A Months Review in Pictures

My apologies for the lack of posts over the past month. I went to the doctor's on April 16 and they still no answers as to what was wrong with me so my husband suggested I started drinking his protein shakes in the morning for breakfast (he does weights and goes to the gym so they are proper fitness & health shakes, not sugar packed diet shakes) along with half a grapefruit and porridge. Voila, I'm back to my old self!!!! Due to my high level of physical activity (riding my bike on average 10 miles a day, riding everyday, mucking out, my jobs and doing house stuff), I need to eat like an athlete- several meals throughout the day and include plenty of protein in my diet (need to eat something now as I'm feeling hungry and am starting to get tired). Doing this for the past month, I feel brilliant! I have to go to haematology at the hospital on June 12 but to be honest, I think my problem is diet related and I was getting severely run down to the point it was affecting my health.

I've been riding everyday this week for the first time in a long time and it's great! We've been practising jumping 1'9" again with varying degrees of success but it's all good. I have a show this weekend and another next Sunday if the weather is nice.

Since a lot has happened during my last post, I've decided to save me typing and do a month's review mostly in photos. While gathering all the photos together, I noticed that being sick and not being able to ride, meant an increase in shopping! Probably another good reason to increase my protein intake as my bank account was becoming "run down"!!

To cheer myself up with not being able to ride at the beginning of April, I bought Julia's c.1900 Bartley park side saddle for my collection and to try it on my friend's cob, Ted.

Then my Yard Owner informed me that he was selling his horse trailer (that being my ride to shows) so I decided to sell my lovely Bartley since it was much too wide for Hattie and Ted the cob, to buy my "ride" from my Yard Owner, a c. 1970 Rice Farmer's Hunt trailer...

My friend who owns Ted the Cob, asked if her daughter Chloe, could try Hattie side saddle as she had expressed an interest in riding aside. So Chloe and her brother Cain (who is training to work in the equestrian industry) both had a go side saddle. Cain wasn't so keen, he said it felt "weird" but Chloe loved it!

Cain:

Chloe:

So off to Sandon Saddlery Julia and I went in search of a small side saddle for Chloe to ride Hattie and her Welsh Section B pony, Jiggy, in (they take the same tree size) and treats for us...

and we came out with his turn of the century 15 1/2" (19 1/2" US) pony side saddle (looks like my Bartley) for Chloe...

It fits her pony Jiggy and Hattie nicely (needs the flocking adjusting but the tree seems to be a good fit). I also found a little 42" three fold girth after the photos were taken for Jiggy to go with the saddle on the internet for £6 so he's all set to go aside!

Chloe wasn't the only one who came out with a saddle either. I bought this virtually unused 19" UK (23" US) Champion & Wilton copy from c. 1920's- 1940's in newmarket tan leather. It looks like it was only used a couple of times before being left. Unfortunately, the panels were removed at some point but the tree is in pristine condition like the day it was made. The leather on the tips of the pommels have scuffed off from storage but nothing some Vetrap can't handle until my bank account recovers enough to get them recovered. the pressing thing with this saddle is having a panel made and replacing the original girth straps which have dried from age (although they don't have any wear on them either).

Check out that pancake flat seat!! It looks more 1940's to me.

Eave doeskin seat which is pristine...

Pristine tree with no insect damage at all...

Despite being a very long seated saddle, it seems to fit Hattie ok which was a surprise when I put it on her back. It JUST comes to her last rib which is the maximum length a side saddle should come to. Despite being 5'9", when I sit in this saddle, I have about 4" of seat behind me (a good hand's width) so if I did get this saddle fitted to Hattie, I wouldn't actually being sitting at the very back of the saddle. The tree width seems to follow the contours of her confirmation well and the tree would be about a medium with flocked panels or a medium/wide with a wykham.

I also decided to treat myself to a new habit by Show Time Supplies made from green keeper's tweed with a near and off-side apron so sold my 1934 Moss Bros one as the sleeves were really too short for me to pay for it. When you wear a tweed habit, you "need" a brown helmet and brown boots so more bargains on the internet were found!

HKM brown leather field boots which were 1/2 price on the Dogwood of London site... 

And this hardly used Gatehouse Hickstead brown velvet helmet (same brand as my navy show hat) was found on Ebay for £20 instead of the normal £80! Here's me testing them out :)

My beautiful new (and slim fit!) habit arrived shortly after my boots and hat did so had to test it out too. I was sad to see my comfy Moss Bros. habit go but must admit, my new green one looks spiffy!

I'm going to wear my new habit to the show on Sunday and can't wait to test out my off-side apron too. It shouldn't be too long before I can test the off-side apron out as the saddler came to do one of the final fittings of the new panels on my Beck Morrow this past Monday and it's looking good! Hattie was very forward in it, we walk, trotted and cantered in it with no bucking!

He replaced all the billets, made me a nice padded up safe underneath the flap, Julia shaped the leaping head for me so it's perfect now and now my saddler just has to make a new overgirth, stitch the cover back on the leaping had and line the panels with serge once he's shaved some of the felt off from the sides of the inside gullet channel so it clears Hattie's spine perfectly. Roger is also adding another point strap for Hattie for maximum set as the saddle still slide forward a little bit.

We are going to a Side Saddle Association show next month and if my off-side is ready, I may take that to ride in!

So despite not actually riding very much this past month, it's been an exhausting one! :-)

Messin' About Side Saddle Style

The day after the Burbage show, I got ill with a bad cold and ear infection and have not been able to ride for the past two weeks due to being constantly knackered from my stupid low white blood cells. I had to go to the doctor's for another blood test as they still don't know what the heck's up with me as I don't "tick" any of the boxes for the stuff they "thought" might be wrong with me, lol. I have to go again on the 16th for more results from the latest blood draining so we shall see!!

Since I've not had the energy or the health to ride, I asked my friend Julia if she would like to help me with Hattie and get to ride her too! Julia is horseless at the moment and is missing riding side saddle so it's a win-win situation!

Julia has been riding in my Whippy, but is finding it much too large for her and causes to constantly fight from falling off the left side. We put her massive padded queen AND a folded up towel on the fixed head to help keep her leg central and put the leaping head on the low hole, but because she is several inches smaller than me in height and dress size, the length of her thigh places her seat bones in the narrow part of the saddle just in front of where the saddle is built up for my left seat bone. If she sits further back in MY sweet spot, she feels secure seat wise but the long length of my saddle, forces her right lower leg up and outwards ala "Mrs. Hayes style".

I've always read that you can ride in a side saddle that is too big for you but not one that is too small. Personally, after seeing Julia struggle, this rule applies to both too small AND too big! It has been suggested by some other side saddle ladies, to stuff some padding under the breeches/jods at the bum/thigh area so we'll try that. 

Despite battling my big 'ole saddle, she actually rode quite well!

Julia brought her side saddle the other day and we swapped saddles so she could at least get some riding in without clinging on by her butt cheek. Her saddle is flocked up for a horse a lot narrower than Hattie but the general tree shape seems to fit Hattie ok. It's not a terribly wide saddle, narrowish/medium Hattie is probably the biggest horse that could fit into it with a wykham pad put on or with the excess flocking removed but it has a very long cutback head so has good wither clearance and a longish off-side point so it stays stable. 

We also discovered that it has a hunting bar and that the tree is heavily reinforced. Julia was hesitant to use it as it does need a lot of work (new panels as the serge on hers is going, new billets and the flocking has all bunched up at the wither area ) but we put a square pad and a gel pad under it to smooth out any bumps the saddle may have had and she had a walk around and a bit of a trot. 

Hattie falling asleep after being ridden... 

Although Julia's saddle looks uphill, it actually does ride that way. Yes, with a bunch of flocking removed, it would sit down better on Hattie but the seat is SO COMFORTABLE as it has wide sweeping seat with a built up right thigh area for comfort. It only measures 16 1/2" from cutback to cantle and 20 1/2" from the front of the fixed head to cantle but amazingly, not only does it fit Julia very well, but it also fits me well too! How unusual is that?

Hattie was happier with Julia riding in that saddle and she was striding out at the walk, nice downward transitions/halts and went into trot easily. She felt secure in the saddle and didn't have to fight to keep her position. The only thing that Julia found hard to get to grips with, was the shorter leg position with her antique saddle as she is used to riding with a long stirrup iron or stirrupless (show -off!)!! Victorian saddles tend to have the pommels set closer together than vintage 20th century saddles do.

Hattie really striding out but Julia's leg was a bit long for this style of saddle.

Better position with the corrected leg...

Nice downward transition to halt with Julia lifting up her ribcage to "scoop herself up" and at the same time, pointing the right down right down...

The fact that Hattie did not buck at the trot, means that she likes the saddle as Hattie will let you know within a few strides of trot by humping her back and trying to bronc you off, if she is not happy with a saddle. Ask me how I know...

The saddle also did not shoot forward at the trot so that is another promising sign with it. A lot of people would probably poo-poo the idea of using such an old Victorian dipped seat "relic" saddle but it just goes to show that if the saddle is comfy for the horse and comfy for the rider, then who cares if it's not a 1930's flat doeskin seated Owen?

Unfortunately, Julia's saddle isn't safe enough or comfortable enough for Hattie in it's current condition so she can't do the heavy duty riding in it that she wants to do so we'll have to try the padded bum route!

Thanks to Julia, a  fellow side saddle "enabler", I seem to have acquired a new addition to my "stable" of saddles. More on that tomorrow...

Burbage Riding Club Show Report!

We did it! We FINALLY got to the Burbage riding Club show and I didn't have to hack the 22 mile round trip!

It was a brilliant day and the weather was sunny and hot (glad I had my lightweight habit on). Hattie travelled with her boyfriend, fellow bay Thoroughbred, Charlie who is owned by my yard owners and we entered Best Turned Out, Style and Appearance, Riding Club Horse & Pony, Senior Equitation and Best Condition Over 15 years (In-hand).

Hattie also decided to come into season that morning and was calling to Charlie all the time back and forth, back and forth which also made her a bit sharp and wappy when Laura, Charlie's owner, finished her showing classes and took him to do some show jumping in the other ring.

We did REALLY well on Sunday and qualified for the Championship show in September in ALL the classes we entered! In Best Turned Out we came 1st, in Style and Appearance we came 2nd, in Riding Club Horse, we got 4th, for Senior Equitation we came 2nd and Hattie came 1st in Veteran Best Condition class!

For Best Turned Out, all our tack was inspected, even underneath our stirrup iron. I am a bit obsessive compulsive about tack cleaning and turn out so we really did earn our 1st place. I HATE having dirty tack and can't rest until it's all cleaned.

Us walking around being judged in Best Turned Out...


Being inspected...


Our 1st place rosette!


For Style & Appearance, your turnout AND your riding/horse's way of going is judged. I was a bit nervous and I don't think our individual show was as good as our later ones were but all things considered, Hattie was nice and forward although I did catch my right shoulder dropping down a few times and we could have used more of the ring instead of cutting corners (the judge mentioned using more of the ring as well).

 In the Riding Club Horse class, you are judged on how suitable your horse is for riding club activities (jumping, dressage, showing) and Hattie was a nightmare in this class due to Charlie leaving and going off to do some show jumping. She was screeching for him and was STRONG and FAST.

The judged wanted us to show walk/trot/canter on both reins with a gallop along the long side of the ring on the right rein and also incorporating a small jump. The jumps were only about 1'3" but Hattie knocked it down. She just doesn't respect the small jumps as she hasn't been touching ANY of the 1'9" ones we have been doing all week. There was no reason for her to knock it down as we had a nice forward pace too, it was just laziness and lack of concentration with her thinking about her boyfriend.

 I kept having to halt her in our individual show as she was screeching and trying to gallop off to Charlie. After we finished, the judge said "Well ridden" and "that looked hard", lol! My husband didn't film it (wish he did to prove that Hattie was a nutjob during that class) but we managed to get some good riding in between the crazy bits. It was a true test of my equitation.

 Lovely trot courtesy of Lili Brooksby's excellent teaching...








A controlled gallop down the long side as I wasn't sure Hattie wouldn't try to jump the fence at the end to go to Charlie...


Us getting our well deserved 4th place ribbon...


Hattie and her harlequin patterned 4th place ribbon for Riding Club Horse...


After a short break was the Senior (over 14yrs) Equitation class. I felt a bit old as at 36, I was probably the oldest rider in the class despite it covering all the ages from 14 years, upwards!!

 Our individual show was better than the previous as Hattie had calmed down a LITTLE bit (not much but she was a bit better) since Charlie was now occupied with jumping than calling for his girlfriend. The judged wanted walk, trot and canter plus a gallop down the long side on the right rein. A jump was optional but since everyone was jumping, I had to as well. I still had to be careful at the gallop however as she wanted to GO. The flies had come out by this time and were annoying her too so did not want her to go nuts and buck like she tried to do at the Roger Philot clinic.

 Hattie was nice and forward in her test (why can't she be like that in the dressage!) but we had trouble at the jump with her refusing it twice. I'm not quite sure why she refused it as you can see in the video, we had a nice forward pace and I was balanced as well. The grass was a bit damp still and I'm wondering if she just felt it was a bit slippery as the jump was going downhill. We gave up after the 2nd attempt and did it going uphill and she jumped it no problem.

I think next time, if we have to incorporate a jump, I'll choose one going uphill or on the flat.

 I wasn't the only one who knocked the jump or refused but the judge judged us on how we rode the entire individual show and how we handled situations equitation-wise. LOL, I didn't come off at the jump so that was good and for our effort, we got a 2nd place!

 Victory lap...


The last class of the day, was the Best Condition Over 15yrs class. Hattie is 16 years old and I pride myself on how fit and how in good condition I keep her. Her dapples are coming through on her bum as well and she was looking shiny that day so we won the class! The judge said for me to keep on doing what I do with her.

 Me walking Hattie while being judged- most unladylike with my hitched up apron...


My champion mare!

The World Didn't End!

We started working on our jumping again yesterday as we will have to include a jump within our individual show for the Riding Club Horse and Pony class at the show on Sunday.

We messed about with some 1'3" cross poles yesterday and did those easily so then today, I decided to up the ante and try 1'9" again as a straight pole to get over my fear. There will already be working hunter jumps set up in the ring where the showing classes are held for the Working Hunter classes that start after the Showing classes are over. The working hunter jumps will be set for the pony division first and will range from 1'3" to 1'9" so thought it best we put this silly fear away!!

Well, I set that pole up and realized how small it looked when I stood beside it! I mean, how could something be scary when it's lower than your kneecap?

Warmed up first and remember to think of my arms as being pipes connected to Hattie's mouth pushing the bridle away, did some nice trot to canter transitions and then it was TIME...

Forced a smile on my face, looked up and beyond and over the jump we went! I didn't come off and the world didn't end!!

First time round on the left rein, don't know what's up with my chicken wing arms!!


On the right rein and my right shoulder came forward a bit...


so did it over...


and had a blast of a time!


I'm so happy we did it and I feel confident for the show now on Sunday. Think I'll stick to practising 1'9" as I find the lower heights boring now. Who knows, maybe, one day I'll even attempt 2'!

As part of our pre-show preparations, I scrubbed the linen on my saddle as it was FILTHY! since Hattie likes the red pad under her saddle, I'll just keep riding her with that and won't have to scrub my saddle so often.

Drying in the sun...

Lesson Report!

I had another brilliant side saddle dressage lesson with Lili Brooksby yesterday and I am so knackered today! She really works you and although you feel like you are going to collapse afterwards, you also feel brilliant as you did stuff that you didn't think you could do..ever!!

We worked on transitions and riding different trots and canters (i.e. collected, working and medium) which was FUN! It was a bit tricky with collecting the canter and we only aims for a few strides, but it's a balancing act between collecting and not letting the horse break into trot. I found I had to sit up, half halt with my outside rein as if I wanted a downward transition for trot but keep my leg on her to keep the energy up so that Hattie stayed in canter. We managed it a few times on each rein with a few mishaps of going into trot by accident but got a few strides in the end and then lengthened into a medium canter as a reward which was wonderful!

Practising the medium trot was also fun but also tricky as I had to feel like I was speeding up "for a gallop" but not let the trot get strung out or racing. I felt it was kind of like the same thing as collecting for canter, with maintaining a contact with the outside rein to stop speeding and also sitting up but also putting my leg on her to keep up that wonderful forward trot. Funny how similar aids achieve two different gaits!

We also continued to work on my inside rein as I have a tendency to hang off of it, especially on the right rein. This is what has been causing me so much trouble with Hattie not wanting to pick up right rein canters and just being generally in a bad mood on that rein (and also what caused us so much trouble at the last dressage test). Lili said that it was because I was giving conflicting signals with telling her to go and then blocking, that eventually a horse just gets fed up. She said that to think of my contact on the reins as "pushing" the bridle and instantly when she said that, I pictured in my mind's eye, my arms from my elbow, being long pipes connected to Hattie's mouth/bit. This was kind of a lightbulb moment and you will see a difference in Hattie attitude and gaits with my "pipe" arms.

Part of the problem which causes me to hang off the inside rein on the right rein, is when I bring my right shoulder back, my hand moves back as well so yesterday we were trying to train my lower arm to stay forward and my hand and fingers, soft and spongey. I find this really tiring with keeping my right shoulder back BUT keeping my lower arm and hard forward but the results were instant.

With our lessons, Lili explained to me that she teaches a "feeling" way to ride, not a set of rigid exercises that you do over and over again till you get it right. It's learning to ride through feeling and making mistakes too and conveniently, this way of learning how to ride, is what I need so lots of practice!

We did school today and I was working on my pipe arms, keeping my right shoulder back, my lower right arm/hand soft and forward (again, I found this knackering) and our riding was so much better this morning than it has been. Not perfect but better. Hattie was working in a nice outline and forward and we practised our routine for the individual shows that you have to do in the showing classes on Sunday. Even did a cross rail jump on each rein set on the 1'9" hole (but obviously the X part was a little lower) and Hattie was better with my pipe arms jumping too. It wasn't perfect but we're getting there.

Lili took 123 photos but here are some of my favorites from yesterday. Please ignore my horrible XL baggy top that I wear for stable use and which does me no favors in the body flattering department. I am going to burn it as it makes me look bigger than I actually am!!



I have a Pegasus and have photographic proof...

Take off...


Inflight...












Now, if we can ride like this on Sunday, we'll be ok!!