Lesson Recap 2/26

Wow am I behind! 

I was telling CJ before the lesson that I was having a hard time getting/keeping Riesling straight. We started out by doing 3 loop serpentines. Immediately I noticed a change in how he was going! Hooray for simple exercises. Then we worked on sitting trot (Hoh boy) that I haven't practiced since last August. Riesling was particularly unenthused with this. He would not relax and did not want to stretch into the contact. 

We the moved towards collection and extension which at first he was having a little trouble with, but he seemed to get the hang of. He really enjoyed himself in the extension part when he figured it out (and I got to post!). When we started canter transitions Riesling threw a fit. CJ immediately stopped me and asked if he had done this before. I explained he had been like this and I normally return to a long and low trot to relax him and then ask and it is much better. She then came to the conclusion that something was wrong.

He didn't want to collect and he was rude about the canter. CJ speculated he had lower back pain and made the discovery that my beloved saddle was not putting Riesling or I in a great position. Swell. 

Luckily, she had a student with a Freisian TB cross that needed a saddle. I took it out to her barn for kicks and giggles and lone behold that saddle fit them swell. CJ had me hop aboard her mount and feel the difference. On her horse, it felt like that saddle fit me like a glove. So depressing. The student is talking with her mom and hopefully working out a deal to buy it!

Meanwhile this left me saddleless and needing a new saddle.  Out came fitter one! I'll talk more in depth about the saddle fitting appointment, but it basically left me feeling like I have no idea what I want in a saddle. Life is always keeping me on my toes!