Wednesday, October 07, 2009

vast improvement

despite the slipping saddle (twice) in that we went (eventually) roudn the 20 acre and a slighly different route to the usual...

first up, Molly more than happy to set off and go down the hill towards the 20 acre... half way down, i thought this feels odd, then realise saddle slipping to left to i gently got off before i fell off, put it back together and led her back up the hill (there being nowhere to get back on down there) and having opened the gate that would otherwise have blocked the route before i did so. I never know why people shut that gate, there's no livestock either side of it..

anyway, back up the hill, got back on and set off again

half way round the 20 acre there's a gap where a hedge used to be; through that, and we could hear hidden voices (hidden fishermen), which rather disconcerted molly .. but instead of wanting to go back, she was happy to turn left and walk parallel to the hedge, instead of the normal continuing along the riverbank (normaly one goes straight on and left at the far end of a square field, this time we turned left and then to go right, the other half ot he square) and ending up back at the normal gate back to the track.   I was singing to us along all of this ..


Approaching this gate from a different angle molly found most disconcerting, and wanted to nap back, and in trying to prevent that i realised the saddle was slipping again so had to get off.

so led her back along the track.

but i was non the less pleased after th eperformance of Monday, so maybe there is hope.


why did the saddle slip?


2 reasons:
  1. i hadn't gone back to the pro choice girth
  2. i'd rashly sprayed fly repellent under the numnah before putting it on molly. that possibly was a bit daft.  it's now in the wash!

so quite happy with that!
and a good thing about working from home, timed it so still done in daylight. 

2 comments:

Jean said...

I get a saddle slip now and then at the start of a ride on Chance in the Ansur...he has a very flat wither, but once I am on for a bit the saddle "seats" itself and is just fine. Except for maybe mounting...as the other day...it never slips more than just off center, though. Professional Choice girth...yes, that's what I use.

But what a great accomplishment to get her out on a hack like that. Once more super progress. A few more times and you will both be pros at it! *S*

trudi said...

Much better news then Claire...excellent.