November 7, 2013

Back On Track

Quick recap of what has been going on lately:

County Logic Girth: Returned. :(  I think it was probably a lot of user error but I just could not get it right. I tried the 16 inch originally and posted a picture to prove how small it was. I then ordered both an 18 and 20 inch figuring one of those would work. The 20 arrived first and so I headed to the barn to try it out. No good. Way too big. I had it on the very top hole and it was still loose. Ok. The 18 has to work then. That arrived on Monday and I headed to try it out on Tuesday after my surgery cases finished up and prior to my afternoon of appointments. I was smart and grabbed the 16 to try a second time just in case. The first dilemma I had was figuring out which side faced her head. It is contoured and I couldn't figure out how it went on. I emailed the company and was told the "spaceship" looking thing went towards her head. Try as I might I could not see a spaceship anywhere on the girth, so I tried it one way and rode. Got off and tried it the other way and rode again. The funny thing was that as tight as it was at the beginning, it would significantly loosen and the saddle would be dangerously loose, so I would get off and tighten again. And again. Until it was almost to the top of the billets. Huh? So....I did the same with the 16 inch and it was the same story. When it finally was at a decent tightness, I got off and looked. The saddle was very far forward. More so than with my current girth. When I tightened the girth, I could see the saddle moving forward with each pull. Not good. And once it was settled in the buckles were right at her elbow. My biggest issue with my current girth is the chaffing it is causing at longer distances. This would be even worse. So, back they are all going. And back to the drawing board I go.

Gem: I haven't been riding her at night lately. It has worked out that I have been out there during daylight (gasp!) and she has not bucked even one time. Maybe it was the dark. I don't know. We have been doing a lot of cantering and she has been really, really, really well behaved. Who knows?

Feet: They aren't any better or any worse with the powder stuff. I have been running over to the barn on my lunch break to clean out her feet and apply it. I'm not thrilled with it, but not unhappy either. Once the bottle is used up, I doubt I will buy more. I like my good old betadine just as much.

Barn: Changes...changes...changes. Nothing can ever stay simple or the same for very long. The Dynamic Duo are still happy at FS Farms and we are planning to keep them there at this point. I love the BOs and the set up seems to be working. Tomorrow I will explain what changes are heading our way. Hopefully they are not noticeable, but I doubt that.

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