a stirrup and told him not to be so silly.
In my old saddle it kept throwing me forward and I was fighting to stay back and keep my position, in this saddle it just comes naturally. Brave also seems more comfortable there is no more agravated tail swishing when he sees it, he still puts his ears back but then says, oh its ok, so he must have been uncomfortable as well, which probably made jumping uncomfortable and lead to him wiggling about.
We have also been out hacking twice in it over the weekend and on both occasions I took him for a balst around the one remaining field I can ride in. I felt I could really influence his canter/gallop, sitting him back on his hocks and helping him balance as we when down hill (the field undulates is a few places) and then asking him to really go forward as we went back uphill. There was no head tossing fighting or anything apart from working together.
Again a week ago I would have been terrified but I found today I was thinking about taking him on a pick a fence cross country day.
The saddle has helped me regain my position, which seems to have restored my confidence and faith in myself, which means I am not hanging onto or fighting with Brave as much, who is also much more comfortable.
And the result = HARMONY!
As you know I bought Brave a new saddle on Friday and what a difference, it is the same type and make as Chompys but slightly smaller than Chompy's.
I had a lesson on it on Friday evening and my instructor has thought we had been practicing jumping all week (which we hadn't) she told me she couldn't believe the difference in my position in a week, a lot of the problems we were trying to iron out seem to have disappeared with the new saddle.
We had one hairy moment when Brave got a bit confused in the grid we were jumping and instead of trotting into the 1st fence he picked up canter jumped the placing pole and the jump in one go got his feet tangled up on the 2nd placing pole, scrambled over the secong jump and ran out at the third. Last week this would have put me on the floor but all that happened we I lost a stirrup and told him not to be so silly.
In my old saddle it kept throwing me forward and I was fighting to stay back and keep my position, in this saddle it just comes naturally. Brave also seems more comfortable there is no more agravated tail swishing when he sees it, he still puts his ears back but then says, oh its ok, so he must have been uncomfortable as well, which probably made jumping uncomfortable and lead to him wiggling about.
We have also been out hacking twice in it over the weekend and on both occasions I took him for a balst around the one remaining field I can ride in. I felt I could really influence his canter/gallop, sitting him back on his hocks and helping him balance as we when down hill (the field undulates is a few places) and then asking him to really go forward as we went back uphill. There was no head tossing fighting or anything apart from working together.
Again a week ago I would have been terrified but I found today I was thinking about taking him on a pick a fence cross country day.
The saddle has helped me regain my position, which seems to have restored my confidence and faith in myself, which means I am not hanging onto or fighting with Brave as much, who is also much more comfortable.
And the result = HARMONY!
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
