November 28, 2010
Ride Goals coming together for 2011
I'm going to follow the K.I.S.S. program for 2011. Keep *It* Simple *Stupid. It seems to work better for me that way. There are a few things I will need to get done before the ride season begins. I'll probably get her a Coggin's test this year as I'm looking at one possible ride in Ohio or Kentucky (better to be prepared). I've yet to renew my AERC membership, so I really need to get on that because I'll be missing out on the magazines which I look forward to each month. We are going to chase our 250 mile LD horse and rider chevrons (hey, one can hope), go to a ride we haven't done before, continue with multi-days, continue booting with the Gloves which work perfectly for us now. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping like mad that I will get to put some miles on the new boot prototype for wider than long hoof. It would be fun to be a part of the process and see how they work out for Phebes. We don't log a lot of competition miles but we do ride a lot of miles overall (a thousand her first year, and five hundred something this year). She does have atypical hooves as boots go, though not so extreme as some I've seen on Easycare's Facebook page! If that doesn't work out, our current size Gloves are going on fine, and staying on so I think the majority of booting issues are behind us. Prior to all this I'm wanting to do a horsemanship clinic and have myself on an email list so I know when upcoming clinics are happening. I'd really prefer to NOT do it in the frigid months of December or January. Right now I'm doing one short pleasure ride a week. I think winter is a good time to heal any little issues that may have crept in from the summer and fall miles. I don't see us hitting the trail seriously until February or March. I'm still kicking around the idea of a Eurolight saddle, but that will depend on the economy, jobs, and many other things. I continue to be unimpressed with riding an english style seat. I try, and then I just don't like the feel. My body feels top heavy, I have to ride with a shorter stirrup to get back onto my seat bones, which does not make for happy arthritic knees. I throw my Crestridge on the horse, and all is well (except the weight of the saddle itself). On the whole I feel like we have a compass now, and a direction in which to point ourselves for 2011 which is good. The trailer has been winterized, if only I were. ~E.G.
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Hey E.G.- Does Easy care have a new boot/prot type out for wider rounder feet? That's been a real issue for JB and not fitting into the gloves. Whats the scoop?
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm impressed that you *have* goals already.
ReplyDeleteMy only goals right now (besides surviving NaNoWriMo, 2 days and 1,621 words yet to go) is to ride at least once per week through December and January, a goal which I probably won't even approach as the weather falls completely apart.
Good luck with your goals. I'd encourage you to go for that new saddle if possible...it's amazing how much more "stick-em" happens when you've got equipment that really fits both you and the horse.
Jonna,
ReplyDeleteEasycare is in the research and development phase on the new wider boot. I'm on the list (I hope the short list!) to test out the prototype boot. If I don't get to test it, I'll still be buying it when it hits the market for her front hooves which are slightly wider than they are long. We can make the size "0" work for us, but a tad wider would be better. I'll keep you all posted as things develop! ~E.G.
Aarenex,
ReplyDeleteBetween the deer hunters, and the four wheelers...I'm having a struggle getting in my once a week ride. For some reason the cold is bothering me already this year.
THE saddle continues to be on my wish list...I'm just worrying over the economy, and jobs hanging in there. Hard to splurge with so much uncertainty right now. ~E.G.
Can you add to your goals - help get Lida and Doc in gear so we can make a few rides next year. :-) Doc is not getting any younger.
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you checked the balance of your English saddle? Balancing mine helped me quite a bit. I had to shim the front up a tad so that the lowest point of the saddle was just slightly behind center. This may not be what most people will tell you, but it made a HUGE difference to me. You might experiment a bit before you give up on it. I have a special saddle pad that you can shim (theraflex), but before I got that the saddle fitter I worked with had me buy carpet padding and make my shims. And actually, I didn't even have to buy it. I just got leftover trimmings for free from a carpet store. I have a couple of different good sources on shimming if you want to learn more.
Lida,
ReplyDeleteYou know if you keep Doc rolling all winter you would be ready for Chicken Chase by spring. I'm always looking for someone willing to ride 15 miles...