What a day!

I picked up the saddle today, and I am 99% sure it fits! I found it at Statelinetack.com on a scratch and dent sale for $629.99, and the tack shop wanted $895.99. So now that I am almost positive that it fits, I am going to return the saddle I have to the tack shop. I just ordered the one from Stateline. I hope it's not in too bad of shape.. I don't mind a few little scratches, but if there are any huge gouges I will return it.

In other news, I cantered Bourbon bareback today twice!! I have been so nervous lately because he has been bucking when I ask for the canter (most likely due to saddle fit) but today I was feeling brave. I asked for the canter and he didn't buck! I was so excited and so proud of him and myself that I asked for it one more time. He was SO good! I am so pleased with our progress!

Saddle

I got the call tonight that the saddle arrived at the tack shop! I am going to go pick it up tomorrow. I am almost jumping out of my skin with anticipation. I hope it fits!!

Mats!

Today Danny suggested we go get the rest of rubber mats for Bourbon's stall. I was pretty shocked that he was willing to spend the money, so I said yes before he could change his mind. We also got Bourbon a new water tub. I spent all day today leveling his stall and laying the mats. I am irrationally excited about them. I need one more mat, so I am going to go pick one up tomorrow.

My mom ended up ordering me the correct SMB boots and told me to just return the ones I have and get whatever I wanted since the SMB Elites are on their way. :D I am going to get him a peppermint scented Jolly Ball, I'm going to get me a saddle stand, and that still leaves me with about $50 to spend... hmmmm... what should I choose?

Presents!

I got so many amazing things for Christmas and Hanukkah. I got brushes, 2 hoof picks, a grooming tote, bell boots, a fly ear net, socks for my tall boots, winter riding gloves, a figure eight nose band, a saddle cover, a stall plate with name, emergency contact, and feeding info, 2 lessons with my trainer, and SMB's. I got the SMB III's instead of the elite ventech, so I am going to exchange them.

I also got a gift card for Statelinetack.com, so I ordered 4 months worth of a joint supplement that is in treat form and a paint on hoof conditioner.

I went to Tractor Supply today. I got Bourbon a feed bucket that hangs on the wall of his stall, a 50lb salt block and a 50lb mineral block with trays and a rubber stall mat.

The barn manager suggested a rubber stall mat for under his hay so he doesn't eat the dirt. I'd like to put rubber mats in his whole stall, but since his stall is 15 x 20 feet and the mats are 4 x 6 and $40 each, it isn't going to happen for a while. I still need to get major medical insurance for Bourbon, pay off the truck and buy a horse trailer and saddle. If the saddle I ordered fits then at least that much will be checked off the list.

Lesson

I had such a great lesson today! Tracy, my trainer is AWESOME! Today we worked on walk-trot and trot-walk transitions and bending. She told me to think of Bourbon like a tube of toothpaste. When I want him to do a downward transition, I should tighten my back and ab muscles and squeeze the toothpaste towards his hind end. It made so much sense the way she explained it and Bourbon picked up on what I was asking very quickly.

She also told me that I should not keep my leg on him at all times because it will make him dull to my leg aides.

All in all it was a great lesson and I am really happy with her as my trainer. :)

Lazy

Bourbon was SO lazy this morning. He didn't want to move at all. I have never seen him so lazy. I could barely get him to trot. I turned him out in the little arena and Mellisa asked me if I wanted to ride her horse, George. He is a little 15hh Quarter Horse and he moved a lot like my old mare Allie minus the speed. He was really fun to ride.

Later I pulled Bourbon out again and he had a lot more energy than he did earlier this morning. I walked and trotted him around the barn a bunch, then brought him in the barn and started pulling his mane. I still have a little bit to finish tomorrow, but I'm almost done.

I have a lesson tomorrow morning. I am so excited! I am going to get my ass kicked though!

Saddle and Parelli

Yesterday Danny and I spent the morning going to different tack shops with my tracing since the website I linked in an earlier post said they couldn't do anything with my tracing through email and that I needed to snail mail it in. I was going to snail mail it if I didn't find a saddle yesterday, but I think I might have found one! It's an HDR Pro Buffalo Dressage saddle. I know it's not top of the line or anything, and I really wanted to spend that money on a better quality used saddle, but I'm sick of the searching and waiting. This saddle was really comfortable and had a nice grippy seat and big fat knee blocks. Unfortunately they didn't have my size, so they had to order it. And because of the holidays, it probably won't get here for about a week and a half to two weeks. Boo! I am so anxious, but I don't want to get my hopes up in case it doesn't fit.

My new friend at the barn, Melissa, was there yesterday when I was playing with Bourbon. I was riding him (bareback of course) in the little arena and Melissa was saying how nice of a mover he is. Melissa is a great rider, so I asked her if she wanted to ride him. She was excited and hopped right on him. It was so great to actually be able to see him move with a good rider on his back. Melissa was right, he is a nice mover! :D

Once I got off, Melissa could tell I was having a little trouble with him not respecting my space and being nippy. She asked me if I'd ever tried Parelli. I told her I was really interested in it but couldn't bring myself to spend that amount of money on a distance learning program. I am very hands on and I need someone to show me exactly what to do.

She told me she has some of the literature for the first level and some of the equipment and that she would let me borrow it. She grabbed her carrot stick and showed me how to play a few of the games, and by the end of the hour Bourbon was really listening and responding to me. I love it and can't wait to continue!

Tarp

What a silly boy. I was trying to desensitize him to a tarp, but he pretty much showed the tarp who's boss. :D

I love my Zebra. :D

Tracing

I finally was able to take a tracing today of Bourbons back, withers, and topline. I sent it into this tack shop/saddle fitter. I am hoping they have a saddle or two that will fit both me and Bourbon.

I trotted Bourbon around the farm today on the buckle! There was a huge loop in the reins and he stayed at the same pace and was such a good boy!

I love him more and more every day. :D

Bareback and Bridleless

Today was really really great. :D I still have no saddle, so I've been riding bareback pretty much every day. My seat has gotten so much better than it was when I first got him. I really want to canter him bareback but since he's bucked pretty much every time I've asked for the canter in the past, I'm worried that he's going to do it again. I believe the bucking was due to poor saddle fit, but I don't want to take the chance because I really don't think I could sit a buck bareback right now.

I did however pop him over a little cross rail today! He was so great. I was hoping he'd pick up the canter on his own without a buck after the cross rail, but I didn't ask for the canter at all. He never ended up cantering with me on his back, but he did drop down to roll, LOL! I was standing in a sandy spot in the small ring talking to my husband when he decided that right there was the perfect spot for a roll. I let him drop down to the ground and hopped off right before he had a  good roll. What a silly boy.

After that I took off his bridle and just let him walk around with me on his back. Eventually I'd love to be able to really ride him bareback and bridleless, (as in walking, trotting, cantering, and a few crossrails) but we are a long way from that.