New Saddle

So that Sherri Cervi Barrel saddle I had I sold earlier this year.  I really liked it but was a bit wide for Jess which I didn't think was possible!  But I had shims for it but I wasn't very good at using them and the seat was a bit small for me so it went to a nice lady who had a treeless but wanted a wide saddle.  Haven't heard from her but I hope it worked for her.

But now that I have to use my cutting saddle on her cause its the only one that fits her.  And it's the only one that fits Easy makes it a bit awkward cause they do not use the same cinch size.  And I was having fun running barrels on Jess so when I decided to look for another saddle that fit her I figured go barrel again.  Razz fits both the cutting saddle and my ranch saddle, not sure how that works but its ok with me makes it easier.  So this winter I will use the ranch saddle on Pally, the cutter on Razz and the barrel on Jess.  Perfect no adjusting anything all winter :)

(this is how spoiled my mares are, lol a free choice bale and straw to lay in.  

The straw was for the bulls but they got moved, 

and the horses rarely use the straw but they can if they want.)

I had been looking on and off since summer, saw a few, some so far away and some maybe fit but I would have to try and if not close that's a pain and I did get kinda busy this fall.  But then here a couple weeks ago I saw this:

Hmm sounds like the right size for me and maybe 8 is better than 10.  Was still unsure and it was cccold out and I would need to try it on Jess for sure before buying.  Well It's a long ways away again, I messaged her and said I like it but wanna try it on my horse as soon as it gets warm out.  She said sure.  So then Saturday we were going to look at another horse over that way and I said why don't I bring my trailer and we can go try the saddle too.  She agreed and so we did.  Was a long trip but Jess was a champ.  Caught her before daylight loaded her and when we got home was after dark as well.  The saddle fit her good just did a mini ride...I was on but led around what a weird feeling lol.  I bought it and we left.  And we never bought the other horse, search is still on.

Then Tuesday weather was nice and I was itching to ride so got Jess and after finding the right cinch and getting everything organized was ready!  I still think it fits her well, whew.  She was so eager to go was a nice feeling usually she is kinda pokey as we leave the yard.  But after the chiro and a good fitting saddle I think she was as excited as me to go :)

And afterwards I snapped some pics to see how it fit and I think it worked well, stayed put and no gaps, not tight anywhere.

And I tried out the Northwoods Farms new riding app and it seemed to work well.  And a sneak peak of the selfie for entering the Northwoods Farms 12 Week Challenge in January.

(I don't look great but Jess is cute lol)

(cool app enter your horses, hit start to log time and stop when you are done. 

 Then can add session notes as well.  Great way to keep track of rides and time.)

Can't wait to ride again!!!

Saddle Fit for Pally...and Riding Her

I been fighting this week with figuring out a saddle for using on Pally.  Not only is she shorter than my other horses but her back I quite short.  I had at first tried my cutter on her, it fits Easy good and he's not really that big, maybe 14.2

(some horse pics are not flattering at all!)

But that is a hand and a half taller than Pally and the saddle is just too long for her.  Which is too bad cause handy to use the same saddle but the cinch is too long so that would be a pain to have to switch them up as well.

(umm shes a little fat)

So the next day I figured I would try my other saddles on her in hopes one would fit.  First was English, haha I knew it would be short enough, might be a bit narrow but dont really matter Id rather not ride her in it anyways.

(It's cute on her but not right now)

Then on to the old barrel saddle I have.  Its super comfortable to ride in but I still would rather not ride in a barrel saddle all day long and it is a bit long for her but seemed to fit her otherwise so its a contender probly would work.

(cutest pic I have of her :))

Then somehow I forgot I had a my round skirted ranch saddle.  Its been in my trailer and I use it on Dee and used to be on Bailey but I dunno why I didn't try it first.  It seems to fit and way more comfortable for me.

(not sure of just the thin felt pad but it seemed like enough and not too long either)

So I cinched her up and thought might as well try the bridle on her too.  Well I guess her head isn't that tiny, pony bridle was on last holes and its OK but the throat latch was too short.  Didn't help I left the halter on but wasn't even close so I am moving to a regular horse bridle, Bailey had a small head so hers should fit decent, maybe today will try it out.

(after I ride they get a bit of grass,

 not that they need it but they love it so much I give them some, 

makes up for getting no grain)

(and I just think this is cute can see her head through her legs :)

Shes kinda a dork when you go to get on tries to walk around in a circle and then when that doesn't work she tries to throw her head into mine, haha of course shes short so it only hit my shoulder.  I hit her neck away and she quit that but still walked around.  So after trying her on the mounting block I put her butt against the fence, that kinda annoyed her specially since I wouldn't let her walk ahead.  Got on and just puttered around trying to figure out if the saddle fit and how her steering was.  She's pretty soft in the mouth.  I think her bad habits will go away quickly when she realized I am smarter than her (at least I hope I am)  Nice to ride super smooth, just did a short ride since shes so fat we need to work our way into longer rides.  I plan on riding her and Easy everyday so it hopefully wont take to long.  Not sure I'm ready to venture out in the big world alone with her yet shes quick and boy can she turn.

(Sorry kinda long and I woulda cut it shorter but I dunno how anymore, 

I'm sure I did at one time but not anymore so you can see how she is trying to get on,

 it was windy and the camera moved some so you get to see arena dirt for some

 then me riding.  Watch Easy in the background what a dork)

Easy is not ready for the big world yet either although I think he'd be fine, he stepped on the gas line outside the arena and pop up he went all 4 feet haha I laughed at him, hes not used to watching where his feet are, but it doesn't bother him, next step hes back to his normal self.

More on Easy

So yesterday I went to ride my boy again.  I picked up his papers and made winter plans.  I am going to go every Monday, Wednesday and Friday unless the weather is bad.   I am not going in the show this Saturday but will be in the one on the 16th.  I just have to show up and my horse will be ready.  How nice :)  I don't even have to enter, that will be all done, felling pretty spoiled its weird but I kinda like it.

Anyways his papers, pretty good breeding if I have to say so myself but that being said I did not buy him for his breeding I bought him cause how he's trained and how he can help me show.  But still nice to know.

(not a stallion anymore, will have to fix that when

 I send them in to get my name on them)

I went to K and K and they had a used Roohide there, its in pretty rough shape and of course its my least favorite tooling, barbwire.  But I took it on a trial and used it yesterday and it seems to fit him pretty good.  I dunno who had it before but the stirrups were way different lengths (like 8 holes) and the cinch was on backwards, the stirrups look like they been dragged on the floor, and the latigo needs to be replaced, but the most important part is it looks usable and the tree is good, needs a good cleaning and some care and maybe even some nicer conchos and it'll be perfect.  It felt a bit wider trying it in the store but once I was riding I didn't notice as much.  Was pretty comfortable, didn't tip me forward just put me where I should be and never moved even if though when I was done the cinch wasn't super tight, that makes me feel good.

(first glance at it)

(and before we rode, looks good on him)

The cows were a bit silly, there was one a hereford cross, she was full of beans, just jumping and running and bucking and being silly was fun to watch her.  But she was a trouble maker when working the other cows, hard to keep my horse off her cause she was so out there.  Was good for me to be a little aggressive and get what I wanted done.  I find I hesitate cause I am unsure but I was told not to, just do it and I will be told if I'm wrong haha well OK I guess I just go for it now.   I have a hard time riding right up to the wall but I guess I will get used to that too.

(I could take a million pics riding him, he's so awesome)

(so I took a short video as we were cooling out)

Oh and while I was at K and K I picked up my bit for my pony.  Now I can ride her haha, as I just made plans to turn out all the horses till it starts getting warm mid march.  Then I can just focus on Easy and not worry about going from home as well.  I probly need to get a bit for Easy but while he's at Doug's I'm just using his stuff he said that's easiest.  But eventually he'll come home.  We practice in a correction bit (too bad the ponies one wont fit him) but not sure what he shows in, oh well I will know on the 16th I guess.

(pretty nice for a pony bit)

Oh and the owl we saw the other day, turns out it was a short eared owl and even though its not supposed to have tufts ours does,  I don't usually see them sitting just flying but he was posing this time.

(the cool owl, posing)

We have no big plans for tonight going to the neighbors for fondue at 5 and probly be home by 9, perfect haha we must be getting old we don't even wanna go out late anymore.  Maybe stay up till midnight and watch the fireworks but who knows.

Easy Lives Up To His Name

So on Monday I went to ride my horse :)  He is totally so awesome!!!!  He was outside in a pen so I went to get him and before I had the gate open he was there :)  I feel silly how much I like him he really lives up to his name, everything is easy with him.  I took a selfie with him cause the Horsemanship Challenge starts on the third of January and I wanna make sure I had one to enter.

(I still look down, ugh at least he looks good)

We worked cows again and started with a slow one which was good and I used my saddle on him and it felt like I was just perched up there.  Figured I was out of position or something.  Then we got a faster one and it just ran lots but we got it worked then the last one was turney and I felt like I kept falling forward even though I tried to sit back.  Bad news.  Horse is awesome saddle does not fit him at all :(  I went to put him away and unsaddled in the middle of the yard by my truck and got some pics before we went in the barn

(side profile, he saw the dog playing with a toy)

(hmm not quite the right ears)

(oh there we go :) )

And another one in the barn, which don't turn out real well cause its kinda dark in there with windows so the bright sun shines though.  But you can see the dry spots.  I can use his other saddle till I get my own.  Next week I am going to look at another one and already have interest in a sale for mine.  So if all goes well......

(dry spots :( 

 the horse behind him is weird, 

it licks his neck then the saddle 

and I went over there to lower my cinches and he tried to lick me)

(and evil glowy eyes, haha)

Hes staying in the barn I had to ask where he goes cause someone always gets him for me, its weird having him at a barn.  And weird that everyone knows him more than me.  I don't even know what I'm supposed to do except show up and ride.  I don't even have my own blanket or bridle for him yet and no one seems to care.  Odd.  Oh well I will figure it out.  Now I have to wait again, probly Monday or Tuesday next week depends on how it goes over Christmas.

New Stuff

Since I was thinking of barrel racing and I realized my cutting saddle was too flat for it and I almost slipped out of it I was slowly working towards getting a new one.  I looked up a bunch and tried a bunch (what patient sellers, lol) and finally headed up to Stettler to try one that was more than I wanted to pay for a fun hobby.  I had no great ideas it was gonna fit, I actually told the lady I was probly wasting her time cause it wouldn't fit.  She said no problem she was gonna be there anyways and shock of all we put it on and wow was not too tight!  Hokey smokey!  I was so shocked!  I rode around in it for a while and wow did Jess ever move out.  It was like nothing before It was so weird.  Its a Martin Crown C and she said they were designed to sit quite a bit farther back and so that was kinda weird to but it sure seemed to work.  She talked about shims and Sheri Cervi's video on saddle fit and so when I came home after buying it and stopping to pick up shims I had to look it up.

Pretty cool and a totally different view on saddle fit.  Kinda made sense and the way Jessie liked it I figured had to be a good sign for her anyways....never had so much trouble with saddle fit as with her.  My cutting saddle fits her OK when shes fit but not very good when shes fat.  Which she likes to be fat, lol.  Anyways I took it for a spin at home the next day since it was nice out and still big giant steps and I got a few pics too.

And then the weather turned and I had to turn out the horses cause we had no water in the corral and so never got a chance to ride in it again.  I been using it this week and boy does it make me sit a lot different and the stirrups don't go short enough for me....I need to get them fixed but I don't wanna give up my saddle and so am thinking I will use my other stirrups on this saddle for now.  It was sitting a little low in the front so now I use a shim and its pretty perfect.

But before that, my trailer broke down, I didn't think it was that bad, I thought it needed a wheel alignment and so I booked an appointment.  I took it in and turns out it had big issues, the evener was only attached on one side, the springs were broken and pretty much he told me I shouldn't use it anymore.  Well I was thinking of trading it in in the spring and so I just decided to get it fixed to work again and took it in to trade.

I went to Airdrie Trailer sales.  I saw they had a used 3 horse Aluminum  which is what I wanted. I figured I would go look at it cause looked pretty new and it was a 2014 model how used could it be??  Well I went there on like the coldest day of the year and looked at it he was pretty sure it didn't even have a horse in it.  The lady bought it took it home and then took it there a week later pretty sure she needed a bigger one.  Well it was pretty plain but still nicer than my old trailer.  A few features I really like and so I went for it.  I like the dividers are solid and they have springs to hold them open when loading, that was nice my old trailer was frustrating if you didn't park perfectly level you had to hold them open while loading.  And it has a door stop to hold the door open, it has one big wide door which I wanted.  I also like the tack room, it has a step into it which is nice and no carpet although the salesman didn't like that I do now I don't have to worry about walking in there in the winter with wet boots.  The spare tire is in there as well which takes up a lot of space and there is no blanket bar but I have an idea of how to make one work in there.

I hooked it up after paying and headed home!  I was super excited!!!  I used it the next day actually to haul horses for teeth to the vet and then hauled 3 horses down to Brooks a few days after that to ride and could hardly tell I was pulling!  yay.  But the brakes are set a little strong and I don't know how to fix them its kinda frustrating.  But other than that I love it!!!  Im super excited about it :)

Barrel Racing

One other thing I took up this fall was barrel racing.  haha I knew I wasn't gonna be that fast but |I wanted to ride and there was no cuttings till January so this gave me a chance to do something different and make a purpose to riding.

We went in the first day and boy I felt kinda stupid...I hadn't been to a jackpot before I didn't know anything about what to do but I showed up early and the parking lot was already full, oh boy.  Well I parked next to some super nice people who let me know what I am supposed to be doing.  I paid and got Jess ready and we went inside.   Only got to warm up for about 15 minutes and then they closed the arena for working and set up.  There is a small practice arena out back but with 60 people in it there wasn't a whole lot of room to work.  Which is alright Jess was fine without a big warm up just get her muscles warm and brain thinking.

I used my cutting saddle cause it was all I had and I put on a Billy Allen bit cause i figured it had more turn than her regular bit.  Well peewee and youth went and I was 14th in.  It was kinda chaotic, we loped up the alley and then she saw the tractor as we went in the arena and went right and I had to push her back left and then we were on pattern.  Wasn't bad, pretty slow but I was amazed at how nervous I was!  Well I guess when there is more than 30 your second run is optional and it cancels out your first run, well there was 40 so that was it.  My first run was 22 something and the winner was 14.826 so I decided I needed to go again.

My goal was 20 seconds and I was kinda dissapointed we were so slow it didn't feel that slow.  My second time was 21.083.  Not a lot faster but I was pretty happy for our first time out and we never had any gate issues and we never hit a barrel.  Actually those were the least of my worries was hitting a barrel since I can move Jess's shoulder wherever I want so no worries about that.  But I was glad that I went.

The second time I went with my neighbors and that was kinda fun since I could get someone to video me :)  The first run was too slow starting and then I was too wide because I wasn't looking at the third barrel (stupid I know better) I had too long of reins and I kinda knew it but I was just going with what I had...that and its been such a long time since I rode two handed I forget what to do.

The second run was a lot better, faster start but then i asked for her to rate and we almost stopped (oops too much) and a big bobble on the way to second and then I almost slipped out of my saddle on third barrel and shoulda let go of the reins more on the way home.  The video is a little shakey cause she was getting help from her nephew lol.

I had to laugh my friend I went with called my run cute...gee thanks and another girl said aww cute lead departure, lol.  And she said I actually need to kick my horse, Hmm.  I guess I needed to go faster but it felt super fast to me.  Then we came to the conclusion if it feels slow I will go faster but not ready for that yet.

Then my white trailer had to go to the doctor so I missed the next one and then they cancelled one and then it was bad roads and so I got this Thursday and if I go to that I made enough to go to the finals on Saturday and so that is my plan.  I am hoping I can talk someone into coming with me to video again but not sure who yet.

Any Day to Ride is A Good Day

Yesterday I finally got another ride on Jessie.  I was gonna go Wed but at 6:30 I go out and it felt humid out and I was kinda lazy so I just brushed them and left.  And it was a good choice cause about half hour later I was in the house and the wind picked up and it tried to spit and was nasty all night.  So I was glad I didn't get caught in it.

So I caught both girls today and they get to eat grass while I brush and saddle.  Today I put on my saddle bags filled with water and my camera. I decided not to bring Razz just in case she pulled on my sore finger.  She stayed back in the pen by Magic.  I went out east of the yard and was not really going anywhere.  I thought I would go down to where the heifers were in the creek but thought I better not since the new bull was in the pasture beside them and the other bulls got chased up by the yard for testing this morning.  I was worried if I went down there they would follow me up and its less trouble if they stay down there till they get moved this afternoon.

Anyways we walk out and saw the heifers in the creek.  It sure is pretty down there when its green.  I sometimes forget cause I see it mostly when its yellow.  Jessie saw our neighbors house and not sure if she thought it was our house or what, but I went to head home and we got about halfway there and she wanted to head back, so I let her and we got there and she was right confused.  I had a good laugh at her and headed her in the right direction again and we finally made it back to the yard.

When we got home, I saw the saskatoon bushes were blooming, I guess that means the ones in the creek are too, I might have to head down there tommorow or something.

(I sure like this bridle on her, wasn't sure cause

 it was lighter that it would blend in)

By the time I got home it was 6:30 and Neil had just got home so I unsaddled her and got a pic of that weird white spot on her belly that I seen a few weeks ago but it was hard to get the pic cause it was so bright outside and dark under her belly.  But I got it, sorta blurry.  I will try to get a better one when its not so bright out.  Wish Jazz had a spot like that so she would qualify for regular Paint registry.

But before I took the saddle on I got a pic of the way her breastcollar fits, it sits right along the shoulder and I just love it.  Pretty impressed when I just picked it out at the store and come home and it sure was nice.  I think it helps the d rings to attach it are high too, Kinda want to fix my cutting saddle so its like this too.

And since I woke up to temps of +2 and a half inch of rain overnight, we decided to call off the bull testing and do it Wed and doubt I will ride today unless it warms up a lot.