Intro and Aussie saddle comment

["S. Brown" <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

I can't stand it any longer! ;-)  I've been lurking for a couple of months
with thoughts and questions popping up as I read the digests -- but not
enough time to write an intro AND ask the question or give a comment.  The
conversation on Aussie saddles has finally prompted me to take the
time...that and the fact that I finally had my work hours cut back enough
that I can catch up on some of the "waaaay behind" stuff and have time to
de-lurk. <g>
 
First, the de-lurk:
My name is Sue Brown and my husband, Steve, and I have a small boarding
facility in Marysville, Washington about 2 blocks (as the crow flies) from
the Puget Sound.  I teach classical basics lower level dressage riding and
horsemanship and will be testing for ARIA (ARICP) certification in November
for IBI in Recreational Riding and Dressage.  I'm totally non-competitive
in dressage (don't like the stress of shows altho I've done a few :-p) --
my interest is in the logical, correct way of training the horse...and
rider!  I have a small list of students since I still have work 3-4 days a
week at hospital (OR nurse with spec. in open heart and neuro (guess my
opinion on helmets! ;-)) which pays the bills, but I will be gradually
switching my work time to more teaching than putting up with the politics
of the hospitals!  

The part of the country that I live in is absolutely gorgeous...yes, rainy,
but I'm not a sun worshipper -- I grew up in northern Minnesota so the
weather is very tame to me.  Besides, I was greatly disappointed the first
summer I was out here (15 years ago) in that it didn't rain from Memorial
Day to Labor Day and I was counting on not having to water the lawn!!...so
it's really not so bad.  Behind our property we have about 10,000 acres of
trails, logging roads, and lakes which is where I did all my riding in my
pre-arena and pre-trailer days.  Lots of hills, puddles, monsters, and such
for conditioning horses.  (My horses back (an Appy and Arab mare) have
since retired to be therapeutic riding horses in the Ellensburn area.)
After we built the arena, I spent more time in there learning to ride
better balanced, etc. and train horses the classical dressage way.  Trail
Riding dropped off considerably -- also partly due to the fact that I
didn't have someone to ride with that I wanted to spend that many hours
with!! <g>

Recently a gal moved up here from the Portland who had done some endurance
rides in Oregon, riding a friends Arab gelding.  She got the job of
Educational Director of Surgical Services in the department where I work.
She found me immediately (go figure ;-)) and wanted to know if I had any
horses that needed exercising, that she was an experienced rider, had done
endurance stuff, etc., etc.  We bartered horse use and some dressage
lessons for help with the ground school classes I am currently setting up.
We both joined the BCHW and she's been acquainting me with the aspects of
endurance riding (along with this list which, BTW, is a *great* list!!)
Ironically, endurance was the one area that I was *very* interested in
getting involved in!  The two horses that we are riding are awesome lower
level schooling horses (Blue, a 10yo solid, near black Appy mare that looks
like a Morgan/Mustang cross, and Blaze, a 10yo Arab/MFT gelding) but still
pretty green in the trail area.  Blue is pretty steady in her approach to
her encounters on the trails and Blaze is a bit more, shall we say,
"enthusiastic" about his encounters...but we're working on that! ;-)  We
have had them out several times this spring so far and we plan on entering
the LD division of the ride at the Lester Hilde trail in September (at
the...ummm...tender, young age of 50. ;-))  

On to the comment on Aussie saddles:
I bought a saddle from Judy a few years ago and it has been, bar none, my
favorite saddle.  (Next in line is my Wintec Pro dressage saddle.)  I sat
in every Aussie saddle I could find from Portland to Vancouver and finally
settled on the Campdraft Special from the Toowoomba Saddlery in Toowoomba,
Aust.  As Judy described in her post, the quality of the workmanship is
commendable...and the good balance it gives me has saved my hide on more
than one occasion!!  It's still in near new shape with the trail riding
sabbatical that I took, but is again being put to good use!!  I doubt that
I will ride in any other kind of saddle when I'm out on the
trails...especially if I continue to take out green Arab adrenalin junkies!
<vbg>

Well, I guess that's enough for now...and congratulations to those of you
that are still awake! ;-)  Sorry to be so long-winded.  I'm looking forward
to reading more great, informative posts on this list.

Sue
Blue, Blaze, Nimmi, and Sherry
  
sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.