Coming Up Roses

…and just like that, it’s spring.

Sweatshirt weather instead of coat, and some days we’re all walking around in shirtsleeves.  Right now it’s raining, but the whole world is greening up beautifully, so that’s okay.  Especially since the trails have otherwise dried up with remarkable speed!  There’s mud where you’d expect there to be mud, but Tucker and I spent some quality time down at the dog park last weekend and most stretches were trot- and canter-able.

This was great, since it gave me a chance to more thoroughly test out a couple of gear tweaks.  Tuck’s trail bridle now sports a two-ring Myler combination bit.  I wanted something that could basically ride like a snaffle but provide a little more oomph in an emergency, and for a trail bridle, the idea of spreading the effect over his face had appeal.

I’m not sure yet what rein set-up I’ll ultimately run. I like the idea of riding primarily off a snaffle rein and having a shorter “curb rein” that can mostly just lay slack on his neck but get picked up if need be (and double as a lead rope at holds; my primary reins are buckle-end), but that may turn out to be more fuss than it’s worth.  With one rein on the lower ring, the feel is way too mushy and imprecise to tolerate for most purposes.  But going down the trail in a straightish line on a light feel or a little loop?  Seems to work just fine.  And I really like how the the distribution of pressure gets an answer when I need one without shortening his neck or tightening his back.

I did remove our running martingale attachment.  I believe pretty strongly in martingale attachments only on snaffle reins and I don’t know how I feel about it in combo with this particular bit in any case.  That’s even more of a once-in-a-blue-moon nice-to-have than a stronger-than-snaffle bit, though, so not the end of the world if I just leave it off.  And that would solve the jingle-jingle-jingle problem!

The other trial run was for Tucker’s front Renegades, which I’m pleased to report worked beautifully.  I haven’t ridden him fully booted outside of the ring yet and I know hind boots can be a trickier game, but I keep reminding myself that he’s not likely to be harder on them under saddle than he was the first time he was turned loose with them on…I hope!  I sent one hind boot back for a size exchange and then a cutback, thus the delay in riding with the full set, and I have plans B and C in mind if we get close in to our May LD without having the hind boots dialled in.  But so far?  Love ‘em.

We’re coming up on three weeks out from that first LD.  I’m feeling remarkably Zen given that:

-       My horse looks like a wooly mammoth crossed with a ragamuffin.

-       This winter, seriously.

-       Associated lack of concrete evidence that horse and/or rider won’t keel over at mile 18.

-       Unclear hind hoof protection situation, as above.

-       Not actually sure at this point what saddle I’ll be riding in or how thoroughly we’ll have tried it out.

I feel like there may be more, but that seems like enough!  Even so: Zen.  The horse will keep on getting curried and at some point I’ll pull or roach his mane and maybe someday he’ll get a bath (and/or left out in the rain).  Winter is coming over coming but not real soon.  He feels physically and mentally better than he did a year ago and we both survived our first CTR then.  Worst comes to worst, I can always put shoes on him for a ride or season if need be.  And a trial saddle should be arriving shortly (and honestly at this point I am just over the saddle drama; it’ll get sorted or it won’t but I’ve invested enough stress in it for one year so I am now officially chilling out).

Not sure if I learned something from last year’s mileage or if I’ve become a better human being or if maybe I’ve just given up, but it’s working for me for now!