Saddles and Centres

I hacked Wolfie on Monday. Yesterday I went to place a saddle on his back, just to try it and he scowled at me. Wolfie has never done that on seeing any form of tack. Something has pinched or hurt him during our ride on Monday. I was using J's saddle. There were no marks, raised areas or swelling, but I have a feeling the girth I used may have pinched him. Earlier I had given him a good scratch and pressed over his back and sides and he was fine, but something has definitely irked him. The saddler, Andrew Sankey is coming on Thursday to see a potential saddle for fitting and hopefully to offer some very much needed help and advice. The whole saddle issue is worrying me. I know how detrimental an ill fit saddle can be, but I just don't know what the best option is for us. Wolfie is not an easy shape to fit. I just want to do the best by Wolfie, so we will wait and see what Thursday brings.

Some of the girls at the yard had a lesson last night on centered riding. I hung around to watch H and J's lesson. I've read some articles on centered riding, but have never really given it to much thought. It is a method of teaching which takes the focus back to the rider, providing exercises on and off the horse which enhance body awareness and help riders recognise areas of tension and imbalance. It looked brilliant. The instructor just had H doing exercises in walk, but the effect it had on J's way of going was amazing. He was striding forward without the usual cries of 'leg on' and 'flexion' that you hear in lessons. H was beaming when she got off, having thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a great feeling to come out of a lesson and have achieved something. It's definitely something I would like to try. Maybe once the dreaded saddle issue is sorted out.