How was your ride today?

How was your ride today? Update us!

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on October 7, 2009 at 10:39am

I tried new stirrups today, Herm Sprenger Bow Balance Safety stirrups. They were great, I had a lot less problem keeping my stirrup in the proper place. My riding teacher Debbie liked my lower leg today a lot better too. My stirrups had been shifting around the bottom of my foot, no such problem today.
Mia is also responding favorably to being on the hemp powder again, her motion was much better even though it was drizzly and very humid. Debbie and I are encouraged, everything went so well today. I just have to relearn exactly where my body is with the new stirrups, but at least my feet stayed put!!

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Pannell on October 7, 2009 at 5:21pm

Hi Jackie , can you post a pic of the new stirrups, I'd be interested to see what they look like. Cheers Geoffrey

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on October 7, 2009 at 5:37pm

Hi Geoffrey--you can see a picture of them on the Dover site doversaddlery.com, under horse-tack, stirrups, and they are listed as Herm Sprenger 4-F Bow Balance stirrup irons.
They are sort of pricey $200.00 USD or so, but so nice to use.

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Pannell on October 8, 2009 at 5:03pm

I had a look Jackie, is there a eyelet at the top for the leather? Gee , we are spoilt for choice these days aren't we, the amount of stuff we could acumulate is mind blowing!

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on October 8, 2009 at 5:56pm

Yes, there is a normal eyelet for the stirrup leather. Actually mine are of a slightly older generation, mine are not 4-F, which may be slightly offset. If they are offset I will also be getting a pair of the 4-F Bow Balance. I miss my old Eldonian Off-set stirrups that I lost decades ago, the Stuebben offsets are rather extreme.
The regular Fillis stirrups had been making my feet sore. I hope my new stirrups will help with that.
Yes we are spoiled with choices now, but I still use a lot of the old stuff from 40 years ago, like my saddles, my old Jumping Cavesson bridle, and some bits.

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Pannell on October 8, 2009 at 5:08pm

heading off to a lesson with my dressage coach this afternoon, getting a last minute tweak before the Reynella HT this weekend. Noel is an ex Mounted Policeman, he does make me work .

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on October 16, 2009 at 1:29pm

My ride was sort of cold (but just wait, it will get colder!) and the arena was real sloppy. I practiced on keeping my lower legs in the correct position (heels down, toes pointed out some, soles of my feet turned slightly outward, knees down, stirrup leathers vertical) and found it very tiring. I can keep the forward seat position for just about 6 walking strides, then I collapse (gently) back into the saddle, sitting on the rear part of my seat bones. After I rest I try again, repeating for several minutes, then for a few wonderful seconds I got it all right--and I felt like I was in my 20's again!
I also spent most of my ride gently insisting that Mia go THROUGH the puddles. We had quite a few gentle discussions about going through the puddles, then she finally went through one without any discussion at all. With that success I stopped my ride.

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on January 20, 2010 at 1:22pm

My ride today was good. Unfortunately my husband is having a gout attack and my teacher is out of town. Luckily one of the stable ladies brought Mia in for me. I had to do ALL the grooming and tacking up, lots and lots of mud. Somehow I talked myself into going ahead and riding even though I was EXHAUSTED from the grooming and tacking up. I'm glad I did, Mia took pity on me, and started off at a decent flat-footed walk instead of her normal slow walk, and she was much more responsive the the leg today so I did not have to work as hard. The ring was too wet to extend the trot, but we did regular and extended walks (some extension), and sitting and regular trots. I even got warm enough to take off my jacket.
And I am REAL TIRED.

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Pannell on January 20, 2010 at 3:46pm

beach in the evening!!! swimming horses is the best fun you can have with your clothes on!!!

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Permalink Reply by Kristen on January 20, 2010 at 9:22pm

My ride today was pretty awesome! I rode Daisy and we had been working too hard lately so we just played around in the pasture and some trails and it was a lot of fun! I also took her tack off and rode her around bareback too :) I like that little pony! Tomorrow Lucy and Daisy are getting the day off and Friday I am riding Lucy and then having a lesson on Daisy! Cannot wait! I also CANNOT wait to start showing I miss it!

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Permalink Reply by Catherin McMillan on January 21, 2010 at 3:23am

felt like Id done 2 hours on the wii when I'd finished. we have a new horse for our youngest she has paled up with one of the ponies and because she couldnt see him she wouldnt stop jogging or settle this went on for almost an hour. decided it wasnt worth putting my daughter on when she was like this.

previously shes been nothing but laid back. guess where at the testing me out stage