Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sunny Sunday, After Noon Anyway

Here's the day in pictures.

Starting out Cartman and I headed into Longview to Willow Grove Park.  We were meeting up with a group of riders that I really enjoy taking the young horses out with.  They ride at this park on nice days and are really fun.  Its great exposure for C to get out, see some new stuff, and be around a larger group of horses.

Cartman watches fishermen lining up for the boat launch


Cartman watches the launch

Cartman spies an attractive log home across from the park


We took a break from the action to snap a couple of pictures

 
Heading back down the beach to the trailer, Cartman admires the Columbia River.




We got in about two hours of riding at Willow Grove, lots of walking a little trotting and loping thrown in here and there.

By the time we got back to Castle Rock it was noon.  I set C up in his stall with some hay a two full buckets of water.  I went in for a little snack and to check Weather.com.

About 2pm I headed back out and loaded up for round two.

Just as I was leading C out to the trailer I saw Michelle pulling out with her truck and horse trailer.  I bet we're going to the same place, I thought.

Todd tucked the dogs into the back of the truck and we drove the short two miles to the jogging path trailhead on Cooks Ferry Road.

Its been quite a while since I've hauled out twice in one day!  But the reason was to try something out.

Don't laugh.


Yes, its my 16.2 hand leggy TB in a Crates Reining Saddle.  Doesn't he look adorable???

Yesterday Todd and I headed up to the big yearly sale at Tack Room Too in Olympia.  The big draw was 20quart buckets for only $6.99!  Ivermectin for $2.79!  I really needed to stock up on buckets and they are almot $14 at the local feed store.  Ridiculous.

So, I have had a dressage saddle for sale now, off and on, for three years or so.  It is a Max Hopfner saddle imported from Germany and very well made.  Unfortunately it was also very very narrow and did not have the humongous thigh blocks so popular now in dressage.  I guess you could say it was a great older saddle, just "out of style".  I called Tack Room Too to see if they would be interested in taking it on consignment and they said possibly, or could take it in trade on a new saddle.  Hmmm.

I really needed another saddle.  You never know, I might actually find someone someday that wants to ride Dazzby or Taj!  Crossing fingers.  Unfortunately I only had one saddle that would fit any of them.  I love my Specialized.  Love it.  But they just jumped the price up on new ones and I can't see buying a Specialized in the Western Style, with horn and all. 

So there it is.  My mid-life crisis.  Hard to believe that a dyed-in-the-wool life-long english hunter/jumper rider would ever do it but I did.

Here's a few more pics, but look fast, its Washington in sunlight!













7 comments:

Funder said...

Oh you thoughtful person! I'd much rather ride a strange horse in a reining saddle than in a dressage/treeless saddle - eeek. What's C think?

HHmstead said...

Not laughing - just chuckling! I think the two of you look very "Western"! If it works & you like it - that's the test!
Love the sunshine photos & views of the water!

HHmstead said...

Looked at the photos full size & Really like the fit & color of your new saddle! Did you get the breast collar with it?

CG said...

Funder-C is pretty agreeable so far. I checked his back tonite and he had no sore areas or reaction.

Connie- The saddle looks pretty dark in the photos, its actually a mahogany color with black suede seat.
Would you believe it, every thing is sold seperately! The flank cinch, cinch, and breast collar were all add-ons. Thankfully I already had a saddle pad.

AareneX said...

So, we'll see you and Cartman AND A WESTERN SADDLE at HOTR in a few weeks. Right?

CG said...

Hee hee, I can just see me trying to get the saddle back on him if I removed it at a hold! Its amazing how light the Specialized is, 17lb I think. This saddle is light for a western saddle at 27lb but not really built for endurance.
But.... I could probably train in the western saddle and then he'd feel really peppy with the Specialized on at a ride :)
Sort of like my idea to move to Santa Fe and train racehorses at the high elevation there and then haul down to sea level to run them. I never did get to try that one.

CG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.