Bah, I need to update

The saddle, its AHMAZEINGGG
Like seriously, the improvement I have noticed already with it is just stellar. Howie moves much more freely and is more willing to go forward. He was starting to get into hard workouts but then stupid thing got a stone bruise. Before that happened though, we had a great routine going. I rode him every day of the week and had easy days tuesday, thursday, sunday, and hard days every other day.
Easy days go as so- Walking up and down the driveway a couple times until sufficiently warmed up, trotting 20 m circles and working on bending and engaging with the hind. Some poles at the trot.

Hard days start with walk and trot up and down the driveway, then trot work over poles and then canter work over poles. Then we go into the pasture and do wind sprints up and down a line. We then go in the ditch which makes him lift his legs more than usual, we go up and down the ditch and splash around in the water for a bit and then go into the lower part of the pasture and canter circles then cool down.

Here are some pics of the new saddle

Lots of news

Sorry for my crappy bloggin skills and my lack of updating.

Update #1: Saddle Issues
So the saddle fitter came out on Saturday, it was quite the ordeal. I had talked with her on the phone for quite a bit about what I was looking for (dressage saddle, cheap, wiiiiide tree) and had to repeatedly emphasize what a tank Howie is. My fitter has been in the business for about 30 years and has come across lots of big draft mixes, so she said she was sure she could find something. When she arrived at my place I had Howie all ready to go and she took one look at him and said "you really weren't kidding when you said you needed a wide tree." She then proceeded to measure him, did all the tracings and stuff and I showed her what I was currently riding in. Apparently its sinful. It is a standard wide tree close contact jumping saddle and supposedly does not fit him at all. So no saddle riding until the new one comes, just bareback

After taking tracings of his back my fitter told me that Howie is the widest horse she has ever fitted. No joke, she has never seen a horse with as broad of a back as the H pone. No wonder my hips kill after long rides. She brought 8 extra wide saddles and none fit. She showed me the tracings of his back and explained where a narrow, medium, wide and extra wide tree would be, Howie was a good 2 inches wider than an extra wide horse on either side. So we talked about options. Looks like I have to get a custom fitted saddle and the easiest and cheapest route is this.

Wintec saddles have an exchangable gullet system. Its nice, but Wintec is a synthetic brand so not as high quality as some other saddles. My fitter will take an extra wide gullet, heat it in the forge and make it wider and put it into the higher end Wintec dressage saddle model. Not as expensive as expected, but still, quite the ordeal so I will be waiting for a few weeks before I can saddle up Howie. He is gonna gain some more poundage. Lesigh.

Update #2: Fitness stuffs
Until I got the news that I was forbidden to ride in a saddle, everything was going very well. Under saddle we had worked out most of our issues, thank you dressage whip, and we were starting over fences. He was doing great, even went up a hole on either side with the girth!! I also turn him loose every morning in the arena and let him thunder around like the crazy beast he is. The better fitness means a more lively Howie which is phenomenal.
And now for some pics

Awardyward

Wheeee! I am engulfed by the blogger scene!

I have an award. *Dances in circles*Thank you Beckz! http://horsebeckz.blogspot.com/

1o honest things, here we gooooo:

1. I enjoy watching crappy MTV shows such as "Paris Hilton's My New BFF"

2. I own a Snuggie, Shamwow and lust after many other TV wonders

3. I cannot stand art museums

4. Lifting weights is like an antidepressant for me

5. I am bad at coming up with things on the spot, hence the stupid, weak truths you see here

6. I ride in a mixture of jumping, pleasure and dressage tack. And look pretty much pathetic.

7. I have a fear of jumping anything higher than 18" on a horse. Yet I can go off a 3o ft kicker on my skis with no problem

8. I have never ridden in an honest to god horse show

9. I love my job even if I bitch about it all the time

10. I make noises when I drive. I also narrate it. "And backing up, look out for that pole Daphne" Haha

The rules are: Link back to the blog that gave you the award.
Post 10 honest things about you
Pass the award on to 10 other bloggers.

I will attempt to pass it on to at least 5 bloggers. Lets see how this works

http://icantellyourpurseisfake.blogspot.com/

http://rehabinganurbantransplant.blogspot.com/

http://trueantihero.blogspot.com/

http://dontbitethedog.blogspot.com/

http://skeetercomesback.blogspot.com/

Glamtastic!

Howie had a glamour shoot of sorts. I groomed him, slapped his new booties on and took pictures of him being pretty. His muscling has come so far and his tum tum doesn't stick out so far on the sides when you view him from the front. Yay!!!