keep trying, peaceful ride ahead

First, a short follow-up on a previous post. Koda had no additional white spots and no changes this week. You can see the existing spots in proportion in the photo below, the larger one near his withers and the smaller one in the girth area. 

Onto the saddle saga, which continues. The latest revelation came about when we took the bell stirrup's off my old Circle Y, and swapped them out on the new saddle. It helped my leg issues somewhat, as there was clearly more room for my foot and the stirrup was more weighted. However, it didn't take long to realize the bell stirrup didn't solve the problem. My foot was still slipping. All I could think about while riding was the saddle. 

Towards the end of our ride, frustration was getting the best of me. I've been riding in the current saddle for a month, and it's still not right. I've come to love everything else about this saddle. WHY can't it just be right?! For goodness sakes, I've been trying saddle's out since Spring! Add to that - our boys come home in one week. I was at the point of "I can't have a frustrating saddle, and a frustrating horse. One of them has to go, and I'm not getting rid of my horse". Side note; The mentioned horse frustration comes from Koda making me work my butt off - all the time. I need to focus on him. He is still young. Someday this will change to a much lesser degree, but until we progress - it is our reality. I can't imagine what he is thinking, while I am focused on the saddle. Whatever it is, he was still a good boy.

I've come this far in my saddle search, I can't just give up. Setting frustration aside, I have to keep trying. For comparison's sake, Brad and I swapped saddles. I didn't get half way around the arena, and my legs were killing me - his saddle really is too wide for me. That was an "aha" moment. Furthermore, the stirrups are identical - you can see underneath feet in his saddle stirrups too. Discussion continued and concluded with, if it's not the stirrups it has to be the fenders. Sigh. Now that we've eliminated another thing, our saddle fitter will do more work on the saddle and loosen things up underneath the tree. I am hoping this last (?) adjustment makes it 100% right (she won't sell it to me until it's 100%) before Koda & Nemo come home. Time will tell.

We got a second ride in again this week, on a beautiful early Fall morning - just Koda & I and Brad & Nemo. I opted to ride in the new saddle. Brad pulled hard on the fenders, which made it a little better. My foot still slipped, but I knew what to expect and why. It was okay. I am hopeful, once the saddle get's more work done on it, the fenders will move with my leg.

After outdoor arena fun, we ended our morning with a short trail ride around the field. I am really going to miss riding in a huge outdoor arena.

The boys picked up some tiny seeds, or something, on their legs.

Our sunny Saturday ride was sooo peaceful. It made me feel better about the whole saddle thing. I can't think of a better way to spend my day, then with my boys.

Koda