Doing Some Things

 Despite yesterday's snow, it's started to feel like spring around here. In pony owning world, the main sign of spring is the massive drifts of shedded hair floating around the place for a month on end. Remind me to clip them next year - they both outfit themselves for the Arctic despite living on the rain coast.

My blogging and social media updates have been slow to materialize. I have a good day and want to tell you all about it, then I have a bad day and want to hide again. However, the general trend remains positive and upward.

In 'good day' news, I spoke to a saddle fitter about what I need and bought a new (to me) saddle and I love it. Mechanically speaking, B is round, and I have short legs and a funky back and there is just no comfortable way for me to ride with my legs and butt under me in proper dressage rider style right now. My hips just aren't that wide by nature and my back/hips are way too tight at the moment to forgive it. So, I've moved to a jump saddle and am much happier.

B modelling new tack. It's an Ideal on a hoop tree and I would really recommend as something to try, especially for people with cobby, round ponies. As a brand in general they are british made and beautiful quality if you're into wool flocking and not french leather ;) They're also much more reasonably priced than similarly constructed saddles with bigger name recognition here in North America *cough County cough*.

Like me, B has been having good and bad days. I'm interested to see what the vet thinks when she comes back. The bad days are not "OMG don't ride the lame pony!" bad, but I'm definitely feeling some off and on asymmetry behind the saddle again. It's hard with her as one of her default evasions when she's tired or bored or even spooky is to kind of waffle around rather than moving truly forward, so perhaps it's just that combined with being out of shape, or perhaps she's sore somewhere and thus not wanting to move out confidently, it's a chicken and egg thing, maybe. Long time readers will know that's been a constant struggle as she gives the illusion of forward and connected from the ground, but as a rider it has always been a lot of work to keep her together and straight and not just pretzeling her body and legs wherever. Anyway, neither of us is in any way fit so that's where we start. It's currently 15-20 minute rides, mostly in walk, a lot of quiet hacks around the neighborhood.  This week we added in ground poles under saddle. I've been reading a lot about how great stepping over poles is as a low impact way to aid topline development and spatial awareness, both of which B could currently use some assistance with, so I've added that in when I longe her and once a week under saddle.

B not a fan of longeing over raised poles. But I think a good idea to help her get fitter without needing to pack me around every time

Sophie has been...Sophie. She's a lot of pony some days, since everything she does is 110%, but that also means she's the most fun, the most cuddly, the most involved.  I've been consistent about getting her out and she's been for a few tours accompanying me as I ride B. She's also been longeing and walking over poles and doing different groundwork exercises at home, mainly to keep her focused and interested. She naturally finds it easy to figure out her feet and body - kind of the opposite to B. I actually have been hopping on Sophie on the quieter days or to cool out. She's much more comfortable for me to sit on and far less complicated to ride,  but also I'm aware she's not the portable couch B is and I have work and healing to do before I can ride her regularly again. (Soon though!)

We trailered to the club grounds last week and she explored some obstacles in hand while I rode B (and got zero other media)

With B not getting in foal, and me experiencing some setbacks, I've been keeping feelers out for that perfect pony who is able to do all the things and look after their rider as well, but that's the same pony everyone else wants so I'm not holding out any hope of a new arrival appearing soon. I'm also ridiculously attached to the pony dynamic I have so although one-pony-to-rule-them-all is a logical wish, three ponies in my back yard would likely be the net result of said pony purchase, so I tread carefully. Most days I just try to stay positive that I will get to a place physically where sticking to Plan A of doing all the things with Sophie while Bridget stays semi retired will be a reasonable outcome.

Glamour Shots of fluffy ponies