G'Day, Mates!

Yesterday I received my new Australian drover’s saddle and tried it on Champagne. He has a tough back to fit, but I put a white pad under the saddle to try to see after I rode (from the soil pattern) whether the saddle was bearing down unduly on particular spots on his back.

As I led him to the cross ties he spotted the new saddle and was all eyes and ears, and was very dubious when I put it on his back. It is a lot heavier than my dressage saddle, and I had thought that one was heavy. The barn manager showed me how to fasten the girth (cinch?). “Latigo” is a new term for me.

The saddle is very handsome, black, and made of synthetics and newbuck so it should be pretty impervious to rain. I have a sporty new saddle blanket, black with maroon weavings, but yesterday I didn’t try that out too.

After we got the saddle on, but while he was still in the cross ties, Kathy-the-barn-manager mounted, just to be sure he would not spook. He laid his ears back and was restless, but then he is never mounted while in the cross ties, and he doesn’t like change.

I led him around the indoor a few times, stirrups dangling, and he seemed OK, so I go on. His opinion: “I can’t walk.” That’s a characteristic Champagne response to a lot of things, so I ignored him, and eventually we were walking and even trotting around, if not happily or rapidly, at least non-violently. The saddle is cushy and comfy from the top side, but I can’t feel him as well through it.

Kathy got on again, and after a little resistance she got him cantering, which he did to the left fine, and to the right with difficulty, picking up the wrong lead at first but finally giving a slow, less than rhythmic canter. More about that tomorrow; it isn’t a saddle issue.

After that we took the saddle off and checked the white pad: pretty even soil marks, although one possible pressure point on one shoulder, and maybe a little evidence of “bridging” at one spot where the soil was a little lighter. All in all, it seems like something I’ll be able to work with. I’ll try it on the trails Saturday, but it seems like a keeper. Now I have to send for a western saddle rack. Thanks for the tip to look at Down Under Saddle http://www.downunderweb.com from http://ryanlion.livejournal.com !

Irisado "Two Spooks" Champagne

The woods are lovely this time of year. By now most of the oranges and reds have gone, but the yellows remain, and everywhere the leaves are drifting down in a pale silent rain. The vistas under the trees have opened up, and you can see much deeper into the forest.

Champagne and I enjoyed being out Sunday. Well, I enjoyed it. He’s willing to go along, and even responds to some of my daft ideas, like trotting up the pipeline hill (though he’s pretty puffed by the time we reach the top). I ask him to trot for two reasons: one, to build up his wind, and two, because if we walk up, he keeps stopping and insisting he can’t possibly make it.

At one point there is a decision on the path: turn left, and we head to the barn, but turn right and we explore some other areas of the woods. Champagne doesn’t want the right option, but he does go there if I really insist.

We often come across people out walking their dogs. Champagne is pretty calm about dogs, even if the dog is loose and comes yapping up. I guess living with four really active ones in his last barn immunized him against dog-terror. Sunday we also ran into a family with a girl about six or seven. She wanted to know if Champagne was the Black Stallion (her favorite movie). He’s in his winter coat, so he does look that dark. I carry carrot stubs with me, and when we come across kids who are interested I let them feed him a carrot. Magic!

So we had a very fine time, just the two of us, and when I had enough I let him make the choices and we got back home faster than you’d think. But he was acting skittery as we came up near the open shed so I grabbed the grab strap because he spooked there at the woodpile this summer and I came off. Yesterday he spooked at just the same spot. This time I was ready. Then we moved forward ten or twenty feet, and he spooked again! More grab strap. Crazy beast. After that he was fine.

The apple of my eye

The WBH, being slightly insulin resistant, isn’t supposed to have grain or things with sugar, but I do love to give him treats. I have taught him to stand quietly while I hold out a piece of carrot just at nose level, and not to take it until I say “okay”. (Formerly he was quite rude about treats, lunging at them in an alarming way.)

I also have taught him to stand still while I mount and dismount by rewarding him with a carrot piece. But as a rule, he doesn’t get a lot of food rewards.

Lately though, as we go on our traditional cool-down circuit of the property perimeter, I have noticed that some trees have small ripe crab apples in easy reach. I have also taught Champagne not to randomly browse the foliage as we ride, and he is very good about it. So the last couple of times I have halted him so I can pick a red ripe apple the size of a marble. Then I give it to him.

He lips it, gums it, and then CHOMP! I guess apples are a hit.