Cob Jockey

I'm happy to report that our newest boarder, who has been a friend of mine for years before she started boarding here last month, is down for trail riding pretty much anytime. I live 35 minutes from a wonderful state park with lots of dedicated equestrian trails, but what with cell signal being non-existent there, the forest being incredibly dense, and ground bees and timber rattlers being regularly reported on the park's Facebook page, I never feel comfortable going alone.

4 out of our 6 horses were on the move Saturday morning!

In a lot of ways, new boarder feels like Future CobJockey. She has a 19 year old QH who is her absolute heart horse, and she bred her to get her next riding horse 3 years ago. That baby is now 2, and she's doing all the things with him I'll be doing with Disco shortly.

Girl can drink a beer while riding one and ponying another. Meanwhile I spilled White Claw all over myself just trying to ride one horse down the trail, lol.

On Saturday we took them out for baby horse's first trail ride, just a quick 90 minute loop in our local state park. We kept it positive and he was a really good boy, although he had Feelings about baby's first water crossing:

"NO."

He was a good boy though, really stopped to think it through and explore and make good choices, and pretty quickly she had him through it 3 or 4 times, back and forth. She apologized for holding us up, but I was like no no, in a few years you'll be returning this favor for me, lol

As is his MO, Connor did not appreciate standing still on the trail waiting on baby to cross the water. I know I should work on that but as I always say, he's not for sale. Disco, however, will be learning to park it quietly wherever I put him!

We kept it pretty short for baby horse's sake, but also for Connor, since this was his first long ride in his Western saddle and also my first time taking the Scoot Boots out on an actual trail (although I've done a lot of riding in them at home).

Pony's first time wearing a rear cinch, and as expected, he didn't even blink.

Happily, we had no equipment issues outside of temporarily losing a Scoot Boot once when I steered Connor into some mud that went UP TO HIS KNEES. Sorry buddy. And I didn't have my mud straps fastened correctly, which didn't help.

But the saddle performed great. Since it isn't the absolute perfect fit that my jump saddle is, I sprung for a Toklat T3 shimmable woolback pad, which Mary set up with the shims where I needed them. The sweat marks were nice and even when I pulled it off and he wasn't back sore at all.

Looking forward to doing this a lot more in the future!

Yes, I know what you're thinking. CobJockey, aren't you shopping for a Dressage saddle? Yes, yes I am. I have been for two years this month. Don't you not ride Western at all? No, no I do not. And that makes it all the more INSANELY ANNOYING that a nearly perfect Western saddle just fell into my lap with zero effort last weekend.

Ok you but a Dressage saddle plz

 

I've been thinking I wanted a Western saddle for a while now, both to trail ride in and to pony Disco off of starting in a few months. But I wasn't going to put any effort into that search, it would practically have to show up at my door for me to pull the trigger.

And it did. I saw a posting on Facebook for a barely used Western endurance trail saddle that looked just stupid wide compared to most of the fence-rail-narrow Western saddles I see around here.

I mean, might have been made for a draft horse idk

I thought, what the heck, it's 20 minutes from me, it's the right size for me, it looks like it might be wide enough for him, and I loved that it didn't have a horn but still had a place where I could wrap a pony rope. Connor will launch over a ditch for fun like one out of every ten times we cross one on the trail, and I am no fan of getting punched in the gut with a horn.

The seller agreed to meet me at the state park so I could try it with Connor, who, bless him, had to be like "not this again!" after I threw him on the trailer for the third time in three days on Sunday morning.

It was, well, not quite perfect, but as perfect as I deserve for putting zero effort into this saddle search.

Mary had expected it to be too wide from the photos, but it was bang on perfect up front. Even the angle of the panels was perfect.

Had to ask the sellers to bring a pad and girth, and also re-teach me how to girth it up. It's been like 15 years since I did up a western girth (er, cinch. I am Western stupid)

The only slight question mark is the length. It's a hair longer than I'd strictly prefer on him. But after consulting with a trail riding buddy, Kate, Mary and several other bloggers (it takes a community to soothe my anxious soul) I think we can work with it, especially given how little I plan to ride in it.

We rode around the day riding area, through a creek, and w/t/c up and down a steep, muddy hill and it was great. Then I put Connor straight back on the trailer and brought him home, for what had to be one of the weirdest mornings he's ever had, lol. Good pony. I was tempted to stay and do some trails, but after his lesson with GP trainer the day before and two hours on the trailer right after, he deserved a day off. Another time.

Seller's husband in the background (who also rides) was like "That is a well-built little horse you've got there!"

Now to buy a breastplate and a girth and a saddle pad and a whatever the strap on the other side of the saddle the girth attaches to is called and a saddlebag and...

One of the first people to reach out to me when I said I was going to California was L. Williams, who I met once before, when Facebook flew me out to Menlo Park for an interview two years ago.  We had a great time last time, but I was on a tight schedule and didn't get to meet Ramone, so I was pumped that my schedule would allow for it this time!  And I even got to ride him!

The most majestic of Mooses.

Guys, L is not very good at tooting her own horn, so I'm going to do it for her.  As I watched her warm him up, and he went around looking like one of those professional hunters I've always seen in pictures, I thought to myself, "Wow he looks different, when was the last time I saw video of Ramone?"  I realized it had been a while.  L confirmed she hasn't had anyone around to take videos in a while.

My poor cell phone pictures aren't going to do them justice, but I'll give it a shot:



He looked SO good, so polished, like a horse with a job that he knows well, and that job is professional hunter.  He was so steady and consistent, and just made me want to stop and stare.  He's also enormous, and I gotta admit I was intimidated when she handed the reins to me.

I mean, I'm used to riding the horse equivalent of Raleigh over there on the left (THE CUTEST CORGI IN THE WORLD!), not Ramones!

But I was surprised when I got on him.  First, by the fact that he does not ride huge despite being huge.  I'm used to big horses riding like dump trucks that my short legs are completely ineffective on, but this horse, I could manipulate him with the slightest of aids.  Second, by his gaits that have so much more air time than I'm used to.  Swooooon.  And third, by how not intimidating he was to ride - because of how well-trained he is.


You immediately get a feel for what kind of rider L is when you get on Ramone: soft hands, solid core, rides from back to front, and uses quiet and meaningful aids.  He really is comfortable shifting his weight back over his hocks, and adjusting his stride is simply a matter of sitting up and tightening your core just the slightest bit.

I have never ridden a horse so straightforward, sensitive, and uncomplicated that a trainwreck like me could get on and look reasonably competent, and I know he wasn't always that way.  She's really produced the perfect amateur-friendly horse.

Can we talk about this massive outdoor for a second, and those hills?  I loved it!

I'm a big chicken when it comes to cantering and jumping strange horses, but I was never nervous to do either on Ramone.  What you saw in the trot - quiet, rhythmic and even - was exactly what you got in the canter.  I have to admit, when I felt that easy-yet-powerful canter, I was like "Ohhhhhhhh - THIS is why people like hunters so much!"

I could have ridden that canter forever, but I was extremely conscious that I am not the greatest of riders and Ramone is for sale, and I didn't want to undo anything, even though L told me I wouldn't mess anything up.  And also, I had another ride waiting for me: Paige's reiner, Mouse:


Paige is tall with long femurs, so I couldn't get the stirrups short enough and was positively swimming in her saddle, but I had a blast anyway!  I've never ridden a Western horse before, much less a reiner, so it was a total paradigm shift.  Poor Mouse even got to put up with me learning to do a reining spin for the first time:


It was so much fun!  I was so grateful to Paige and Mouse for patiently telling me to put my hand down over and over.  Everyone got to experience what teaching me a new skill is like: you all but have to pick up my body parts and put them where they're supposed to be before I get something.  But we got it, mostly because Mouse is really well-trained.  She's done all kinds of rodeo queen stuff with Paige.


Way too soon, it was over and I was driving back to my hotel, but I was incredibly grateful to have gotten to ride two fun horses, hang out with L again, and meet Paige and Raleigh.  Here's hoping I get to go back out there soon!

Goodbye, ugly saddle.

I've been doing some spring cleaning lately and selling stuff I no longer use, horse stuff included.  I tend to not keep any spare equipment that I'm not using on-hand (it almost feels like blasphemy in the horse world saying that!) so I don't really have a lot to sell in the first place.  Also, I promise this isn't related to the fact that we found out our hot water heater is cracked and needs replacing and we also had to have our sewer line worked on, but it certainly has motivated me...

The tale of the saddle in such bad shape (superficially speaking) I hid it from my trainer for two years has finally ended.  Knowing Connor didn't like it even though it appeared to fit made me decide to get rid of it.  It was only on Craigslist for 10 hours before it sold to a young woman wanting it for her 4Hers. I hope it goes to good use and some 4Hers learn to ride well in it.  Sitting in the thing feels like wearing a seatbelt, at least they'll feel safe!  It's time for me to move on to more sport-appropriate tack, which is why I'm also selling my Western saddle:

It's no show saddle, but it's the comfiest thing I've ever sat in for trail riding and general use.  I really love it, and I kept it thinking I'd trail ride in it, but every time I trail ride I find myself reaching for my English saddles first, so it's going on Craigslist as well unless anyone here is interested.

I am also listing the following on Craigslist tonight unless you guys are interested:

- Size 6 Mountain Horse paddock boots, top of one of them was chewed on by a delinquent foster Husky, but they are still in fine working condition, I just prefer my new insulated tall boots, free
- Red Jolly Ball, never used, gift from my non-horsey mother-in-law, make offer? (We all know horses don't actually play with these things, right? I don't expect anyone to buy it.)
- 5 1/4" copper-mouthed D ring snaffle, single jointed, $5
- 5 1/2" thin eggbutt snaffle, single jointed $5
- 5 1/2" Partrade (Metalab) Kimberwicke snaffle with curb chain, single jointed $10

Photos available if requested!