Ahem. Anyway....
I did an official test ride today, as in both my instructor and the Director of Equine Care (aka, a very knowledgeable horsewoman) checked out the saddle with and without me riding it, made sure I had it on right, most importantly made sure it fit Greta right, and so on. My mother-dearest got video footage of us riding with it, so I could see for myself, and we look pretty good! I keep thinking that every time we sit the trot it just looks horrible, as Greta's trot is so bumpy to sit, but then I watch it on video and we look fine. So deceptive!
She had a really nice canter going though. It felt a bit more collected than her usual "I'm a polo pony, gotta flat-out gallop and be on the forehand like a cross country horse!" canter haha! Cutie.
Obviously, the videos have found their way into my Sony Vegas program, slapped together with some snazzy effects, and put up on YouTube for the world to see. So enjoi!
Said mother-dearest also got some fabelachtig beelden (fabulous pictures) of Greta in the Wintec. I didn't braid up her mane for show - it's quite shoddily done, anyway, since each braid is just held up by being rubber-banded back under itself hehe - but just to keep her growing mane off her neck while we did our little fifteen-minute ride so her neck had more area to aerate. It is just too darn hot at 5:00!
I'd love to get Greta's mane to grow out long and thick like Jolanda's horse. It would give me an excuse to go out to the barn every day ("Guys, I have to go to the barn! Greta's mane needs re-braiding so nothing gets pulled out!") Oh, and yes, that's a fjord in the link!
We still have a ways to go. It's growing out fast though, probably because the mane had just been roached instead of being pulled. Thank goodness!
My favorite picture is the last one. Kusje voor Greters!
And to finish things off, a GREAT quote from jacksongrrl's blog:
Not everyone can win national titles. Very few ever compete beyond the local or regional level, and only the especially fortunate ever make it onto the world stage. But no one who has ever sat in a saddle....HAS LOST.
You guys look very nice together! I love Greta's rainbow brow band. That's incredibly cool! Where did you find it?
ReplyDeleteI do love long manes, but if you plan on braiding for shows, it can be really hard to get the button braids looking neat if there's a long mane. :( I keep my horse's mane short because of just that reason.
That's a really great quote, too.
Actually, a french braid along the neck is accepted as well. Yeah, button braids and a long mane don't really go together haha!
ReplyDeleteThe browband I got at a local tack store. I couldn't pass it up! I found out later that it's the Ovation brand, so you could find it on a bunch of english tack websites. I know I have.