Last night I headed to the barn late after helping, or well, observing my DH helping, his mom bail water from the sump pump hole after someone drove into a hydro pole and knocked out the power. Oddly... the weather was sunny and 16* but I will refrain from any bad comments because one never knows the situation. Karma people!
I just hope it was not caused by cell phones... I need one of those "Stop Texting" bumper stickers. HUGE pet peeve of mine!
Anyways, after mowing down pizza, despite my vow for no take out this week, I headed to the barn for some equi-cise.
I have been struggling to find a good girth for Paloma the past two years. If she wears a neoprene or leather girth in the heat she gets girth gals and other times the girth just plainly rubs her hair off. Nothing serious, just shortens the hairs in the girth area.
Initially, I added a wool girth sock. But this didn't help with the gals, and yes, I kept it clean.
Then, last year, I bought a Lettia Coolmax fleece lined girth with elastic on both sides from a friend of mine. While I noticed a significant improvement in the rubbing and no gals.. yet... she still gets some girth rubs.
I have checked time and time again to be sure the girth isn't too tight or too loose but just last night when I attempted to try another leather girth I had, I noticed something interesting after hearing the girth 'pop' with each stride. Pal has a wide barrel but a slab-ish and narrow girth area. So I need to find a girth that will conform to her shape, so no stiff leather and no neoprene due to sensitivity to the heat held by neoprene.... Where am I going to find that?
For now I am sticking with the Fleece since it does the least harm and she seems happy.
Suggestions are truly welcomed!
After noticing the popping noise I removed the saddle, thought about getting my other girth, got lazy and jumped on bareback for some serious work on my balance and crookedness.
Pal isn't a huge fan of bareback as it seems that once the saddle is removed the 'sound barrier' is removed so it is sensory overload and she can't decide what means what anymore. So we keep it short and positive.
Or at least that is why I tell myself we keep it short.
In reality it is because all my muscles are screaming at me to cease the torture at once, of which I have to say I am feeling today.
One good thing I felt last night, if you can say recognizing an issue is good, is that rather than bending through her neck and body, Pal likes to tilt her head to give the idea of bending to the left. No issues to the right though.
I had always noticed that she typically had more mouth foamies to the right than left and I knew that can be caused by crookedness but I never associated any issues to do with Pal...
Without the saddle I could feel that when I asked for bend left, her barrel and back did not respond the same way it did right. I could correct the issue quite easily when I consciously thought to over exaggerate certain aids to remind, 'hey, I am asking for left bend here'. Like less outside hand, coincidentally, my right, stronger hand/arm, more inside leg and a slight lift on my inside rein.
Similar issue in half pass left, she gives me more shoulder and less haunches. Again correctable by exaggerating my aids slightly for a few moments.
I am once again stacking evidence into my case that Pal's right sided muscles are shorter than her left.
It is the only thing that makes sense.
Now, off to investigate strategies for helping to stretch though muscles.
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