>>> Needless to say...I was boarding at a barn full of people who had already thougth I was crazy...and this was the icing on the cake...Even my Vet told Cake that he sure had me where he wanted me....Sheesh!
While I think it's quite possible, even often, that horses "tell" us their preferences, I'd be hesitant to make snap judgments without considering all the possibilities. I've had cases where I suspected that a new bit, saddle, whatever, was working well (or poorly), only to realize later that what I assumed was merely coincidence. Horses DO have other things going on in their lives all the time, so a simple stomp of the foot could simply mean that ANY saddle would hurt the horse today - possibly he's just sore today from playing with his buddies. And complaints aren't always from tack - sometimes the horse may be distracted by what's going on back in the pasture with his buddies. Skjoni recently started having some of the same symptoms he had when the FnE saddle stopped working for him, and when we switched him to the Sensation. I was QUITE worried. I'm so happy to have Cary riding with me on a horse that he adores, but if the Sensation was no longer working...well, we're running low on saddle options. I quickly call the chiropractor out and was VERY relieved to find out that his soreness was mostly in his hips and his back and saddle area were in good shape. And of course, thinking back, this started within a couple of weeks of our putting Falki and Skjoni in the pasture to babysit the two yearling colts. The colts had upped the play ante even above what the rowdy Icelandic geldings are used to, so Skjoni had probably "butt-shoved" his rear end out of kilter. I'm very glad I didn't put his Sensation up for sale and go looking for another saddle...or another horse for Cary. And don't forget that horses have good memories. If they are used to having uncomfortable saddles, it may take a ride or two (or longer?) for some horses to accept that THIS new saddle is different. And sometimes the pain will linger for a while after the offending tack is removed. Some horses seem to accept new tack/new changes easily and happily while some take a little longer - just like people do. I'd say always listen to the horse, but make sure you listen to the whole story. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.0/818 - Release Date: 5/25/2007 12:32 PM
