Equipment Update

I just got back from the barn again tonight and talk about a great diet plan! Not only did I post for at least 15 minutes straight (yeah I realize that isn't that long but I haven't been riding much recently) but I'm used to eating at 5:00 and now I don't get to eat until after 7:00.

Katai was great even in the extremely noisy windy arena by herself. She is starting to really get this trotting thing and was more forward again tonight than on Sunday. I did carry the dressage whip again but I barely had to use it. Right now the biggest issue is that when I ask her to walk she thinks that she can stop and when I push her and make her walk she baaaaaaarely drags her feet along at the slowest snail pace possible. I've been able to push her straight from a trot into a walk now a few times but she is still dragging her feet and needs too many reminders to walk nice.

She actually spooked for almost the first time tonight at the side of the arena making a flapping noise and it was the cutest little spook. I'm so glad that she doesn't have a good spin because on small horses those can be tough.


Tonight I used a fleece halfpad for the first time.

  I have this one which is the fake fur kind and I have been concerned that it would make my saddle to unstable but it actually improved things. Katai's saddle is a little on the wide side right now partially because she was fatter but also because she liked the wider saddle vs the saddle that actually fit her a little closer. The halfpad actually filled in that extra space and although it wasn't more stable it also wasn't worse and I think that she seemed to like it. I'm going to mess around with some different pad and girth combinations the next couple of times that I ride.

In other news, Adventures with Shyloh is holding a contest to win one of those cool Horze pom pom hats and I would love one. Here is a link to the contest!