Ozzy over the past month has formed a first black hair spot on his withers on one side, and then the white hairs started to come through fairly quickly and predominately this past 7 - 10 days. Also starting to come through on the other side as well. I had the boyfriend, Al adjust my Wintec to the ultra wide gullet on the weekend hoping that would help. But when I rode on Sunday we could tell by the sweat marks that wasn't helping. I had arranged for Heather to come up from Diamond H Tack to measure his back on Tuesday. Hoping and praying that it was just going to take some creative padding to fix this problem.
This is why I don't buy lottery tickets, because doesn't matter how much I hope and pray - end result is never what I'm hoping or praying for. Okay - I buy the crossword lottery tickets - I LOVE those...
Anyhow, Heather took one look at him and said that she figured the saddle I had was too wide. HUH!!! She measured his back with the crab/chiropractic devise and verified that my saddle really never fit. She gave me a lesson in where the saddle should sit on him and where and how the pressure of the saddle should lie on the back and withers. Clydesdales are not a wide backed horse, Percherons and Belgians and some other draft horses are incrediably wide across the back... but Clydes not so much which make them the more desirable rideable draft breed.
Ozwald takes the same kind of saddle as a thoroughbred, quarter horse, or warmblood, and no padding miracle was going to make my saddle fit. I believe this is when I started chanting, I love my horse, I love my horse, I love my horse. Oz being typical Oz has three women fussing all over him, as he's standing in the middle of the aisle way and I swear he was falling asleep. And its moments like this, when we have a new saddle on him and its taking 3 of us to try and fit a too small girth on him so I can test ride the saddles, and he just stands there like a good boy.
We tried Briannes back up saddle, but that was too narrow for his spine I believe, we then tried her Prestige Saddle... yep - I got to sit in THE saddle, and we test rode that one. (Note to self, add another bottle of wine to the grocery list, for Brianne). But I don't think it fit me, actually I know it didn't fit me.
Then Heather started hauling out saddles out of her van - I have cardboard boxes in my vehicle she has saddles. And we started to test ride a bunch of new close contact saddles, I think I tried 4 or 5 in total. Some fit him and not me, some fit me and not so much him. It was like the three bears, this one is too big, this one is too small,... this one is just right! I found two that I loved - now would be the time I guess to ask for Sponsor the Saddle plight - the first one was actually a youth saddle. But it fit my wee butt, hahahaah, it felt great, it had support for my leg on both sides, and riding in it was just great. My legs finally felt like they were in the right position. So we put on stirrups and test rode the saddle over a crosspole... well we did after Brianne moved the killer flowers from in front. (Can you guess what we will be doing on Thursday, and what my write up will be about). I knew I was going to test ride the saddles, but I didn't think I was going to do anything more then walk around. So no spurs, whip, gloves or helmet - and boy did I feel naked going over the jump.
The saddle felt great, so much better then my old saddle. I would never have thought that a saddle would make jumping feel that much better. The only downside to this saddle was that I felt posting in it, I was posting a wee bit either too high, or it was kind of throwing me out of the seat. I chaulked it up to a new saddle.
Then they brought out a Stubben close contact saddle to try. I test rode that around at a trot and it didn't feel as good as the youth saddle, my legs didn't wrap around him as well as the youth one did. We adjusted the stirrups up one, and it felt better, but still not as good with my leg as the youth one. Then I two pointed in it, and I thought...ohhhhh I like this - like it a lot! Then we were to jump in it, and I don't think we were even completely over the jump before I was yelling SOLD SOLD SOLD! Its just shocking what a huge difference it made! Soooo smooth, there is no way I was going back to my old saddle at that point.
I asked Heather to wait until I made it over the jump before she told me the price, which really wasn't outrageous for a new saddle. And I'm making an investment for my horse. I even like the looks of it, rich dark coloring, and I can't wait to get back into the saddle.
Poor Oz had had enough, he was pooped, no warm up, no lunging, in fact its Tuesday and Tuesday is an off day - I mean honestly what WAS I thinking!
So Ozwald has a new saddle! I will post photos on Thursday. Next to purchase will be a nice new bridle. Hopefully he'll fit a warmblood size, but again I'm hoping and we know that doesn't get me very far!
So now I have an Xtra Wide Wintec All Purpose Saddle with the 4 interchangeable gullet system, if your looking for a saddle give me a shout!
Only a couple of more days before our next show ! Thankfully I will not be worrying about his back any longer and can concentrate on me.
Thank you Brianne for all your help with the saddle fitting, and to Heather and Diamond H for being so patient with our test riding. I think finding the perfect saddle would be similar to finding the perfect Christmas or New Years Eve dress!
Thankfully I don't care if people see me in this more then once.