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Joyscarer
3rd Jul 2008, 06:36 PM
I had the saddle fitter out today.

I have been having trouble with Joy's trot (happy with the other 3 paces so this is the last pace to work on) as she immediately goes into giraffe mode and hollows out whilst trying to power trot on. :rolleyes:

I had initially thought this was just down to my riding and that my rising was too noisy so that she would hollow away from me because of the return not being light enough. However Palmerlover52 reported that she was finding the same thing despite being half my weight and a far better rider.

The next stage then was to get her saddle checked as I wanted to make sure that the hollow power trot wasn't due to discomfort from her saddle or back.

I am now very wary about saddle fit considering she has cronic stiffness and needed physio last year despite being told by a saddler that her saddle was fine.

She does occasionally make faces at me when girthing up and I just wanted to be sure that it was just remembered discomfort and wasn't the same old problem returning. Mind you if you do the initial girthing up from the right she isn't bothered, not mention the fact that she is deperate to be caught to come in and work! You can't be too careful though.

The saddle fitter was very impressed with the changes in Joy since last October. She has lost her fat deposits behind her shoulder blades and she said her back couldn't be better.

Joy has no stiffness and delighted in showing off her flexion skills!

She has muscled up nicely along her back and her bum is just gorgeous and has lost its flabby wibble :p

The saddler also felt that Joy would be great to breed from despite the fact that I have always said I didn't want to as there are far superiour examples of welshies out there. She said that Joy was fine conformation wise but that her main reason for urging me to consider it down the line is for Joy's temperment which she was very impressed with. :D

Of course I won't be breeding from Joy as I still feel that there are too many horses out there already but the compliments about temperment and condition went down well I can tell you. I'm almost purring! :D

So now I know that there is no physical problem I can get on with improving my riding and schooling her to promote her to relax into her trot.

And to cap it all I have just realised that Joy will be 8 tomorrow so Happy Birthday Joy! :D :D :D

georgie1
3rd Jul 2008, 06:50 PM
Happy Birthday Joy and well done you....it is nice to hear that all your checks and care have made such a difference to her. Good for you hon:):)

Great news

Gx

Clava
3rd Jul 2008, 08:10 PM
Glad to hear it all went well and Happy Birthday Joy for tomorrow!

chickyd444
3rd Jul 2008, 08:15 PM
wonderful news, really happy for you both - and happy birthday joy for tommorow :p:)

NoviceNic
3rd Jul 2008, 09:51 PM
Happy Birthday Joy. :D

What saddle have you got Joyscarer?

pedilia
3rd Jul 2008, 09:55 PM
Happy Birthday Joy:D

I had similar problems when I first got Izzy, she was hollow and was very unhappy in upward transitions, she was always unhappy when I put her saddle on and girthed up.
Since I got her new saddle she has been like a different horse:D

Skippys Mum
3rd Jul 2008, 10:04 PM
Happy birthday Joy - and I can hear the purring from here:)

Joyscarer
3rd Jul 2008, 11:07 PM
Happy Birthday Joy. :D

What saddle have you got Joyscarer?

I've got one of those Thorowgood Cob GP T6 3D jobbies. Saddle fitter said they have stopped doing them now (which explains why they aren't on the webby anymore) so I was blooming lucky to buy when I did. Her theory is that because they had so many ways of making them fir TG weren't selling as many replacement saddles when a different style of panel would do :(

I'm just really pleased that the saddle fit is still fine still although she did have to adjust the flocking a bit. Not surprising given the change Joy has gone through since it was first fitted. :D

I love it when Joy gets gushing comments about how sweet she is :o

I'm going to celebrate her birthday by going out for an extended fast hack and finding the river again and then shoving some wormer down her at the weekend :p

palmerlover52
4th Jul 2008, 10:38 AM
Wormer? Oh what a lovely mummy you are, giving such nice presents! ;)

Happy Birthday Joy :D

LawlessMissyD
4th Jul 2008, 12:09 PM
Happy Birthday Joy...

JC can I ask which Saddle Fitter you used? Im in roughly the same area as you and am futilely trying to find someone to come out and fit my saddle, which is in desperate need of one!!

Ruskii
4th Jul 2008, 12:50 PM
That's fab news !

Which saddler do you use ?! (Might still be on the look out :rolleyes:)

Joyscarer
4th Jul 2008, 02:10 PM
I had Jane from Longacre at Borley Green come out. I couldn't recommend her more highly. :)

She comes from a behaviourist background and goes barefoot and bitless when appropriate so is very open minded. :cool:



Well today didn't go as planned :(

I planned to do the river ride today but unfortunately Joy went lame and I had to walk her back to the yard. I think she has bruised her sole as she had a load of mud and sharp stones stuck when I lept off to check.

Trotted up the lane in hand and she looked fine so I hopped back on (thank god she's only 14hh3!). When I tried the same thing in the saddler it was obviously that she wasn't quite right so I took her back in hand.

I got her back to the yard, having stopped loads on the way to let her graze and have a snuggle, and decided to give her a pampering session instead.

I started off by bunging some wormer down her throat and making her stand in a bucket of cold water. Joy bless her was good as gold and wasn't phased at all by this weird request :D

She was very cuddly today and fell asleep in the sun as I solocombed her mane. She woke up when her field mate came back from his ride out and then wanted to go back with him when he was turned out so I left her forelock for another day. I just wish that my camera on my phone worked :mad:

I'm going away over night on Saturday so won't be looking to ride tomorow and palmerlover52 does her on Sunday so I'll see how she is then. If she still isn't right then PL52 has been offered the other mare Joy shares a field with to ride. :D

Although today didn't go as planned I had a chance to reflect just how far we had come in the 18 months since I got her and she got the chance to have a snuggle and enjoying chilling out in the sunshine so it wasn't all bad. :cool:

gordysgirl
4th Jul 2008, 02:23 PM
Ahh poor Joy having a sore foot. Hope it is better soon.
We really don't see enough photos of the lovely Joy...get that camera sorted JC!!!

LawlessMissyD
4th Jul 2008, 02:44 PM
JC do you think you could PM me her contact details, so I can organise for her to come out and have a squizz my saddle and fit accordingly

Thanks...

EDIT: I just googled them and got the number!! :)

Wotsit
4th Jul 2008, 07:16 PM
Poor Joy, being lame on her birthday. Are you sure she didn't just think that she deserved a day in the field for her birthday especially as the wormers coming? :p :D

Glad to hear that it sounds like the saddle horrors are over!

coss
4th Jul 2008, 07:37 PM
Happy birthday to Joy (even if she did go lame :()... i'm sure she enjoyed the cuddles and grooming - a chilled day in the end :)

Hippyhorse
4th Jul 2008, 07:42 PM
Aww poor Joy having a bad foot on her birthday. But at least she got some extra pampering instead even if it did include wormer! Glad to hear there is nothing wrong saddle wise and what lovely comments about your gorgeous girl(and yes we need some piccies to remind us just how lovely she is!) I bet you are a very proud mummy indeed!